🦇 The Creature That Changed My Life 🌿
It was a gentle autumn day in the south of France. Camille, a young woman who had been living alone for several years in a wooden cabin in the Dordogne Valley, had just returned from her usual forest walk. Her life was peaceful, almost solitary, but deeply connected to nature — the scent of pine trees, the songs of birds, and the golden light of the sun filled her everyday world. But everything changed that day.
While walking past an old oak tree, Camille noticed a strange movement. Looking down, she saw a small, crumpled figure lying motionless. At first, she thought it was a fallen leaf or a patch of moss. But when she knelt closer, two large, shining black eyes looked straight into hers. It was a bat. But not just any bat. Its eyes were expressive like a puppy’s, and one delicate wing was clearly injured.
Camille hesitated. She had never touched a bat before. But something in those eyes stirred her heart. She gently wrapped the tiny creature in her scarf and brought it home.
At her cottage, she made a cozy nest from cotton in a small wooden box and began to investigate. She soon realized it was a fruit bat — a species more commonly found in tropical regions. Due to shifting climate patterns, they had started appearing more frequently in Europe. She named him Milo.
Milo quickly became a vital part of Camille’s life. Every night, he made soft clicking sounds, and during the day he hung upside down, sleeping peacefully. His black eyes always followed Camille’s movements as if trying to understand her every thought. She fed him mashed banana and watermelon juice. Every day, she gently cleaned and treated his injured wing, hoping one day he would fly again.
Time passed. Milo began to trust her. Whenever she reached her hand out, he would wrap his tiny wings around her fingers. His presence filled the cabin with warmth. And when he tried to fly for the first time — gliding gently from one corner of the room to another — Camille felt a rush of joy and sorrow. She knew the day was coming. Milo was healing. Soon, he would leave.
But he didn’t.
Every evening, Camille would open the window. Milo would perch on the edge, spreading his wings and sniffing the cool night air. But he always returned to her shoulder and curled up again.
People in the village were puzzled. “You keep a bat in your house?” they asked, half-laughing, half-concerned. But once they saw how gentle and calm he was — and how devoted Camille was to him — they began to admire their bond. Some even brought fruit or asked to see “the flying roommate.”
Then, one unexpected morning in spring, something incredible happened.
Camille entered the room and saw Milo curled up in his usual cozy spot. But this time, something was different. Pressed against Milo’s soft belly was a tiny, hairless baby. Camille froze, then slowly smiled. Milo… was a female. And now — a mother.
Camille named the baby Lina, and began caring for them both. Mother and daughter were inseparable, and Camille became their protector, their home.
Now, months later, Milo and Lina still live with Camille. In the evenings, they fly playfully around the room and then nestle quietly beside her at bedtime. Camille’s life has never felt so full. And it all began with one small, broken-winged creature that changed everything.
