Tim and Lily were on a date at Clifford Cliffs, They were both nervous since it was their first date together, but things were surprisingly turning out great -- well, at least that's what Tim thought. Lily seemed to be enjoying spending time with him, albeit a bit worried about making the wrong move. She was so sweet and kind, Tim would never have expected her to confess her feelings to a nerd like him a few days ago.
They'd known each other for 8 years. The first time he met her was when she defended him from his abusive father at the park: his father was hitting him badly enough to be just one step away from beating him up. His father yelled at her to mind her own business, and she apparently reported it to her mother. Turns out Lily recognised Tim's father as "mommy's mean co-worker", and had never liked him despite their few encounters. He was imprisoned for child abuse and Tim saw Lily as his savior.
They hung out often since then: talking on the phone, playing at playgrounds, and playing video games at her place. They met each other even more frequently when they entered the same high school by chance: helping each other with homework, working together on projects and going on strolls in parks. They were enjoying each other's company so much that Tim didn't know his father died of disease in prison. Even after knowing, he couldn't care less about the man who tortured him for 6 years non-stop.
After 8 years of knowing each other, she finally revealed that she had feelings for him during a walk in the park. The confession made Tim realise that he had been seeing her more than just a friend as well. The socially awkward couple agreed to go on a date 3 days later.
So, here they were: at a nice old-fashioned cafe, having a chat and trying to act as casually as possible.
"Can I ask you something...weird?" Lily asked, having the question stuck in her head for the past few months.
"What is it?" Tim replied curiously.
"Do you think the sun feels...different? Wrong in some way?" She asked after a pause of hesitation.
Tim smiled and reassured her, "It's probably just solar flares, babe." The word "babe" felt weird in his mouth, yet it kept slipping out of it. He'd never used a word like that; he was used to speaking without slang words thanks to his father's hatred towards them. Maybe being around Lily made him comfortable enough to say words he truly wanted. Maybe he finally found someone who truly loved him.
Lily giggled. "Well," she said playfully, "I know I can always trust my little nerd." His reassurance worked, but now he felt uncomfortable. His guts told him that someone was eyeing them, and butterflies in his stomach formed quickly. He squirmed in his seat to get rid of the keyed-up feeling.
His girlfriend noticed this and asked in concern, "Are you ok? Is your stomach hurting?"
Tim took a deep breath and brushed off his worries. "Yeah, just a bit nervous," he said, "that's all."
He saw her face gradually turning paler and paler before she closed her eyes and fell to the ground. In a panic, he shook her and exclaimed, "Lily! Lily, what happened?!" His mind raced with thoughts: was she having food poisoning? Should he call the ambulance? Why did no one else pay a single bit of attention to them? The cafe suddenly seemed to grow darker, and the surrounding chatting now sounded like chanting and laughter in the background. Lily's breathing became erratic as her limbs started to flail. He knew he should get help, but he was petrified with worry and fear.
The chanting grew louder as the entrance door swung with the violent wind. He turned to call for help but saw everyone staring at him, with their eyes glowing white in the unlit coffee shop. Tim started to feel weak and collapsed beside his girlfriend, unable to do anything but close his eyes as the light from the eyes of the people in the coffee shop.
The next time he opened his eyes, he was getting dragged outside the cafe. The chanting inside the cafe could still be heard, as it crescendoed against the strong wind. The rough road scrapped his back while he tried to look who was dragging him.
It was Lily or someone who was wearing her dress. He was pulled by a black skeletal arm reaching out from a gaping bleeding red hole in "Lily"'s back. He tried to move his limbs, but it was futile. It almost felt like a sleep paralysis episode.
The shadows of the trees loomed over him as only the sounds of him getting towed were filling the silence. The clear black sky above showed no stars. The faint smell of pine started to fill his nose and he knew where they were headed. Panicking, he tried to scream, but it was as if he had no mouth.
As he feared, they reached where Clifford Cliffs got its name -- the steep tall cliffs, where the dim moon provided a bit more light. More chanting came from below when Lily turned around to let Tim have a good look at her. This was not Lily. She didn't have arms that were longer than her legs, nor did she have pupilless bloodshot eyes.
She tossed Tim down the cliff in a sudden manner, which impaled him with the sharp rocks underneath. The air pushed against him and the chanting sounded louder as he fell. After what felt like an eternity, he got impaled by a spikey rock. Blood gushed out of him, but he had no strength to scream. He closed his eyes one final time, surrounded by the darkness under the cliff. His heart was filled with sorrow and confusion before it stopped.
Lily felt scared. She had turned into a lanky pale monster, and something was controlling her body. She felt like a sentient puppet when her arms threw her boyfriend to the depths of Clifford Cliffs while all she could do was cry. Her legs forced her to walk away, she muttered "I'm sorry" over and over, wondering what happened to her and when she would have control over her body again.
Her mind was filled with twisted joy, like she got revenge on someone she hated, along with sadness and fear. The words "See you in hell, son" slipped out her mouth without her realising.
She mourned for Tim's death as her legs carried her into the deep woods.
