The screams of the tortured sliced through the gray darkness. A screech of glee rose far above them. Suddenly, all was silent, and the mist began to rise.


    A lone figure cut through the brush, each slash of his sword breaking down vines and branches. Pausing, he lifted his hand to his brow, damp with sweat.

   A hoot from an owl alerted him of its presence. Crickets chirped quietly somewhere off the path.

    "If you can call it a path." the stranger mumbled, looking back at the foliage littering the ground.

   Gripping his machete, he slashed on, never to be seen again by human eyes.


    Crystal water reflected off the sun, exposing depths unknown to mortal eyes. A pebbled beach rose to meet a lush tree line from the gently lapping waters of the lake. Blue eyes gazed out over the vast waters before returning to the dog panting beside her.

    "You hot girl? So am I." The dog quietly watched as her mistress stripped off her shirt and shorts reveling long tanned arms and legs. Slipping out of her shoes she walked to the water's edge, feeling the temperature with her toes before running around to a boulder one hundred feet away. Stepping up on the rock, she looked to the dog before diving in. Blowing out air, she watched her Irish Wolfhound dive into the water after her.

     Dumping a cup of food into the dish, she set it on the floor. Immediately, Samantha greedily dug her nose into it. Walking through the hall, Alex pulled off her wet suit and put on shorts and a sports bra. Falling into bed, she looked at her alarm clock, 12:46. Groaning, she turned out the light and let her head hit the pillow…falling asleep instantly.