The sudden shrill cry jolted Xiao Zhuzi and the others awake. They opened their bleary eyes to see countless shadows swooping down from the cave's ceiling, carried by a fierce wind! It was a swarm of Cave Bats, their dark fur glinting with an eerie blue hue in the dim light, and their blood-red, bloodthirsty eyes sent chills down their spines. Sharp teeth gleamed ominously in the shadows of the cave.
"Be careful!" Fei Bao shouted, quickly spreading his wings to shield Xiao Zhuzi. Xi Xi reacted just as swiftly, raising her sharp, venomous tail spike to guard the other side of Xiao Zhuzi. The three friends huddled together, forming a small defensive circle.
Though the Cave Bats were not large, they were ferociously aggressive. Their piercing screams created a tightening encirclement as they split into smaller groups, launching relentless attacks on Xiao Zhuzi and her friends. Despite Fei Bao and Xi Xi's desperate resistance, the bats' claws occasionally grazed their heads, and their sharp, poisoned teeth nearly brushed against their bodies multiple times, bringing them perilously close to danger.
"There are too many of them! What do we do?!" Xiao Zhuzi gasped for breath, fear evident in her eyes.
"We can't hold out much longer like this! We need to find somewhere to hide!" Xi Xi shouted, using her tail spike to fend off a Cave Bat that had charged too close.
Fei Bao was acutely aware of this as well; he kept scanning the surroundings for any possible hiding spots. Suddenly, his gaze caught something. In the deepest part of the cave, obscured almost entirely by heavy rocks and hanging Stalactites, there was an extremely concealed crack! His heart raced as he shouted to Xiao Zhuzi and Xi Xi:
"Run! Follow me!"
With Xi Xi covering her, Xiao Zhuzi stumbled after Fei Bao toward a protruding rock. Behind them, the swarm of Cave Bats emitted piercing shrieks, hot on their heels. When Xiao Zhuzi and Xi Xi finally rounded the large rock, they were astonished to discover a crack in the rock wall behind it! The crack was so narrow that it was nearly undetectable in the dim light. If it weren't for Fei Bao's keen eyesight, they might have never found this hiding place.
The three friends rushed toward the crack with all their might. The Cave Bats sensed their prey was about to escape and let out even more chilling cries as they dove in for an attack. Xiao Zhuzi felt a cold draft sweep over her head as a bat's claw severed a strand of her hair! Xi Xi also received a thin scratch on her body that made her gasp in pain.
Just as the bats were about to close in again, they finally reached the crack in the rock wall. Up close, it was even narrower than they had imagined—barely wide enough for one to pass through.
"Hurry inside!" Fei Bao urged urgently. He flitted around in mid-air, trying to dodge the bats' claws and sharp teeth while desperately blocking their advance.
Xiao Zhuzi took a deep breath and squeezed sideways into the crack; the rough rock scraped against her skin, but at that moment she couldn’t afford to focus on such minor pains. Xi Xi followed closely behind; although she was slender, every inch forward felt like suffocating pressure.
Fei Bao was last; seeing that Xiao Zhuzi and Xi Xi had safely entered the crack eased his heart slightly, but the bloodthirsty bats were already closing in behind him. He quickly folded his wings and forced himself into the narrow gap. Just as Fei Bao’s tail tip was about to fully enter the crack, a Cave Bat lunged at him, its sharp claws grazing his hind leg. Unable to hold back a cry of pain, he summoned every last ounce of strength and finally squeezed his entire body into safety.
Thus, the three little creatures narrowly escaped the Cave Bats' onslaught, crammed into this almost isolated narrow space, gasping for air while their hearts raced loudly in the darkness. Outside the crack, furious Cave Bats screamed wildly, scratching at the rocks with their claws while occasionally flapping against the walls—clearly unwilling to give up their pursuit easily.
"They're still outside," Xi Xi whispered worriedly. "It looks like they won't be leaving anytime soon."
Xiao Zhuzi leaned against the cold rock wall, trying to calm her rapid breathing. "What are we going to do? We can't stay here forever."
Fei Bao turned around and peered deeper into the crack thoughtfully. "Friends, this crack seems to extend quite far; I can't see an end."
Xiao Zhuzi immediately seized on this idea: "You mean... it could be a passage?"
"Exactly," Fei Bao nodded. "Though I'm not sure where it leads, it's better than sitting here waiting for doom."
Xi Xi hesitated slightly: "Even though I have our backpack on my back, there's not much food or water left; we haven't had time to replenish our water supply—only one bottle remains. If this passage is long, we might face new dangers due to lack of supplies..."
Listening to the continuous sounds of Cave Bats trying to break in, Xiao Zhuzi fell into brief contemplation. After a moment, she firmly said: "While I understand Xi Xi's concerns are valid, I still agree with Fei Bao's perspective. These bats clearly won't give up easily; staying here could also lead us to doom. Since we have no better options, let's move forward through the crack and see if we can find a way out."
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