A Night to Remember

Note: attempted sexual violence, a no means no situation

A Night to Remember

Sienna hums and smiles at herself in the mirror as she gets ready for her third date with Damon who embodies everything she envisioned in a man. He is handsome, articulate, charming, and amusing, but most importantly he is a gentleman. Their shared passions include art and jazz music, so when they arrive at the dimly lit restaurant and dine on the finest cuisine, they effortlessly engage in conversation about their shared interests…so far it had been a wonderful night. When the time came for dinner and table talk to wrap up, they departed the tranquility and warmth which existed within the restaurant. Suddenly, Sienna felt a shift in the atmosphere outside. A sense of uneasiness grabbed ahold of her as she stepped into Damon’s car and the uneasiness mutated into an eerie chill that consumed the car causing Sienna to shiver. Since a storm was brewing, and huge raindrops were splattering onto surfaces here and there, Sienna attributed the chill in the car and her shivers to the change in weather and the approaching storm, but she could not shake the uneasiness she was feeling.

 As the rain began to fall in heavy sheets, the atmosphere inside Damon's car became oppressive after he halts his car on a deserted road and kisses Sienna on the lips, but the kiss was different from the kiss they had shared on their second date. It did not feel delicate and warm, it was forceful and disgustingly wet. Damon begin to make advances toward Sienna that were frighteningly aggressive. She had hoped for a romantic evening and had not expected the forceful and uncomfortable gestures Damon was making. When she firmly rejected his advances, his mood darkened, and the situation escalated.

"Come on Si…enna” his voice loud, speech slurred, and his eyes glassy. Sienna was baffled. Damon hadn’t drink any alcohol on that night or any other, yet he seemed intoxicated. "Don't be such such a Snow White. You know you want it."

Panicking and realizing that she had been utterly bamboozled by Damon’s charm and gentleman-like behavior. She felt unsafe and demanded Damon take her home. But Damon, feeling rejected and frustrated, responded with anger. With the rain drumming relentlessly on the roof of the car and intermittent roars of thunder and flashes of lightning streaks painting the rolling black sky.

"Get out!" he yelled; his face twisted with rage. "I don't tolerate rejection."

Tears rose up in Sienna's eyes as she hesitantly stepped out of the car. She knew it was dangerous to exit the car in the middle of nowhere, but at that moment Sienna decided that being alone in the middle of nowhere was safer than being in that car. As she exited the car, Sienna performed an act of courage and rebellion by leaving the passenger door open to signal to Damon that she was prepared to fight if necessary. She hears the car door slam shut and Damon speeds away. Sienna watches the lights from his car quickly fade into the darkness. Her dream man now a nightmare has left her stranded in the middle of nowhere on a freezing, stormy night.

The wind howled through the trees, and the rain soaked through Sienna’s dress, drenching her skin. Desperation and fear took hold of her, and she glanced around for any sign of help. The surroundings were pitch black, with only the faint glimmers of distant city lights on the horizon.

Finally, in the distance, Sienna spotted a stone bridge, a dim glowing outline against the stormy night. With no other options, she began to trudge towards it, her teeth chattering from the cold. Her heels broke off her shoes as she stumbled in the night. The sound of her footsteps on the wet ground was drowned out by the storm, and she felt utterly alone.

Under the stone bridge, Sienna huddled for shelter, her body trembling from the cold and fear. Her tears mixed with raindrops as she cried in the darkness. The night had taken an unimaginable turn, and she felt vulnerable and was clueless on what to do.

Suddenly, she hears a noise above the bridge. It was a strange, eerie sound, like the fluttering of wings combined with the soft rustling of leaves. Sienna stopped crying and held her breath, her heart pounding in her chest. Peering into the stormy night, she saw a peculiar, glowing figure leaping like a ballet dancer down from the bridge. As it moved, its iridescent fur shimmered in shades of blue and green, casting an eerie light upon the surroundings. Sienna couldn't believe her eyes.

The creature was half porcupine and half squirrel, but its most astonishing feature was an elephant-like trunk, swaying with every movement. It looked like something out of a dream or a nightmare, and she couldn't tear her gaze away from it. The creature, sensing her presence, turned its head towards Sienna and its eyes, large and curious, met Sienna's terrified gaze. For a moment, they both seem frozen in time. Then, the creature let out a high-pitched, musical chirp, as if beckoning her to follow. Sienna’s curiosity overruled her fear, and she stepped out from under the bridge and followed the mysterious creature into a wooded area.

The trees provided some protection from the relentless storm, and the iridescent creature led her deeper into the woods. Sienna's feet splashed through puddles and mud as she kept pace with her mysterious guide. She couldn't help but wonder if she had lost her mind or was at home in her comfy bed dreaming. As they ventured further, the creature suddenly stopped and turned to her, quickly touching her cheek with its soft, trunk-like limb. Its eyes conveyed a sense of urgency and compassion. There were no words needed, Sienna trusted the strange creature and a psychic bond was created, so she continued to follow the strange creature as it escorted her through the wooded area, which transformed into a labyrinthine forest.

Moments later, they reached a small clearing where the creature suddenly vanished into thin air, leaving Sienna bewildered and disoriented. She looked around, the world around her begin to blur and fear once again consumed her, and then everything turned white. Sienna found herself inside a transparent, glass globe. The storm still raged outside, but within the globe, everything was calm. Tiny, sparkling snowflakes began to fall gently, swirling around her. It was as though she had been transported into a snow globe, a beautiful and surreal world encapsulated in glass.

For a while, Sienna stared in wonder at the enchanting scene around her. The flakes of snow danced gracefully, creating a serene and magical atmosphere. As the flakes momentarily settle she sees a cottage housed within the globe and the familiar iridescent glow she saw while under the bridge was shining through the cottage’s window. She walks to the cottage, opens the door and warmth engulfs her, a similar warmth to the one she had experienced in the softly illuminated restaurant where she had savored a delightful meal and wonderful company not too long ago.

As time passed, Sienna realized that she was no longer afraid. She had escaped the dangers of the stormy night and the unsettling encounter with Damon. In this surreal snow globe, she found an unexpected refuge, a moment of peace and enchantment. She couldn't help but wonder if the iridescent porcupine squirrel creature had brought her here as a form of protection, guiding her to safety in a world that defied all rationality. Whatever the reason, Sienna was grateful for the respite from the storm and the darkness.

And so, inside her glass sanctuary, she watched from the cottage window the snow continue to fall, a silent witness to the magic of the night. As she gazed at the mesmerizing snowflakes, she couldn't help but wonder what other mysteries and adventures lay ahead in this enchanting, unearthly place.