IF NIGHT FALLS

You can't come here. You can go to other cities and enjoy the view of a sunrise. You can go to other cities and sit on the beach and watch the waves come in while the sun warms you. You can go to other cities and surf and get immersed in the blueness of the ocean. But you can't come here, no matter how you want to. And if you so insist you must live here, we will kill you.

We love people, you see, but not new people...like you. We've spread word around that this place is no place for tourists or visitors. It’s the most beautiful place you can ever go to in your life. It’s filled with roses and lilies. If you’re a lover of nature, you’ll want to stay here forever. Our tress grow gold on its leaves. If you’re a lover of beauty, as well as mystery, you’ll want to stay here forever. No matter what you think is your interest, you’ll find it here. Everyone that has ever come here always tell us how beautiful this place is, how they wish they didn’t have to go back to where they came from, how they wish they could live here forever. They find nature endlessly captivating and wonderful here. It’s been quite lonely since we started killing those that came here and couldn’t leave before sunset. We don’t want to kill more people and that is why we would rather not have you come here for any reason. People outside this town have started guessing something strange is happening here. We guess that’s why people haven’t been visiting much. We heard that people are saying to avoid this place because those who enter for whatsoever reason, never comes out. We feel it’s chasing people away, although that’s what we want. We don’t mean to be so callous but sometimes we have to do things that hurt us for our own good. Do you know? We wish visitors could come here as often as before. Well, it can be a place for visitors that won't spend the night here. But that's the problem. Our town is so far from any transportation system...and so once you come here, you'll likely stay the night...and that's what we can't allow. Now think of it, isn't it better you don't come here at all?

We weren't always like this. We mean, forbidding new comers into our city. We used to be very welcoming to visitors that wanted to stay the night or even weeks. We would cook our local food for them and they’d say it was the best food they had ever tasted. We would sing our songs for them and they would close their eyes and listen to our melodious voices. We would dance our traditional dances and they would tap their foot while following the beats. We would do anything to give our visitors a good time. They loved it so much that they would stay months here. We miss those days too. Staying up late with a visitor and telling them our tales... tales that only we know. We like it that way. Did you know we have our own story tellers? We don’t take writing lessons. We don’t spend hours brainstorming. We don't read fictional tales from anywhere...we sit down and make up ours in our own heads, or we dream it. It’s not so hard to dream a tale...even you can dream a story. But it can never be as good as ours. In the night, we have all sorts of dreams and when we wake up, we tell them to one another. Its very entertaining. There’s no story as interesting and profound as dream stories. They are so hard to forget. And you should know, it's just as good as any story you'll read anywhere. 

You might still be asking why we can't let you stay with us. It's a deep secret, first of all. Of course, it won't be a secret once we tell you. But we need you to know why you can't come here. Did you know we have native doctors that predict our future for us? He wears white only when he wants to give us a prophecy. We don’t pick who will be our native doctor...our ancestors do. They come in their half-spirit and human form when everyone is asleep and they choose a special person, and then they enter into that person’s body. So we get messages straight from our ancestors. On one windy and very cold night, the native doctor summoned all of us, the elders. He asked us to sit on the floor, tear our garments into pieces and weep for sorrow. He said the enemy wants to use our weakness against us. Did I mention? Being extremely hospitable to strangers like you was once our weakness? He told us the prophecy- that strangers were going to come into this place where we live and ask to spend the night, as usual. And with our extremely hospitable attitude, we would let them. Then in the early hours of the morning, they would rise up against us and kill us all. So you see, we do what we do now to protect our future. It's one of our greatest fears here- oblivion. We will do anything not to be forgotten. And unfortunately, that includes not letting strangers like you spend the night here. We do it for your good as well as our good. As we said earlier, where we stay is a thousand miles from any transportation system and we wouldn't want anyone stuck in a forest in the middle of the night. It would hurt us to see an animal tear you to pieces. We weren’t always like this and therefore, because of our compassion towards you, we would rather take your life ourselves and pray for your gentle and adventurous soul to rest in peace. We love you, we really wish to know more of you...but no, you can't come here. And again, if you so insist to come at all costs, we will kill you if night falls.