The hours had past and night set in. Stars came out overhead and the only light in the camp was from the healthy fire.

  “Should we set up a watch?” Jiit asked.

  “The woods can be a dangerous place, it would not be a bad idea.” Thunder said. She took the bones left over from the rabbits and buried them. “Three hours per shift leaves us with four shifts. I can take the first shift.”

  “I’ll take second.” Mayhem volunteered.

  “Third.” Jiit said.

  “That leaves me with the last shift.” Kilek said.

  “Uh…. I guess I’ll take the first and last shift with Thunder and Kilek.” Shaynen said. “I want to do my part and six hours is enough for me with meditation.”

  “Are you sure?” Jiit asked. “We could rotate it so that tomorrow night you take a shift and someone else gets to sleep through the night.”

  “Thanks, but I’d be awake anyway so it wouldn’t make a difference to me.” Shaynen said.

  “All right then, let’s settle in then.” Kilek said. He found his little moss bed and settled down into it. “This is very good moss, nice and soft with a good earthy scent.”

  “Yeah, and filled with bugs.” Mayhem said, kicking at the leaves and watching for any movement.

  “We’re outdoors, Mayhem. It’s filled with bugs.” Thunder said, she fetched a stick from the bush and sat down to poke at the embers.

  “That doesn’t mean I have to like it.” Mayhem said. She crawled onto the bed and took a cloak out of her pack to use as a blanket. Mumbling; “I guess it is pretty soft…”

  “I suppose I’ll turn in too. Goodnight.” Jiit said and went to his bed and laid down on it.

  “Guess that just leaves us.” Shaynen said. He sat down beside Thunder by the fire, but she didn’t respond. Shaynen watched her rearrange the firewood, throwing sparks and cinders into the smoke and up. Shaynen watched them float up and then found himself looking at the stars. Tracing pictures in them, regardless of what constellation it was meant to be. While tracing the stars, Shaynen caught sight of the moon. It was a crescent moon that smiled at the world from the night sky.

  “Hey Thunder, do you travel a lot? Been a lot of places?” Shaynen asked.

  “Not really.” Thunder responded.

  “Oh.” Shaynen said.

  The fire crackled and the wood in it popped. Somewhere in the woods, a wolf howled. An owl called out through the canopy. Crickets chirped and toads croaked.

  “Hey, Thunder. You ever have weird dreams?” Shaynen asked.

  “Yes, I imagine most people do.” Thunder said.

  “I keep having this dream. I’m looking up into the sky and I see two moons. Shifting through the lunar cycles like years are passing in just a single night. And there’s this huge waterfall and river that I try to cross and then I get swept under and it feels like I’m drowning.” Thunder looked up at the moon.

  “The moon,” Thunder said slowly. “Perhaps there is a force that is trying to tell you everything is changing. To be prepared. Perhaps you feel like you’re drowning because your mind feels under prepared or perhaps even overwhelmed.” Shaynen stared at the moon. Thinking this over.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  “So, a garden?” He said. Changing the subject.

  “Yes, it isn’t much but it’s my whole world.” She said. “Perhaps the closest thing to a baby I will ever have.”

  “That’s child free by choice, right?” Shaynen asked.

  “Yes. I do not want children.” Thunder said, an involuntary twitch of disgust wrinkled her nose.

  “That’s a pretty extreme reaction, do you have to deal with kids often?” Shaynen asked, grinning.

  “Unfortunately.” Thunder said. “My garden is public, it’s filled with foods and medical herbs. Which means children come and stomp around in the beds and rip up the flowers. They make a mess of my poor garden. They damaged one of the rarest flowers!”

  “Oh my, is there a story there?” Shaynen asked, uncrossing his legs and pulling his knees up to his chest.

  “Not really.” Thunder shrugged. “We had a rare flower, it was the highlight of the garden. It brought in the donations and the people to see it. Then this snot nosed brat comes in, no brains in his head, climbs over all the cords and barriers and rips the flower out of the bed and when someone calls him out. The boy drops the flower and stomps on it before running off.”

  “Man that sucks.” Shaynen said, not hiding the smile on his face.

  “It isn’t funny!” Thunder insisted. Shaynen tried to hide his smile but couldn’t. Shaynen watched the stars as Thunder poked and prodded the fire until their watch was up.

  “I’ll wake up Mayhem.” Shaynen said, standing and brushing the dirt and sticks off his pants.

  “All right, see you in the morning.” Thunder said. She went to her makeshift bed and laid down. Shaynen shook Mayhem’s shoulder only for her to swat him away.

  “No.” She mumbled. Rolling over and hiding under her cloak. Shaynen looked at the rest of the sleeping party before shaking her again harder. Her eyes opened and she pushed Shaynen away. “What?!”

  “Shh, it’s your turn for the watch.” Shaynen said. Mayhem groaned, she rolled over and crawled out of her bed.

  “All right, all right. I’m awake.” Mayhem grumbled.

  “Okay, good night, Mayhem.” Shaynen said as he retreated to his bed.

  “Whatever.” Mayhem huffed as she sat by the fire. Shaynen sat on the softness of the moss and put his back against a tree and drew a long breath. Soon his breathing steadied and his body stilled. Mayhem yawned and rubbed her face. Trying to wake up fully for her watch. She looked over the party’s sleeping forms. She sighed and stood up. She took her cloak and shook the sticks and other debris out of it. Then she took it to Shaynen and draped it over him.

  “Kid’s going to catch his death in this cold.” She mumbled as she went back to the fire.

  Shaynen shifted. He could hear something dripping. No matter how hard he tried to ignore the sound it just kept distracting him. Like a hammer to a mirror.

  “Mayhem, do you hear that?” He said as he opened his eyes. But Mayhem was gone. The camp was gone. He was in the center of a half crumbled city where the details were blurred. Above him were stars. More than Shaynen had ever seen in the night sky before.

  He turned and looming over him was a massive building. Still standing in pristine condition. The stained glass windows depicted the moon and a being as dark as the night. A lash of lightning struck the building with a blinding light and a roar of thunder. Shaynen’s sight and hearing left him from the sudden storm. His skin raised as a bitter wind rushed hard and fast against his spine. The wind turned from cold to a wall of force that threw Shaynen to the ground. He blinked hard as his sight started returning. A black shadow blocked out all light and stars. Shaynen’s eye burned.

  I know you are here. I will find you

  The voice was heard inside Shaynen’s mind, ignoring his still ringing ears completely. Shaynen looked around for any place to hide. Crawling beneath a pile of rubble as the wind picked up.

  You will not hide. I am weak, but not powerless.

  The ringing in his ears changed to a roar. Shaynen pried his eyes open and saw the source of the roar was a waterfall. Pounding on the rocks. His cover had vanished and so had all the crumbling city and stars. Leaving only hazy and very blurry landscape and white sky. The bitter wind hissed. Shaynen sat back onto his knees to look for more cover. He turned and stared into two giant moon-like eyes staring deep into his soul.

  I see you

  Shaynen gasped and jumped to his feet in a cold sweat. The nightmare vision still lingered in his vision even as his eyes adjusted to the dark forest around him. He frantically looked in every direction but the forest was normal. Shaynen felt an itch traveling down his cheek and was convinced his strange eye was bleeding but when wiping the trail away it was only a tear. No blood.

  He could see all the details in the trees. Hear the sounds of crickets and toads. The chill in his skin was being chased away by the warmth of the early summer.

  It was a dream? Or a vision?

  “Nightmare?”