"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Carmen asked, from where she was sitting on my bed.
"Why wouldn't it be a good idea?" I retorted while applying a light coat of lipstick on my lips.
I looked at my appearance and smiled in approval. My dark brown hair that fell to my shoulders was straightened and my blush that coated my cheeks was quite visible. I put some eyeliner on my eyes to make them more visible and it really did make my dull brown eyes seem a little brighter. I was wearing a cute black top and jeans with my boots and my white jacket.
"This is the first time in two years that you're going out with a man. And that too, a man you met two days ago." Carmen answered and I shrugged my shoulders.
"I just feel like it's time for me to start dating again, and he was a very nice man." I smiled over my shoulder and she chucked.
"Alright, just be careful." She said and then glanced at my outfit. "Isn't it a bit casual?"
"He said to wear something casual and it's really cold outside today so this will have to do." I replied, running my hand over the soft and warm fabric of my shirt.
"I wish I could call you after to make sure it went alright but I have to drive for the next four hours and after that I'll barely have any connection or even time to contact you." She said with a worried frown.
"Carmen, there's no need to worry about me. I'll be fine." I assured her.
Carmen was a gorgeous dark skinned 25 years old who owns her own hairdressing salon which is very fitting since she has the most stunning hair I have ever seen and she's really good at styling it. She's an absolute angel and we became best friends when I visited her salon three years ago. But Carmen did have the tendency to worry quite a bit about the people she cared about.
Every year during the Christmas holidays she would go and visit her grandma who lived in a small house just outside of the city. Her grandmother did not have any internet connection saying it was unnecessary. She simply had a landline that did not need the internet.
"If something happens, call at my grandma's house, alright?" She said and I nodded in agreement.
"He's going to come pick you up?" She asked looking at the time.
"Yeah he said he'll text me when he's downstairs." I replied, sitting next to her on the bed.
"Are you nervous?" She asked me.
"Not really, I'm not sure how this is gonna go but even if it doesn't end well it won't bother me much since I did just meet him." I answered and she hummed.
My phone buzzed with a notification and I looked at it to see it was Roger saying he was here.
"Alright I'm going now, don't forget to lock the door on your way out." I told Carmen and then I hugged her tightly.
"I'll miss you but have fun with your grandma!" I told her and she laughed.
"I'll miss you too, babe." She hugged me back just as tightly before pushing me to the front door.
I made my way out of my apartment complex before walking to the nearest store where I had told Roger to meet me. I didn't feel comfortable telling him my exact address and he did ask me why at first but then decided to let it go and agreed.
As I walked closer I caught sight of him leaning against his car, wearing a hoodie with his jacket on top and black jeans.
"Hey." I called out when I was close enough and he turned to me.
"Hello, Hyacinth." He smiled, walking over to me and grabbing my hand. "You look wonderful."
"Thank you, so do you." I said with a small blush and he grinned.
He led me to his car and opened the door of the passenger seat and before I could get in he lightly kissed my cheek making me smile in giddiness. He also got in and then he started driving.
"Where are we going?" I asked and he smiled. "I'm not telling you."
"Oh alright." I chucked, I guess I could handle a little surprise.
As we continued going down the road he moved his hand and placed it on my knee, making my stomach flutter and a smile come onto my face.
I glanced at his face and tilted my head, the way he was smiling was different then how he was smiling the other night. It had so much more intent and the small glint in his eyes that seemed like excitement to me could have easily been mistaken for danger.
I broke out of my thoughts when the car slowly came to a stop and I looked out to see we were around a forest.
"Isn't this..." I trailed off and he filled in for me. "Bois-des-Esprits?"
"Yeah! I heard a lot of people stopped going here. Are we allowed?" I asked and he nodded.
"Don't worry, we are." He said and got out of the car as I followed.
He grabbed my hand and started leading me inside and as we walked I could hear the branches and the leaves crunching underneath our boots.
"Are you taking me somewhere to murder me?" I asked jokingly and he laughed, a loud sarcastic laugh.
"Of course not." He answered looking back over his shoulder with the same dark glint in his eyes and suddenly my stomach was no longer fluttering with butterflies but instead squeezing in unease.
"Isn't it a bit cold to go to a forest for our date?" I chuckled nervously as a strong wind started blowing.
"You won't be cold for long." He said, tightening his hold on my hand and walking faster.
I was starting to genuinely feel scared and I wished I had listened to Carmen and thought over going on a date with a man I just met.
But he was friends with Mr.Ross so surely he wouldn't turn out to be a lunatic.
Right?
"Roger, could we go back? I don't feel very good." I lied hoping he would listen but he ignored me and continued walking.
I tried to pull my hand out of his hold but he wouldn't budge.
"Stop!" I yelled but he didn't.
He kept walking and walking as I struggled and dragged my feet on the ground to slow him down.
"Roger, please let me go!" I pleaded but once again my words fell deaf against his ears.
What should I do? What on earth should I do?
As I was panicking he finally stopped walking and turned to me with the same smile.
"Hyacinth, are you quite alright?" He asked and I furrowed my brows in confusion.
"Would you let me go?" I asked tugging my hand but he kept it in his hold, surely bruising it at how tight he was holding it.
"Now just wait a moment, I have to make a call." He said and took out his phone with his other hand.
I stood there in complete confusion on what was going on. Why was he acting so weird? Who was he calling?
He held the phone to his ear and it seemed the other person replied as his eyes brightened.
"I have her." He said and then he listened on what the person was saying.
"Ok." He said and then he cut the call.
"Who was that?" I asked.
"No one." He said.
"Let me go." I said holding his hand with my other hand and tried to pry it away.
It was a bad idea to do so because he suddenly remembered I had two hands and he grabbed hold of the other as well and pushed me back until I hit a tree and he pinned my arms above my head keeping my body pressed against the tree with his.
He was so close and he was staring at me so darky. My heart was hammering inside my chest and I wanted to disappear but I knew I was stuck.
As I continued to struggle against him, my hands scratched against the tree trunk making them sting but I ignored it. Snow started to fall and the wind started to pick up once again making the tree leaves blow and I could hear loud noises as branch thumbed on the ground.
I glanced to my left where a long and thick branch fell and with a last ounce of hope I raised my leg and kneed him as hard as I could.
"Let go!" I yelled and thankfully one of his hands fell from my hand and I hurriedly grabbed the heavy branch and hit him straight on the head making him let go of me completely.
Before he could even think about making his other move I turned and started running as fast as I could.
The snow started falling even more making my vision blurry but I didn't let it stop me. I had to get away.
I had to.
I could hear him catching up to me and I ran faster and faster. As I turned around to see if he was closer my feet caught another fallen branch and I fell.
I didn't notice the small hill that was right in front of me and as I fell I started to roll down the hill and a scream left my lips.
I groaned in pain as my leg hit a rock at the bottom of the tree. I slowly pushed myself up and glanced up the hill to see he wasn't there.
At least not yet.
I looked down at my legs and winced at the sight of my ripped jeans and the blood that was starting to form on my right one.
"It's okay, ignore it." I told myself and started to walk.
Every step I took, a burning pain shot up to my leg but I forced myself to ignore it and moved as fast as I could.
It felt like I was running for hours when it could have only been around 5 minutes.
The more I ran the worse the pain got and I simply wanted to give up and let go but I knew I couldn't.
Not only was the snow blurring my view but so were the tears that felt like ice against my skin. My breathing was ragged and my heart beat was out of control and I really really wanted to give up.
"I c-cant." I whimpered and stopped to lean on a tree. I looked up at my surroundings and my eyes widened when I saw a small cabin a few meters away from me.
Was someone there?
I pushed myself off the tree and forced my legs to move closer to the cabin.
Just a bit more, just a bit more.
I finally reached the door and I immediately banged my hand against the door.
"Is anyone there?" I yelled, continuing to bang and then I heard the doorknob turn and my entire body lost the tension as the door opened and the last thing I saw was a blurry face of a man before my legs gave out.
Soo did you guys expect that?
"Are you taking me somewhere to murder me?" was the first sentence that I thought of when I had the idea for this book. It's basically the whole foundation.
I thought of this because I see this sentence and similar ones used so many times whenever a couple goes on a date and of course they never actually try to harm the partner.
But Roger did.
We don't like him :)
-till next time 🤍