Scattered Leaves

Chapter 8: 9 days

Autumn sat in bed texting Devon. She wanted him with her. She opened her closet door and stared at her half-naked body in the mirror. After Devon left she still failed to put on a shirt. The cuts on her wrists looked aweful and with the new bruises and scrapes it looked like someone tried to murder her.

She stared down at her dark, worn jeans and slid them off of her small legs. She had navy blue lacy underwear on, which did make her feel a little better about herself. She had to admit that it did make her butt look nice. But when she looked at the front and side of her thighs she saw the dark scars from the cuts she made only months before.

Autumn picked up her dirty jeans and threw them in her hamper and sat cross-legged on her bed. She reached beside her bed and felt the familiar handle of her knife. It was smooth and stained with crimson spots she kept forgetting to wash away. The red stains could be washed away with water, unlike the memories that still never seemed to fade away, no matter how much time passed. Everytime she took a shower she wished the memories and pain would just wash away.

Autumn raised the blade and watched as it glistened in the moonlight trailing through her small window. She watched as her reflection came and gone on the blade as she turned it.

Her phone vibrated and she began to sob. The tears flowed and streamed down her rosey cheeks. She wanted Devon there to comfort her, to take the knife away and wipe her tears. Autumn put the cold knife to her thigh and pressed hard, pushing it side to side as she did. She cried and cut, feeling the numb pain fill her up until the warm crimson poured from her new cut.

She moved to a new spot on her leg not far from the last and repeated what she usually did every night, putting the same blade to her skin and just sawing until she bled. She was about to make a fifth cut on her leg when Devon opened her door. All four of her cuts throbbed and her eyes burned with tears. She threw the knife on her bed and ran to him, tears falling like waterfalls.

She didn't care she was in a bra and underwear, she didn't care that she had warm blood streaming down her leg, she didn't care that she was getting blood and tears on Devon's clothes. He was there.

"I could kiss you right now!" She sobbed.

"Autumn, I-"

She didn't let him finish. She kissed him and cried, tasting the salty tears as they fell into their mouths. Devon closed the door and wrapped her in his arms. Autumn never let their lips part for more then a second. Her leg throbbed, her body tingled and her cheeks got hot and wet with her tears. His lips were so soft, she didn't want to stop.

Autumn pushed up against him and held his face in her hands. She breathed deep and kissed him once more. She opened her eyes and blinked away more tears.

"I'm sorry." She breathed. Her arms went slack and she tried to back away. Devon's grip around her tightened.

"Don't be sorry."

"But..." She sobbed. "I'm going to die in a few days. I shouldn't be kissing you... Or falling for you..."

"Again, don't be sorry, it wasn't a bad thing to do. You need someone and I am here for you. You can't help but be a bit over excited. And don't say you shouldn't be falling for me when that's what you want before you die. You wanted love sweetheart." He kissed her lightly. "Maybe it was meant to be with me."

"Maybe..."

"Now, where is your bathroom, we need to get your leg cleaned up."

"I'm not done..." She said looking at the floor.

"Oh, but you are. I'm staying the night. I have my stuff for tomorrow. I don't care if I get in trouble."

"Oh.. Well, umm." Autumn took Devon's hand and walked to the bathroom in her room.