A few years ago, I went on a date with a guy I met online. He seemed charming \u2014 funny messages, good taste in movies, and polite enough to insist on paying for the tickets. We decided to meet at the cinema one Friday night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Inside, everything felt normal at first. He went to grab the drinks while I picked up popcorn and candy. We settled into our seats just as the trailers started. I remember taking a sip of my soda \u2014 it tasted a bit off, almost metallic \u2014 but I brushed it off, thinking maybe the ice had melted too much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Half an hour into the movie, my head began to spin. The room tilted, colors smeared together, and my heart raced for no reason I could explain. I told him I needed some air and stumbled toward the exit. The last thing I remember was the theater lights flickering above me before everything went black.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When I woke up, I was lying on the cold floor in the lobby, surrounded by staff and a paramedic. My vision cleared slowly \u2014 and he was gone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The manager told me someone had called for help after finding me unconscious near the door. They\u2019d checked the CCTV footage \u2014 my date had left just a minute after I collapsed, without saying a word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Later, at the hospital, the doctors said my blood tests showed traces of a sedative \u2014 the kind that shouldn\u2019t be in anyone\u2019s drink. I gave the police his name, his dating profile, everything. But by the time they tried to trace him, the account was deleted. The number he\u2019d given me was disconnected too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For weeks, I couldn\u2019t stop wondering what would have happened if I hadn\u2019t noticed the dizziness in time. The thought still chills me \u2014 that I\u2019d trusted a stranger who smiled so easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, every time someone suggests meeting online, I hesitate. I still go on dates, but I always get my own drink.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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