A Starless Night

A single light danced above the river, flitting from shadow to shadow. A black, heavy silence hung over the night, a cloying feeling of foreboding.

"Not even the animals are stirring this night..." Amaza muttered to herself. She shifted uncomfortably on the rock she was perched on, her eyes, now accustomed to the dark, moving slowly across the campsite. A low clearing against a copse of trees that they had found late in the day.

A murmur and a grunt drew her attention. Her brother, Kyle, rolled over. He looked so comfortable, she mused. It must be nice to be able to relax. She still couldn't quite flush the images of the last town from her mind. Twisted burning bodies, tortured screams cut short. She was still struggling to make sense of what had happened.

There had been a struggle. The details still seemed dim, somehow dulled, and attempting to focus on the memories seemed to send her thoughts flitting like the lights on the river - dancing insects crawling in her mind.