Midnight Madness

Rain taps on the large, glass windows on the other side of the room as I raise my head from my textbook, pages sticking to the side of my face as I do so. The woods that surround the house are pitch black by this hour and even the house is extremely dark, I can't even see into the kitchen. A cold chill travels down my spine as I shift my position on the cold, wooden floor and scoot closer to the fireplace. Though there isn't much of flame, a log still burns slowly within it, giving off enough heat to warm my back and enough light to show that Melissa wasn't down here with me.

I put on my glasses and sigh, the heat from my skin and the fire warming the lenses and making them fog up almost instantly. I pull the sleeve of my hoodie over my palm and wipe them off, though there isn't much to see in the inky blackness that now surrounded me, it's better than absolutely nothing.

I sit in the quiet for a moment, enjoying it. The only thing I hear is the crackling of the wood burning in the fire behind me and all seems peaceful until I hear the cry of a wild dog from outside, most likely somewhere in the mountains behind the house. Then, suddenly, I hear a loud pop that echoes through the house and through the entire valley below; the crying dog quiets, cut off in the middle of his shriek.

"Did you hear that?" you ask, quickly walking down the stairs, blankets in your hands, hunting rifle on your back.

I jump, heart racing, "I thought were asleep... Why aren't any of the lights on? Did the storm knock the power out? Something happen to the solar panels?"

"I don't want the lights on. There's a hunter out there somewhere and the last thing I want him to know is that there are two girls alone in a house in the middle of no where," you say, closing my textbook for me and placing it on the mantel of the fireplace and then helping me to my feet.

I yawn, "You worry too much. Let's just be happy he dealt with that coyote and we didn't have to."

You look me dead in the eyes, "You think I'm really going to risk putting your life in danger for even a second? I don't care if he was /hired/ pest control; he's on our land, armed."

We both lay down on the couch that's in front of the fireplace, the faint orange and red glow giving us just enough light to get comfortable. You wrap your arms around me and put the rifle on the top of the couch, within reach, and then cover us both with a wool blanket.

"You know, in some odd way, I find this kind of oddly romantic," I chuckle, relaxing back into you.

You kiss the back of my head, "What? The mandatory cuddling or the fact that a crazed hunter could break in at any moment and mistake us both for deer?"

"Both, although I have a preference for the first of the two," I laugh, closing my eyes and almost falling asleep instantly. Despite the fact that we could be in quite the sticky situation, this moment is definitely one that I'll cherish. There's just something about knowing that you're taken care of and protected that's rather nice.

This night is one that I'll remember forever, both for the love shared and the panic.