a strange light above the trees

something hiding in the bushes along the path, tall swaying trees.

she looks majestic and delicate

"8:00pm."

That's nine hours until sunrise. My eyes dart to the letter again. They won't act until dawn. "I've beaten against worse odds," a smile creeps onto my face. I reach for my coat as the door moves out of my way. I hate pulling all nighters.

I knew exactly how to handle this situation but, it wasn't going to be easy with Vincent in my way. I can do what I want and no one is going to telling me different. I might end up losing a couple of friendships over it. If I live or die through this it will be a wonder. As she glared at Vincent they locked eyes and he gave her that look of "Don't Do it". But I knew different and its going to be one hell of a challenge.

The alarm clock blared its obnoxious 6 AM tune. I groaned, slapping the snooze button with the force of a thousand suns. Five more minutes. Those precious five minutes were the only thing standing between me and the dreaded Monday morning. My dreams of scoring the winning touchdown in the championship game were rudely interrupted, but hey, at least I had dreams. I finally dragged myself out of bed, the cold floor shocking me awake faster than a double espresso. My room was a disaster – clothes strewn everywhere, books piled precariously on my desk, and my half-finished model airplane gathering dust on the shelf. I navigated the obstacle course to the bathroom, brushing my teeth while simultaneously trying to remember if I had any clean socks. I saw the bus pulling up just as I reached the corner. With a final burst of speed, I made it, collapsing onto an empty seat, slightly out of breath. I peeled the banana, trying to compose myself. Okay, new day. Deep breaths. Maybe, just maybe, it wouldn't be so bad. Though, knowing my luck, the universe probably had other plans.

One, two, three, gun poised in my knuckle white grip, ready to fire at a moments’ notice. Tick, tock. Tick, tock… Another crack of thunder echoes off the high, regal walls. Mara sighs, staring down Vincent like a predator stalking its prey. My heart drops as she reaches her hand above the table with lightning-fast speed, gun drawn, aimed directly at the governor right on the opposite end of the table. I barely have time to react before she pulls the trigger.

BANG

"What time is it?"

Vincent closes his eyes, clasps his hands, and begins to pray.

"8:00pm."

Nate speaks, betraying the still air of the office. A flash of teeth show on Mara's face.

"I've beaten worse odds."

A moment later the office is filled with the flutter of a cloak and the slamming of a door.

"Can she do it?"

echoes from Vincents curled form. Nate doesn't answer, if he does, Vincent will hear the tears that prick at his eyes.

I can see how his lip twitches, desperately deciding whether or not to speak his mind. It makes no difference to me; this isn’t something I would back down from. They should both know that. When have I ever scared so easily?

“Say it,” I spit out, my eyes settling on Nate. “I know you want to say something.”

He fidgets, the cup slipping from his grip enough that he has to catch it. “Mara,” he starts breathlessly, “We won’t… nothing will change if we don’t do something about it.”

I didn’t need his support, truthfully, but it won’t hurt to have him by my side.

Mara watches Nate from the corner of her eye. They both look conflicted, though Mara faces their desperate situation with more confidence than her companion.

Nate’s lip twitches, a telltale sign of his anxiety and hesitance to speak up.

“Say it,” Mara spits out, her attention fully turned to him. “I know you want to say something.”

The cup almost slips from Nate’s grip. Finally, at that moment, he decides to speak his mind. “Mara,” he begins, his voice wavering. “We won’t… nothing will change if we don’t do something about it.”

Mara’s expression softens, and it becomes clear that their decision has been made.

She knew she should probably go to bed. Sleep was important, or so everyone said. But the momentum was there, the ideas flowing. Just one more thing, she thought, just one more tweak. She returned to the screen, her fingers flying across the keyboard. The world outside faded away, replaced by the intricate dance of logic and creativity unfolding before her.

Time seemed to slip away unnoticed. What felt like minutes could have easily been hours. She was lost in the zone, completely absorbed in the task at hand. The challenge was exhilarating, the process captivating. Each small victory fueled her onward, pushing her to explore further, to delve deeper.

A yawn finally broke through her concentration. She glanced at the clock in the corner of the screen. Much later than she thought. Okay, definitely time for bed now. She saved her work, closed the laptop, and stood up, stretching again. The weariness was still there, but it was now accompanied by a quiet satisfaction. She had made progress, she had created something, she had learned something new. And that, she knew, was worth more than a few lost hours of sleep. She headed towards her bedroom, already anticipating the next opportunity to dive back into her projects, to explore new ideas, to create and to learn.

"I told you I. Don't. Walk. Away. I get even"

Me and Vincent get up and walk out together. Whoever said Nate could decide my fate was stupid. I would never let a man control whether I live or die.