It began underneath the haunting glow of a full moon.

I was deep within the woods with my boyfriend, Nash, my best friends, Ivy and Abby, and their boyfriends, Jake and Dylan, all of us huddled around a campfire and telling ghost stories. It was unusual for us to venture off into nature, as we spent most of our time in the safety of suburbia. The guys were acting brave, but we girls were cringing with fear. We were totally isolated — no hikers or campers were anywhere in sight. The fire pit and a few flashlights were our only sources of light in the dark night. I was snuggled against Nash, Abby was holding her boyfriend Dylan’s hand, and Jake had his arm around Ivy. The logs crackled and the heat from the fire kept us warm in the crisp, late-autumn air.

“This is so freaky,” Ivy whispered to me. “I still can’t believe you convinced us to come out here. There isn’t a store for miles.”

Ivy was out of her element and doing her best to assuage her discomfort by sipping a latte and snuggling up to Jake.

“If only it wasn’t so dark,” Abby said, stretching out her long, lean legs on a blanket. “We could hike, too.”

“I can think of better things to do in the dark than hike,” Dylan said, tickling her waist.

“That’s the whole point,” I said. “Isn’t it more romantic, underneath the moon and stars?”

With winter approaching, it was only going to become darker and colder, and I wanted to take advantage of being outdoors with my friends.