dare

Dare  walked into the room.  Every head turned her way.  What the hell does she want?  No one invited her and she sure as hell wasn't wanted.  She could only mean trouble for all concerned.  She moved slowly forward.  Every man held his breath.  Some turned their heads away like they did way back in grade school.  If they did not look at her then maybe she would not touch them.  Her touch was sure death.  She moved closer.  Her walk was more of a glide and she seemed to float as she moved towards them. She moved towards the left side of the room and the men on the right breathed a sigh of relief.  To bad for the guy she chose.  That was his problem.  This was no time to be hero.  They usually put a hero's medal on his coffin, not his chest.  She stopped in front of the town drunk who was surprisingly sober right then.  A cold chill ran down his spine but he didn't shiver.  He did not want them to know how afraid he was.  It did not matter that they all had the same fear.  He would not shame himself.  From somewhere he found the courage he had lost as a young man,  He stood tall and looked her straight in the eye.  Her eyes were blue and cold as steel.  Her lips thin and hard.  She reached out to touch him.  He was the one she had chosen.  He did not cower or flinch.  His eyes became hard and he actually made her stop and step back.  Dare became unsure of herself.  No one had challenged her before.  They knew the possible outcome but this man, this drunk who she was sent to take, had changed. He was no longer a drunk.  He was a man again and a man to be feared.  A man that can conquer his inner devils was not one she wanted to challenge.  She dared not touch him.  She turned and walked away.