Chapter 36: Unending Night

Oliver’s limbs turned to jelly all at once and he collapsed fully upon the ground. For a long time, all he could do was wheeze softly and stare at the night sky, his heart hammering in his chest. Dark clouds had gathered overhead.

‘I wonder if it will rain,’ Oliver thought absently. His shoulders began to shake with silent laughter. ‘After everything that’s happened, I’m worried about the weather?’

Relief washed over him, so wonderful that he could have cried. He let himself lie there, calming his breathing and reveling in the simple fact that he was alive.

At length, Oliver propped himself back up on his elbows once more. A small flicker of doubt punctured through his happiness. What had happened to the creature? He was sure that it had been right on top of him. Yet suddenly, it was gone, vanished like a bad dream.