He had heard it before but couldn't place it. He sat at the table and listened to
her for a moment, hoping the song would come back to him. He knew the song she
hummed was released before he attended high school.
She finished the tune and turned to look at him. She smiled for a brief moment. Her
blue eyes lightened the room.
“You ready for bed, hubby?” she asked.
“Oh, I'm ready,” he said, placing the bills under his damp wallet so they wouldn't
fly away again.
William sprinted through a forest. He ran from something but didn’t remember what.
A howl echoed in the distance. It might have been a wolf. Then came a roar. Maybe a
bear. Whatever it was, he had to outrun it and find safety.
He saw a clearing coming up. He heard tree branches snap behind him. The sun crept
through the leaves and branches from above.
His heart felt like it was going to explode. He couldn't remember how long he had
been running. He only knew he couldn't stop. Whatever chased him would soon catch
up.
Birds chirped in the trees. If he made it to the clearing, he thought he might
survive whatever stalked him.
The clearing was only a few yards away. William didn’t think he had ever run this
fast. He had never needed to. He wasn’t someone worth chasing. But the sounds were
getting closer, and he ran faster.
As he exited the forest and into the clearing, he glanced back to see if he could
tell what chased him. The forest suddenly became covered in darkness.
He slowed and walked backward, never taking his eyes off the forest. Roars and