Autumn's World

Chapter 28

"NOOOOOO!!!" Autumn brought up all her courage and strength and tore through the wolves, clawing and snapping. They started retreating, but Autumn wasn't finished with them.

She leaped onto Scarlet and dug her claws into the wolf's back, biting at her neck. Scarlet tried throwing Autumn off, but she held on. Another wolf knocked her off and pinned Autumn to the ground, only to be thrown to the ground by the Atorina's hind paws.

"Retreat!" Scarlet called reluctantly. "Retreat! The ambush is over!"

All the wolves followed their leader through the woods and out of sight.

Fall laid in the center of the clearing, blood pooling around him from his mutilated stomach. Autumn rushed over to him.

"Fall?" she cried. There was no response. "Fall?! Can you hear me?!"

Fall gave a little cough, spewing up some blood. "Autumn?" he moaned weakly. "Is that you?"

"Yes! Yes Fall, it's me! I'm right here! It's okay! You're going to be alright. I know someone who can help fix you!" Autumn said, welling up with sadness and teary eyed.

"Autumn, it's no use. I know I'm a goner," Fall said. "You don't have to pretend. I'm not a fool you know."

"No! You're going to be okay! I promise!" Autumn grabbed some nearby leaves and pressed them into Fall's stomach, trying to soak up the blood. "See?! It's getting better already!"

Fall scoffed in an unpleasant, gurgling way. "No it's not." Blood started to drip out of his mouth.

Autumn stopped pressing and put her paws back on the ground. "Oh Fall," she started. "I don't know what to do-"

"Shh," Fall whispered. "You'll be alright. Just take care of our kits." He raised his paw and placed it on Autumn's belly. "I'll always love you. I'll love you for a thousand years. For millions of years. I'll watch you from up there."

Autumn didn't know exactly what he meant, but she assumed that he would be watching from the heavens until she came to join him.

"I love you Fall," Autumn cried.

"And I love you."

Blood started pouring out of his mouth and his paw fell to the ground. He closed his eyes, gave a bone-chilling gurgle, shuddered violently, then relaxed on the ground, unmoving.

"Fall?" Autumn cried.

No answer.

"Fall?!!"

He was gone.

Autumn wailed, screeching and shrieking at the top of her lungs. She slammed her paws against tree trunks, dug her claws into the ground. As much as she ranted and vented, it wasn't enough to relieve her. She started yowling.

"I HATE YOU SCARLET WOLF!!! YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS!!! I WILL KILL YOU MYSELF AND RIP YOU LIMB BY LIMB!!! YOU HEAR ME??!!!! I'M COMING FOR YOU!!!" She broke down onto her stomach and whispered with watery eyes, "I'm coming for you."

............................................................

The clearing. Her dreams had been sending her a message, that the love of her life would die in that horrid place.

Autumn slowly walked away from it, leaving her bloody paw prints in the grass. Her tail dragged behind her, as did her wings. She wandered aimlessly, nowhere to go. Nowhere to hide. Nowhere to find comfort. No one to confide in. All of her loved ones, gone.

Autumn collapsed in the roots of a tree trunk and weeped herself to sleep.

The clearing was lit up by the moon, but Autumn didn't even feel like being there. She hated the place.

The stars seemed to cluster together and move, getting closer and closer to her. She realized they were forming something, something with a tail, leafy wings, and pointy ears.

Fall's starry spirit landed in front of her, then wrapped his tail around her front paw.

"Hello Autumn," he said, his voice smooth and handsome, just as Autumn remembered it.

Autumn tried licking his face, but her tongue went right through his transparent fur. "Oh Fall. I need you here with me."

"I am here with you," he said. "I'm right here." He pointed with his tail at her chest, where her heart would be.

Autumn let Fall see the leaf pendant. "I'll always remember you with this."

Fall snorted, amused. "Autumn, we do not need objects to remember others. They will be remembered in each other's hearts and memories."

Autumn sighed. "Where do I go now? I have no one left."

Fall almost smirked. "Oh yes you do. You know EXACTLY where to go."

Autumn thought for a second, and then realized what he meant.

...........................................................

Autumn awoke to the birds singing happily. She sat up and started licking the blood off of her fur and pads. A rush of grief and joy rushed through her. Fall was dead, but there was still someone to confide in. Autumn knew exactly where to go.