Very Short Stories: Leomund and Yvanna Leomund ran through the trees as fast as his legs could carry him. His swollen feet ached in his shoes, and his lungs felt like bursting. But even though he could no longer hear his pursuer, the evil presence still felt like a rock in his stomach. Suddenly, his sense of dread deepened. The sky faded to coal black, and he could no longer see the path. Stumbling through the trunks, feeling with his outstretched hands, he heard it walk up behind him. Slowly, he turned, eyes searching the inky blackness. Two points of red stared back at him, and the creature lunged. Leomund's eyes flew open. He bolted upright in the small bed, trembling. Then he recognized the room, his own bedroom, and the horrified expression left his face. The sound of his deep, quick breathing filled the space, mingling with the noise of the crickets. The dreams were getting worse. His long-dead grandmother had been a seer of the highest caliber, and the gift tended to skip a generation. Unfortunately, he knew none of this. He hoped he hadn't woken her, but it was no good. The fox beside him stirred, and her sleepy brown eyes were looking up at him. "I'm sorry I woke you." He said, placing his hand on her furry forehead. She smiled, and placed a hand on his chest. "You know I don't mind. Was it a dream?" Leo nodded, and spoke gruffly "The forest one. But it felt more real this time." "Oh darling" she looked pained "here, turn over." He hated to deprive her of sleep like this, but last year, when the dreams had started to creep up on him, he learned that protesting was no good. She knew he needed her, in these moments. He turned onto his stomach, and her half-sleeping form straddled his lower back. Her warm, gentle hands began to knead at his shoulders. Leo sighed with relief. Over the next few minutes, he felt the tension and fear carefully massaged out of him by his wife, who knew all the right spots. Before long, his breathing was tranquil, and his heartbeat slow. The fox smiled, and laid back down next to him, pulling him in close. Though you wouldn't have guessed it from his stern features, one of Leo's favorite things was to be held. His hand gently rubbed the orange forearm hugging his chest, a way of saying "thank you", and then he was asleep again. The fox, Yvanna, placed a kiss on his back. She stared at the ceiling, listening to the crickets outside, and smelling the cool night air coming in from the cracked window. He was having the dreams almost every night now. And deep down, Yvanna knew that something was very srong with the world. Her husband wrote his visions off as the product of a tired and irrational mind. Something kept her from agreeing with him. But whatever it was could wait, at least until the morning. For now, all the world was them and their small wooden bed. Yvanna closed her eyes, and soon joined her husband. Far away, a swordsman and a musician were making their way towards the town.