The beginning

A Chapter by SamanthaMarie

Autumn sat on a bench facing the water, her back to the fair rides that closed hours ago. It was his idea to meet here, Charles had said it was important he see her. He rang Autumn's phone an hour earlier with news of another abduction. So where was he? Autumn scanned the empty fairgrounds in hopes of catching a glimpse of the familiar black leather jacket and mess of golden brown hair she'd grown up with. Unfortunately, all she found was discarded soda cups and candy wrappers. Turning back around, Autumn felt the slightest tingle on the back of her neck causing every hair to stand on end. This wasn't right, something went wrong or else Charles would have been here forty five minutes ago. Not being able to shake the feeling of being watched from somewhere in the shadows, She started her retreat to her car. Between the run down rollercoaster and the first shop, Autumn stopped in her tracks. As she looked around, her world started to spin, cold sweat dripped down between her shoulder blades and her legs went numb. Of all the times for Autumn to experience one of her black outs this could be the worst. That was the last thing she thought before she collapsed on the ground.

Autumn's life was never normal. She spent most of her life bouncing around from one foster home to another. Unexplained events had always sent her back to where she started and the potential new family running as fast as they could. Charles had been a regular at the orphanage. He never seemed to mind being alone and always had a welcoming smile for Autumn every time she'd return. As they got older and left on their own, Charles constantly made an effort to keep in contact. It also helped that he was now part of the police force. News had spread about women disappearing between the ages of 18 and 20. All of them had been adopted from the same orphanage Autumn and Charles grew up, making this a personal matter for Charles. He was removed from the case the second his superiors got wind of his background. Not that it stopped him from pursing the matter. So far 5 women had been taken.

Autumns POV

Without opening my eyes, I could tell I was in some sort of basement. The cement floor was freezing against my damp skin. After getting my fill of playing dead long enough to be sure no one was down here with me, I decided it was safe to wake up. Giving myself a few minutes to adjust to the harsh lighting, I got a glimpse of my cell. That’s right; I was in a cell, steel bars and all. Noticing that there wasn't even a bed in here gave me hope I wouldn't be stuck inside for too long. Or maybe that’s a bad thing. I tried to gracefully move from my position of flat on my stomach to at least sitting when it hit me.

"really guys? chains?" What did they think I could do, scratch someone’s eyes out? It'd be pushing it but I might have tried. Iron cuffs were latched around each wrist that attached to the wall through a chain about 5 ft long.

"You’re awake" My eyes shot up instantly finding the source. Out of the shadows stepped a man wearing all black, his eyes so dark you could barely tell they were blue. I quickly tired to absorb any details I could relay to the police but found the shadows still covering most of him.

"Who are you?"

A tiny smirk splayed at the corners of his mouth giving him the image of a cat watching it’s pray. “Now why would I tell you that?”

In frustration and fear that showed from the cold sweat that was now forming on my skin, I raised my voice at him, “what do you want? Why am I here? You will never get away with this!”

“Let’s just say you’re more important than you think Autumn. I’ve been looking for your kind for quite a while.” My kind? His words were making no sense.

“Look I don’t have much but you can have whatever you want if you just let me go. I’ll never tell the police. Please… please just let me go.” My voice betrayed me when it cracked at the end. The man in the shadows laughed at my words.

“I don’t want your money sweetheart. I need your blood for a certain friend of mine. Just sit tight and be a good girl and I’ll see if we can leave you with enough after that you’ll live.” My stomach hit the floor. True fear coursed through my limbs and I sobbed like a lunatic. This was crazy! He needed my blood? It was probably for some sick cult ritual. There was no hope in arguing with an insane person. Slowly I pulled myself into the corner of the cell as I heard him retreat out of the room and the door slammed shut with a loud scraping of steal. The silence in the cell made my ears ring. My mind was spinning over the man’s words, my kind? My blood? I needed to get out of here before I ended up being sacrificed like some offering to the gods. Charles! He had to be looking for me. Oh no, he hadn’t showed up at our meeting. Had something happened to him?

I have no way of knowing how long I've been in this cell but it is apparent Charles isn't going to come barging in to save me. The man who is keeping me down here hasn't said a word to me since the first discussion we had. I'm honestly so confused as to why I am here.

Maybe I am being sold to some prostitution ring in the underground horrors of suburbia... well that would suck.

My blood pressure rises at the actual idea of that being why I am down here. “No. No. Calm down. That's not it". I reassure myself.

I can feel my defeat drowning me on this cold damp floor. I've fought so hard for everything in my life and yet I still always find a way to end up in the most horrible of scenarios. That old saying of God never gives you more than you can handle never resonated with me. If I am just supposed to handle everything that has happened up until this day then God is Cruel.

Extending my legs out from their folded position underneath me, I examine my now ripped leggings showing off my "porcelain skin". That compliment was always a nice way of saying you’re so white you glow. And that is exactly what I was doing. Glowing.

Wait what? Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I blame it on hallucinations from dehydration. I lean my head back against the bars to my cage and close my eyes imagining I am somewhere far away in a bed with gloriously soft pajama pants on and rustic smelling book in my hands. One tear threatens to escape the corner of my right eye but I refuse to cry. This is ridiculous!

I vaguely realize I am clenching my fists to the point my nails are starting to break my skin which is probably why they feel like I am cutting off circulation. But when I look down at my hands they are glowing. "Great! This experience just keeps getting better and better. Let the hallucination trip begin." My anger only escalates after the sarcastic words leave my mouth and I grab the bars to my cage in pure outrage. Little sparks glow around my hands like small suns making my fingers feel like they are going numb. The bars on the cell disappear before my eyes, disintegrating between my palms. The glowing embers touch the cuffs around my wrists and proceed to do the same to the metal as they did to the cell bars. I am mesmerized by the fluid dance of the glowing embers that when they disappear it’s so sudden and shocking I feel as though I have been doused with glacier freezing water. So I just stand there for the longest minute of my life, starring at the hole in the bars that had restricted me and wonder if this is the best acid trip of my life or if God just got tired of my whining.

One of my feet tests the boundary of where the bars were lined.

Nothing but air baby.

A jolt of lightning runs through my body and I am running up the stairs and swing the door at the top open. The air up here is musky and at first glance the place had to have been built in the 60's with the orange carpet. This isn't what I focus on though; my vision zooms in on the front door. Nothing matters to me except getting as far away from this place as I can. The fresh wind hits my face as I burst through the front and run off the unfamiliar territory. I just keep running, down the street passing by houses I've never seen before. One manicured lawn after the next until I am exhausted and out of breath. Bent over with my hands on my knees, I suck in gulps of air attempting to soothe the burning in my chest.

"Where the hell am I?" I whisper to myself as if the answer will suddenly come to me.

I notice a gas station down the road and hope spurs my legs to pick back up their fight against fatigue. I don't stop until I am opening the swinging door at the front. The man working behind the counter is obviously from Middle Eastern heritage and takes the moment to question my attire with a thorough sweep of his eyes.

"May I help you Ma'am?" His question is begging me to explain more then what I would like to buy.

"Do you have a phone? I need a phone." My voice is rough and sounds like I just got done chain smoking for the past 3 days straight.

"We aren't supposed to let customers use the store phone but I'll... make an exception." I pretty much rip the phone out of his hands to dial Charles as fast as physically possible.

Ring.. Ring.. "Come on Charles"..

"Officer Stratton." His voice is crisp and direct. I can feel myself stumble to get the words out and finally manage "Charles it's me".

"Autumn?! Where are you? I have been trying to get a hold of you for the past 2 days. Whose phone are you calling from?" Knowing this is just the start of the questions and half of them I doubt I can even answer, I result to answering the only questions that I want to.

"I am at a Chevron station. I don't know which one but I can put the guy that works here on the phone. Will you come get me?"

"Yes, and let me talk to him."

The man behind the counter gives out the station's address while I wander outside to sit on the curb. It's almost over and I am almost safe. Then I will think about all this and about what the hell just happened. For now the world is buzzing in my ears and vision is slightly spinning. " just hold on till Charles gets here" I whisper to myself.. over and over till it soothes my nerves.