RESTLESS SPIRITS

As he stood there, frozen in place, the scene before him began to blur and shift. He blinked and the vision of the princess lying in a pool of blood faded away. He looked down at his sword safely by his side. The room was silent, the only sound the pounding of his heart. He was shaken to the core, realizing that his mind was playing tricks on him. He was loosing his grip on reality, and it terrified him.

"Leomere!" Thesra's voice rang out clear and sharp, he turned towards the sound of her voice, and there she was, standing right in front of him. She was alive and well, not a drop of blood on her clothes. He felt a wave of relief, quickly followed by a sense of confusion and shame. How could he have imagined something so horrible?

"Y...yes, I'm just a bit...out of sorts," Leomere stammered, his words coming out in a rush. The princess frowned, clearly unsure what to make of his behavior. Before she could say anything, he blurted out, "may I be excused?"