Beware [COMPLETED]

19. Last Arrival

A soft breeze caressed Autumn's face as her eyes fluttered open. Gentle rays of the evening sun fell all around the living room and she sighed. She was lying on a soft surface and the ache in her body had subsided. She could feel her limbs patched up and her body lighter and cleaner than before.

There was a cup of water on the table. Autumn shifted on the couch and craned her neck up, bringing the cup to her dry lips. The water cooled her throat and she relaxed.

Once Autumn had become completely conscious of her surroundings, she could hear muffled voices from outside the room. The patter of feet and the words thrown in the air; all of it was hushed by the closed door.

A couple of minutes later the door softly opened. Autumn heard the footsteps before someone came into view.

"Hey," Talia whispered.

Autumn smiled and whispered a greeting back. She started getting up in order to pull her sister in a hug, but Talia protested. She gently pushed her sister back on the couch and gave her a stern look. Autumn sighed and rolled her eyes.

"I'm fine, Talia. I just want to give you a hug because I haven't seen you in God knows how long."

Talia frowned. Everyone had told her everything that had happened after her disappearance. Everyone had completed the story for the last missing person, Adam being the last.

"You're in no condition to get up. You were bleeding and had three deep-"

"Talia! I'm fine. I'll heal, don't worry," Autumn said with a small smile as she cut her sister off.

Talia narrowed her eyes into slits and in one quick movement, her finger was pressing against the stitched up wound on Autumn's thigh. Autumn cried out in pain and groaned. She swatted her sister's hand away and started grumbling under her breath.

"I hate you."

Talia grinned, "The feeling's mutual."

Hearing the two sisters talk inside the living room, everyone else came through the door. They all stood around the couch, hovering over their friend. Autumn smiled when she saw all of them standing there unharmed. Happy tears started running down her face, freaking everyone out.

"Why are you crying?" Raymond asked with wide eyes as he squatted next to the couch.

Autumn laughed through the tears and shook her head. "I'm just happy that all of you are all right."

Raymond wiped her tears away and bent down to hug her. It was an awkward position, but none of them cared. Soon, all of them joined in the group hug until Autumn groaned under all the weight and pushed them away. They all had small talk and then ended up helping Autumn sit down when she started complaining about having to lie down. They gave her food which she scarfed down. She hadn't eaten a proper meal in so long and she was extremely weak. When all of them were settled around her, Autumn noticed a woman standing in the doorway.

She had jet black shoulder length hair with pale blue eyes. Her face was slightly wrinkled, but her features were young and made her look to be in her thirties. Giving Autumn a small smile, she walked inside the room and sat across her.

"I'm-'

"-Katherine. Yeah, I figured."

Katherine gave Autumn another smile before Kaylee asked a question.

"Autie, what happened to you?"

Autumn sighed. She knew this was coming and she also wanted to know what happened with them.

"First, tell me what happened with you all? What happened when you... disappeared?"

All of them looked at each other before Talia started speaking, "Everything was fine one moment when I was packing my bag. I'm not going to lie, I did not want to be here anymore and thought about leaving. I was doing just that when I heard a voice. Normally, I would have brushed it off as my own imagination, but... it was my mum's voice. My biological mother. I heard the last words she had ever spoken to me, and before I knew it, I was in this dark place with no way out."