I walk through the woods, following my guide. It’s quite enchanting, seeing the life within the trees at night. Fireflies around me shine brighter than the stars in the sky. The chirping of the insects turn the forest into a soothing environment. We continue hiking, and I feel my body becoming more relaxed.

I think to myself that this isn’t a very bad date at all. I’m glad I didn’t bail when he suggested we go hiking by the lake at night; I would have missed out on such a lovely scene. I feel kinda weird that I’m just following him, not making any conversation, but I definitely don’t want to talk. I’m so out of shape. I am breathing kinda heavily right now. I’m sure I won’t be able to get any words out without suffocating. I can wait to talk with him when we get to that special spot he mentioned to me.

We march on for another 15 minutes. My legs are getting tired. How does he move so effortlessly? It’s so hard keeping up with him, but I don’t want to make him slow down just for me. It would be nice if he’d ask me if I was doing okay back here though, or at least offer to take a short break. He did say it wasn’t too bad of a hike, maybe just 20 minutes, so we’re almost there. I gotta keep pushing through. Oh wait, he stopped. Did he read my mind?

“We’re here. This is the spot I wanted to take you to.”

Here? Really? This looks just like the rest of the forest. There’s really nothing special here. We could’ve skipped all that walking if all you wanted me to see was grass and trees. “Oh, that’s cool. Umm, so what’s so special about this spot?”

“Well, I guess not much if you’re just staring at the trees. If you lay down though, you’ll see why I think this spot is lovely.”

I look up, and I see it. There is a nice clearing up above. The trees all part away from the center, and I see the starry night sky and the moon, showing itself off as a thin sliver. This is a nice sight, so I lay down. Maybe the laying down in the soft grass will add to the view. He lays down besides me, his shoulder maybe a foot away from mine, and he stares upwards. I look back up, as well.

Now, I feel why this spot is so special. The soothing sounds of the forest combined with the beautiful sky, it just brings me to such a peaceful state. I get consumed by nature. I fall into a trance.

He gets on his side and faces me. He starts talking to me. “Was this worth the hike? I really hope so.”

Are you kidding me? Of course. I haven’t been so tranquil in so long. “Yes, it definitely was worth it. It’s so nice out here. I feel so relaxed. You can’t really get this state of relaxation back home. Nothing comes close. How did you find this place?”

“Well, I like to hike and explore the forests, and I just came across this spot. And I’m glad you really enjoy this spot as much as I do. Close your eyes. I’ve got a surprise for you.”

“A surprise on top of this? How generous of you.” I let out a light laugh. “You don’t have to give me anything. This trip is enough for me.”

“Just close your eyes. I’m sure you’ll love it. I got this just for you.”

I close my eyes. “Fine, they’re closed, but you don’t have-“ What is this? A sharp pain enters my throat. I open my eyes. I can’t talk anymore. I see him holding a knife inside my neck.

“This is my last gift to you. I am glad you get to go when you’re at your happiest. You got to enjoy the rest of your life. Shhhh, no. No. Don’t struggle. Please. Don’t undo my hard work. I wanted to make you happy.”

He grabs my arms and pin them down. I’m going to die here. He betrayed me. No, why did I follow him here? Why did I let myself trust him? No, I can’t just die here. Please, someone, save me! I can’t talk. I can’t yell! I need help. Somebody, please.