From ALL THE SHADOWS OF THE RAINBOW by Inanna Arthen:
She swallowed hard and started toward the huge weathered rock, so riveted on the dark shape, she stumbled several times. She realized she should make noise deliberately and began scuffing her feet hard on the ground with each step. When she was about twenty feet away, the figure sat up, although she was sure he’d heard her long before. His back was toward her.
“Brigid? What is it?” She stopped again, and the man pivoted smoothly around to look at her. He froze for a moment, and she saw him glance quickly back at the house. She faintly heard a woman’s voice calling something about a bed, and a reply, so the man on the boulder knew his housemates were safe. But she was suddenly humbled that his first thought upon seeing her was to check on his friends. Embarrassed, she waited for him to say something, but all he did was stare down at her, as motionless as though he was part of the boulder.
They stayed like that for a long time. Diana wished she could see his face more clearly, but without the glow of body heat, all she could discern above his dark beard was his eyes, locked onto hers. She started to shake; was this a staredown? Was he challenging her? Was he waiting for her to do something?
At last she could bear no more and flung her hands up helplessly. “I’m sorry to bother you.” She turned and started back toward the house.
“Wait! Just…wait, don’t go.” She turned back to see him step off the boulder into mid-air, drop ten feet and land as lightly as though he’d stepped off a curb.
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