Finally around 2:30 in the morning she decided to give up on sleep all together. She figured that as long as she was up she may as well go for a run. In the past she'd used running a way of escaping from the stresses of caring for her grandfather- the rush of endorphines was always able to lift her mood to the point where she could go on being the care-giver for just a little longer.

Without turning on any lights she crept quietly down the stairs and out the front door. A flicker of deja vu danced on the surface of her mind before she got caught up in the sound of her shoes on the pavement.

It was a gorgeous night- high above her thousands of stars glittered down through the crystal clear sky while all around her surfaces were becoming covered in a thin layer of dew. The air was alive with the sound of chirping crickets and tiny frogs. Before she realized what was happening, she was in unfamiliar territory. What she thought was the street leading back to her house turned into a dead end.

She found herself standing in front of a cemetary and knew for certain that she was nowhere near the house. The gates seemed to call to her like the voices of the long-dead begging to be heard. She walked through them cautiously, delighting in the thrill of irrational fear playing in her mind.

Tristan: "You know, it's really not very smart to hang out in a cemetary in the middle of the night."

Emily: "Tristan? Is that you?"
Tristan: "Emily?? What are you doing here?"

Emily: "I couldn't sleep so I thought I'd go out for a run. Clearly I hadn't thought things through very well because I have no idea how I got here. What are you doing here?"
Tristan: "Oh. Um. Ambience?"
Emily: "That'll do."

Tristan: "I really hope I didn't scare you just now. Voices coming from graves can't be good for your heart I imagine."
Emily: "I'm feeling a bit weak, but I should live. I'll send you the hospital bill if there's any lasting damage."

Emily: "Listen, this is really embarrassing but... you live around here, right? Can you help me find my house?"
Tristan: "Of course! What street is it on?"
Emily: "Ravenscroft."

Tristan: "You're only off by two streets, not so bad for only being in town a few days! I'd be happy to make sure you get there in one piece."

Emily: "I'm really glad I managed to run into you tonight and not some, I don't know, murderous vampire or something."

Tristan: "Yeah..."

Emily: "You ok?"
Tristan: "Hmm? Oh yeah I'm ok. It's been a really long couple of days, that's all."
Emily: "Tell me about it. I still can't believe I'm here."

As they walked, Tristan found his head spinning. He was sure they talked the entire way back, but when he tried to remember anything that was said it all slipped away. He was left with a series of impressions rather than any specific- the smell of Emily's perfume- delicate cherry with a touch of vanilla; the shine of the streetlights reflected in sea-green eyes he could hardly stand to look into directly. All too quickly they were stopped outside Emily's house.

Emily: "Thank you so much- I'd have ended up wandering around forever if you hadn't been around."
Tristan: "I'm just glad I could help out."
Emily: "Be careful walking home."

Tristan: "I will be. Sleep well- I'll see you tomorrow night!"