The light in your nightmares

She grabs a curved branch, as wide as her thigh.

Her muscles contract and allow her to easily rise higher. The smallest branches claw at her cheeks and from time to time nearly poke her eyes . The young woman continues her ascent while controlling her breathing.

Those below watch her go up in silence.

One leg rises to gain support but one of her feet slips on the wet trunk. She bites her tongue as she stifles the start of a cry but the branch she is holding does not yield under her weight.

Soon she finds a position to keep her balance. Some of her locks slipped out of her ponytail to frame her face.

The young woman has reached the top.

Her face appears well above the abundant vegetation in a grimace that testifies to the effort she must produce to climb once again to a higher place. Her eyebrows are furrowed, her mouth is closed and twisted while her cheeks are flushed.

She allows herself a few minutes to catch her breath. One of her large hands free itself to dislodge the dark hair from her face.

Olive green eyes gaze at the horizon only when her breathing becomes more regular.

The gray sky merges with the black earth much further. No town or village is visible from this position.

There is only trees after trees.

The foliage form a sea of ​​black tree branches that stretches out to infinity.

She holds back her despair at the spectacle and turns as carefully as possible to observe what is behind her. At first, faced with the faint mist, she thinks it's the same landscape that is offered to her, but when she squints, she seems to perceive a black limit taking shape.

Her smile is frank, revealing a perfect row of teeth.

The descent is longer than the ascent because you have to be more careful. Despite everything, the young woman feels wings grow on her back when she thinks of the possibility that what she has seen may be the lake.

Her feet barely have time to touch the ground when the bald man hastily ask her what she saw.

-So ?

The woman looks at him before answering.

This man is so muscular that he could be a boxer stares at her like a child patiently waiting for an answer.

His impatience and all his hope sweating from all his pores.

The young woman likes this kind of person. Those who are frank and who do not hide their emotions.

-I think I saw the lake. But I'm too far to be sure.

The faces around her gain color though the good news remains uncertain.

Charismatic as Dust would have called her if he were by their side asks the second question.

-In which direction ?

She finally cut her long dress down to her knees to move around more easily. The haircut was done in a hurry and her messed up hair after fleeing the cabin and walking for hours in the rain makes her look like a savage.

The smaller of the two womens shows the direction to follow by pointing to it.

-Very well. I suggest we take a break again so some of us can get some sleep.

As he says this, his gaze falls on the old man who press with all his weight the stick that serves as his cane.

The guy does not deign to react to his proposal.

Uncomfortable by the lack of response from the group, the one who proposed a new rest period hesitates.

His purple lips outline his traditional smile.

- Or do you prefer that we continue? Miss will it be ok to climb again?

The young woman nods but Charismatic intervenes for the second time.

- If it does not bother anyone, I would prefer that we stop here for a few moments.

There is no opposition so as Dust dubbed him, Purple-belly claps his hands satisfied.

They already discussed who rest and who keep watch and all know that those who are one watch are the big man and Charismatic. Before resting, the athletic woman tells herself that it is better to take advantage of this break time to go pee. She walks away from the rest intending to do her business just a few meters away.

She is not so reckless as to risk finding herself alone far away from the group.

She also does not forget to take her spear made under the recommendations of Purple-belly.

Her "spear" is however only two pieces of wood connected by pieces of knotted fabric which hold between them the dagger to make a pointed end.

-Where are you going?

Charismatic stops her before she goes futher in the wood.

-I need to relieve myself...

Her congener lets out an "Oh" embarrassed.

-Wouldn't it be better if I go with you? so as not to go alone...

The smaller of the two womens smiles at the other before undoing her ponytail to redo her hairstyle in order to have no

locks blocking her view.

She's a nice girl.

That's what she thinks about before answering her.

-OK.

After reflection she adds:

-Thanks.

The two move away from the group and about ten meters away she finds a more or less concealed place. Charismatic turns her back on the young woman who without much modesty is already lowering her pants.

There's that awkward moment where she tries to stare into space to do her thing but Charismatic's back gets in the way and distracts her so she turns away from seeing it.

Squatting, she looks at the mud under her feet and tries somehow and as ridiculous as it may seem in this kind of situation to pee without making a sound.

Just so Charismatic doesn't hear it.

She is so focused on this task that it takes her a moment to realize what she is hearing. A little crunch.

As if someone had stepped on a twig.

Her head suddenly rises and there, as she pulls up her panties with one hand and grabs her spear, she sees a child.

A child with black lips and purplish blisters at the corners.

He is watching her.

Barefoot, he holds a knife.

A skin that serves as clothing covers his torso and thighs.

He is there as if caught in the act, his leg raised as if he had stopped short when he was found.

How come he could approach her this close without her noticing?

He only has 3 meters to cross to stab her.

For the first time she stutters.

Maybe she should have screamed but instead without any logic she whispers.

-T-Turn-n around

-What?

Charismatic must have listened to her because after her interlocation there is a brief silence and then she exclaims.

-Oh damn it!

The child does not move.

He seems to judge the situation. His eyes are of a dark color and his gaze nails the two womens in place. It's a dead stare. Without any emotion.

Charismatic uses a firm tone.

- Step back.

The athletic young woman usually so confident in her own abilities obeys by reflex.

She steps back while telling herself that it is only a child. That she could take him down.

She repeats to herself that he's just a kid. So how could he kill someone?

But she steps back, somehow pulling up her pants.

Because the way this boy holds his weapon still assures her of the opposite.

His skin is nearly grey.

When she arrives at the height of Charismatic the child leaves. He disappears into the forest, into the mist as quickly as he came.

If she hadn't heard him what would have happened?

If she had been alone?

Would the child have persisted or would he have left as he just did?

She hears Charismatic's weak breathing.

- Come. Let's warn others that there are some of this people here too.

She wonders if it wouldn't have been wiser to catch up with the child instead. If they have not been followed, the child may alert those with whom he is of their presence. But if she chases him now, she risks to run into a group of savages.

-Do you think they followed us here?

a brief silence follow her question

. -Perhaps.

Some crows caw in the distance.

-Let's just go.