The night

“Just so long as we get to the head of the canyon while the sun’s still over that ridge we’ll be fine. Should be safe home by dark.”

“What’s so important about getting there by dark?” asked Sam.

Trevor looked at the teenager with a disbelief that bordered on outrage. He didn’t try to hold back his contemptuous snort. It was a question only a boy who’d never been outside of the city walls could ask.

Even if a man doesn’t know the specific dangers he’s up against, he knows the nighttime is when they come out and they are rarely good. Whether they’ve got bony claws or razor sharp teeth doesn’t matter. You won’t be able to see them to defend yourself, you’ll only hear them clacking as they draw closer.

He shook his head and picked up his pace.

“What? I’m only asking. It’s been quiet out every night since I’ve been here. I don’t get what’s so dangerous.”

“Well for one thing,” said Trevor, “the fact that it’s quiet doesn’t mean a thing. Do you run around hootin’ and hollerin’ just because it’s dark out? Or do you speak more softly? Draw in on yourself to feel safe?”

Sam squinted at his companion, maybe in confusion or maybe casting his mind back to previous nights.

“Look, it seems all calm and peaceful out here, but don’t let that fool you. It’ll draw you out, thinking you can enjoy and embrace it. But that’s just when you’ll realize how much the dark cuts you off from everyone else.”

“But there’s no-one else around anyway!” exclaimed Sam, flinging an arm towards the rocky expanse that surrounded them.

“That’s maybe true, but come dark you won’t just think it, you’ll feel it in your bones. It’ll sap your strength, the fear and loneliness, if you dwell on it too long. That don’t happen in the day.”

He could see Sam shake his head and knew the boy was writing him off as a crazy old man. That was fine, so long as they got home in time. He wasn’t going to waste any more time arguing. He’d learn soon enough.

---

Written from this week's #fff-challenge prompt by @kaliju: the night.

I didn't think I had any good nighttime pictures around, but I found one from this summer's adventures. The bright spot above the tree isn't a star, it's the planet Venus, so it shows up even on a crappy phone pic.

We cowboy camped that night, without putting the tent up. I saw two shooting stars, one of them when I was rolling over in the middle of night and opened my eyes for a few seconds.