Heart Shadows, Chapter 1

The sound of crunching leaves filled the night as the girl silently stole through the forest. With her black suit, she blended into the shadows. The only thing that gave her away was her brilliant red hair, and the flame-colored scarf she wore around her neck. In her arms, she carried a large bundle of sticks.

The night seemed to darken. The breeze became icy cold.

The girl halted in a sandy clearing encircled by ancient oak trees. With a sigh, she dropped her kindling and snapped her fingers. Immediately the bundle of sticks burst into flames, revealing a man who lay bound and gagged. His brown hair looked unkempt and ruffled, and he had a thin gaunt appearance. A look of pure terror lit his eyes illuminated by firelight.

''Autumn! Please! Spare my life! I know you don't want to do this.'' He begged.

Autumn gave a quirky half-smile.

''You don't know me at all, Theodore.''

''I know who you really are,'' Theodore argued. ''Please. Don't do this.''

''I am not who you think I am.'' Autumn snarled, then drew a knife...

...

''Autumn! Autumn! Wake up!'' a voice called.  

 Autumn leaped out of her bed, heart pounding wildly and glanced around. Shreds of torn carpet littered the room. Her blankets had been kicked off her bed. A gut-wrenching feeling of agony turned in her stomach. Was...was that really me? Was I really going to kill...

Her heart stopped when she saw Theodore standing in front of her. He didn't look as thin as he had in the dream, but the eyes were the same-Penetrating. Soul-searching...

''Are you okay?'' He asked after a long moment's pause.

''I'm fine,'' Autumn responded gruffly.

Then she caught sight of a shattered glass amulet that lay on the floor beside her dresser.

''What do you think you're doing, walking in on me like this!'' she exclaimed, eyes narrowing.

Theodore grinned faintly.

''Abrasive as ever I see,'' he observed then he sighed. ''You were tossing  in your sleep and just now you seemed pretty spooked, so I was worried about you.''

Autumn looked away. If he'd seen my dream...if he'd known what I was about to do...she thought then shook herself.

''I can take care of myself,'' she said sharply. ''I've had to ever since...'' she stopped mid-sentence. ''I'll have forgotten I ever this dream by breakfast.'' She promised.

Theodore looked at her, concern evident in his eyes, but before he could ask more questions, Autumn put on some slippers and headed towards the kitchen. What does this dream mean? Why was I in a forest? And....why...why was I about to take Theodore's life? She wondered.

...

''Good morning Autumn!'' her foster mother, Skyla, exclaimed with a warm smile, as Autumn shuffled into the kitchen. She stood over the kitchen stove, flipping blueberry pancakes. Her blonde hair was pulled up in a bun, and as usual, she was wearing a poofy blue dress that seemed one size to big for her. 

''Morning,'' Autumn muttered distantly.

She felt as though she had been struck by lightning. Her mind was swirling. Will I really kill Theodore someday? Or did that dream mean something else....

Skyla's smile faded when she saw the strained look on Autumn's face.

''Are you alright honey?'' She asked. ''You look a bit ill.''

Autumn bristled. Why can't people just leave me alone? I am strong enough to deal with one stupid dream!

''I'm fine,'' she growled and took her seat on the dining room table.

Skyla frowned.

''I don't think so young lady,'' she said firmly, looking at Autumn straight in the eye.

Autumn merely shrugged.

''I am fine, and there is no reason why I shouldn't be.'' She pointed out, studying her nails.

Skyla sighed, muttered something under her breath, turned off the burner, and sat down in the chair next to Autumn.

''Autumn.'' she began gently ''I understand that you've had a difficult past, but you can't go on hiding from people, because you're afraid they'll hurt you. Some people in this world truly care about you you know.''

Autumn snorted.

''No one in this world cares about me.'' her voice cracked a little. ''My parents were supposed to care about me and look what they did-''

Her reluctance evident in every movement, Autumn, rolled back the sleeves on her green nightgown, revealing a long jagged cut that ran along its length.

Skyla shook her head.

''Oh Autumn!'' she murmured softly ''That's not the worst wound they left you. The scars they left on your heart run deeper and longer than the one on your arm...''

Skyla shook her head.

''Autumn, how many times am I going to have to say this? If you want people to love you, stop being afraid of them.''

Autumn gritted her teeth, fury spiking through her veins.

''You have no idea what it's like to have people you love, suddenly try to kill you!'' She yelled. ''You don't want to trust anyone or anything!''

Skyla smiled wanly.

''The world is a dark place for you right now, I understand that, but Autumn-if you focus on what's dark for too long you lose sight...''

She halted mid-sentence and cleared her throat.

''Young lady if you need friends like you say you do, then you need to learn how to trust.''

Autumn flinched.

''No,'' she said firmly. Her voiced hardened. ''You're wrong. I don't need anyone.''

She couldn't stand any more of this. She needed to get away from from Skyla and her stupid dresses. With the dignity of a queen, Autumn rose from the table and stalked out of the room. Her feet carried her outdoors, onto the old rotting porch. The floor boards were in a state of decay and creaked a protest as she began pacing her mind a storm of anxiety and rage.  What is wrong with me? She wondered. Why am I having dreams about murdering people? Why do I always have to hide how I feel? Why do I get so...emotional every time someone mentions that...

''Autie.'' a voice interrupted her thoughts.

For the millionth time, that morning Autumn sighed. 

''Theodore.'' No one else called her Autie.

She slowly turned around and faced him.

''What's the matter with you?'' he asked an exasperated concern in his voice. ''You wake up all spooked, and now you miss breakfast. I can tell something is wrong with you.'' His voice took on a gentler tone. ''What's got you this morning?''

Autumn looked away. Her heartbeat furiously. She didn't want to tell anyone about her dream...least of all Theodore. She just couldn't.

''It was just a dream, nothing I couldn't handle.'' She lied.

''What was this dream about?'' Theodored asked.

Autumn gazed deep into his green eyes.

''I couldn't possibly tell you.'' she murmured.

Theodore's face softened.

''You can tell me anything,'' he promised. ''You know that right?''

''That's a cliched line.'' she pointed out.

Theodore grinned.

''It's still true.''

Autumn huffed.

''How do I know I can trust you?''

''Now who's using a cliched line?'' Theodore teased.

Autumn sighed again.

''I'm going to have to tell aren't I?''

Theodore just tilted his head. Feeling as though each word were a heavy stone, Autumn told him the events that had taken place in her dream.

''I was walking through a forest, carrying a load sticks when I halted in some clearing surrounded by oak trees. I dropped the sticks lit a fire and then...'' her voice caught.

''And then what happened?'' Austin asked quietly. There was a stillness to his voice that made Autumn stiffen. Does he know what happened then? She wondered. Then shook herself. That was impossible.

''And then...'' she continued her stomach tightening at the recollection, ''And then... I...I ..killed you.''