man. The two had been forced to trust one another, for the sake of their own lives. Only with such a bond, Ike believed, were brothers made. Throughout his career, he had met and served beside many.
Ike had many brothers.
5
S am awoke in a sweat, whether from her terrible nightmare or the jungle humidity, she didn’t know. She sat in near darkness. Only a soft green glow illuminated the small tent.
She had fallen asleep lying to one side with Brandon’s arm draped over her waist, but she awoke sprawled out on her back, staring up at the peak of the tent. Brandon had rolled over on his side, and she could barely see the back of his head in the dim light. She tried to move her legs, but it was as if there was an oppressive weight on top of them. She glanced down at her bare legs and saw that they were free of blankets.
That was when she began to feel it. A thick cloud loomed above her, just barely visible in the shadows. Whatever it was held her pinned and helpless on her back in the small tent. Suddenly fearful, she began to try to kick and wriggle, but to no avail. She tried to scream but only a voiceless hiss moved through her throat.
As the cloud pushed closer, tightening around her body, she dared a glance at Brandon. His right arm jerked again and he rolled slightly, as if caught in the depths of some nightmare. The darkness moved around him as well. It permeated the air.
She heard a stream of whispers. There were voices outside, people moving around the tent. She debated whether to call out to them and ask for their help.
The voices, strangely, slipped into the tent and lingered in the air about her. Then a single voice echoed, calling her name over and over again among a stream of less distinguishable words.
Sam tried again to scream, but the sound caught in her throat.
The voices moved into her head. The whispers became one with her thoughts. She felt the black cloud consuming her body, taking up residence in her mind. The thing knew her thoughts. It smelled her fear.
The presence seemed driven on, strengthened by her fear, and she wondered where her thoughts ended and its thoughts began. She felt a deep, overwhelming chill.
And then, near her legs, not far from the still-zipped tent flap, she made out a form. A spectral shape sat inches from her feet. The apparition stared at her as it penetrated her thoughts.
Go away, she mentally bade it. She worked up her inner resolve, commanding it more forcefully: Go away.
The presence solidified, although the shadows masked its details. The visage looked ashen gray, a face of cold hatred. In the deepest recesses of her own mind, it echoed her words back at her. Go away!
As if it had made its point, the figure melted into the ground and vanished into the dark corners of the tent.
She was up on her elbows immediately, her paralysis lifted. She stared around the tent, still sensing the dark presence everywhere. She looked to Brandon again, his right arm jerking spasmodically, as though locked in the clutches of a terrible nightmare. Maybe the presence had him as well.
Stop it, she told herself. You’re not thinking rationally. It’s just a dream.
She grabbed his arm, trying to shake him awake. His body rolled to the side, but he remained asleep.
Sam grabbed the edge of her bedroll and pulled it over her body. She felt eyes on her back and sought the comfort of a blanket over her.
He stirred and sat up.
“Brandon.” She heard the tremor in her voice and hated it.
He turned to her slowly and, in the shadows, his eyes were sunken and sagged. That was not her husband.
“Sam?” he asked.
Sam?
She retreated, crawling backward toward the edge of the tent. She did not know what she was seeing. She did not know what anything was.
“Can’t sleep?”
Can’t sleep?
He reached out to her and she panicked. “I have to go,” she mumbled and unzipped the tent flap, scurrying outside.
A cool breeze hit her face as she stepped into absolute darkness. She
Ike had many brothers.
5
S am awoke in a sweat, whether from her terrible nightmare or the jungle humidity, she didn’t know. She sat in near darkness. Only a soft green glow illuminated the small tent.
She had fallen asleep lying to one side with Brandon’s arm draped over her waist, but she awoke sprawled out on her back, staring up at the peak of the tent. Brandon had rolled over on his side, and she could barely see the back of his head in the dim light. She tried to move her legs, but it was as if there was an oppressive weight on top of them. She glanced down at her bare legs and saw that they were free of blankets.
That was when she began to feel it. A thick cloud loomed above her, just barely visible in the shadows. Whatever it was held her pinned and helpless on her back in the small tent. Suddenly fearful, she began to try to kick and wriggle, but to no avail. She tried to scream but only a voiceless hiss moved through her throat.
As the cloud pushed closer, tightening around her body, she dared a glance at Brandon. His right arm jerked again and he rolled slightly, as if caught in the depths of some nightmare. The darkness moved around him as well. It permeated the air.
She heard a stream of whispers. There were voices outside, people moving around the tent. She debated whether to call out to them and ask for their help.
The voices, strangely, slipped into the tent and lingered in the air about her. Then a single voice echoed, calling her name over and over again among a stream of less distinguishable words.
Sam tried again to scream, but the sound caught in her throat.
The voices moved into her head. The whispers became one with her thoughts. She felt the black cloud consuming her body, taking up residence in her mind. The thing knew her thoughts. It smelled her fear.
The presence seemed driven on, strengthened by her fear, and she wondered where her thoughts ended and its thoughts began. She felt a deep, overwhelming chill.
And then, near her legs, not far from the still-zipped tent flap, she made out a form. A spectral shape sat inches from her feet. The apparition stared at her as it penetrated her thoughts.
Go away, she mentally bade it. She worked up her inner resolve, commanding it more forcefully: Go away.
The presence solidified, although the shadows masked its details. The visage looked ashen gray, a face of cold hatred. In the deepest recesses of her own mind, it echoed her words back at her. Go away!
As if it had made its point, the figure melted into the ground and vanished into the dark corners of the tent.
She was up on her elbows immediately, her paralysis lifted. She stared around the tent, still sensing the dark presence everywhere. She looked to Brandon again, his right arm jerking spasmodically, as though locked in the clutches of a terrible nightmare. Maybe the presence had him as well.
Stop it, she told herself. You’re not thinking rationally. It’s just a dream.
She grabbed his arm, trying to shake him awake. His body rolled to the side, but he remained asleep.
Sam grabbed the edge of her bedroll and pulled it over her body. She felt eyes on her back and sought the comfort of a blanket over her.
He stirred and sat up.
“Brandon.” She heard the tremor in her voice and hated it.
He turned to her slowly and, in the shadows, his eyes were sunken and sagged. That was not her husband.
“Sam?” he asked.
Sam?
She retreated, crawling backward toward the edge of the tent. She did not know what she was seeing. She did not know what anything was.
“Can’t sleep?”
Can’t sleep?
He reached out to her and she panicked. “I have to go,” she mumbled and unzipped the tent flap, scurrying outside.
A cool breeze hit her face as she stepped into absolute darkness. She
Similar Books
