Silence. Silence and darkness surrounded him in the forest. Only the moonlight revealed the tops of the centuries-old trees. There was something weird about this silence. Something that could scare even the heroes from the movies he had watched with his wife almost every day in the past.
Suddenly he heard the cracking of the branches somewhere around him. He looked at the origin of the sound and saw a creature. It was bigger than him and looked like a savage mammal made of the darkness. It stared at him with glowing eyes that were full of hate.
The creature slowly approached to him. Step-by-step it came closer. When it was close enough, it attacked. It tried to kill him with the only one fast move of its big claws. But he was ready for that attack so he managed to dodged it. The creature was so angry that he heard a loud roar. Then he heard another roar but made by another creature. Looking around he saw dozens of glowing dots. This creature wasn't alone. He realised that the only way to survive was try to run.
He turned around and started to race for his life. And the creatures started to chase him. They were bigger and faster than him but they were also clumsier. He tried to use trees against them. He realised that he couldn't change the direction of this race so he begged to all gods that he will find the way out of this forest.
Right at the time when he thought that this would never end he ran out into an open glade. The glade was surrounded by a forest and totally clear of trees. He knew that he can't turn back. The only way was straight through the glade.
He had almost crossed it when the creature jumped of the woods right in front of him. He scrambled to a stop and looked around. One-by-one creatures continued to walk out of the woods. He was surrounded by them. They made a ring and he was right in the center of it. Step-by-step the circle became tighter. And then they attacked. All in the same time. He'd lost his race.
"Wake up!" ― He heard a painfully familiar voice.
"Wake up!" ― Repeated female voice, sounding anxious.
He woke up in the cold and wet of sweat drenched bed. The street was still dark. But it is not a problem for him because foxes can see in the dark. He had a strong feeling of dryness in the mouth so he drained the full glass of water in one gulp on the nightstand next to him, putting it back and picking up the frame next to it, looking at the photo it carried. There was beloved and lovely smile. Tears rolled down from his eyes and he whispered
"Several years have passed since you're gone but you're still saving me from a nightmares."