𝕾𝖎𝖙𝖚𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓𝖘 || 𝔈𝔪𝔬 𝔅𝔞𝔫𝔡𝔰 𝔵 ℜ𝔢𝔞𝔡𝔢𝔯 𝔒𝔫𝔢𝔰𝔥𝔬𝔱𝔰

𝕴𝖒𝖒𝖔𝖗𝖙𝖆𝖑 𝕯𝖊𝖘𝖎𝖗𝖊𝖘 || ℜ𝔬𝔫𝔫𝔦𝔢 ℜ𝔞𝔡𝔨𝔢

𝕸𝖆𝖙𝖚𝖗𝖊: 𝔳𝔞𝔪𝔭𝔦𝔯𝔦𝔰𝔪 & 𝔟𝔩𝔬𝔬𝔡. 𝔙𝔦𝔢𝔴𝔢𝔯 𝔡𝔦𝔰𝔠𝔯𝔢𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫 𝔦𝔰 𝔞𝔡𝔳𝔦𝔰𝔢𝔡.

•••

Dull orange leaves dance and swirl as the crisp November wind picks up. Through the bangs pushed up against my face, I watch the trees' branches above me groan with protest as they succumb to the current. They're stout enough, but the thought of them snapping off like twigs lingers at the back of my mind. I pull my coat tighter around me. It doesn't do much to prevent the frigid air from snaking through my clothes.

The clearing just barely comes into view. Instinctively, my hands extend out to unravel the stray undergrowth in the path I've taken so many times before. Faint muddled footprints mark the bare ground but soon disappear after I push past the last of the shrubbery.

As soon as the wind dies down, I take in a breath of relief. Then, slowly, I step out into where the trees divide.

The moon peaks from the treeline, casting its glow on the lake's stagnant black water. If I look closely enough, tiny stars fleck the surface, gray paint splatters against a canvas. There's an urge to reach out and graze my hand over the cool water, just to see it being disturbed before settling again.

However, my eyes skim over it. I can admire it later. There are important matters to attend to first.

Nothing waits by the water—nothing for the whole mile circumference of the lake. I shift my gaze to the edges of the woods. There's no car parked near the treeline.

Even the wind's rustling stops as if allowing me to pick up on the smallest sounds. It sends an unnerving chill up my spine, but a more alarming thought enters my mind: There's nobody here except me.

I furrow my brows. This is the only time I've ever gotten here before him. Could something be keeping him? Has something happened?

No. He's not stupid enough to allow anything to happen, I convince myself.

Nonetheless, my gut churns as I take a step forward. A dead leaf crunches under my boot, as if verifying that I'd hear someone approaching me in any direction. I take another towards the lake, shivering.

I gasp when I feel thick arms embracing my waist. "I was wondering if I'd see you here again," a voice purrs.

My tense body relaxes and I sigh, cursing myself for being paranoid. The shock of his complete absence still has adrenaline coursing through my blood and it makes my heart drum with fright. How pathetic we both are.

"Go fuck yourself, Ronnie."

He leans his head against the back of mine. "That's no way to greet an old friend." A subtle scent of sandalwood creeps into my nose. It makes me feel a little woozy.

I take a deep breath in to try to gain more control of myself. Which was a mistake. "Your 'friend' thought you evaporated into the night and left her on her own," I reply, reaching out for his hands. They're cold even against my freezing fingertips. A slight tremor runs through my arms.

"You'll find me if you look for me better.  It's not too hard to put in a little effort, is it?" he mutters, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I did. You're such a horrible liar."

He chuckles through his teeth. It's a sound that could make anyone stop dead in their tracks. It's so tantalizing, so impossible to resist. It's inviting. Cold. Deadly. It's like the last thing the hunter's prey hears before falling into his grasp. He knows it.