Natasha was deep asleep when her eyes suddenly flew open. There was somebody on the bed behind her. She could feel his warm, musty breath down her neck. Her skin crawled as she felt a rough hand trace the shape of her leg. Her heart beat picked up as she panicked. She wanted to scream but no voice would escape her mouth, she wanted to throw away her sheets and run away but her body was stiff, paralyzed. A wet tongue tickled her ear.
"Hmmm..." a voice sighed. "Your skin looks like caramel, feels like silk and smells like freshly baked bread." It crooned.
"No!" Natasha screamed. This time her voice rang sharp in her room. She sat up only to see the sun streaming in through the curtains. She had only been dreaming... the same dream again. She looked at her bed, half expecting the someone from her dream, but there was nothing there except for her wrinkled sheets.
She shook her head as if to toss out the memory of the dream and stood up to get ready for the day. Her phone showed it was nearly nine in the morning. Natasha smiled as memories of last night's date with Sam flooded back. It had been perfect—dinner at that cute restaurant, walking hand in hand through the park, talking about everything and nothing. She hadn't connected with someone like that in years.
Her fingers moved to text him good morning, then hesitated. Too eager? Maybe she should wait for him to text first.
"Natasha?" Eva's voice called urgently through the door along with hurried knocks.
"Coming!" Natasha called out and rushed to open the door. Eva, Natasha's best friend, was not known to be patient. Natasha had hardly opened the door before Eva rushed in, but instead of her usual goofy smile, Eva's expression was tense.
"So, tell me what happened yesterday?" Eva asked, perching on the bed as Natasha closed the door. "The rumor has it that you came back to the hostel very late in the night."
Natasha blushed, smiling. "It was amazing, Eva. Sam is... he's different. We talked for hours, had dinner at Garden Restaurant, and then walked through Central Park. We just connected, you know?"
"What time did you get back?" Eva pressed, studying Natasha's face carefully.
"It must have been..." Natasha paused, frowning slightly. "Around midnight, I think? Maybe a bit later? I lost track of time."
"Are you sure about that?" Eva asked.
"Why are you interrogating me?" Natasha laughed. "Yes, I'm sure. He dropped me off at the hostel gate."
"On his bike?"
"Of course on his bike. How else would he have dropped me?"
"Mrs. Sharma at the reception says you didn't come back until after 2 AM," Eva said slowly. "And you were alone. No bike, no Sam."
Natasha's smile faltered. "That's... that's not right. Sam definitely dropped me off. Mrs. Sharma must be confused."
"The security guard was asleep, I checked," Eva continued. "So there's no one who actually saw Sam drop you off."
"Why does it matter?" Natasha asked, uncomfortable with Eva's unusual intensity.
"I was waiting up to make sure that you had come back safely. But around midnight I dozed off. I was so worried something had happened to you"
"I had a great time, we didn't do anything wrong, and I got back safe. That's all that matters, right?" Natasha smiled at her best friend's concern for her.
"Yes, That's all that matters." Eva smiled back.
As Natasha turned to head to the washroom, Eva reached for the TV remote on Natasha's desk. The small television in the corner of the room flickered to life. The news reader's monotone voice filled the room "The body of a male was discovered at the bottom of the cliff at Sunset point early this morning by a group of joggers. Police have identified the victim as Sameer Khanna, a 24-year-old MBA student and call center employee."
Natasha froze as she heard the news. She turned on her heels to see Sam's smiling photograph on the screen. The same gentle smile he'd given her just last night. The room began to spin around her.
"No," she whispered. "No, that can't be right."
"Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding his death," the News reader continued. "Initial reports suggest the victim suffered a broken neck before the fall, raising suspicions of foul play."
Natasha's legs gave way, and she collapsed onto the bed. "This can't be happening. I just saw him last night. He was fine when he dropped me off. He was fine!"
Eva moved closer, watching Natasha's reaction carefully. "Nat, when exactly did Sam drop you off?"
"I told you, around midnight," Natasha said, tears streaming down her face as she stared at Sam's photo on the screen. "We said goodbye at the hostel gate. He was going to text me today about a second date."
"The news says his body was found early this morning," Eva said gently. "But it looks like he died last night."
"This is impossible," Natasha whispered, genuine grief and shock in her voice. "I just saw him last night. He was alive!"
A police officer at the scene was speaking on the television now. "We are treating this as a suspicious death," the officer stated grimly. "We have evidence suggesting the victim was not alone at the time of death. We're asking anyone who may have seen Sameer Khanna last night to come forward."
"You need to tell the police you were with him," Eva said, her voice gentler now. "You might be the last person who saw him alive."
"I will…" Natasha said. "I'll tell them everything. Maybe I can help them figure out what happened to him. But not today…"
" I need some time, Eva. I can't face the police today." Natasha was sobbing into her hands. "I can't believe he's gone. We just met, but I really liked him, Eva."
"I understand, Nat." Eva said, her expression still troubled. "You're in shock right now. We will wait till tomorrow. And I'll go with you"
"Thank you," Natasha whispered, genuine gratitude in her voice.
Eva hesitated, then asked, "Nat, have you ever been to Sunset Point before?"
"No," Natasha replied, confused by the question. "Why?"
"Just wondering," Eva said, her eyes never leaving Natasha's face. "It seems strange that Sam would go there so late at night after dropping you off."
"Maybe he wasn't thinking clearly," Natasha suggested, her voice breaking. "Maybe he was distracted because of our date. This is all so horrible."
Eva nodded, though something in her expression suggested she wasn't entirely convinced. "Get some rest. I'll bring you some tea."
"Will you stay with me tonight, Eva? Please?" Natasha pleaded.
"Of course." Eve answered.
As Eva left the room, Natasha curled up on her bed, sobbing quietly. She couldn't understand how the perfect night had ended so tragically. The memory of Sam's smile, the touch of his hand in hers, the sound of his laughter. All of it was now tainted by the knowledge that he was gone. And for some reason, she couldn't quite remember saying goodbye to him. The memory was there, but it felt hazy, indistinct.
She closed her eyes, trying to recapture their last moment together, but the harder she tried, the more the memory seemed to slip away.