Darkness Dies with the Sunrise

Chapter 5

- Marigold -

Eventually, the boys settled back down around the fire, resuming their seats. Nothing in particular was happening. Everyone was just settling down for the night, chatting quietly with one another, going over the events of the day. Marigold was enjoying hearing the snippets of jokes and conversation around her, occasionally glancing at Pan across the waning fire, only to keep finding him already gazing back at her, an intrigued look on his face.

Later into the night, when the stars were brightest and a few of the boys had already settled into their cots, the hair on her arms stood up and a pang of dread shot through her heart. She looked at the faces around the nearly dead fire. She saw the same boys who'd been tracking her all evening. They were all talking to each other quietly, apparently all in agreement on whatever it was they were discussing. They had sinister smirks on their faces and those same greedy looks in their eyes as they gestured toward her in conversation. It was more than disquieting. She took deep breaths to calm her heart. She tried to reassure herself that she was looking far too into their actions. Surely it was a trick of the shadows cast by the dying firelight and the adrenaline from the day.

Before long, she found herself going toward her cot along with the boys who were still awake. She didn't lay down though. Something in her told her not to sleep just yet. So she sat on her cot, her back to the pair of trees, her knees brought up to her chest. She looked around at all the sleeping and nearly sleeping boys in front of her. She saw that Miles' cot was closest to hers, slightly apart from the main collection of cots. She had noticed that he was a boy of few words and therefore thought he seemed like the type to enjoy his solitude.

Not a minute later than this observation, she noticed three figures walking toward her in the dark from across the camp. She couldn't make out many details, but she recognized them as the sinister boys from before, partially by their rough outlines but primarily by the panic that raced through her veins. Her heart dropped to her stomach and a cold sweat broke out on her forehead. She shot an anxious look towards Pan's tent. But surely he was asleep by now. She could hear their snickers. Her heart was beating out of her chest and she felt her hands shake.

When they were about halfway to her, Miles slowly sat up. They stopped in their tracks as he looked straight at them. He gave them a solemn, disapproving shake of his head. It was as if this single expression had said "if you wanna mess with her, you better be ready to mess with me first." Their snickers and chortles died in their throats. There were three of them and yet they seemed petrified at the thought of facing Miles. She watched as they threw one last nasty look at her before returning to their cots. Miles watched them too, ensuring they laid down and stayed down before turning to her. He gave her a gentle questioning look as if to ask if she was okay. All she could muster was the slightest of nods, pent-up tears streaking down her face. He gave her an affirming nod and then stretched, resituating himself on his cot and getting into a more comfortable, more sustainable sitting position.

She understood that he meant for her to get sleep while he stayed up to watch for her, but while the tears eventually stopped, her shaking hands would not. She felt her heart beating against her ribs until the dawn.

•••

She opened her eyes to the sunlight peeking through the branches above her. Despite her reluctance, she had dozed off. By the sun's position, it appeared to have only been for a few hours. She looked ahead and saw many of the boys awake and getting around. Miles was still sitting up in his cot, observing the boys milling about the camp. As she stirred, he turned a gave her a small smile.

She stood and stretched, observing a couple of boys over where the cooking cauldron had been preparing some breakfast for the group. She saw movement off to her right and watched as Pan exited his tent. Felix met him and the two conversed as she had so often observed them doing before. She rubbed her arms, a chill overcoming her with memories of what had almost taken place the night before. Miles came over to her, and though the hand he placed on her shoulder was delicate, she still nearly jumped out of her skin.