Beware [COMPLETED]

20. The letter

"Don't move."

Everyone turned to look at Autumn who had spoken the words before going silent. Her face lost its colour, as if she had seen a ghost. Her breathing turned shallow and she felt cold overall.

"What is it?" Talia asked, worried. She was the only one from the friends who had experienced things the least and after hearing the stories from everyone, she felt paranoid even if hardly anything happened.

"I-I think something is going to happen. Something bad, or maybe unusual."

"Autumn, is everything all right? Why do you think that?" This time it was Katherine who asked the question in a soothing tone. Being the actual adult, she wanted to make the others feel as comfortable as they could get after everything that had happened to them.

Autumn gulped, "Since the day we came here, I've been getting this weird feeling inside me. It's... cold and suffocating. I didn't know what it meant, but then I realised that it came before something bad or unusual happened. Always."

All of them shivered and turned to look at each other.

"What if it's some kind of warning? Some kind of sign of help?"

"Do you think it is Joh-"

Raymond's question was interrupted when he felt Autumn's hand being yanked from his soft grip. A scream tore from her as she was suddenly raised in the air with a jolt. She felt something getting wrapped around her throat for strangulation purpose and she let her hands search around her throat to get rid of whatever was asphyxiating her.

As Raymond shot up from the couch to run to his friend's aid, he struggled to move. His feet were literally frozen and rooted to the ground. He looked up at the bluing face of Autumn and his heart pounded in trepidation. He looked at the others around the room, and saw them struggling like him against the force.

The crumpled letter fell down from Autumn's shaking hand, but before it could touch the ground, it was thrown back up in the air and was ignited in orange flames. Autumn watched the paper burning and turning into ashes before her droopy eyes when she was released from the choke hold. She was unceremoniously dropped to the ground with a thud.

Everyone was instantly released from the hold and they all ran to their friend in alarm.

"Autumn!"

The girl in question coughed and wheezed and gasped for air. She forced out a response indicating that she was okay, but her friends didn't listen to her. Raymond gently picked her up and laid her down on the couch, propping her head on a cushion. She was given a moment to control her breathing, but when she opened her eyes, she saw everyone looking down at her with a new look in their eyes. She couldn't figure it out. All of them were crouched down next to her with conflict taking over their features.

"What?" Autumn's voice was strained as she croaked, and Kaylee handed her some water to ease her throat.

All of them frowned and exchanged looks before Adam asked, "Autie, why were you... coughing blood?"

Autumn's face turned solemn, "I don't know. It... started when I was looking for all of you and I don't want any of you to worry about it right now. I'll be fine. Our first priority is to find the letter and those names and get out of here. Then you can worry about me as much as you want."

It looked like they all wanted to say something, but they also knew that their friend was right. The sooner they end everything, the better it would be for everyone. Their minds just couldn't accept their best friend staying in pain all through it.

"And," Autumn started as she slowly got up into a sitting position against everyone's opposition, "None of you are stopping me from looking for the letter and the will."