They walk together hand-in-hand. He savors what they have. His best friend. Her pale skin glows in the moonlight.
She’s so striking.
Shaking the thought out of his mind, he turns to her,
“Tell me something.”
“I love you,” she lilts.
He knows she expects nothing in return. Her smile continues radiating as bright as the streetlights around them through his silence.
He wonders if she can feel how clammy his hand is now. He’s never felt drawn to her in this way before, or anyone else. The feeling is somewhere between euphoria and terror.
For the first time since they’d met, he found himself speechless. He chuckles nervously. His laugh feels like bubbles in his throat. Suddenly, she’s making him feel so light.
Their focus is pulled toward the woods that surround their college campus. It’s calling them, and they can hear it. The illuminated dark green from the trees is the only thing contrasting the pitch black of night. Her eyes light up with the same green, then she turns her attention to him. She gazes into his soul, and he feels pressure on his heart. He finds himself holding his breath. Nudging his elbow into her gently, he asks, “Want to explore?” Without a response, she tugs him towards the forest.
As soon as they step onto the leaf-covered pathway, fireflies surround them. They don’t flicker; their brightness persists. The warm light washes over her, and he tries to avoid looking at her.
She’s too beautiful.
He swallows, as he feels himself coming to a point of no return. Finally, he meets her gaze once again, and her once-emerald eyes burn with a bright yellow hue, matching the glow of the lightning bugs. He holds onto her hand tighter. She squeezes his hand, electrifying him.
“I love you, too,” he confesses.
All the fireflies go dark. He calls out her name, but her hand slips away from him. The bugs flash their lights once more, illuminating a horrific image. Branches from every tree around them slither across her body and twist around her limbs, suspending her in the air. He stumbles back. Her eyes have faded to the black of night. She reaches for him; her expression soaking with desperation. He runs.
He hears her screams as he slams his door shut. He buries himself under the covers. His breathing begins to slow as he drifts into a deep sleep. Her wails become nothing more than a lullaby.
He has forgotten her by morning.