at first she’s not sure what woke her up ( heart strikes twelve, of course, and green eyes dart around the shed to make sure it’s not one of them ) ; reem remains motionless, FROZEN, staring at the stars through a hole in the roof, until there’s that sound again: a rustling, sure sound of boots scuffling through straw, and it’s enough to send her heart into a frenzy. without a moment’s hesitation she snatches the gun from under her makeshift pillow, rolls from her hiding place & takes aim ━ in the dark at least no one can see that her hands are SHAKING.