Your Encounter

Your boots crunch dully against the gravel as you pace around the camp's edge, not out of duty but boredom. The desert sky filled with the singing of insects teases you with the sleep your brothers and sisters are enjoying just a few yards away. Your tired mind wanders endlessly down obscure rabbit holes until you hear a nearby rustling.
You scan the shadowy foliage with your flashlight, mindful of coyotes and more curious than concerned. From the darkness a pair of eyes shine back at you, watching almost intently from a foot or so off the ground. With a short weary sigh you place one hand on the pistol grip of the rifle hanging across your chest.
But the silvery orbs begin to rise. You watch, stunned, as they ascend a few more feet. Your heart races as they reach eye-level. You're frozen in place as they finally stop a full eight feet above the ground. Then two more eyes open on either side of the pair already staring at you from the darkness.