~Falling For Fall~ (On Hold)

Chapter One

Seven Years Later

A face looms over me, shaking me awake. Raina, my sister. “Come on, there’s someone at the door,” she says, her forest green eyes glaring into my own.

“Alright,” I grumble, pushing her aside.

I stand hastily, pulling on a raggedy old shirt and cloak. I walk to the door which was already open and speak, “Um...can I help you?”

It was barely even light out, the sun only peaking over the horizon. A man whereing only dark clothing glares at me with these horrible raven eyes. His pale skin glows in the faint light almost demonicly. “Are you the only adult here?” he asks simply with an oddly seducing voice.

“Yes sir,” I reply. 

Our father had died many years ago and our mother…well she didn’t cope well and was out all last night as usual. “I am sad to inform you that May Archard was pronounced dead a few hours ago,”

I glare at him horror struck that the fact my…our mother is dead. I try my best to keep a straight face as I speak, “How?”

“Her death was unknown,” he says without emotion and then leaves.

He just turns and leaves, just like that. I shut the door and turn to embrace my tear stricken sister, who was only six. “It’s going to be alright,” I whimper in her hair.

We stay like this for a long, long time. When I finally let go, I find her peacefully asleep. I carry Raina to her bed and cover her with the fraying blankets. I turn and sulk outside into the fresh air. If I was Raina’s only support, then I needed a job.         

That’s when I saw her. A girl my age with beautiful golden-brown hair and a simple golden dress. She disappeared behind a patch of prickly green leaves. I run forward, not noticing the cursing villagers around me. I sprint through the greenery, and stop, spinning in a circle. I catch sight of her hair streaming to my left. I give chase, following her.  She leads me deeper still, through the maples and aspens. She glides up the mountainous terrain almost effortlessly. I pause beside a small pond to catch my breath. I had lost her. My only chance to learn who she really was. Fall. I glare up at the sky. “Where have you gone to?” I growl.

I suddenly here a small thud land softly behind me. As I twirl around her voice speaks, “I never left,”

She stands before me in a golden dress with leather wrist guards and brown leggings. Leaves are spun in her hair elegantly. She blinks slowly, tip-toeing past me on her bare feet. “You can see me?” she whispers.

I touch her shoulder, not knowing if she was something of my imagination. “Why wouldn’t I see you?” I say with a smirk.

She turns back to face me with her honey eyes, “How can he see me?”

She didn’t seem to be directing this question towards me, but to someone else. “Fall, why does it matter? Can’t you always be seen?”

She looks up to the sky, obviously conflicted. “You are the first to see me in a long, long time,” she whispers faintly.

“What do you mean?” I ask, for now she had my complete curiosity.

She sighs, inching her toes to the lapping water. “I am not as I seem,” she lifts from the ground a little, causing me to stare her with wide eyes.

“I’m who brings you the season of autumn,” she pauses, “You humans really believe that the seasons just revolve on their own? There are beings that are needed to make the world go round, Foehn,”

I simply gape at her, this beautiful girl before me. She’d matured over the past seven years, even more stunning than I've remembered. “Fall, why did you leave? Why did you not come back?” I ask, still slightly bewildered.

She sighs twirling gracefully away. “I was scared-” she murmurs faintly.

“Why?”

“I was scared…because…because I thought you didn’t care. I thought you forgot about me, I just didn’t…couldn’t take the risk,”

I step closer to her, startling a rabbit who ad snuggled against her leg. “Why would you ever think that? I have been searching for you for so long-”

I see a tear glistening in her eye. “What’s wrong?”

She sniffles, “Why do you care so much? Why do you search for me? I am nothing, but a mere ghost to everyone,”

“Why wouldn’t I pursue you? You are beautiful,”

She grows quiet and leans against one of the aspens, blooming with yellow. I see her cheeks flush slightly. “This place, why did you bring me here?”

“This was where I became what I am,”

I glance around us, “You mean-?”

She nods, “Yes, I was once like you, human,”    

I lean against the tree beside her, “This is a lot to take in,”

“I know,”

We stand there for a moment, listening to the late summer breeze. She twirls her fingers, making the leaves above us swirl downward into the small lick of water. I gawk back at her, stunned about who she was and what she could do. “Lady Autumn,” I hum, thinking about a tale that my mother had told me long ago about the four seasons.

She shivers beside me. “That’s you?”

She nods, “As is Father Frost, Lady Spring, and Summer. All of them are real,”

“Really? That is interesting,” I think aloud.

“Hmm,” she mumbles.

Birds sing all around us in their gorgeous sing-song language. I watch her as she glides forward over the small dash of water. She twirls in the air, causing ripples to flutter beneath her. I stay with her long past mid day and into the early evening. “Go back to your family,” she says.

I shake my head, “Not until you promise that I will see you again,”

She sighs. The moonlight glides over us as the full moon appears from behind the trees. Fall gasps and looks up at the violet sky. “What is it?” I ask.

“He can’t be-” she says talking into the air, “alright, if you say so,”

She turns back to me, bewildered. “Foehn- I-the moon,” she sighs frustrated.

“What is it?” I ask once more.

She grips my hand, “You are the Chosen One. I think that’s how you see me-you were chosen to destroy all evil in this world,” she turns back to the sky before continuing, “You have great power, Foehn,”

I stare at her in utter bewilderment. “What? Me? The Chosen One? I don’t even know who I’m chosen by,”

She points up to the sky, “The moon chose you,”

I ogle at her with an open mouth. What? “Can you find your way back home?” she asks.

I turn, looking back in the direction I’d come. “I think so-”

“Good” she says boldly, dashing off.

“Wait!” I call after her, but she disappears in a puff of leaves.

I stand there for a few more moments. “Don’t leave me for another seven more years Fall,” I grumble roughly.

I turn away slowly and steadily make my way back home.

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Yea! Second Chapter, hope you guys enjoy!  And Happy New Years! 

-Hannah