Autumn & Ash

Chapter 4 - Autumn Fiyre

   "Can I come inside?" Autumn asked, unsure.

   "I don't know, can you?" Ash had never had anyone inside the house. The last person to enter it was him, and he'd never been able to leave. She surprised him then by giggling. He looked at her questionably, he angled his head as if that would help him understand her better.

   "Well, last time I looked, I've got two legs and two feet so I'm perfectly capable in that respect. I was asking if you minded." Not waiting for a reply Autumn breached the boundaries and came to stand in front of him.

   "Could you... could you just go out then come back in again?" At her confused look he added, "Please." Not taking her eyes from him she retreated down the steps backwards and out through the fence. She held her hands out to her sides and spun around. Ash laughed in relief and affection for her witty ways as she skipped back up to him again. "Of course you can come inside." He motioned for her to lead the way into the house.

   "Ah, so I have passed the Sir's first test? Or is that typical behaviour when greeting an unexpected guest in this county?" She teased as she crossed the threshold.

   He was about to ask her to elaborate on which county she came from when she paused with a start just inside the doorway. She was still for a moment more, then spun round to face him with a haunted expression.

   "What happened to you?" It was hard to decipher the exact emotions she displayed, fear, pity, confusion. But in that moment Ash knew she wasn't an ordinary girl. He didn't know how long ago she'd turned sixteen but she said he'd been calling to her. He'd never seen her before in his life, this one or his previous. What had she realised about him when she'd stepped into his residence? Ash followed her into the house with a heavy sigh, he left the front door open. He was bound to the house, but should his dark side take over whilst Autumn was present she would need an escape to safety, quickly.

   Autumn examined the scarce furnishings of his abode. She drifted over to his desk where a clipped quill and ink well sat atop recently inked paper. Ash busied forward before she could get a chance to read his thoughts. If she could read at all. She eyed him curiously for a moment. Running a long delicate finger along the wood she came away with a grey coating on the tip.

   "Tut, tut." She rubbed her fingers together. Ash felt shock and slight embarrassment but she smiled at him. "I came just in time I see. Where can I stay?" She tacked on hurriedly.

   The question bought him up short and he choked on his breath. "Stay? Here?"

   "You've been calling me so desperately and now you want me to leave? Why, Ash, I am hurt!" She said in feigned disappointment.

   "I'm sorry Autumn, you couldn't possibly stay here. It's not safe. But... I'm happy you're here." He really was, being in isolation for half a century was enough to drive anyone insane, let alone someone that had been tricked by their mother and forced to live with darkness inside.

   "I know you're happy. I can see it." She squinted at the air around him as he stood and watched her, gauging her reaction to every little thing she was learning about him. "Do not worry about me, I can handle that." She gestured with her hands to an area near his left elbow. Knowing she was speaking about something he couldn't see, he still looked down at his arm and felt foolish as she watched him do it.

   Her gentle face and soft features held no judgement and he could tell she continued abruptly for his benefit. "So, where can we go to talk about everything I'm keen to ask you, and I'm guessing you've probably even a few questions for me? There's a town nearby, am I right?" Ash nodded in response to her last question, not noticing the implication that she was hoping to take the journey there with him. "Well, let's make a start so we can be back before sunset." She readjusted a sling of sorts which was draped across her body the bulging contents at her hip seemed so obvious yet it was the first time Ash noticed she had anything with her.

   "I can't go." She was turning to leave so he impulsively grabbed her arm. Now he'd found a companion, someone to challenge his mentality, he was petrified of letting her go.

   "Don't worry about payments. I have coins, a few things to trade." Ash only shook his head, annoyed at her misunderstanding. He did not need money, he did not eat, he did not change. Always the same. Always trapped. "What, why are you refusing to escort me?"

   "Please, I would happily escort you were I able. But, you see. I cannot leave this house."

   "Are you sick? Are your legs or feet injured? I can not see any physical pain upsetting you." She was looking at the air surrounding him again.

   "Stop looking around me and look at me!" He shouted, her eyes snapped to his immediately at his outburst. "I am bound to this house because I harbour evil, as I have been for half a century, as I will be for eternity! I cannot leave, I will never leave." Ash rubbed the back of his neck and squeezed his eyes shut. Scared to open them, in case Autumn had ran far away from his menace, Ash covered his closed eyes with his hands and rubbed, as if he could erase the infected thoughts with that motion and gain control once more. Eventually, pulling his hands away he noticed a very present, if not slightly deflated, Autumn waiting for him on the other side of his palms. The fact he hadn't scared her off lifted his heart, but he now feared for her. "There is a fine line between courage and stupidity. If you still wish to stay with me, you'd do well to remember that."

   She walked up to him and placed her hand on his forearm. "And if you wish me to stay with you, know that that is what I am doing, and I will not look back, and you are not alone anymore." Ash could not lift his eyes to look into hers. The weight in his heart seemed to be attached to his gaze, so instead he just watched her grip on his arm and covered her hand with his, nodding his acceptance of their deal. "I'll be back before sundown." She lowered herself to meet his stare and smiled angelically. Ash trusted her word, for all the goodness left in him sung out to her presence like a cacophony of birdsong at dawn.

   Autumn left the house to travel to the nearest traders market. It surprised Ash that he'd actually forgotten, although she was no ordinary girl, she still required food and water. How long ago it had been since he'd tasted anything, be it bitter, sour. He'd even welcome the most unpleasant of tastes if only he was not bound to this constant state, halted in time. Ash resumed his seat where he'd been, less than hours before her arrival, sketching. The forgotten piece was still lying on the floor within arms reach, undisturbed by the wind.

   The day had seemed to take on a more relaxed and content feel. Matching that, Ash picked up his sketch, pulled out the stick of coal from his pocket and drew a tiny little Autumn wading in the brook. He sat there, watching the sun in it's ritualistic journey across the sky and would continue to sit there, until Autumn came back to him.