Otter Creek I'll be the match to your candle

When she opened her eyes, it felt like someone had whispered in her ear but she had awoken too late and only a last breath could be heard. She peered into the dark night, ears pointed forward. A sudden cold breeze made her shudder. There was nothing. I must have imagined it, she thought, but Nara didn't go back to sleep. Instead, she rose and took a few steps forward, the last dry leaves crackling under her paws. Besides the sound of the stream, there was a dead silence. Still, a feeling that someone or something was there, waiting, watching, stuck to her pelt.