Bathed in the ghostly hue of the moon lay a forest, shrouded in an unsettling gloom. It was a grim, oppressive place where towering trees loomed like ancient sentinels, their monstrous shadows swallowing everything beneath them.
Their gnarled branches stretched out like skeletal fingers, ensnaring anything that dared to draw near. A dense fog clung to the ground, wrapping the forest in a suffocating embrace, rendering even the sharpest sight utterly blind to the path ahead.
Deep within this unsettling forest, a young man stumbled through the thick fog, emerging from the forest's depths. His body was tense, his face twisted with a tempest of emotions—worry and confusion gnawed at his mind. Yet the most overwhelming sensation gripping him at that moment was fear, wrapping around his heart like a cold, unyielding hand.
His breath quickened with each rustle of the leaves. The air was thick with an eerie silence, broken only by the distant snap of twigs. He felt it—the weight of unseen eyes tracking his every move. With every heartbeat echoing like a drum in the stillness, he cast wary glances over his shoulder, convinced that Something was inching closer, lurking just beyond his sight, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
His instincts screamed at him to run. And that's exactly what he did.
GRAAAR!!!
As if setting off a chain reaction, a thunderous roar erupted from a dense cluster of trees not too far behind him. His heart came to a complete stop—but his body kept running. For he knew with every ounce of certainty that whatever had made that sound was a creature he did not want to cross paths with.
*****
In room twenty-three of an inn called Heavenly Suite, a young man could be seen sitting down in front of a small wooden desk, that was situated next to a window. On the desk, was a small laptop. Its screen shone brightly with a blue hue, causing his eyes to strain under the intense light.
"Ha~" He massaged his temple before releasing a heavy sigh. A soft smile slowly formed on his face as he gazed at the moon and its brilliant light.
"I better continue..." He muttered under his breath, he turned his head around, peering back into the room he was currently in, and instantly the smile he had seconds prior disappeared.
Critters and rodents rummaging about for any scrap of food, only being visible sometimes in the corner of his peripheral. A foul bedsheet that has yet to be properly washed and is now drenched in the bodily fluids of prior tenants. A sharp pungent smell permeated through the room, burning the noses of those who smelt it.
This was the kind of rundown room the man found himself staying in, and although he hated his current living conditions he could nothing more than bear with it.
"At least I won't have to spend another night in a place like this anymore." The man turned back his head and gazed at his computer. On it was an opened blank page from an app called Digital Diary.
He took a deep breath and gathered his thoughts. Then placed his hands on the keyboard-just as quickly they began to move, releasing all the pent-up emotions he had bottled up.
[ Greatness, is what I believe I was able to achieve in my lifetime. Being a popular actor/musician I was able to do what I thought was impossible as a child! Sightseeing one exotic location to the next, standing on stage in front of tens of thousands of people, who traveled far and wide just to see me! Meeting my idols/famous politicians and getting the chance to shake hands with them or even better! Becoming friends with some of them.
To say I was happy where my life was at, would be an understatement. But, with the greatest of highs comes the lowest of lows.
Everything changed when I was suddenly accused of sexual assault. At first, it was just a random woman I'd never met before, claiming these absurd things, such as sexual assault. As I never did such things, I thought everything would blow over and the truth would come to light… How that was a foolish decision.
I wish I had taken this initial response more seriously...
One became many, as eleven more of the so-called "victims" came forth, claiming that over my few short years of being in the industry, I had taken advantage and done atrocious deeds to those who looked up to me.
Of course, the media never missing such a beat, quickly took these accusations as truths. Spreading their webs of lies, as they ensnared the masses.
These twelve women ruined my life. In a matter of days, everything I built slowly started crumbling down. I lost all my sponsors. My friends and loved ones abandoned me, some distanced themselves as they believed these accusations to be true, while others revealed their two-faced nature and joined in ridiculing me. And with no other family member or support left, I was truly alone.
Months later, I was taken to court by one of these "victims." It was a long and grueling process, but in the end, I was acquitted. I was elated! I thought everything would go back to the way it was.
Yet, how wrong I was. The public saw me only as a criminal who had used power and influence to escape justice.
And so just like that my name was tarnished.
The name Osiris Vaughn, which I worked tirelessly to have the world recognize, was now being dragged through the dirt as if I were a fucking barn animal. Even knowing I was innocent, I had no idea how to prove it to the world. It was my first time facing such a situation, and I was utterly lost. From an outsider's perspective, I'm sure I could have handled things better in many ways. Unfortunately, I'm not perfect.
Now I'm just tired. The never-ending slurs, death threats, and even being attacked while I'm minding my own business out in public. I'm sick and tired of it all.]
As he finished typing, he looked down to his left where there was a drawer. He opened it, and there it was, a nine-millimeter pistol, he gazed at the hollow black tint of the weapon for what felt like hours, contemplating whether he should go through whatever plans he had in mind.
Minutes passed.
With trembling hands, he slowly picked up the weapon and pressed it to his temple.
He closed his eyes and took a long, deep breath.
"Okay… I can do this," he whispered, voice shaky. His grip tightened around the handle. His heart pounded faster with every second as he neared one.
Three… Two… One…
AHHHHH!
With adrenaline surging through his veins, he pulled the trigger.