The moon’s pale light filtered through the bare branches above, casting breaks in the shadows around her. The chill of the wind stirred my clothes. The usual underlying cacophony of forest creatures was absent. A dreadful silence prevailed, broken only by the soft rustling of footfalls on the moss covered ground. She turned to look up at me as we walked deeper into the darkness, the passing moonlight highlighting the fear etched across her features. I tried to smile reassuringly at her, but even if she could see my expression I knew it would be clouded by my own fear and doubt. I focused my attention back to the path through the trees before me. It was darkening and the night grew more forbidding as we ventured further away from civilization. Soon the light found it difficult to traverse through the treetops, despite their unadorned branches. Still, we pushed on.
We reached our destination in complete darkness. She had led the way for me when I could no longer see where to step. I pulled out a box from my pocket and withdrew a match. I could feel her gaze on me as I hesitated to light it. Emotions stirred in the pit of my stomach. Knowing what I was about to see did not make it any easier. I felt her cool, steady touch, as if letting me know that it was okay. I struck the match, and looked down at the reason why I was here in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night. She was looking down, too, at her own lifeless body. At once, she began to fade.
Illustration credit: Maya Willis 2016