Stalking Us

The next morning we woke, ate, and started out.

Nobody said much.

Arthur and Lance kept mostly to themselves.

But the rest of us weren't talkative either. Each lost in our own thoughts.

The day shone bright and beautiful.

Clear skies, not a cloud in the wide, blue sky. Birds dipped and dove through the tops of the trees. Small animals skittered along the branches and in and out from under bushes.

Our group still rode parallel with the stream. It rushed on; it's gentle music filled the air.

I felt more at peace than I had in a long time. That peace left by mid-morning when I sensed something hunted us. I used all of my vampire abilities to find out what it was, but the predators were cunning. The only thing I could tell for certain was that they were big.

"Something is stalking us," I said to Christopher, keeping my voice low enough so only he could hear.