night walk

 Normally, I would not go out of my way to walk at night. I use this time to do homework, be social, or just relax. I decided to go on a night walk after we discussed it, wanting to get a better sense of the themes discussed. I live by the stadium, and the best spots to do this are nowhere near, as it is all busy streets and stadium lights. There is no mystery to be found, nothing new to experience, as the massive fluorescence covers every square inch of a mile radius. I decided to take a different approach and go near one of my favorite little trails, the Lower Cascades. 

As I arrive, it is immediately ominous. The playground is empty, and apart from a few cars driving past, no one is near. Normally, the place is full of families with their kids running around, playing on the swingset, and dog walkers. All I can hear is the flow of the water from the creek and the main street nearby. The first thing I experience on the walk is the fear of the unknown. There are occasional streetlamps, but apart from that, I am not certain what lies before me. As I said, this is one of my favorite walks, but the dark causes my mind ot fill in the blanks of what surrounds me, and my panic receptors go off. I know that there is very little chance of anything bad happening to me, but I don't take my chances and stick to the lit areas. 

I did not make it very far before I decided that I've experienced what I want to experience. Every shadow and small noise catches my attention and makes me feel in danger. Perhaps it's because of the isolated area I chose to walk, but the fact that it was so quiet makes me think that there is some sort of danger. I am not one to take big risks like this, so I promptly leave. It is so bizzare how much a difference of a few hours makes, because I've been here many times at sunset and have always been at ease, but once the sun goes down, it feels like an entirely new area.

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