Little Dawn

Chapter 7

Her spirit was restless. Her heart never stopping its fast-beating, but somehow her surroundings enchanted her insides. The night sky was full of bright stars and the shadows of the trees were just adding beauty to the scene. Her heart knew that some kind of darkness laid there, but her mind desperately wanted to believe that beauty was all the forest could offer. 

None of the others could be seen or heard. The branches filled with leaves made it impossible for Casey to locate them. Of course, she knew they were up there because of the dangerous creatures that wandered at the bottom, but what kind of creatures were they? 

At first, the sound of their claws hitting the ground mixed with the blowing of the wind, but as soon as their sound hit Dyron's ears he turned to look at Casey. His hand grabbed her waist and pulled her closer to him. He carefully turned her around, leaving her back resting on the tree trunk. He looked to the black nothingness below them and then turned to look at her again. He put a finger over his mouth, indicating that she needed to be completely still and silent. 

Her breath was rapid but short. She was feeling her body get all warmed up, and the weight Dyron put against her. She noticed he was sweating as well. The light of the moon made it possible for her to see the drops falling down his forehead, cheeks, and jaw. She also noticed how wet his hair was, it covered part of his forehead, creating a shadow over his eyes. She knew he wasn't looking at her because beneath his hair there was only darkness and not the golden color she adored. 

A growl wakes her up and brought her back to the real situation. She could hear the loud sniffing of the monsters, the claws scraping the ground and something being dragged from place to place. The seconds appeared hours and the more they waited, the more she could feel the hot body against her chest, the trembling of her legs and the droplets of sweat running down her body. 

Suddenly, from a short distance, they heard something falling down the branches and then into the forest floor. Both of them stopped breathing for a second, then a screeching howl exploded in the air. 

"Shit," Dyron whispered, pressing his body tighter against her, "Wrap this carefully around you," he whispered in her ear, putting a rope in her hands. She tried not to panic, but her hands were shaking uncontrollably. Meanwhile, the creatures at the bottom heard desperately searching for something, running and growling at each other. 

Casey closed her eyes and tried to control her trembling hands. She felt a warm sensation trickle up her arms when Dyron held her hands with his. He was looking directly at her now, his eyes were golden once again. He took the rope, slowly passed it behind her back, making her shiver with his touch, and then made a tight nod. 

"Listen, if something comes at you just jump."

"What?" she panicked more than she already was. 

The wind stopped, the night seemed darker and only Casey's breath could be heard. She gulped and held her breath. Her body was way too hot and her legs were shaking uncontrollably. 

"Hey, listen to me," Dyron's head was looking down at her, those marvelous eyes making her calm down a little bit, his big hands holding both sides of her head, "You're going to be fine. I promise"

She nodded. 

++++

How long have they been there? Casey was sitting down, her back resting against the tree trunk, her eyes fighting back the urge to sleep. Her throat was dry and her whole body now ached because of the cold. 

"I don't hear them anymore," she whispered to Dyron. He was with his stomach pressed against the branch they were on, looking at any signs from below.