12

When I felt him pull away from me and settle my feet on what felt like hardwood flooring, I dared open my eyes.

I found myself standing on a wide terrace overlooking one of the most magnificent scenes I’d ever laid eyes on. It was more beautiful than a painting.

I walked toward the edge of the terrace and gazed out. Thousands of glittering stars were peppered across the pitch-black canvas that was the sky. These stars and the full moon’s beams were the only light to grace the landscape.

I dared not look directly downward. I preferred not to scare myself by discovering just how high up we were. But I could tell that this was one of the tallest trees on the whole island.

A massive sea of black treetops sprawled out beneath me for miles. And looming far in the distance were mountains. Mountains so high that the tops were capped with white. Snow.

I could only imagine what everything would look like at sunrise. I drew a breath just imagining how stunning it would be.

A cool sea wind w