Autumn's Fall

XII. Trouble on the Bridge and Disturbed Waters

(Or, in which it is advisable to listen to your elders when they say not to do something stupid)

They were almost to the end of the bridge when the uneasiness from the night before suddenly flooded the Minister of Winter's heart. Standing stock-still, she shot out her arm to the side, preventing the children from moving forwards. "Wait."

"What's wrong?" Angus asked anxiously.

"Last night's presence has returned."

Sophia gasped, grasping her brother's arm as he swallowed nervously. Cautiously they moved forwards. The Minister drew her sword and held it before her, unsure what they would encounter at the end of the bridge.

A brisk breeze began blowing past them, stirring up scattered leaves in an increasing fervor until a great pile of leaves covered the end of the bridge, blocking their view of the path down to the shore.

For a moment all was still, then something stirred from the pile of leaves, and a figure emerged from its depths, standing tall and alone in the dim light of evening. Angus' eyes opened wide at the sight as he started forward with arms outstretched towards the figure, "CICI!!!"

Panic filled the Minister of Winter's heart as the foolish boy ran past her,"Angus STOP!!!" Stretching out her hand she caught hold of Sophia's arm as she started to run after her brother, drawing her forcefully back behind her.

Sophia beat upon the Minister's back, trying to wrench out of her grasp, "Let go of me! That's Cici!!"

The Minister of Winter's voice was quiet as she answered her, "Is it?"

The tone of her voice stopped Sophia's struggling, and she turned to look closer at her sister. Angus had just reached her, slowing down to keep from knocking her over as he wrapped his arms around her, "Cici! You're alive! We've been worried sick! We thought something terrible had happened to you! How did you get all the way out here? Why did you leave last night?"

The Minister's frantic voice called out from behind him, "Angus! Get away from there!"

Confused, Angus was about to turn around when he noticed something odd. Under the clothes his sister wore he should have felt flesh, instead it felt like he was hugging a bag full of dry, crunchy leaves, such as he'd raked up in their yard from Autumns past. Releasing his hold, he quickly took a step back to look at his sister's face. And it was her face, if her face happened to be coated in dead leaves. Her normally green eyes, now deep pools of amber, focused on his face in a strange light, but with no sign of the real Cici behind them. "What...who are you? Where's Cici?!"

A smile lit up the figure's face as she withdrew a small leaf from her hand. "You silly boy, I am Cici."

"You lie!"

"Oh, do I?"

Angus opened his mouth to respond but with a movement faster than a gale, the figure swooped forward and rammed the small leaf into his mouth, clamping it shut, and holding his jaws together with a vise grip. Angus struggled to push away from her unnatural grip but to no avail. He could feel his insides beginning to disintegrate. He heard the Minister's footsteps approaching, but he frantically waved her back with what remained of his arm, signaling for her to stay with Sophia. He could already tell it was too late for him as the leaf quickly wound its way through his body. By the time the Minister of Winter had returned to Sophia, the Angus they knew was gone, and in his stead stood one made of dead leaves, smiling next to his sister with deadpan, amber eyes.

Sophia's terrified scream pierced the air and carried across the lake, sending birds flying in all directions. But the Minister's eyes only narrowed as she looked around and considered her options. Their rescue mission had suddenly turned into a dangerous confrontation.