The Intentions

Chapter 33: Stories Of A Better Time

Mona: December 25, 2014 10:36 p.m.

Neither of us expected anyone to be searching into the night. I wasn't expecting to be woken up by something clawing my chest. I wasn't expecting Beth to be peering out into the darkness, her body in an attack position. I wasn't sure who was out there and through my sleepy haze, I wasn't able to comprehend what was happening.

"What the fu-" I manage out as I push Apostasy away from pawing my skin, though Beth is hushing me before I can finish my curse word.

I sit up, suddenly very aware of my situation. What time was it? Who's out there that has Beth wide awake and watching through the two trees we had fallen asleep next to?

*-*-*-*-

November 24, 2014

Beth was leaning forward, her face upturned to look at the top of the stairs.

"What's wrong?" I asked, shuffling myself closer to her in the dark basement.

She didn't even glance at me before she answered. "I thought I heard something. I just don't want anything bad to happen to you guys while you're asleep."

"Have you been awake all night?" I asked, taking her hand and holding onto it tightly.

She smiled sheepishly, now struggling to avoid eye contact. "It's hard to sleep through the nightmares lately."

I eyed her face, taking in the dark circles that rested beneath her eyes. "What are they about?"

"Everything." she whispered quietly.

I wasn't sure what to say anymore, so I leaned into her shoulder, draping one arm behind her back to give her a hug. A hug to show that she wasn't alone. A hug to show that everything was ok.

*-*-*-*-

I crept my way through the dirt to where Beth was on guard, her green eyes a vibrant color in the moonlight. "What's going on?" my breath was less than a whisper, coming out as light as the breeze.

"Apostasy was growling." she informed me, still searching through the trees.

A sudden low grumbling sounded behind us, causing us both to snap around quickly. Apostasy's back was to us, his ears down and his tail stick straight and motionless.

Beth got to her feet, moving through the shadows of the trees that moonlight cast around us. I moved after her, much slower as the throbbing and pain in my leg hadn't let up since it happened.

There was a clear click! and a glint of metal in the white light before Apostasy pounced.

"Apostasy!" I screamed as a loud poong! sounded into the air accompanied with a flash of fire.

I held my breath, searching into the darkness and impatiently waiting for the echo of the shot to quiet again so I could hear what was going on.

There was a bark and a short scream followed by a loud thump and a whimper of pain.

"No!" I screamed, attempting to run forward, but my leg wasn't working at all, which made my chest seize in self worry.

Beth ran for me, her legs much quicker than my run.

She disappeared into the shadows, forcing me to walk forward so I could keep an eye on what was going on.

Whack! Whack! Whack!

Beth grunted as another person let out cries of pain.

Apostasy suddenly appeared out of the shadows, running in my direction with his teeth bared. I stumbled back, fearing he would attack me.