Legends of Darkstalkers and Nightriders

Chapter 29: Almost...

Sadie’s POV

I sketched most of the afternoon before putting my things away, then curled up against Stardancer and fell asleep. And with it, came the dreams.

In them I watched Alvin kill my parents, then Emma, Blaze, and Seth, and it didn’t matter how hard I tried to stop him, how hard I fought, I was too slow, or there were people holding me back, or a chasm opened up and I became too heavy to fly.

“No!” I screamed, sitting bolt upright, in a cold sweat, breathing hard.

The fire had died down to a few glowing embers and I looked around. Emma, Blaze, and Seth were all sound asleep around the fire.

I rubbed my face with a sigh before getting up to put a few more pieces of wood on the fire then sat down again to draw.

“Hey, you okay?” a voice said suddenly, startling me from my thoughts.

I looked up sharply to see Blaze standing over me and looked away again, going back to my sketch. “I’m fine,” I said. “Just can’t sleep.”

“Mind if I sit with you?” he asked.

I shook my head without looking up. “Go ahead.”

I saw him sit down beside me in my peripheral as he watched me draw. “You're really good at that,” he commented.

“Thanks,” I said quietly. “It helps me think. Clear my head.” I frowned in concentration as I tried to get the shape of Emma’s face just right.

“So why are you really awake?” he asked.

I paused and looked up. “Why would you ask that?”

“Because you’re not awake just because you couldn’t sleep. You were completely out when we went to bed.”

“Hm,” I said, and went back to drawing.

“So?”

“So what?”

“What woke you?”

I sighed. “I had a nightmare, if you must know.”

There was quiet for a moment. “I'm sorry. Do you want to talk about it?”

I didn’t answer for a long moment as I finished the drawing then set it aside. “I watched you die,” I said finally. “You and Emma and Seth and my parents.”

Quiet again. “That's awful, Sadie. But it was just a dream, we're safe, okay?” he rested a hand on my shoulder.

“I know that,” I replied. “Believe me I do…….but the thought scares me. More than anything. You guys are all I’ve got, if something happened to you……….I’d lose it.”

“Sadie, look at me,” he said gently.

Slowly I lifted my sky blue eyes to meet his amber ones.

“You are not going to lose us. We are strong together and we have bested everything in our path so far. We aren't going anywhere.”

I searched his eyes, getting lost in their depths. “You can’t promise that,” I whispered. “All it takes is one time, one slip up, one mistake, one lucky shot……….”

“Don't get caught up in what ifs,” he said, looking back into my eyes. “They steal the joy of the present. We are all here now, and safe now, and together now. That's what's important.”

I looked at him. “Blaze…….” I stopped and sighed, looking away. “That’s so much easier said than done.”

“Don't try to do it all at once, just take it a moment at a time. Train yourself to appreciate the little things instead of dwelling on the big ones.”

I looked at him again, before picking up my pencil again and grabbing a clean sheet of paper then starting to draw.

I felt his gaze on my face, watching me quietly.

I turned and crossed my legs underneath me,facing him, wincing slightly at the movement before I started to draw, glancing up at him occasionally.

He smiled. “Are you drawing me?”

“Nope,” I said with a grin. “Now be quiet and hold still.”

He chuckled and did as I asked.

I glanced up at him as I drew, it was a lot easier to draw someone when they were in front of me than it was to draw them from memory.

I saved his eyes for last, since they were always the hardest part to draw. When I finished I studied the picture for a moment before turning it to show him.

He looked at it and smiled. “Wow, Sadie, that's amazing. You're very talented.”

I smiled and shrugged, feeling myself blush. “It’s not that big a deal,” I said, looking up at him again.

“Sure it is,” he says, “you're incredible, Sadie. You're strong, and smart, and skillful, there's nothing insignificant about you.”

I met his gaze, searching his eyes. “You think so?”

“You are. I don't even have to think so for it to continue to be true.” His gaze was intense as he looked back at me, like it had been a few days before.

My breath caught in my throat and I was unable to look away.

He lightly touched my cheek, brushing against it with his thumb as his gaze flicked to my lips.

Startled, I jerked away from him, flying to my feet as I backed away.

He straightened. “Sadie, I'm-Im sorry, I shouldn’t have…”

“No,” I said firmly. “You shouldn’t have.” I raked a hand through my hair. “Just…….just stay away from me.”

“It won't happen again, I promise, I'm sorry, Sadie,” he said, a slight plea in his voice.

I grabbed a blanket and moved to the other side of Stardancer. “I’m going back to sleep.” I lay down against her and turned my back to him.

I heard him sigh, and then silence. After a moment he moved away, back to his spot by the fire and I buried my face in Stardancer’s scales. I didn’t fall asleep again until dawn.

Written by: xoxAnnee and Ultimate_Dreamer7