Chap 22

The sound of the wind outside my window was soothing. It was pitch black outside so I had left my bedside lamp on. There was something so sinister about nighttime, the inability to see properly, the hushed, stealthy sounds in the darkness, the noticeable creaking and groanings of floorboards and ceilings, and a thousand other sounds that could be interpreted in many different ways.

The dark was something I had always hated. It tended to rob me of my carefully honed reflexes. I did not like to be taken unawares, the warrior in me would never want that. It was always better to be prepared for any eventuality. That was my motto. But in the dark, darker things and people lurked. That was one of the reasons why I slept with the lights on all the time, always at the edge of consciousness, always prepared to defend myself and attack if need be.

I turned in bed, pulling the covers down a bit. Sleep wouldn't just come yet. I put my hands behind my head, staring up at the ceiling. The pack ho