This Means War || H.S

Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Autumn's POV

My eyes dart open at the sound of slamming doors. I find myself lying on a hard, damp ground in nothing but Harry's t-shirt and my underwear. The only light in the room hangs on a rope above me, swaying in the draft from the open door next to me. For a moment I take security from the calm swaying of the light fixture, until I hear the rope begin to break above me. I scramble out of the way as it shatters where I was lying only seconds ago. My legs are weak beneath me as I slowly find myself walking out the door into a long hallway.

The door in front of me has no doorknob so I pause to look around. I can hear soft and heavy footsteps thought out the building, creaking above and below me. My hands find the wall behind me as I try to find my balance amidst the chaos of the building. A staircase lines the ceiling above me, mirroring the one I begin to walk on. Screams begin to echo through the corridors, shadows crossing my path every few seconds.

"Autumn," I jump at the sound of the child behind me still on the steps. I step back onto the flat surface of the hardwood floor beneath the steps and look up at the young boy. "Charles?" The boy in front of me looks exactly like Charles did, except a few years older. My heart races as my eyes scan his body, scorch marks and cuts litter his arms, his body nothing but a skeleton with skin. But his eyes, I could see he was my brother, left for dead in the rubble of that house. "Why did you leave me Autumn," he cries out and my breath stops. "There wasn't a way anyone could have survived that, especially not a small baby Charles," I stutter as he walks closer to me. His small hand wraps around my wrist, burning the skin beneath it harshly.

"Stop it," I rip my wrist away from his grasp and he begins to cry hysterically. "You're just like mommy, just like her!" My feet back up slowly into the doorway behind me before running away as fast as possible. "Don't run in the house Autumn," Oliver stands before me, my body running into his and falling back on the ground. I look up at him with tears in my eyes. "You've been told time and time again not to run in the house, I don't want to have to get mother involved," he helps me back onto my feet, my lips releasing a scream when I look at his face. A bullet hole is situated right in the middle of his forehead, blood trickling down the lining of his nose to his lips in a constant stream.

"Oli no," again I begin to run, passing him but he grips my arm tightly pulling me back. "I didn't want to have to talk to mother you give me no other choice." I kick in scream in his grasp as he drags me down a set of stairs. "Let me go," his hand tightens around my upper arm, undoubtedly leaving bruises. My body is thrown down onto the ground like a rag doll. In front of me is my chard and bloody mother, obviously awaiting the arrival of her daughter.

"Oliver tells me you've been disobedient," she scolds and all of a sudden I'm a little girl again. "No, no I haven't done anything wrong mother." Tears have already sprung up in my eyes at the thought of my punishment. "You know what this means, don't you Autumn dear?" My head shakes furiously as I get down on my knees. "Please, please don't I'll do anything else, I'll behave, I'll do more chores, just don't punish me please," tears stream quickly down my face. "It's too late for that Autumn," she points weakly behind me, four men standing there in the darkness. "Mother no," I scream out as the first man begins to take me back up the stairs. Silence follows my cries as I am thrown down onto the couch. "Such a pretty little girl," my cries turn to screams for help as my body is violated once again.

Four men and thirty minutes later I walk weakly back up the stairs. I look out the window of my childhood bedroom, snow falling down in the most calming way. The hand on my shoulder startles me as I turn back to see a younger Harry. All around us is darkness and rubble, the town around us obviously in the aftermath of a severe bombardment.

"Are you okay," his voice is soft. "Uhh," I'm speechless, my younger self shivering in the dark. "You can come and live with my family if you'd like. We're not really welcome here, but you're welcome there." My heart swells at his words, he hasn't lost his family yet. "Umm I'll be fine I think," he wraps his arms around my small body and holds me tightly. "Be careful." He runs off afterwards, probably to his family.

My eyes close in a second of overwhelming confusion. When I open them I'm lying on Harry's couch perfectly safe and normal. I sit up quickly, checking for soreness in my legs or anywhere else in my body before running to the bathroom. I see my grown self in the mirror in front of me, shock and fear littered across my face. "How," I whisper to myself. It was so unbelievably real, every single detail of each moment ingrained into my mind. The pain of the dragging, assault, and heartache. Seeing Harry as a happy go lucky child in the middle of was. It all seemed so real.

Before I can overthink it a moment more I hear the door open. I run to find Harry with grocery bags in his hands and wrap my arms around his next. He dribbles slightly in surprise but manages to wrap his full arms around my back. "Is everything okay love," he kisses my cheek and sets the bags on the counter. I subconsciously brush a stray piece of hair behind my ear in embarrassment of my earlier affection.

"Oh yeah, I just missed you is all," I blush. He smiles down at me and connects his lips with mine, only breaking the kiss seconds later to smile once again. "I have special plans for tonight," he keeps the bags closed tightly, everything inside out of my sight. "Oh really," I laugh. He nods eagerly and kisses my cheek. "Go, take your time getting ready. I'll tell you when it's okay to come in okay?" I nod and head to our bedroom.

Evangeline had given me a few of her old dresses a few weeks ago so I wouldn't have to dress in Harry's sister's which was a relief. I take the simple black dress with me into the bathroom so I can change once my makeup is finished. Nerves begin to build in my stomach as I get closer to being ready. I had no idea what this night had in store for me.

**a/n promised an update as soon as possible. I'm on quite a few pain killers so sorry if this is kinda sucky. Thank you so much lovelies. xx**