FOUND AND LOST

Evan stood with the doorknob in his hand. He knew there was no more running where Autumn could not find him. "Come inside, Evan, since you already let yourself in." Autumn opened the fridge and poured him some juice. No one made a sudden movement or talked. "I don't know about you guys, but that two weeks of rest got me feeling good." He laughed and stored the juice away. "You dyed your hair back," Zia said, trying to make small talk as Evan carefully closed the door. "Blond just didn't suit me. Black is more suffice." Autumn drank his glass of juice and washed out the glass. "So, are we still going forward with the plan?" Xavier asked, glancing over at Zia, who tried to tell him not to bring up the conversation. "Fuck that plan. Evan is not a treat anymore since I took away the curse I put on him. He's just human now, so feel free to kill him. I know you all are just dying to do it. Other than that, we don't need to escape the cult anymore because I have dealt with them. Something I always need to do since I'm the only one with proper brain cells." Autumn said and sat down at the kitchen counter. He pulled forward a bowl of nuts and nibbled on it. "How do you mean dealing with them?"

Zia asked. "I just made some arrangements that will suit me better because all of you are too fucking stupid to do anything." Autumn pushed the bowl to Walter. "Feel free to eat." He teased and turned into Zia. "What deal did you make, Autumn?" Xavier moved closer as he could see Zia getting distressed. "The same one you took, my dear friend. Just better. I leveraged my freedom for all of your dead bodies. Fun, isn't it?" He laughed. Xavier pulled Zia aside when she wanted to attack Autumn. "Feisty." He said and sat down in his father's chair, facing all of them. "I know you guys know about my sudden reimage of myself and the past. Well, not all of you know just him."

Autumn pointed at Evan. "He knows more than you. Do you want to explain to them my sweet ex? Make it sound good." Autumn said excitedly. Evan watched everyone's eyes on him, waiting on him to say something. "He has been using everyone to get whatever he wanted. Used me as a loophole to get out of the cult. He fooled the cult into thinking he was already claimed, but he was not. He has been playing a role because there is something in it for him. Something he has been looking forward too for a very long time." Evan said, and Autumn applauded him.

"That is correct. I have been playing all of you. He was acting like this fragile piece of glass, which is about to break at any moment. Making you think I care about any of you. You all were just one step in my process in my beginning. It is my story and none of yours." Autumn was egotistic, and all of them knew he was broken. He didn't even look the same anymore. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Walter, your not part of the being killed part. So you can leave at any time you like." Walter didn't know if he should thank Autumn or not. He said okay and stood there, observing them. "I can't reveal my whole plan for you as of yet because that will just kill this moment we are having. So I will rather keep it for when you all of you are dead. I'll give a special service." He tormented them. "Why? Why are you like this?"

Zia asked, concerned stepping closer to him. Autumn got furious, "You ask me why! Why did all of you kill my mother? Why did all of you kill Evan? Why did all of the trade his life for your own by the cult? Why did you offer me up for your freedom? And you ask me why I am like this!" Autumn's voice echoed through the house. Trembling the small furniture. "You know what?" He stood up from the couch, "I would have just killed you all now, but that is not fun. I'll give 1 hour until I find every one of you and murder you. For the time being, I'll be at the diner with Walter." Autumn headed to the door and called Walter to come. Zia, Evan, and Xavier all gave him dead looks. "How far are you willing to go to save your own life? Surprise me." Autumn said and slammed the door close. "Fuuuuck," Zia screamed.

Walter opened the diner door as Autumn stepped inside. It was not full at all—just a few people at different tables. Autumn sat down at the window table, and so did Walter. "So, why are we here?" He asked as Autumn checked through the menu. "A history lesson," Autumn said through the list. "I…don't …understand." Walter said, and Autumn sat down his menu. "I know all of this is very weird and scary at the moment, but you should not be. All of us come from a cult. A cult called The Void, we feed off of the people we kill. It is mostly made out of dead humans, and that's what we are. That is what I am now, I guess. If you die at the hands of us and resurrect you, if you accept death, you become part of us. The cult is led by a very, very dangerous man called Atreus. Lord of the Void. Feeder of souls. He is the one who makes every happen the way it should, and I'm the one who wants all of that to happen. You see diner boy. He wants you. He wants you to be a part of us." Autumn elucidated. Walter thought about what he had to say. He didn't want Autumn to make a scene. "What if I don't want to be who you are?" Walter carefully asked. Autumn chuckled at his question. "I do think anyone has ever said no to him. You have guts." Walter could see he was staring at a different person. Someone he doesn't know. Autumn grabbed Walter's arm and pulled him closer to him. "Listen here. You got into this because you fucked Evan, and then you thought you could get to me. Your nothing but a slut. Your life would be way better if you just agreed." Autumn felt his hand burning up. "What the fuck." He let go of Walter's arm and saw the flesh of his hand was burned off. Walter didn't know what happened at all. "I'll be back for you, Walter." He said and stormed out of the diner. Walter rubbed his arm, where Autumn held him. The brush he left behind, slowly cleared up. "What the hell." He whispered to himself.

Xavier rushed after Zia as she packed herself a bag. Throwing whatever she could find inside of it. "You need to calm down," Xavier said, trying to stop her from packing. "No Xavier, you need to be more worried because Autumn finally broke after the bullshit we did to him. And he wants blood. He wants us dead, so I will not calm down." She stressed and pushed him aside. "He can't kill us, Zia. We all still part of the cult." Xavier took her bag and moved it away. "You are so stupid. Haven't you realized how dimmed out our abilities have lately been? He has been carrying our weight for so long, and now he's using that to kill us. We dying Xavier, just fucking deal with it." Zia jerked her bag out of Xavier's hand. He stepped aside and let her pack. Both their phones went off. It was a message from Autumn. "One hour is up. Meet me at the uphill forest. Try to run, and I'll bury you alive, smiley face emoji." Xavier read. "He's just fucking with us. After everything, this is just how it ends? Is this how we give up?" Zia sat down, throwing her bag on her bed. "I mean nothing makes sense. He just wakes up, and then he realizes he wants to end us all. Who bloody does that?" Xavier sat down and comforted her. "I'm not even sure that is Autumn. He might look like him, but it's not him." Xavier said. Xavier held Zia for a while before Autumn appeared out of nowhere, grabbed them both, and appeared on the uphill forest. "You took too long." He said as the wind restlessly blew. He vanished and then appeared with Evan, who he threw onto the floor. "You guys are no fun," Autumn said, stepping over Evan's body. "We here so that you can kill us right. So get it fucking over. Kill us!" Zia yelled. Evan got up onto his feet, dusting himself off. "You do tell me what to fucking do!" Autumn screamed. "I don't think to make him angry is going to solve anything," Evan said, walking over to them. "Fuck him! Fuck you for thinking you so powerful and all mighty, deciding when we suppose to die or not. Who the fuck do you think you are!" Zia was manic, completely losing herself. "I am the one who fucking saved all your lives over and over again. Letting you fuck me over endlessly. I am done being that guy." Autumn felt the ground trembling beneath his feet. The wind picked up more and trees rattled against each other. "I'm finally me." He laughed. "Do you trust me?" Evan asked them. "Barely, but yes," Zia said. Evan placed his hand on Zia's shoulder and chanted. "You all just piece on in my story!" Autumn went on. "If I run. You run." Evan said and ran towards Autumn, tackling him. They fought as Evan pushed him off the hill. "Come on, let's go," Xavier commanded, and they ran into the forest. Evan and Autumn fought each other as they fell. Autumn tried to get Evan off of him, but Evan held onto him, gripping. They fell faster and faster as the ground moved closer and closer. Autumn pushed Evan off of him and got the release he needed. He vanished before Evan could get hold of him again. Autumn stood on the ground and watched Evan fell to his death. He bends over Evan's body and smirked, "Nice try." He said and vanished. Xavier and Zia ran through the woods trying not to separate. They could see the road ahead and run faster. Autumn appeared out of nowhere in front of Xavier and pushed him. He fell rolling between the rubble and tree trunks, eventually breaking his neck against a tree. Zia stopped and stared chanting, lighting Autumn's body on fire. He wasn't screaming or feeling any pain; he just walked over to her and placed his burning hand on her face. Melting it off. Autumn ripped off his sweater and threw it on the floor. He saw Walter rushing down to them. Walter saw Zia and Xavier lying on the ground dead. He tried to make a run for it, but Autumn stood in his way. "I don't know why I can't touch you or why I can't hurt you, but I will come back for you, and I will have your dead body in my hands, and you will be claimed." He said and vanished. Walter looked around, trying to find him be he was gone. He stood alone over their dead bodies, not knowing what he has to do and not knowing if they'll ever wake up. "Somebody help me!" He yelled as his voice echoed through the forest.

One hour ago

"Autumn." A woman called. "Wake up, Autumn." She called again. Autumn tried to move, but his hands were chained to the walls. He opened his eyes and saw he was stuck inside of the dungeon prison. "Finally, you awake." A man said, but Autumn could not know where the man was. "I've been waiting for you to wake up for so long." He said, moving into Autumn's vision. "You are a very popular man Autumn. Very dangerous as well." The man said, bowing down in front of him. "Atreus." Autumn weakly said. "Welcome home, Autumn. Everyone has been waiting upon your arrival." He said.

Autumn looked up and saw hundreds of people with black robes bowing down at him. "I know this is very confusing, but we just had to have you." Atreus rubbed his fingers over Autumn's cheek. "My friends," Autumn asked. "They all dead by now. I took the opportunity of separating your true nature from you." Atreus stood up when Autumn started fighting to get lose. "When you stopped time, we knew it was our moment to take charge. To have you for us, so we took you, Autumn." Atreus said. "You can't keep me here." Autumn fought to get lose again. "We not keeping you here against your will Autumn. It's our agreement. This was the promise you made if you were ever claimed. This is what you have been striving for. This is what you destined for." The cult all began praising Autumn, "Hail Lord Autumn." Autumn screamed no as they worshiped him. "There is no more running Autumn. You were lost, and now you found. Hail Lord Autumn." Atreus praised. "Hail Lord Autumn." The cult praised. Autumn screamed no, wanting to wake up, but he was already awake. Tears fell from his eyes as the cult worshipped and worshipped him. "What did I do?" He whispered to himself.