Refuge
an excerpt

...

Wes lay awake for a long time, tossing restlessly as his mind conjured up non-existent sights and sounds. He was dozing when a noise penetrated his dreams and he awoke with a start to Darcy’s low growl.

“Quiet, boy. Let me listen,” Wes whispered. The darkness was unlike anything he’d ever experienced. It was disorienting, so suffocatingly dense he couldn’t see the walls, the outline of the window or his own hand when he raised it to caution the dog. He felt around on the floor beside the bunk for his flashlight, brushing across Darcy's hackles as he searched blindly for it. When his hand finally encountered the familiar cylinder he grasped it and relaxed slightly, laying back to listen again.

Silence. Except for Darcy’s panting there was nothing to hear. It could have been a branch falling. Maybe an animal. We’re just not used to wilderness sounds.

“It’s nothing, Darc. Go to sleep.” He tucked the flashlight under his pillow this time and tugged the sleeping bag closer to trap his warmth inside. Soon his breathing slowed and he drifted off again. He was unaware of Darcy’s laid back ears and intent focus on the cabin door.

...