At around eleven, Mike decided to step out back for a breath of fresh air and a quick phone call to Nicole. He felt the need to catch up on her evening plans, and maybe joke about the forest creatures she claimed roamed the dark wilderness around them.
He slipped through the rear exit and stood under a flickering floodlight. Gravel crunched beneath his sneakers as he paced, phone pressed to his ear. The air carried a chilly bite, and the surrounding woods loomed large, shadows twisting beyond the reach of the weak light.