Lifeline (Chills Fanfic)

69 - Autumn

When I manage to get back to my home, I find that there is no sign of anyone. No sign of Freya, Arlo, and Emma. I search the entire house, but there is no one.

What do I do now?

I head down to where I know there will be people, and I see a man by the name of Henderson, walking around the compound we live in. I walk over to Henderson and he looks at me, his brown eyes locking on me with uncomfortable intensity.

"Well, well, well," says Henderson. "You look like you could use some help. Am I right?"

I nod. "Dylan needs my help. He's trapped, and I need to save him. Please, you gotta help me."

Henderson frowns. "You want me to help you rescue your boy?"

"He's not my property. He's in danger. Please, we don't have much time. If you don't want to help me, or can't, then direct me to who can help me."

An unsettling smile crosses his face. "You think I would help you at all?" He scoffs. Henderson walks away, leaving me alone in the middle of the compound, with no one around me.

I walk and walk until I finally have reached a place where I think maybe my friends are. But I still don't see any sign of them, nowhere.

"Hey, are you okay?"

I turn around, looking at a woman with bronze skin, long, flowing red hair the color of blood, and her eyes are dark brown. The woman wears a blood-red dress and a blue jeans skirt, with pumps. She stands slightly taller than me, and she taps her fingers against her chin as she walks up.

"Please tell me you know someone who can help me save my friend," I say.

She looks at me. "Of course. I can help you, actually."

"Are you sure?"

She tilts her head to the side. "Yes, of course I'm sure."

"My name is Autumn," I say.

"Nice to meet you, my name is Calla."

"Have you seen my friends, Arlo, Emma, and Freya?" I ask her.

Calla taps her chin. "No, I haven't seen them. But I have heard of them, seen them before."

"I need to find them and then go rescue my friend," I say to her. Calla nods. We then start to walk down the sidewalk and start toward Illyrica's borders.

Calla and I walk along in silence, and when we reach the edge of Illyrica, I see a man standing among the Elders, his back to us, showing us his large, leathery wings. He turns around as we walk up, and I look into his red eyes and look at his short, black hair.

"Hello, Xander."

"Calla," he says.

"Are you up for helping us find Autumn's friends?" Calla asks.

Xander looks at her, and a small smile forms on his face. "I love a challenge."

Calla looks at me. "Xander here is a wraith. But he doesn't work for the Darkness anymore."

"Nice to meet you," I say to him, not knowing what else to say.

"So, who are we after now?" he asks.

"First, my friends Freya, Arlo, and Emma."

"Okay. And then who?"

"Dylan, my other friend."

"And that's who we are rescuing?" Xander asks.

"Yes," says Calla.

Xander nods. "Okay. Well, let's go then."