Balancer's Soul

  ***

  Yes! I finally kissed her… Connor kept praising himself in his head. “Don’t fall behind or you might get lost.”

  She quickened her pace and he thought she mumbled “Maybe it would be worth it…”

  They continued to walk slowly together through the dense woods silently for an hour until…

  SNAP...! SNAP! Came the odd sound of twigs and sticks breaking.

  All the hairs on the back of Connor’s neck began to rise which meant something bad was about to happen. Danger quickly approached them, serious danger. The breaking sounds pulled him out of his thoughts, from the almost kiss with Sarah. He knew he didn’t have to do it, but was honestly glad that he took the opportunity.

  Listening for the sounds of the forest Connor heard absolutely… Nothing!

  No bird calls and no scurrying in the leaves from little animals, just dead silence.

  “Predator?

  Twigs snapping, after a rainy night… what could…?

  A big predator!”

  Connor turned instantly to his side from where the sound originated and grabbed Sarah, pulling her protectively behind him in the blink of an eye. Connor also yanked out Tool within that split second. Sarah gasped when he pulled her into a safer location. Separating her from the threat.

  Then all sound stopped completely, even their breathing.

  “There’s danger close by… No! Sarah is the one in danger!”

  Sarah said quietly and playfully “What’s wrong? Are you upset over something? I forgive you for kissing me.”

  When she saw Connor look at her, she knew he wasn’t playing around.

  This wasn’t the time to be teasing at the moment because he could now taste the hunger of another presence close by and looking at them both.

  “It Comes!” Connor announced, ready to defend her at all costs.

  Not two seconds later he heard more wet twigs go SNAP! SNAP!

  “It’s much closer. Bring it!”

  That’s when Connor found the deadly eyes of an experienced killer.