hawk eyes [open]
Aug 25, 2010 20:18:43 GMT -5
Post by santi27 on Aug 25, 2010 20:18:43 GMT -5
Night time was always the worst for Aiden even back in district nine. There she had been terrified on monsters under the bed and goblins in the closet. Here things were different. Having grown out of those fears, Aiden had now acquired new ones. For instance she now had the fear of being attacked in her sleep by a wild animal such as being mauled by a bear or bitten by a wolf. Unlike at home, where there was always a warm fire, here in the woods at night it was always cold and Aiden had to avoid it like the plague else she catch something like hypothermia. Finally, there was the fear of other people, whether they were peacekeepers sent to find her or just other wanderers out to protect themselves.
As a result, nights like tonight were always torturous. Aiden desperately wanted to sleep, but even after months of nights like this, she still couldn’t. There was just too much to watch out for. While sleep would have allowed her to stay more alert and be more watchful, it would also prevent her from keeping a watch for those precious hours. Therefore, what usually happened was Aiden would stay up for as late as she possibly could, until she could bear it no longer. When this occurred, she would find a nice tree with stable limbs, climb up, hope for the best, and go to sleep.
Tonight however, Aiden still had a few more good hours left in her. Judging by how dark it was, she guessed it was about midnight. A spooky hour, but made ever so slightly less scary by the dagger held in her hand. Sitting on a low branch, Aiden peacefully allowed her legs to peacefully swing back and forth, while at the same time her eyes were trained on the surrounding woods looking for any sign of movement.