• She takes to the small path quickly, her shallow breath coming faster as she quickens her step. She feels the coldness of the night air biting at her very finger tips. The darkness is closing in, she can feel it. The sunlight is gone now and so with it goes the safety that she relied so desperately on. Something moves to her right. She stumbles and sharply glances at the nothingness that had stopped her. because thats all it was. Nothing. The girl began to run, her hair whipping her face that had become almost numb by now. Again her instincts cried out as a shadow loomed and she screamed a struggled scream and forced her legs faster. Her scream was desperate and scared and showed her weakness...how vulnerable she was. How close she was to breaking down her feeble defenses and surrendering herself to the danger that followed her so threateningly. The feel of her heart beat resembled the beat of a humming birds wings. Was there no hope? Nothing to save her from the nothing that gained on her? Her footsteps echoed without mercy throughout the gradually smaller tunnel of sorts. The danger that consumed her every movement came closer to the fragile figure of the girl desperately running from the unknown. The tears that came unwillingly scalded her cheeks and blurred her vision. Suddenly her body became immobile and she hung limp in the grasp of the shadow. Her breath slowed as she realized she hadn't been harmed as of yet. And the restriction was nothing more than an embrace. She savored the feel of the warm arms around her arms and torso and braced herself. She threw her fears as far as she was able, and gathered what little courage she could, turning purposely to her captor. The darkness that had frightened her so vanished and some unseen sun came out of hiding. A small smile crept over her delicate features. He was tall with hair as black and feathery as if a crow had deposited his coat there. His eyes soft and brown filled with promises and yet held a fierceness that belonged an untamed and wild wolf. His expression explained to her that he understood what she felt and that she would no longer need to be afraid.
    " Who are you?" she said warily,
    " I'm the one who's going to take away your sorrows and love you like no other." came the steady reply of the young man. The girl...the young woman in his arms laughed for the first time without fear,
    "What took you so long?"