He had chosen this specific night because it fell on the full moon. The night sky was clear, pure obsidian interrupted by the solitary wisp of clouds and crystalline stars. It was so bright in fact, that the moon cast curious shadows on the uneven terrain at her feet and she could see her breath, moist and opaque, as it jetted forcibly from her lungs to meet the frigid air. She would get no benefit from the darkness tonight. She considered her available options with toned precision before settling upon the most logical strategy. Her only chance was to get across the open ground quickly, into the protection of tree cover and nestle down to hide. She wouldn't dare go far into the forest for fear of getting herself lost in unfamiliar surroundings and he, being so much faster and stronger, would have no difficulty catching up with her if she attempted to outrun him, crashing conspicuously through the trees.
As she broke the tree line, a freshly fallen carpet of leaves crunched painfully under her feet, so loud it seemed deafening against the silent landscape. She didn't have much time left, if any. In her mind's eye, she saw the illuminated face of the wristwatch, ticking away with menacing predictability. 3...2....1.... She had to hide, now. Chest aching, she pushed another 20 yards into the forest, until the dense branches of evergreen trees shielded her figure from exposing moonlight. She stopped, gasping for breath, and quickly scanned for the largest tree. She spotted it almost immediately, a large pine, nearly 3 feet in diameter, that had taken root next to a large tumble of rocks. If she sat very still, the tree would hide her from view of the north. But if he did happen to find his way around her and approach from the south, the rocks promised to provide a visual barrier, hopefully enough for her to avoid detection. Satisfied with the hiding place, she darted behind the pine tree and crouched down, making contact between earth and her hands. The grounding coolness of the forest floor brought her down slightly from the high of her run. She panted, both from exertion and apprehension, willing her breath to slow, for her inhales and exhales to return once more to their silent, effortless succession. Only then did she feel the tremulous vibrations that rippled through her limbs. Her lungs burned and were slightly constricted from gulping down the cold air.
She closed her eyes and concentrated on her breath. Inhale and hold for 4 counts.... 4....3....2....1.... Exhale slowly through the nose.... As she repeated the familiar exercise, the warm, creeping embrace of endorphins enveloped her system. It was a glorious sensation. Her blood pressure began to lower and at last, the breaths regulated into a slow, steady rhythm and the pain in her chest eased. Anticipation still rippled through her body, but she no longer felt like a rabbit with a fox hot on its heels. Eyes closed, she visualized the phantasmal silhouette of a man, striding deliberately along the path that her legs had carried her only moments before. He made no attempt to silence his steps across the milky landscape. He was an incubus, a creature of darkness whose appetite for pain and pleasure was as fundamental as her inherent need for food and water. It was only a matter of time. Whether it was exercised upon her or some other willing victim, he would satisfy his craving that night. She felt a slick, aching warmth grow between her legs, evidence that she was not only willing, but hungry for it.
A small sound in the distance, like a branch being snapped in half, hurtled her out of this sensual meditation. Her eyes darted sharply towards the direction of the noise, scanning the surrounding darkness for movement. Nothing. The forest was still, save the occasional moan of wind that stirred through the branches above her head. She was a part of that stillness, a four legged animal, hunched low in the shadows, expectant of the unseen menace that stalked her, somewhere in the moon-washed night. Then a thought, simultaneously wonderful and terrible, suddenly occurred to her. What if this was all a trick, a clever mind-game designed merely to fuck with her head? What if he wasn't actually coming to find her? What if he intended to leave her out here all night, alone in the cold, anxiously jumping out of her skin at every sound and rustle in the leaves? She knew he was capable of cruelty, he was a sadist after all, but would he? Would he violate their trust and negotiations in such a profoundly shattering way?
She remembered the moment they had met, how his eyes had explored her body with salacious indiscretion, not as a human languishes after a desired lover, but as a wolf inspects the deer it plans to attack, scanning for any weakness or malformation that could prove advantageous to the kill. He had smiled, isolating her from the pulsating cluster of voyeurs that surrounded him, but not with his mouth. He had smiled at her with those dark, slightly sunken eyes, as if to say I see you there, and proceeded to hurtle a flogger down upon the naked body that was prostrate before him, as if enraptured in adoring worship.
Fucking idiot, she thought. He was likely sitting with his feet up in front of the fire, sipping whiskey and savoring her misery. He had almost had her, the bastard. She recalled the skeptical voice of her roommate as she had left their apartment earlier that night.
"What are you doing?" She had said with protective intensity, "You barely know this guy. He could be a fucking serial killer for all you know...." Her friend continued the barrage as she made her way around the apartment, collecting the items he had instructed her to bring. Gloves, (hers were fingerless but warm, made from colorful alpaca fiber) an insulated jacket, long wool socks, a flashlight, and a cell phone with full battery... She had smiled at her friend's last comment and waved the phone dismissively before zipping it securely in her fleece-lined pocket. "What serial killer asks you to bring your phone to the murder scene?"
Her friend groaned, eyes rolling as she fired back, "And what normal, sane person invites someone out to a farm in the middle of fucking nowhere on a first date?" Her voice had softened then, as if trying a different tactic, "What am I going to tell your parents if you don't come home?"
Slightly touched by her friend's genuine concern, she looked up from where she had bent to tie her shoes, "I'll be fine... I promise," she said, "You know me, I don't take unnecessary risks."
