I'm surprised the batteries didn't leak and ruin your flashlight. I've had that happen so many times that I don't put batteries in my electronics until I absolutely need too.
-Blast
Same here, especially with alkalines. Energizer lithiums are great but you have to be careful of a device' parasitic drain and believe it or not they can also leak. Its very rare, but can happen. For longterm storage, store batteries separately. Thanks for sharing Phaedrus.