Into The Night

Autumn was restless. Though she'd paced the cramped cell countless times until her legs screamed in retaliation, they still craved more exercise.1

She sat on the small step near the entrance of the minuscule room, resting her chin on her knees. She could hear the cries, drunken songs and raucous laughter of her inmates, and, finding no other thing to intrigue her, listened to their shouted conversations, though she could see nothing through the red mist that hung in the musty prison air.2

One man was reminiscing to himself about the sweetest blood he'd ever tasted. By the sound of his haggard voice, he was quite a ways down the row, but his detailed and gory description carried well.3

The men in the cell next to her were fighting for attention over a chorus of tone-deaf singers. The little group of rebels - who had somehow managed to become friends and give each other only minimal black eyes - were planning a breakout that would never become a reality. According to what Autumn had overheard so far, they'd been stuck in their tiny cell for almost a century. She had only been condemned to this place about two years ago - which was not a very long time for a vampire - and already she was feeling claustrophobic. She couldn't imagine what it was like to spend a hundred years in here.4

Their breakout plan was quite elaborate and intricate, but it would never work. The security of the jail was much too high. So, though she longed to, Autumn could not join them in their false hopes.5

She stood up again, making her way through the mist - though it was thinner in the cells, it still permeated the air - to the bars that marked the front of the cell. She held onto the iron bars, gazing out into the endless fog. The opaque mist was put there so that prisoners wouldn't feel intimidated by their inmates, but instead of doing its job, it always made Autumn feel alone and cut off from the world. She knew her fellow prisoners were there, but in two years she'd hardly seen any of them.6

The sound of the heavy metal door at the end of the hall of cells being opened managed to bring her out of her reverie. All sounds of conversation and singing ceased, to be replaced with an anxious and slightly cryptic silence, interrupted only by the sound of heavy, booted footfalls on the dirty floor. All the prisoners waited impatiently to find out the reason for this unexpected visit.7

Autumn listened to the footsteps as they got louder and louder in volume; she was positive that, if she'd had a heart, it would be quickening at the same pace.8

The footsteps had stopped. She couldn't be sure in the fog, but it sounded as though they'd halted right in front of her door.9

A moment later, she was proven right. The jangle of keys sounded as the guard struggled to find the correct one on his no doubt weighed down keyring. Autumn backed up till she hit the farthest wall of the cell. What had she done to receive this visit from a guard? They only ventured in when something really terrible had happened.10

After a short time, a handsome face topped with a tuft of blond hair poked into Autumn's cell. Though his features were boyish, his expression was that of one hardened in an army camp. His voice reflected his expression - it was icy cold.11

"Autumn Phoenix?" He didn't wait for an answer. "There is a special visitor here to see you."12

Autumn was too numb with surprise to respond verbally, so she just nodded her head, unconsciously following him out of her cell.13

For once in her life, she was glad to have the mist all around her, for it hid the contemptuous glares the other prisoners were probably giving her. The truth was, she didn't want to be here. What if she had been sentenced to death, or something drastic like that?14

She followed the guard out of the prison hall, a little disoriented by the mist-less air that was provided outside. She hadn't seen or breathed air that wasn't polluted by the red mist for twenty-four months, and it was both a shock and a relief to feel it again.15

She had little time to revel in the oxygen, however, because the blond guard was walking swiftly. She had to jog to keep up with his fast pace.16

After a while of their silent progress - Autumn had tried and long since given up her attempt to keep track of time in this place - she found the courage to ask a question. "Where are you taking me?"17

The man did not answer her question directly. "Just a little farther now."18

"Who is it that's here to see me?"19

This time, he didn't even give her a vague answer. Instead he stayed quiet, his eyes fixed on the path ahead, and the two vampires lapsed into silence once more.20

Many twist and turns of the path later, they came to a large, circular, cavernous room. Doors with plaques announcing who resided behind them bent to accommodate the shape of the large room.21

Autumn had been here before...she knew this place. Behind each of the doors was a courtroom, the sign on the front informing you which judge wielded power in that particular room. She'd been dragged here, in handcuffs and shackles, for one of these snooty judges to decide whether she was guilty or innocent for the heinous crime that she hadn't committed.22

However, she had noticed when she'd come through this room on that fateful day, that the door directly opposite from the entrance had no plaque. At the time, she had been much too frightened to wonder on the reason for its lack of a sign. Now, she was only minimally scared, and was therefore intrigued by the blank door.23

She was only slightly surprised to see the guard making his way across the huge room toward the mysterious door. She must have known since they entered the anteroom that she wouldn't be led to another courtroom - after all, what was the use of giving a trial to someone who was already condemned?24

Autumn followed her leader eagerly across the room, anxious to see what was behind the door. There was a small part of her, somewhere deep down, that warned her it may not be a good thing. She ignored the little inkling of sense, keeping her ounce of hope kindling. It was the first hope she'd had in a long time, and she couldn't let it die.25

The man started fumbling again with his keyring, searching for the one that would open this door. Autumn fidgeted impatiently, wanting to jump in and help the man. Instead she just waited, biting her lip.26

After what seemed like an impossibly long time, the guard triumphantly selected a little silver key. With the smile of a conqueror on his face, he inserted the key into the keyhole, and opened the door.27

Autumn's imagination had been running overtime with the possibilities of what the door might be hiding, and now that she saw the interior of the room she realized that it had all been in vain. The little room was an office, possessing no imaginative attributes whatsoever. The most creative trait were probably the bookshelves that lined every wall of the windowless room, giving it the comfortingly musty scent of old tomes. It was a smell Autumn hadn't experienced for two years, and she welcomed it.28

In the middle of the room was a mahogany desk, upon which sat another set of books, a stack that was teetering precariously. There was also a globe of the world, and a large assortment of clear bottles housing potions of vibrant colors. A large leather chair sat behind the desk, and its twin resided on the other side, for visitors like herself.29

There was a person in the room. Autumn couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman, though she could see that, whatever the gender, it was a vampire. A deathly pale hand issued from the flowing sleeve of the mysterious being's cloak, running its long, spindly fingers over the many volumes of the farthest bookshelf.30

At the sound of the door opening, the figure turned around, so that Autumn could tell it was a female. Unnaturally beautiful, she had deep caramel-colored eyes that went with the heavy chestnut hair that cascaded past her shoulders and most likely down her back, though that part was covered by her cloak. There was a smile on her bloodred lips, which contrasted sharply with her perfect white teeth. Autumn was wary of her, though her smile was warm and welcoming.31

"Please, sit," the unnamed woman said. The smile still plastered on her face, she gestured to the leather visitor chair. Autumn had no choice bit to comply.32

"James," the woman's silky voice was now directed at the guard who had escorted Autumn. "You may leave now."33

"But I'm supposed to stay, in case she causes any trouble..." the man, James, was obviously in great conflict with himself.34

"Oh, look at her," the mysterious woman crooned, "I don't think she would be able to hurt me if she tried." She smiled at Autumn, her eyes blazing.35

"Um...okay," James complied. He exited the room, a confused look on his face, and closed the door behind him.36

"Now, Autumn." The woman's smile was still dutifully in place. "How did a young vampire such as yourself end up in a horrid place like this?"37

Autumn didn't answer her question, but asked one of her own. "Who are you?"38

"My name is Exaedria. I'm...well, let's just say I'm a friend. It may interest you to know that I have the power to release you from your sentence here." Autumn immediately perked up, and Exaedria raised an eyebrow. "But first, I want you to answer my question."39

Autumn took a deep breath. "I didn't do anything to get in here...well, not of my own accord, anyway. It's all because of my Biter...you know, the one who turned me into a vampire." Autumn wasn't sure if Exaedria would be familiar with the young vampire slang. "His name is Laurelo, and he's a thief." She waited while Exaedria went through the procedure reaction to this statement - everyone was always shocked to hear that her Biter was the notorious vampire criminal. "Well...he always forced me to work for him. I didn't want to, but..." Autumn shuddered, leaving her sentence unfinished. "Anyway, one day he was planning this huge heist to rob the Vampire Lord, and he needed me to play a major part. I didn't accept it, though he hurt me. I followed him, though, because...I guess I wanted to see what happened." She hadn't made it sound very excusable. "That was when I got caught. The real criminal escaped, but I got caught." Autumn could hardly keep herself from clenching her teeth. Whenever she thought about that fateful night, a huge wave of anger came over her, so powerful that usually she wasn't able to control it.40

"I see," Exaedria said. She paused, pondering. "There is one way that I can break your sentence."41

"And what is that?" Autumn prompted.42

"As you can imagine, the authorities have been trying for centuries to catch your father. Unfortunately for us, he is an expert at eluding those who wish to put him behind bars. When we get to the crime scene, he's long gone.43

"Finally we realized what we were missing. We're cops, and therefore he knows that we will always arrive with screaming sirens and blinking lights. We needed someone he could trust, that could lead us to him, convince him to stay where we want him long enough for us to capture him." She smiled, and this time it was not quite as nice as her first grin had been. "We needed someone like you."44

Autumn was appalled. "You want ME to find him?" she inquired incredulously. "How am I supposed to know where he is? I haven't seen him in over two years!"45

"But you're his child, so to speak." Exaedria had taken to walking around the small room, making elaborate hand gestures to accentuate her views. "Every vampire has a sort of bond with their Maker, if they look deep enough. Even if they've never seen him or her before, they'll know them when they see them." She stopped in her prancing, looking directly at Autumn. "It should be extra strong for you, since you spent so much time with him already."46

"But..." Autumn found that she was out of excuses. Already she was beginning to warm to the idea, liking it more and more. Her Biter was a fiend, an abomination. Why should she defend him? He'd hurt and threatened her so many times...it would feel good to turn him in after all that he'd done to her, and the vampire community.47

Exaedria was watching - though not seeing - Autumn's internal debate with a triumphant expression on her face. It seemed that she already knew what the outcome would be.48

Autumn sat up straight, ignoring the voices in her head that were getting fainter and fainter, telling her quietly the few reasons why she should save her Biter. "I'll do it," she announced.49

Exaedria smiled. "Excellent."50

~*~51

Autumn was nervous, but not very much so. Her excitement and anticipation out ruled her anxiety, and it was all she could do to keep herself from jumping up and down.52

Exaedria was explaining once again the arsenal of weapons she had concealed all over her person. She carried nothing else, except for the phone she was to call Exaedria with when she found him; she hadn't had much at the beginning of her life, and they'd stripped most of that away when they unfairly arrested her.53

She wasn't really listening to Exaedria, but instead she was lost in thought. She was imagining meeting her father - the background flickered into different locations, as she didn't know where her final destination would be. What would she say to him? What would he do? She realized she should be scared of Laurelo, but the sweet taste of near vengeance was too sweet.54

But she would have a long time to think about that. now Exaedria was telling her goodbye, be safe, good luck. She was giving her a few simple reminders. Then she opened the door to the cool October night.55

An inexplicable joy washed over Autumn as she felt the light breeze tickle her skin. This was one of the things she'd missed in her prison; the feel of wind on your arms, rain on your face, moonlight all over your body. Feeling it again made her yearn for the long journey ahead of her; at least she would be outside.56

With an eerie calm, she realized that she was ready. She was ready to take on anything.57

With Exaedria's final goodbyes echoing behind her, Autumn set off into the night.