|
Post by Sharkbait on Sept 23, 2008 18:55:29 GMT -5
"I guess you're right, especially considering the story behind it," Autumn said, biting her lip nervously. "It's a cemetery about 50 miles north of here. There are only about a hundred graves there and they're all clustered in the same area. The morgue part is on the opposite end. I'm guessing they're keeping him in there."
|
|
|
Post by starcrossed on Sept 23, 2008 18:58:27 GMT -5
Daemon nodded, rapidly affixing the information in his memory bank, and said simply, "Thank you. Shall I see the Headmistress about preparing a room for him, or would you prefer to handle that yourself as well?"
|
|
|
Post by Sharkbait on Sept 23, 2008 19:30:25 GMT -5
Autumn looked up at him, a smile playing on her lips. "Would you do that?That would be really helpful," she said. "I want to leave as soon as I can so I don't think I have enough time to do that right now. Then, he'll probably be completely wiped out when we get back, so it would be better to have a room ready."
|
|
|
Post by starcrossed on Sept 23, 2008 22:46:12 GMT -5
"Of course," Daemon said with a faint smile of his own. "I'll see to all the arrangements here. Do you need help packing?"
|
|
|
Post by Sharkbait on Sept 24, 2008 5:33:01 GMT -5
Autumn shook her head. "I'm not bringing anything but a little money for food," she said. "I can use my wand to clean my clothes, so I don't really need anything else. It would just slow me down."
|
|
|
Post by starcrossed on Sept 24, 2008 10:00:55 GMT -5
Daemon nodded and then said reluctantly, "You better get going, then. No time to lose."
|
|
|
Post by Sharkbait on Sept 24, 2008 16:59:06 GMT -5
Autumn nodded and looked up at him, tears forming at the edge of her eyes. She wanted to tell him how she really felt before she left in case she really did get killed, but she couldn't. She had to believe she could do this on her own. She tightened her arms around him for another quick hug before practically ripping herself away from him and speeding down the hall. "I'll be back soon," she called behind her. "Be safe while I'm gone," she added softly to herself.
|
|
|
Post by starcrossed on Sept 24, 2008 17:06:53 GMT -5
"See to it that you are," he said with a small smile, raising one hand in a brief wave. When she was far enough away that he assumed she wouldn't be able to hear his thoughts and that she would be preoccupied with other things, he finally allowed himself to think fully about the time limit she had set. He would give her two days before he followed. He wouldn't rush in immediately, just tail her, out of sight, and make sure nothing had gone wrong.
|
|
|
Post by Sharkbait on Sept 24, 2008 17:36:47 GMT -5
Autumn started her journey running, knowing that she could levitate herself when she got tired. She focused on getting to her brother rather than thinking about who she had just left. She had a feeling he would follow her, but she still wanted to do this on her own.
|
|
|
Post by Sharkbait on Sept 24, 2008 20:36:53 GMT -5
[New Scene.... Two days later... ]
Autumn sat, huddled in a corner of the dank room, her arms wrapped around her legs and her knees tucked under her chin. She hadn't moved from that spot for hours. Not since she'd tried for the twenty-fifth time to get out of the room. She gave up after that. She hadn't eaten in over two days. She couldn't sleep. One thing kept playing over and over in her mind: the ten minutes in which she had seen her parents the day before. Autumn focused on that because it gave her resolve, however small, to find a way out of that tiny, damp, dark space.
|
|
|
Post by starcrossed on Sept 24, 2008 21:13:57 GMT -5
It had been two days, and Autumn hadn't returned. Daemon had set off on his own without warning any of the professors or the Head of his intentions. Upon locating the cemetery, he lay in wait near the building until he saw people emerge. Overhearing snippets of their conversation, he discovered all that he needed to know - Autumn was in trouble. Once he was sure they were gone, he retrieved a set of lock picks from a hidden pocket in one of his boots, then got to work on the doors. The front doors were easy. He'd made a quick circuit of the rest of the morgue, but only one door was locked magically. They were complex spells, and it took him a while to puzzle them out. All the while he kept a careful ear out for any sounds of approach. Finally cracking the locks, Daemon hastily opened the door. With an uttered lumos, he illuminated the room, and swore when he saw Autumn. Rushing to her side he knelt down and skimmed his eyes over her body, performing a quick evaluation as he asked, "Autumn? Are you hurt?" It would have been pointless to ask 'Are you alright'. She clearly wasn't.
|
|
|
Post by Sharkbait on Sept 24, 2008 21:18:48 GMT -5
Autumn thought she heard someone picking the locks, but she didn't hold on to that hope. She went back to her plotting until a light shined in her eyes. She couldn't tell who was there until she heard Daemon's voice. She didn't believe what was happening and she didn't really even heard his question. She gazed at him, her eyes full of wonder. Her hand hesitantly reached up to brush her fingers against his cheek. "And here I thought sleep would bring me nightmares," she whispered.
|
|
|
Post by starcrossed on Sept 24, 2008 21:30:19 GMT -5
Daemon laughed shakily, turning so his lips brushed against her fingertips as he said, "I wouldn't rule out nightmares just yet, but I assure you that you are awake." He reached out to brush her hair out of her face and then asked, eyes flashing with anger, "What did they do to you?"
|
|
|
Post by Sharkbait on Sept 24, 2008 21:34:25 GMT -5
Autumn's eyes closed at the feel of his lips on her fingers. She kept her hand there, not wanting the feeling to end. She heard his response this time and sighed, whether in relief at seeing him or frustration that she couldn't do it alone, she wasn't sure. "They didn't do anything to me," she said. "I walked into the room, the spells were cast, and they left me here to die. That was their goal: to accomplish what they couldn't when I was younger."
|
|
|
Post by starcrossed on Sept 24, 2008 21:37:55 GMT -5
Daemon snarled softly at that, then asked brusquely, "You are not hurt, then? Will they be coming back?"
|
|
|
Post by Sharkbait on Sept 24, 2008 21:41:43 GMT -5
"They won't come back until they are sure that I would have sufficient time to die," Autumn said. She turned her hand to cup his cheek. "Please don't do anything to them. The fact that they failed again should be punishment enough. And that's because of you. You saved me. And now we're even." She smiled softly up at him.
|
|
|
Post by starcrossed on Sept 24, 2008 21:50:19 GMT -5
Daemon sighed and said reluctantly, "I promise not to harm them." That didn't mean he couldn't haunt their dreams a little. "Where is your brother?"
|
|
|
Post by Sharkbait on Sept 24, 2008 21:54:39 GMT -5
Autumn grimaced. "In Greece visiting relatives for a month," she said. "They didn't want him to know. He doesn't even know who I am." A tear fell down her cheek and her hand fell from his face. "I failed him," she whispered.
|
|
|
Post by starcrossed on Sept 24, 2008 22:09:27 GMT -5
"No," Daemon said fervently. "You didn't. There was nothing to fail at in the first place." He thought for a moment, then said, "I have some contacts who could locate him. You could still find him, meet him, if you wanted to."
|
|
|
Post by Sharkbait on Sept 24, 2008 22:13:18 GMT -5
"No, he's lost at this point," Autumn said. "He wouldn't trust me. It's probably better this way." She sighed and looked at the floor. "I guess the only thing to do now is go back to school."
|
|