The Collision (Sequel to The Division)

Chapter 29 (Autumn)

A bright light.

That's the first thing I see, and immediately I think I didn't make it.

Maybe I'd be able to say goodbye to everyone again somehow, after I say hello to Nichole and my parents again.

Just as I begin to make plans, the bright light is replaced by darkness. My limbs are rigid, and suddenly I regain presence in my body. I'm lying on the ground, eyes closed and limp. My chest rises and falls slowly and I feel my heartbeat pounding its restless rhythm.

Unless the afterlife is exactly like the regular one, I get the impression that I'm still alive.

I should be excited, but I'm not.

Instead, the dread of finding out if River has the same fate I do is too much to handle. I just don't want to find out yet.

My hearing decides to kick in at this moment, as well as my sense of touch. Before, it was almost as if I was submerged in water, but now I can sense everything clearly. My hand is clasped around something, which I figure is another hand. "I hear a heartbeat!" A voice calls, "Check on River." The voice is full of emotion and I feel more pressure around my hand in that moment. The voice whispers, "You're gonna be alright, Autumn. You just have to open your eyes."

I immediately realize who's talking and the voice makes my heart skip a beat or two. I open my eyes slowly.

The sky is dark and clear, and the stars twinkle as if the day before it wasn't full of chaos. Xavier is looking away from me, but it's okay because it gives me an excuse to look without him knowing.

He's definitely on edge, for obvious reasons, and his clothes are dirty and slightly stained with blood. There are stitches on his cheek and a gauze wrapped around a large portion of his arm, but other than that, he seems fine. A sigh of relief escapes me and I squeeze his hand to get his attention. His eyes land on me and he helps me up to a sitting position. "Autumn. Are you okay?"

The only thing I can do is nod, which gives him a chance to continue,

"Good. What the heck were you thinking?"

I smile instead of getting angry and pull him close to give him a kiss. "Where's River?" I say as my hand remains in his.

He squeezes my hand then points over to the small crowd circled around her. Xavier helps me up and as I start to walk away, he pulls me back to him. "Next time you plan on sacrificing yourself, just give me a heads up, okay?" The pain in his eyes makes my heart break a little and I nod once again.

"Sure thing." I say and he plants a kiss on the crown of my head. "We can talk about this later, but right now I need to go see if she's alright." He hesitantly lets go of my hand and I make my way over to the crowd.

"How is she?" I ask as I kneel down beside Dalton.

"She's breathing," Dalton says, "So we just have to wait for her eyes to open."

I take this as an opportunity to poke her in the cheek. The first time she stirs, and then the second time a smile appears on her face. "Really, Autumn? Poking is the wake up method you chose? You could have done so much better." She says with her eyes closed. I smile in response and say,

"Get up you lazy bum. You've probably been awake this whole time."

She sighs then turns on her side, "Five more minutes please." I turn to the crowd and say,