Endless Love

“Breaking News: A woman taken as a hostage for seven years has been found!” the news reporter cried out. She moved quickly over to the broken and beat down house that appeared to be deep in the woods. Her eyes widened dramatically as the camera crew directed the cameras toward the scene, where “Caution: Keep Out” tape was resting against the house.

I sat forward on the couch, resting my elbows on my knees. I placed my chin in my hands, staring expectantly at the television screen. Who knew where this would lead?

Coming out of the house were two police officers wearing their usual dark blue uniform. The older, obviously more experienced cop had a gun pressed against the suspect’s head.

“Holy shit,” I whispered, astonished. I may not have caught enough of his appearance to describe him in a questioning, but seeing him on the screen, I recognized the guy who had attacked me. In the light, he was better looking, less creepy, but still creepy in his own way.

Dark blue eyes glared at the camera screens, and I felt that they were seeing through them, staring right at me. I shrank back against the couch, holding his gaze. His lips curved back into that creepy smile from the night before, and his hair blew in the wind. One of the officers moved behind him, cuffing his hands behind his back.

Grabbing the remote, I turned the volume up on the television, and leaned forward to hear better. When his eyes narrowed on the camera, he opened his mouth, whispering words that scared the living shit out of me, “I’m coming for you, Autumn.”

Fallon
I passed up the joint, instead going for the Bud Light on the table. It was surprising how fast that I became in the popular crowd. Back at home, I had never been real popular. Then again, most people hated me because they knew my secrets. They knew what I was running from, but I refused to let anyone know that. They figured that I came here because my parents forced me to move. I made up fake friends, a fake ex-girlfriend and fake parties.

“Not going to smoke, Fallon?” one of the guys asked. I believe his name was Gabe. He was a real cocksucker, one of those who sucked up to everyone to their faces, but talked behind their backs. Yet he was also the one who knew of the latest parties, sold drugs and had connections to alcohol. So he was one to keep on the good side.

“Nah, I’m not into that shit. My mom would have killed me had I ever tried one.” Would have, meaning past tense. She couldn’t now, since she had died when I was fourteen. It sucked. It was hard without her, and with my dad marrying his bimbo girlfriend, life got so much worse. I hate that woman. She was constantly trying to be my replacement mom and I wouldn’t have it. She was and would never be my mother. No one would, except for her. No one deserved that rule.

“You sure? There’s plenty to go around.” He waved the joint around before taking a deep inhale of his own. I had to force down a shudder of revulsion.

“Positive.” There were other forms of ways to have fun, drugs being ones that are off of the list. On the list were sex and alcohol. With those, at least a person knew what they were doing with their body and they could set a limit. I took a huge gulp of my Bud Light and sighed at the burning in my throat. It didn’t feel like it was enough. What kind of party was this, anyway? Who just sat around, drinking and smoking? Parties were supposed to be filled with idiots grinding against each other, alcohol being spilled onto the floors, among other things.

My eyes drifted over to a blonde who was currently giving Scott, a linebacker, a lap dance. Girls around here sure were slutty. And they called Autumn a whore? Jesus, these girls were fifty times more whorish than she was. Fuck me, why am I thinking about her? That girl is completely off limits. And not just because she told me to back off, but because she was the type of girl who expected way more out of people, such as relationships, presents during the holidays. I can’t do that shit, never could. Actually, that’s not true. Once, when I was younger, I could definitely do relationships. But that was until my girlfriend screwed me over harder than anyone had ever done before. That was another story, though, not one for right now.

I pressed the heel of my hand to my right eye, feeling a headache pounding behind it. “Damn it,” I muttered. This was why I hated parties, was why I hated thinking. It always ended badly, no matter what. I had to get out of here. “Sorry guys, but I gotta go.”

Autumn
Tears streamed down my cheeks, fear pounded through my veins, allowing my heart to beat faster than usual. I was scared. The guy was in prison for about five years, but he knew my name. He said that he was coming for me. He knew that I was watching the news. How did he know? I buried myself into the side of the couch, curling into a fetal position, my arms coiled tightly around my knees. Suddenly I wished that I wasn’t the only person, who had heard it, that someone else had been in the room with me. That way, I could know if I had been hallucinating.

“Hey, Au—what’s wrong?” Austin was immediately on his knees in front of the couch, his hands resting on my shoulders, rubbing gentle circles into the skin there. “What happened? Was it Sylvia?”

I shook my head, burrowing myself deeper within the couch, a sob building in my throat. “A-Austin,” I started, but couldn’t get the rest out. Sobs poured from my body, taking its toll on my. Before I knew it, I was gathered into his arms as he whispered soothing words in my ear. They weren’t working, though. Nothing was working. I was scared, but I couldn’t admit it. If I did, what would I tell him? He wouldn’t believe me, no one would. It was an impossible thing to happen. What if I had recorded it? It would have been on video and people would have believed me. Why hadn’t I thought of that sooner, why hadn’t I have rewound the program and recorded it? Then I would have proof. But I was an idiot who let fear possess me instead of overcoming it like I wished I could.

When I finally calmed down, he held me at arm’s length and gave me a puzzled look. “Sis, what happened? You never cry.”

I shook my head, gave him a forced smile that he narrowed his eyes at. He didn’t buy it. “I’m okay, just moody, that’s all.”

“Are you sure, because you tell me everything?” The frown that pulled at his lips made him look older, more mature. In some weird way, it was comforting, knowing that he had my back. If we hadn’t have been twins, I would have wanted him as an older brother. I feel that we still would have gotten along, that he still would have protected me from Sylvia.

“Yeah, don’t worry. Do me a favor, Austin, and don’t tell Mom about this? It will only worry her and she has enough on her plate.”

“Yeah, sure, no problem.” He looked past me, toward the door, and I knew then that he had been on his way to meet someone.

“Were you getting ready to go on a date or something else?”

“Ah, actually, I was getting ready to go to a party,” he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

My eyes narrowed, a sigh emitting from my lips. “Austin…”

“Want to come?” he suddenly asked. It shocked me enough to make me speechless. I was also confused. I was never invited to parties, because I hated them. They were loud, annoying and filled with idiots. It wasn’t something I usually partake it. I thought about it for a moment, and then figured why not? It might be fun, and hey, I can use a little distraction.

“Sure.”



The ground was shaking when we got there, the bass was that loud. People stood on the front lawn, leaning into each other and laughing hysterically, already drunk. The song “Welcome to the Jungle” by Guns N’ Roses blared through the speakers.

When we got out of the car and stepped up in front of the house, two girls barreled past me to get to my brother. I grabbed the blonde’s shoulder and whirled her around.

“Hey, what’s the big idea?” she snapped. When she saw who I was, she backed up a step, looking apologetic.

“Maybe you should learn to watch where you’re going before you decide to shove me out of the way, bitch,” I hissed, getting into her face. She cringed, backing away. I went to move forward, to antagonize her even more, but Austin placed a hand on my shoulder, stopping me. My eyes met his, an unreadable expression crossing my face. “Don’t do it, Austin, please. You changed.” I took a step back, away from him and then walked away, suddenly disappointed. I knew that he would never change; I knew that his promise was a broken one. Why did I try to believe in him?

“Autumn,” Austin called out, alarm ringing in his voice.

I glanced over my shoulder at him and shook my head. “I knew I shouldn’t have trusted you, Austin! I knew that you would never change, why did you lie to me?”