Andromeda and Nereid

__________He tried to keep the swirling sensation of his guttural panic hidden from Reid. But he couldn't help it. Without even thinking about it, he searched for a line of the horizon in the pitch. His eyes focused, narrowed, dilated, all without his thoughts. Like breathing, his automatic attention was dimmed and sharpened. The air was thick, everything was a shade of shadow, sometimes charcoal, sometimes ink. The moon was hidden and there wasn't even a sign of silver glow behind the clouds, nothing but slow moving bulks in what he had to only assume was the sky because it was what he saw when he stretched his neck and looked up. When Reid emerged from his cabin every few hours, he came up with a lantern and shone it in Andre's face making his eyes water from the shock of the brightness. Reid pulled and jangled the chains to ensure they were still tight. Andre knew they were because his arm had gone numb what could have been hours ago. Another night dragged itself across the sky. In the mornings Andre slept.

Continued. . . .