Night (Maupassant)
A man passionately loved the night and felt invigorated by its darkness and silence. One evening, he went out for a walk after dinner and found himself wandering the streets of Paris.
He enjoyed the sights and sounds of the city at night, but as he continued walking, he noticed that the night was becoming darker and colder. The city seemed to be falling into a deep, terrifying sleep.
I love night passionately. I love it as one loves one’s country or one’s mistress.
He tried to find his way back home, but the darkness was so thick that he couldn't see where he was going. He tried ringing doorbells and knocking on doors, but no one answered. He eventually reached the deserted market and felt a growing sense of terror. He desperately wanted to know the time, but his watch had stopped working.
He continued walking and reached the river, where he found that the water was almost frozen and barely flowing. Exhausted, hungry, and cold, he realized that he might not have the strength to make it back home and feared that he would die there in the darkness.