SIDE Park Strife

Romilda pulled back the tent flap and looked into the darkness.

Nothing. Silence. Just wisps of food, drifting in the moonlight. Just empty paths, and trees, and bushes.

Like the one they were hiding behind.

"What is it?" Remy said, behind her.

She let the flap fall, and looked over her shoulder. Her boyfriend leaned on one elbow, but he hadn't gotten up.

She shrugged. "I don't know." She scratched her arm. When was the last time she got a hit?

Too long.

Not long enough.

"It's...probably nothing. Let's go back to sleep."

She crawled over, kissed him on the cheek, and wriggled back into her sleeping bag.

And he didn't lie down. He just sat there and watched.

...He was going to do it wasn't he?

When you didn't have a permanent roof over your head, paranoia was a survival trait.

So was having something long, hard, and easily concealed.

When she heard the rustle, she closed her eyes, and called herself an idiot. Then she rolled over and said, Remy, you don't have to-

He crawled to the flap and pulled it back. If you say their something out there , the might be something out there. He paused. Or someone.

Rumi shivered. And not just because of the temperature. "...Be safe, okay?"

Remy teeth flashed in the dark. "Always am."

And then her knight in ragged hoodie was gone.

Roomie laid down, and tried to relax. He was going to look around, and find nothing. And then he'd come back, and she'd feel half ashamed, half happy. And eventually they'd both go to sleep.

...So why was her skin still crawling?

Screw this.

She grabbed the flashlight, and headed outside.

Nothing but the night. She couldn't even see Remy.

Something rustled.

She spun around with her heart in her throat.

Still nothing. Probably a raccoon.

There had been that report about that crash, but that was river park. That was miles away.

Something bumped into her foot.

After she came back to work, she turned on the flashlight, frowned, smacked it a few times, and then pointed it at...

She blinked.

...a large egg?

She looked around. No hidden cameras. Of course, by definition hidden cameras wouldn't be visible.

She did what any logical person would do in such a situation, and kicked the egg.

It rolled across the grass.

When she picks it up, she turned it back and forth. The strange green patterns went

all the

way

around.

If there had been anyone there to see, they might have been somewhat concerned by the way she just stared at the egg for several minutes. Perhaps they would have been unsettled by the glitter in her eyes.

Or the way she said, "Yes."

Or when she reached for her waistband.

Author note: if you're even the slightest bit familiar with mythological roman history, you may have looked at the names and gotten a faint idea where this is going.