Scroll of Starlight

Chapter Twenty One

BRANWEN

I grinned wickedly as I hobbled over to the bathroom on my crutches. Everything was still dark, but there were small lights to lead us to the bathroom. As I walked, an eerie feeling began to come upon me and my smile faded.

            "Stop it. You're not a wimp who needs Dean every place she goes." I whispered to myself, climbing up the steps to the bathroom. "You're an independent woman who don't need no man." I looked in the mirror and noticed my face was beginning to be pale. Though it is very convenient to have him around.

            I did my business and checked up on my leg, making sure everything was secure. Taking a break to recover from all the moving around, I let myself breathe out. At first, I was kind of weary about coming to this event, but Dean seemed to take my mind off the preoccupations. However, I did need this little break to get my thoughts in order. The passing weeks were filled with hecticness over my cast, which thankfully was going to be removed in a couple days.

            In the same case, I was still weary of going outside. It seemed as if I was afraid of going to sleep and seeing the same man I saw when I was young in our yard. This whole experience left me kind of scared and I didn't appreciate my lack of liberty. Where I used to just go riding, I now asked my Mom or Dean for a ride.

            I shuffled up to the sink, placing my crutches on the side and my hands on the metal. I looked at myself in the mirror and looked over my weariness. It was a face that I have been wearing a lot recently, but have been trying to keep it from Dean. If he knew what I was feeling, he would be overwhelmed with guilt and it wasn't his fault.

            It's not your fault either. I tried to remind myself. We don't deserve the consequences our fathers gifted us with their sins. Sighing, I ran my fingers through my hair to settle it down. "Alright, Branwen, let's not make you go crazy before the night actually begins."

            I left the bathroom with my supplies and started my way back to camp. The sky at this point was completely dark, the night overtaking what was a bright day.

There was a crunch from behind me and I slightly slowed my walk to a pause. I felt my breathing begin to get heavier as I quickly looked behind me. There was nothing there besides the normal trees and bushes.

"Must've been an animal." I muttered under my breath and continued to walk towards Dean. There was a noise again, but this time I just continued to walk as quickly as I could. My breathing was beginning to be heavier and I looked at the ground. At the same time that I did, I saw a shadow come up from behind me and I screamed while tripping.

"Woah, woah!" Dean's voice came from in front of me, just as I was about to fall. His arms came around me, holding me securely as the crutches fell from underneath my arms. I gasped and brought my hands up to his upper arms, grasping on to not let myself fall. "What's wrong?"

I blinked sporadically while twisting to look behind me. Nothing. Not even a leaf blew across the road. A single light was above a bench and the shadows seemed to run away instantly. I took a deep breath in and looked back at Dean. He looked down at me with a concerned expression and I closed my eyes. "I'm sorry, I thought there was something behind me."

Dean held me up with one hand and with the other leaned down to grasp the crutches that have fallen. "Are you sure you're okay? You're pale, Branwen." He placed them under my arms and pushed my hair out of my face. I sighed in content.

"I guess I just overthought. I'm okay though, thank you." I lifted myself up and took my hands away from his arms.

He furrowed his brows, but nodded. "Alright then, they're going to start the gazing soon. Let's go get ready."