The Ending Winter

Eirin screamed while tears ran down her face. 'Help...Please'. Another nightmare. She gets these often. James was asleep beside her, but didn't hear her. What a heavy sleeper. Her nails dug into her arms as she continued screaming. Only now did James wake up. (what does he do?)

James went back to sleep as mysteriously as he woke up beside Eirin. Eirin was confused--he had to have noticed that she was having nightmares. Why wasn't he helping? "James?" she asked nervously.

But James just lay there, silent on his side of his bed as if he was dead. For a second Eirin got worried that he actually was, until she heard him breath. She didn't want to provoke him further, so instead she left the bed to see if she could somehow cheer herself up.

Eirin made a cup of tea and dragged a heavy quilt onto their patio overlooking the trees in the valley. This perspective helped her feel centered, but James’s mood swings troubled her. “Is this PTSD, drugs, or something I did?” she thought. She heard him moving inside.

“No Erin, it’s totally just you being emotional!” He stated firmly. Erin was convinced he was in denial. James emerged from the tent and continued setting up the clothes line. His mind was fixated on the nightmares.“James chase me!” said Erin and she ran into the forest.

Erin felt her heart beat faster. James had to be stopped. There had to be police in the area. She peered out of the woods to see police officers take out handcuffs. In a matter of minutes the officers had James in custody.

James was telling me that I would pay for this. Then, sobbing and saying he's sorry The cop said "I'll walk away if you want to finish this?" I nodded. Handing me his gun and uncuffing him, I looked at James as I held the gun, and he quickly lunged at me. The gun went off...