Dancing

Stopping with Misty, his hands in hers, Kyle stares back into her eyes. Her asking gave him joy...her glow gave him hope. Friendship was grand. His relationship with Misty was bliss. Knowing that she was perhaps seeking God...that was better than all combined.

Kyle lifts a hand to brush her cheek. "Of course," he promises.

Withdrawing, he pulls Misty to the side, bringing her a little closer to sway to the music. And for once...he lets the humor stay in his eyes without breaking the moment through silly speech.


Axel's mouth curls into the thin smile only he could pull off. His fingers wrap around Jess' hand with a gentle firmness and warmth of someone who could see the nervousness, and desired to melt it away. "My feet are protected by thick boots," he quips. "And you're not heavy enough to do any real damage."

Drawing her around the fire, he nears other couples who are dancing, in an effort to help Jess know he wasn't trying to get her alone. Taking both her hands, he avoids closeness and respects her space, not touching her waist. "Just follow my lead," he directs with a wink. "And don't look down."

Finding the beat of the fairly fast song, Axel minimizes his moves, but at the same time, guides Jess by her hands, skillfully manipulating her own moves by using her balance and countering so she'll follow his steps. Once he's confident that Jess has the pattern, he recalls her statement about the flame.

"Light of a flame is always stronger than darkness," he comments softly as they dance. "Even stars that are millions of miles away eventually pierce the darkness surrounding us so we can see them."

He pauses, staring into Jess' eyes, even while he moves. "Cup your hands around darkness and then let go. The shadows disperse. Cup your hands around the light and then let go. It falls upon even the darkest of corners. The light is there...all you have to do is let go."

As the song comes to and end, Axel slows to a stop. His palms on Jess' had a roughness to them, yet were soft and gentle. Studying her for a couple moments, he finally brings one of her hands to his lips, giving it a light kiss. Then backing up a step and letting her go, he bows with a flourish. "Thank you, melady."


Coming back into the circle of people Carson slips the partial Bible into his pocket. Seeing Jess gone from her seat, he scans the crowd, before finding her with Axel. Carson had kept a watchful eye on Axel...he seemed like an okay guy....nice enough.

Sliding into his ownn seat, Carson waits, keeping his eyes on Jess as she dances. It was nice to see her outside the normal routine. She was slowly gaining back her confidence...the one tool that she'd wielded so well before.

Carson's eyes do wander though, to the other side of the fire, finding Misty, dancing slowly, closely with Kyle. He looks away quickly, finding Jess again. It wasn't worth thinking about...not anymore...Misty was taken.


Jason tosses and turns in bed, unable to find rest. He was so tired, but his mind wouldn't settle down. His head hurt...his emotions were on the verge of going crazy... He just felt...wrong. Every so often, he'd check once more, trying to send a message, just to have the emotions bounce back at him. It was getting more frustrating...but the more Jason tried, the more he realized how much he was missing that connection.