An Autumn Adventure

I drew the curtains aside to let the glorious rays of sun illuminate my lonely house with its glorious light. It was the perfect autumn evening, the sun on the verge of setting scattered its crimson hue across the sky (save upon a slight cover of dark bellied clouds) while leaves rustled with the gentle breeze as if dancing with pure delight and bringing life to this static setting.

“Nothing beats an autumn evening,” I murmured to myself.

Not wanting to miss this opportunity up close, I hurriedly slipped into my shoes and decided to take a stroll down the otherwise gloomy streets of the city and enjoy the beauty of the season. I walked through the marketplace and stopped at a cozy café to get my usual cup of coffee.

As I sat down however I felt a sudden tug at my chest. It was the broken heart around my neck, a remembrance of a childhood friendship that had yet to find its counterpart or perhaps the bearer of the other portion didn’t want to.

As I leisurely sipped through my coffee I watched the curious horde of people commuting back to their homes and frisky little children marching with unmatched joy however this lack of companionship had bereft me of such bliss.

I exhaled and shifted my wishful gaze above, the sky was beginning to darken under a sudden rush of dark bellied clouds as if reflecting the state of my mind, and I took it as a sign to end my short-lived excursion but just then my sight fell upon a woman walking by, with long brunette hair and fierce hazel eyes. As she passed the café, she turned and locked eyes with me. There was this moment of recognition followed by a flutter in my heart… she was the missing part of my heart pendant. I immediately got up and ran after her, but much to my dismay she disappeared around the corner.

A wave of desolation and apprehension passed over me and I decided to take a shortcut home through some unsafe alleyways. The walls were covered in graffiti, and the darkness was creeping in. A shiver passed down my spine looking at these desolate streets.

I walked, for what seemed like an eternity and just when it seemed that I was nearing the end of this nerve racking journey, I heard a painful cry at a distance. Without thinking, I followed the sound, my heart racing.

Moments later I found myself at the entrance of an unfamiliar street. There I saw a woman, her identity concealed by the terrible cover of darkness, holding a man mid-air against the wall. The man was gasping for air while the woman spoke with intense indignation.

“Betraying one’s own kind is an act of treason... and do you know what such persons deserve?” she roared.

I watched in horror as she revealed a pair of razor-sharp fangs and plunged them into the man's neck. The man yelped with pain kicking his feet mid-air attempting to break free off her unforgiving grip until he lay motionless whereupon she let go of the man's lifeless body.

My blood froze in my veins from what I just witnessed and couldn’t help but shriek. This prompted the woman to turn her attention towards me, and I saw her sharp duo of fangs, dripping with pure red blood.

But then, as she got closer something changed… something that shook me to my very core. With a bolt of lightning I got a glimpse of her face, filled with the same empathy and tenderness as it were years ago. She was the same woman who had passed by the café some moments ago.

“Do not fear me.” She said. “You know I could never hurt you. I hope you haven’t forgotten me… Stacy, remember?”

I was still shaken but managed to give a simple nod and as I looked into her eyes, I saw the familiar warmth that I had once known so well. We embraced; I was apprehensive at first but as I felt a sense of completeness that I had not felt in years I just melted in her arms, relishing perhaps our last encounter.

 As we walked home together, the moon rising high in the sky, we talked about old times, catching up on each other's lives. Apparently the man whom she killed was himself no human but a creature of the night who used his abilities in malicious ways… he had broken some-sort of code and he was bound to pay for it.

“It was the only way to spare many more innocent lives from ruin.” as she puts it. Speaking to her made it felt as if no time had passed at all, and we laughed like we used to being kids.

As we approached my doorstep, I turned to her and said, "I'm so glad I found you again. I hope we can spend some more time together.”

She smiled at me and took my hand. "Me too," she said. "I never forgot about you, even after all these years. I'm glad we can still be friends, even if circumstances have changed."

I squeezed her hand, feeling a sense of comfort. “Absolutely… circumstances can never govern our companionship”

We hugged again and I felt a sense of peace overpowering me and as I saw her silhouette disappearing in distance all I could feel was gratefulness for the beautiful reunion and the wonder this magical season had brought for me.

-The End