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 Posted: Wed May 11, 2016 5:01 pm
He stood for maybe too long in front of her door. In his mind he could see the police tape still, where it had been pinned up to keep people from entering. He could see her ‘ghost’ in the house, the monsters, and god… GOD. He remembered her Scream. His hands shook as he clutched the sizeable box of chocolates he’d gotten at the local candy shop. It made the candy apple on top wobble, its plastic cover making a thin rattle sound against the pretty paper he’d had Lizbeth wrap the box in. He wished he could have brought her booze, he thought they could maybe both use it, though he wasn’t going to ask. He just… needed to see that she was ok. His lifted his hand, watched it tremble for a moment before thumping his knuckles against the door. “A…Autumn? It’s Zac.” He called.
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Posted: Wed May 11, 2016 5:07 pm
She hadn't spoken to Zac since The Mansion. She remembered seeing him through the spider's eyes, through the rot beast's eyes, horrified. Scared. It was another victim of violence at her hand. In her mind's eye she could see the monster's(her) claws digging into Zac's body, could remember the wretched taste of flesh on her tongue. Autumn had desperately wanted to see her little brother, to talk about what had happened. To reconnect about what was happening in the town. She just didn't know how to reach out to him.
When she heard his voice at the door, Autumn immediately turned off the tv, and ran. Throwing open the door, she stared at him. Just sort of gawked.
Then immediately pulled him into a soul-crushing hug.
"You're okay! Oh my god, thank god. Thank god. You're okay."
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Posted: Wed May 11, 2016 5:22 pm
Amusing was, he’d probably have done the same. Wanted to do the same but she got there first. Chocolates and apple squashed between them and he had to let out an OOOMPH of breath. “Oh god… god… So are you.” He whispered. And tears were running down his face. He thought he was out of tears, but it seemed he’d just saved them. God he was so tired, but she was all right, physically at least, she was –alright-. “I’m so glad you’re here… I ******** up, I ******** up so bad.” He half whispered into her shoulder. “I’m so sorry. I couldn’t think…I couldn’t THINK, I had the pieces and I … I..” He stammered and then he just couldn’t speak anymore. Tears and more tears and he let go of the things that were crushed between them and just hugged her desperately. “That scream…. When she set the house on fire, I’m so sorry.”
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Posted: Wed May 11, 2016 5:29 pm
"YOU'RE sorry?!" Autumn gawked, jaw dropped unflatteringly. She stared at him owlishly, and blinked a few times, before shaking her head dismissively.
"Shut up. No. NOT AT ALL." She argued, giving him a playful shove. "I'M sorry. I dragged you into that mess, I puppeted you around..." her throat stuck. How on earth was she supposed to explain what she'd seen? It would probably kill her friendship with him, and honestly, she couldn't blame him. He needed to save his own a**, not just hers. Her sense of elation fading quickly, Autumn pulled Zac inside, and closed the door. She gestured for the sofa, breathing through her nose.
"You're... you're gonna need to sit down," Autumn said, eyes closed as she tried to still her nerves. In through the nose, out through the mouth. She waited until he had, took the box from him (god, god love him, Zac. Poor, sweet Zac.), and she sat on the Ottoman across from him.
"...You died in the house, Zac. But. But what you don't know is... I saw it. I saw it happen, from the spider's eyes," she whispered, ashamed. Humiliated. "When it tore into Thorne's mind, I saw everything about him. His whole life."
Autumn wilted.
"...And I was there when it killed you. Just. Strung along for the ride, forced to feel it. Do it. T-taste." She couldn't finish the thought. She refused. Already the thought made bile burn in her throat, but she refused to look away. Reach out. That was what Deacon and Chris had told her.
"It wasn't me in control, but. I was there. And. And I'm so ******** sorry, Zac. Some sister I turned out to be, huh."
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Posted: Wed May 11, 2016 5:47 pm
He made a strangled sound. “…n…NO, no you are –not- allowed to say that! It it… It, INVADED your mind, it, I mean there are laws against that here if someone did what it did… If it was…physical!” He stammered. “YOU didn’t do that Autumn, YOU didn’t do that. It…it did, m…more horrible things to you, than it did to ANY of us. He reached out and touched her cheek ever so lightly. “Please… Please… It’s not your fault, and I don’t blame you, I couldn’t if I tried. He shook his head adamantly and scrubbed at his face with his palm trying to clear the tears and snot away. “You…” He swallowed and started again “You, fought harder than any of us.. if what you say, if what SHE said is true.” He shook his head. “You… gave us hints, you gave clues, I just, I just didn’t put them together, I don’t know what you got to the others but it must have been –something. We… I… I didn’t put it together. He hesitated, staring at the box of chocolate he’d brought and added in a distracted tone. “Uh, I think I …squashed the honey ones.” He warned. Moonstone Dazzle Honey leak...because I can
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Posted: Wed May 11, 2016 6:05 pm
"I... I know, somewhere in my head, that it wasn't me. I can tell myself that. But I see Thorne, broken and miserable. I feel myself tearing you, tearing Leila, apart. I have the ******** distinct memory of what human flesh tastes like. I don't know how to get past this," she threw out, putting her head in her hands. If she slept without her Dreamless Sleep potion, which she was trying so damn hard not to do. It was so hard not to get addicted, when she saw it over and over and over again in her dreams.
"I just didn't want you all involved. That's... that was what was so important. I didn't want you hurt again. I couldn't... Zac, you've gotten ******** up so many times because of me. That's. I should've been responsible. I'm eight years older than you, and just throw you into trouble all the time. How ******** up is that?"
She looked at Zac, and the box of chocolates, and laughed sadly.
"s**t man. That's- I ******** up the chocolates, too. I can't win."
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Posted: Wed May 11, 2016 6:21 pm
“How do you figure? I mean…god, I’m not the one who got their lungs burned out. I’m not the one who got… got their soul ripped out. You haven’t… NOTHING that has happened to me is YOUR fault. I mean… I…I’m the idiot who got the honey…pop…things and then I hugged you back and… I mean, well… maybe the table is happy. You aren’t throwing me into trouble, you aren’t…” He shook his head. “…I walk in, I walk in thinking I’ve got enough answers, but I don’t… I never do, I just want to… protect, my friends. I don’t want to loose you, I want to stay close, and… n-none of us, NONE of us are immune from the craziness. You don’t control the ******** up otherworld that we’re stuck with. You aren’t in this alone… and, whatever the outcome I make my own choices. They aren’t your fault, they will never BE your fault.”
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Posted: Wed May 11, 2016 6:36 pm
"Do you think we're doing the right thing, Zac? That we're meant to be in this war?" She asked, turning her gaze out the window. She blinked slowly, trying to make herself breathe. It had been her pain, but look how Zac had been emotionally devastated. Because of her. Entirely because of her. The grey, bleary sky felt fitting with her mood.
"I know that, in the past, we fought this war. That some kind of Autumn, some kind of Zac, went through these motions. But should it really be us? Should we fall into the same patterns that killed us, time and time again?"
Autumn turned back to him.
"What if we just left? Got out of Ashdown, you and me? Away from the war, and the magic, and the mess. What do you think?"[quote="endejester]
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Posted: Wed May 11, 2016 6:55 pm
“… I feel like it might just pull us back.” He said softly. “Or pull us In if we weren’t already here…” he fished out his phone, pulled up the photo album and thumbed through some pictures, He stopped on one, bit his lip and slid the phone over for her to see. A man in a purple suit at the seashore, salt and pepper hair, tall…familiar. “… I’m not sure anyone…can break this pattern except us. I could be wrong but… “ He squeezed his eyes shut, gritted his teeth against something, took a deep breath and opened them again. “… There…is someone in town That Sunny dosen’t know. I met them when I saw this…” he pointed towards the phone. “He called himself her…father. I don’t know if that means we’ve done worse, or if we’re actually… doing something right. But I think things have changed.” He swallowed again and nodded at the picture. “Who’s that look like?” he said softly.
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Posted: Wed May 11, 2016 7:00 pm
The picture did nothing to make her feel better. If anything, Autumn felt worse. Her stomach dropped because they couldn't escape it. No wonder Lucas picked safety. If she could get out, go back knowing what she did now... she would've. Easily.
But then there was Zac. And Jeremiah- and s**t, there was a Jeremiah of the past. A Jeremiah who had died to give them this chance, to let them go further. Autumn breathed deeply, trying to support herself. Trying not to scream and cry and lose her mind. Because she wanted to. So, so badly. It wasn't fair to any of them- it wasn't fair to HER- that they were stuck in this.
"You know," Autumn said quietly, the corner of her mouth quirking upwards. "I've never actually met Sunny?"
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Posted: Wed May 11, 2016 7:12 pm
He watched her face, and looked concerned. “Autumn.” He said softly. He hesitated…started towards her, started again and hugged her, hugged her tight. “I can…I can introduce you maybe.” He said. “But… let me be there with you alright? She’s the one who… She…put you, back together.” He swallowed. “I wish I could free you… I wish I could…I wis I could at least give you less to worry about.”
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Posted: Wed May 11, 2016 7:14 pm
"We win or we die, Zac. There is no free," she said sadly, shaking her head. It was something Autumn had long ago accepted, but just now was really feeling. Ashdown had them. Like it or not, they were trapped.
"I'd like to meet her, yeah. At least thank her." Autumn agreed, not previously having known who put her in the coffin. The glass coffin had been pretty ******** up, but hey. Whatever. She was alive and she was here, and that's what mattered.
"So... maybe fate's out to kick our asses. But." She leaned over to hug him. "What do you say you and I go down fighting, huh? If we can't run away together, let's ******** this up. Together."
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Posted: Wed May 11, 2016 7:28 pm
He took a breath and hugged her tighter. He almost said something, almost… almost, but held it back. “There’s another painting.” He said instead. “It was….titled Sunshine but…” He pulled back enough to swap the photos. He thought she looked as tired as he did. “Hey… while we’re um… while we’re messing things up. Do you want to swear off red meat with me?” He offered her a wan smile before offering her the new picture, the painting of the dark skinned person, jet or onyx set in tarnished silver, a blue dress. He hoped… despite everything, that he might get a small smile.
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Posted: Wed May 11, 2016 7:32 pm
"Child, if you think I'm a crazy b***h now, try taking my steak away from me. Just ******** try it," and she pushed him down onto the sofa for his downright nightmarish suggestion. If she hated life now, ********. No way in s**t would she deal with that without delicious, delicious steaks.
She did take the phone, and looked at the photo. In her exhausted state, Autumn couldn't help but tiredly laugh.
"Jesus ********. Well, at least you look hot? Rockin that dress there, buddy." Autumn teased, looking down to him. Maybe she couldn't save everyone.
But by god, she was gonna save him.
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Posted: Wed May 11, 2016 7:49 pm
He laughed too and shook his head. “… I honest to god, thought that was SUNNY.” He admitted. “It was titled ‘Sunshine’… “I should have showed you as soon as I got it.” He laughed a little shakily but it was just…funny. “There are more paintings, I bet, if there is one of you… you’re like…Royal. If I can ever see them I mean. The guy who gives the house tours said there were only the three.” He rubbed his eyes. “His name is Renard, Sunny knows him at least, the other guy though, He’s got this…creepy voice, like… 50 people talking at once. I promised Sunny I’d look around, see what I could learn.” He felt sick. “I think its something we can learn while we’re here at least, on this side.” He worried his lip and then asked Anxiously. “Autumn, are we even safe on…this side? It got to your house.”
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