Autumn's Tears

Chapter 8

MY MIND

I wake up in black, pitch black all around me, no one to be found. I assume I'm dreaming, and decided to stand, I immediatly fall, my energy seemingly gone.

"Hey," Nate's voice beckons from the black within my mind. I peer into the darkness, trying to find the man who nearly killed me. Finally, I see him, his black wings seemed to be darker than the black darkness of my mind, his hair, black as well, was combed back, it was actually rather long, almost to his shoulders. I could see how we mortals found angels alluring. He starts walking towards me, I try backing away, but I fall backwards and on my tailbone. My right leg is shackled, and I can't wriggle it free. He walks closer, I try and try to get my ankle free but it's no use. Finally he's feet from me, and he's smiling. "Hello Luke. Have you guessed where you are?" Nate asks.

"I'm guessing somewhere inside my mind," I answer.

"Correct, you really are a clever mortal. If you'd have been an angel I would definately recuit you." Nate chuckled at his joke, I didn't think it was that funny. "But, back to why I came here, I left a few markings on you. On your arm, and on your back. The combination of the two will sap your life force clean in three days time, which now is around two days, and there's also another little surprise in store for you."

"Well then, guess I'd better kill you within three days, we can have a little chat in hell." I tell him.

"As tempting as that sounds, I'll pass. As you well know, I can't survive in fire."

"But you'll already be dead," I tell him, and his temper flares. I can tell because, although in my mind, the color shifts from black to blood red. But he seems to get his temper under control and the color turns to black again.

"Look, I came here to give you a warning," Nate says, this I'm shocked at.

"Go on," I say.

"Well, young Luke. The one who is above me, who's name I cannot reveal to you just yet, delivers a warning," Nate takes out a note and reads it, "Luke, I am the US leader of Satan's Mercenaries, I am writing this to warn you, if you cross me again. I will personally escort you to the gates of hell and lock you inside, away from your precious Autumn. Yes I know of her, I've know of you and her for a long time. If needed I will escort her as well, just stay out of our way, take Autumn to a lovely place, and keep her from us, you and her... I hate to say it, are the greatest threat to us. Stay out of our way, well, actually you'll be dead long before we even get close to where we want to go. Three days, and as long as you stay out of our way for the next three days, I promise neither you nor her will get hurt. Of course, for the next three days. Your Arrogant Ruler, Yet To Be Named. So as you can see, I'm just a messenger, this time. However, if you do get in our way, I'd like to be your escort to hell. But, you should be dead long before then." He says, it seems whoever this man was, he didn't like me very much, nor did he like Autumn.

"Well then, since I'll be dead in a few days, it won't matter. Now, if you're down I'd like to get out of here please."

"I don't control this place, officially, it's rather disgusting, being in your filthy mortals' minds. But, it is your mind, I'll leave while you, to find your way out." He chuckles and start stretching his wings.

"Well, how do you..." and with a thrust of his wings and a puff of black smoke he was gone, and me left alone, in the depths of my mind.

VAN IN A WALMART PARKING LOT, REAL WORLD

"Alex, what've you done? Lord knows what they're doing to him in there," Autumn says, holding back some terrifying thoughts she was thinking.

"I honestly don't know, nothing should've happened, it looks like he has eight scars, mixed with burn marks on his back. And his arm you deduced was a message, what if they were mixed." Alex suggested.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if they were mixed, the two messages together, then what. Could it be something? Allowing him to delve into his mind, explore his thoughts, or possible recieve a message from them? Anything, I'm just spit-balling here."

"Alex, that's exactly what it is, I was too shocked to see it at first, but, move his arm over here, if you read them together, then you get..." she read it, "and you get ... woah," she gasps.

"What, what is it?" Alex asked.

"It's a seal, now this is where it gets science fiction-y but here me out, the Satan's Mercenaries have a special ability over people's minds. And this symbol, keeps a person's consciousness inside their body, as longs as they are thinking, their mind is trapped. It's almost impossible to break." Autumn says solemnly.

"So, there's nothing we can do? Is there anything else it means?" Alex asks.

"Um... not that I can see, oh wait... oh god no." Autumn gasps, holding back a cry, but tears start forming in her eyes. "Since it was cast, the victim has three days to live." This time, Autumn cries.

"Since it was cast, that's... two days left. Is there anything to reverse it?" Alex asks. Autumn still crying, holds back so she can speak.

"Well, there's always the old way to do it," Autumn says, choking up a few times, then focusing so she can tell Alex, "we kill the creator of the seal. That should undo it."

"Well, we don't know where they are, and we don't know exactly who cast it, and we only have one day to do it." Alex says, bringing everything into perspective for Autumn to make a reasonable plan.

"Well, we track them the same way we tracked him, and we blow the hell out of whatever building they're in, thus solving that problem. Sounds like a plan to me." Autumn says.

"Well, sounds like a plan to me too. Let's head out. I'll drive, so you can focus."

"Don't worry Luke, we're gonna save you." Autumn says, holding my head to hers, and then jumping in the passenger seat, and closing her eyes and focusing, then telling Alex directions. They were on their way.

MY MIND

"HELLO?!?!?!" I yell, hoping for an answer, however I don't get one. I'm alone, in my mind, with no way out as far as I can tell. I sit down, when Nate left, the shakle disappeared, and I could move freely. However, it felt like I was getting weaker and weaker as the moments passed. And soon, I fall asleep, but, I wake up as I feel a hand in mine. It's warm, and immediately I know who's it is. I turn on my side, to see Autumn.

"Hey sweetie." She says, the words flow out from her lips like a stream that's warm and soothing, the kind you listen to before you go to sleep, "how are you doing?"

"I'm doing ok," I lie.

"No, you're not. That's one of the reasons I'm here. Angels can enter and leave mortals' minds freely, as long as they're asleep. That, and I wanted to be with you for as long as I can. I might not be able to have much more time with you." She says, while she does, she unfolds her wings and wraps them around me.

"Well, as long as I'm here and you're here, let's get the bad news out of the way, what have you found out?" I ask.

"No, if you focus on it, it will only speed up the process, I can't tell you. I'm sorry, " she tightens her grip on her wings, thus pulling me closer to her, and I put my arms around her waist. "let's just enjoy the time we have together. We might not have long left."

"I'm sure you'll figure something out, I can't die without telling you something, in person." I tell her, and she wraps her arms around me, pulling me closer still to her.

"Well, even more motivation to save you," she says smiling, her smile is beautiful, her perfect teeth, her luminous smile, it's incredible. She puts her forehead to mine, and she stares into my eyes. I stare into hers, and we don't look away for a long time. Until both she and I lean in and we kiss, a long, incredible kiss, that I never want to end. Her lips are moist and soft, and she kisses like, well an angel. All I can think of is her, her beautiful blonde-brown hair, her amazing eyes, her fair skin, her sandy colored wings, she is completely alluring. She's all I can think of, and all I want. Suddenly, I feel her fading, her wings grip is loosening, and her arms too. She looks at me sad to leave, but I understand that she has to save me, and reluctantly I let her go. And she fades away, leaving me alone, in the depths of my mind.