The swarm pulled loosely together to mimic the body they'd just finished attacking. I peered out from behind the old car I hid behind as soon as I heard their telltale wheezing buzz, knowing they'd be too distracted by the child who wouldn't stop crying to notice there were more of us.
If the circumstances had been slightly different, if he hadn't insisted on leading and using my gun, if he'd stopped talking long enough to hear them coming, if the kid hadn't pulled away to run for her dad, if, if, if - I could go on til all the swarms in the world died.
But she died instead.
At least they were quicker with her than they were with her dad. I suppose that's the upside of being so small that they could just cut through her like a hot knife through butter and quiet the world again to their wheezing buzz while the rest of us held our breath and waited for them to find a new target.
A crow broke the stillness, cawing overheard, and the swarm began a new chase.
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