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I had taken the last watch of the night, the time when the night air began to mix with the warm morning breeze, filling my nose with the sweet scent of wildflowers. My trained senses can hear the breathing of all the members of the squad, each a little different from the next.
My mind stops on the sound of Em breathing softly. Hers is the sweetest to listen to for some reason, and I pause my slow patrol around the tents to listen to her. Her breathing is steady, slow, peaceful. My eyes watch for anything approaching in the breaking sunlight, but my ears hang on Em.
My mind is suddenly snapped to attention as the breathing of an unknown body breaks the monotony of the others. This breathing is short, quick, almost wheezing. I train my ears more towards the sound...it's close, somewhere just to my left. I ready my assault rifle and keep walking as if I don't hear anything out of the ordinary, listening intently.
As I continue my patrol, I can hear the breathing moving in the opposite direction of me, sounding as if whatever it was coming from was trying to intercept my path. I continued, undaunted, glancing slowly from left to right. All was clear so far, except for the breathing.
Instantly, I stop dead in my tracks. At the edge of a patch of trees stands a silhouette with eyes that appear to be glowing eerily. I stand and stare, unsure of what to make of the creature because as menacing as it appears, it doesn't attack, but stands and stares back at me. I take a step closer, it doesn't move. I take another step, the same, just standing and wheezing.
Unsure as to what it is, I don't attempt to address it, but my military-trained mind orders my hands to raise my rifle and take aim. Whatever it is, it isn't supposed to be here and I am not going to take any chances, especially with something that may have been mysteriously following me and my squad all this time......