Random Sequence

"What the hell..." Nick began. The man on the other side was tied to a pine tree with several thick ropes. He was tall, thin, dark-haired -- not unlike Nick -- and dressed only in jeans and sneakers. The word SCALPED was scrawled on his naked chest with red paint or lipstick. He appeared to be in his early 30s, a little younger than Nick, and he wore an expression of embarrassment mixed with fear....

"Who are you?" asked Nick.

The stranger stared at him for a few seconds. Then he said, "I'm from Toronto."

There was an awkward silence, filled only by the sound of wind rushing through the trees.
--from "The Knot" (by me), originally published by Fiction Warehouse