Public Service Announcement
[Jan. 18, Transcript]

From the Preston Medical Council:

This is a Public Service announcement for residents of Preston. We are experiencing a mild epidemic of what experts are calling the "Bat Flu", as it is believed to have originated from bats in China, similar to the SARS outbreak of 2003, and others. Symptoms are similar to that of a regular flu, along with a rise in body temperature and spastic or aggressive movement, which is believed to be caused by the virus' interaction with the brain.

If you or someone you know has or is displaying symptoms of Bat Flu, please remain at home and in safe care until a scheduled appointment with your family doctor can be arranged. We ask that you only use the Emergency Rooms for life-or-death cases, or for those with respiratory issues who are pregnant, under 10 years of age, or over 65 years of age. If you are not ill with Bat Flu, please avoid public gatherings, bats, and Chinese Food. Thank you to all of the residents of Preston for your patience, understanding, and perseverance during this time.

This concludes our Public Service Announcement.

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Flint's Journal #10
Jan. 18

Wow, that PSA was mighty white. And by white, I mean racist. Chinese food? Are they stupid?

* * *

Dear Diary,

Pearl was about to order Chinese when the PSA came on, so now we're getting burgers. Yippee. I can't think of a single Chinese kid at my school. I don't think we have any. Is that weird? Is it weird that I noticed that?

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Jan.19
To the Wildlife Committee,

Thank you for your numerous reports of bat sightings from various sources. Fortunately, the PMC has assured us that the illness can only be passed from bat to human by ingestion, not by touch, though it is still very contagious among groups of people and groups of bats alike.

We politely request that the Hunting Division of your committee STOP hunting bats, to prevent any accidental ingestion (whereby the bat flesh or blood contaminates the skinning/sawing tools or spaces where other meat is kept). We are in no great need to, as was put forth by one member of your division, "make the little winged rats go extinct", and will NOT be paying for any bats that are caught or killed.

Sincerely,
Mayor Maame Ladonna Thompson.

* * *

Private Memo:

What the hell, guys?! I just had an entire banquet of council members throwing up all over the common room!! Did anyone check the food to see if it was spoiled?! That's the LAST time I throw a potluck for you ingrates!!

- Mayor Mamalade

* * *

Dear Secret Diary 2: The Revenge of Saint Dr. Doomsworth,

Had a dream about flying in the dark, under the full moon. It was so cool! Why can't flying be my superpower?

- Drew

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Flint's Journal #11
Jan. 19

Holy hell, these other kids are nuts. They put all the Grade 6 kids into one room cause there's only 20 of us. They're not "sick", but they're sick in the head. I just watched a kid pull off his fingernail for fun. It's bleeding all over his desk and he just grinned at me like he thought it was cool. It's not, dude. Get help.

Drew's here too, reading what I'm writing (yeah, I see you). He just saw Shirwin scratching all these little marks on his arm that won't go away, like someone stabbed him 20 times with a pen. The girl in front of us is pulling all her hair out, one by one. Are these people crazy?!

YES.

After school I have to help my dad sell the spare deer meat to our neighbors. They say when they make soup of it, it makes their kids feel better. Think we can catch enough deer to feed the whole city?

Probably not, you'd run out of deer.

* * *

To MOM, from JET.

My stomach feels like it's on fire, and my hedd hurts. I can't remember where

* * *

To Mrs. Castanza,

Your son Shirwin does not have Bat Flu, and is in good physical health. However, the small black marks on his arm are a cause for concern. If he does not have any illness, then they are likely caused by a pen.

Please ask Shirwin if he is pecking himself with a pen, and if so, talk to him about stress management. If it was done by someone else, then you and your son have my sincerest apologies for any bullying or trouble he may be going through.

- Dr. Cameron Baker

* * *

Dear Secret Diary 2,

Sid's over again. Time to write some fake diary entries. Ready? Here we go!

* * *

Dear Diary,

Britta's having Sid over again, even though she's supposed to be watching me. Even Pearl is home sick. She's the tough one, usually. He asked about my cape again. He said it's a "family heirloom" or something. Yeah right, buddy, get your own. He did tell me something cool, though. The skull and bones on my hoodie? I thought it was a pirate or biker thing. He said it's from Templars, who used to dig up "skulls with leg bones crossed beside them", and that it's a symbol of death and resurrection. At one point, the Templars became pirates, and that's where it comes from. That's pretty cool. As long as he keeps away from my stuff, we'll get along.

- Drew

* * *

Dear Secret Diary,

Oh my god, Sid was so gross today. His skin was sweaty and pale, like he swam around in a pool full of his own underpants. There's a worm in his eye, too! It's just wriggling around in there. He says it's a "cataract" but it looks like a maggot to me. Doesn't that mean he's spoiled meat?

He keeps trying to steal my grandma, but it won't work. He wants my cloak really bad too, said it's "bat-skin" and could be contaminated. He told me to put it in his car, but I put a towel in there instead, in a black garbage bag. Even if it was made from bats, I doubt it's got the flu on it. I've been wearing it all week and all I got was food poisoning. Speaking of which...

And I'm back! I've got that again, so I'm puking, but it's easier to handle now for some reason. Must have been something I ate?

* * *

Sid's Log: 01/19
Preston Facility

Visited my love again today, and we had tea. My word, I could spend hours with that delightful woman. She is as gentle as she is bright, a very tasty treat for a rough codger like me.

I even managed to snag back my Cloak, and slipped the grim brat a cup of tea he won't survive without it. Should be reddening his sheets with vomit any second now.

* * *

Dear Secret Diary Two,

He didn't read my diaries this time, but it's better to be safe than sorry. I found a furry hat in his backseat, and I think it's a wolf's head. But like, turned into a hood? Gonna take it to Flint tomorrow and see what he thinks.

The strangest thing happened when I took off the cloak. The screaming stopped! No more mooing from the frying pan, or pig squeals from the neighbor's house (or Jet's belly), or chicken shrieks from Pearl's fast food. It wasn't silent, though. Instead, all I heard was like... a hundred bats. All dying over and over again. It was horrible. I think the cloak really is made from bats, and their ghosts can hear other ghosts. And wearing it lets me do the same thing, so I don't really have superpowers. But why are they stuck in the cloak?

Sid tried to poison me just before he left. At least, I think he did. I saw him dump a little metal can of powder into a cup of tea before he handed it to me. Does he think I'm stupid or is he really that blind? Pretty sure I could call the cops on him for that, but nobody would believe me. Not against the "Magical, Stupendous Meat Man", or, "Sauseil, Angel of Wieners". My grandma is head over heels for him, and he's an actual murderer?! Unless it was just sugar. I dumped it either way. It's tough to say I'm not going crazy.

- Drew

* * *

Sid's Log @ NIGHT

Sodding whelp stole my Hood AND my Cloak. Will be thoroughly looting his over -sized child corpse tomorrow.

* * *

Dear Whatever Diary This Is,

I just dreamt I was a bat, being eaten alive by an old grey crow. He had worms in his wings, and they were falling out into my open guts. Not a fun time.

- Drew