A Night without Stars

by Sabrina Albis

  Eric shrugged. “I doubt it but if you do, after that kiss, let me say, whatever you’re hiding I can live with it.”

  Autumn wanted to stay in this state of bliss forever. She forgot about the post-kiss endorphin rush. She knew she was grinning like a fool, and her face was flushed. Eric was relaxed, but she could see through it. He was resisting the temptation to kiss her again. Instead, he grabbed her hand, linking his fingers with hers.

  “I want you to know, I will explain everything to you in due time,” he said. “I just need time to take in what happened tonight.”

  “I understand,” Autumn said. “Take your time. However, I want you to know, you can talk to me when you’re ready Eric. You can trust me.”

  Eric smiled at her, his teeth showing. This was a rarity, and it made her heart flutter.

  “I know I can trust you Autumn. I wouldn’t have kissed you otherwise sweetheart.”

  As they walked down the corridor towards the front door, Autumn looked around. On the walls were elaborate paintings of landscapes, ancient castles and hooded figures.

  A nagging thought tugged at her brain, and she couldn’t ignore it.

  Did Eric’s family harbor a dark secret?

  Who were the people being avenged? Retribution seemed like a notion made for movies or television.

  Her mind ran wild with possibilities. One question led to another so easily that Autumn had to stop them from overrunning her mind. As Eric walked with her to meet her friends, her only thoughts were of him. She wanted to revel in this moment of happiness, not ruin it with confusion and doubt. What people said about Eric couldn’t be true right? He wasn’t really trouble was he?

  Autumn said goodbye to Eric and went to meet up with Rick and the others. As soon as they were off Eric’s property and safely in the car, the questions began. Everyone was talking at once, excitedly discussing everything that had happened.

  “What the hell was that?” Mandy asked. “I cannot believe those cousins of Eric’s! I mean sure, every family has their issues but causing a scene at a party? Awkward doesn’t begin to describe it,” she said. “Though I have to say, for an arrogant ass, Caleb was smoking hot.”

  Autumn turned from the passenger seat to look at Mandy, who was sitting in the back with Nathaniel.

  “I think you are barking up the wrong tree there Mandy. Arabella was insinuating that Renee and Caleb are kissing cousins.”

  “I doubt that,” Rick added, as he stopped at a yellow light. “But there was something definitely off about those two.”

  Autumn looked to Rick, who was steadfastly watching the road in the darkness.

  “Rick you have lived here forever. What are the caves?”

  “To be honest, I know very little about them Aut.”

  “They are haunted!” Nathaniel piped in. “That is what my brother Conrad told me. He and his biker friends go down there sometimes to drink and shoot the shit.”

  Mandy looked at Nathaniel in disbelief. “Conrad? Really?”

  Nathaniel gave her a dirty look. “It is a family name.”

  “One of Conrad’s buddies, Slick,” Nathaniel went on.

  Mandy smirked but said nothing this time.

  “He said people go missing in the caves all the time. Even the cops are too scared to go near them.”

  “That doesn’t say much dude. Most of the cops around here wouldn’t step out of their clown cars if it meant facing any real danger,” Rick muttered.

  Autumn frowned.

  “So Renee and Caleb are going there to do what exactly? To get revenge on the ghosts that apparently haunt these caves?”

  “Who knows?” Rick said. “Now please stop fidgeting Aut. You are making me nervous.”

  “Dude! I just got an awesome idea!” Nathaniel said suddenly.

  “Well there is a first time for everything I guess,” Mandy deadpanned.

  “What if we go to the caves and get footage there for your class project Rick?”

  Autumn turned forward again and looked at Rick’s face for a reaction. She saw nothing but an expression of intense concentration. He was focused on driving, and she couldn’t blame him.

  It was pitch-black out.

  “I don’t know man,” Rick said finally, sounding hesitant. “All the legends about that place …”

  “Are probably all myths and besides,” Nathaniel said. “If we can get video proof of something out there we would be famous dude! And you would totally ace your project!”

  Rick looked like he was pondering this. Autumn knew he didn’t have much time left. The video was due soon and like most things, Rick had procrastinated filming at the skate park. He was probably getting pretty desperate.

  “We don’t even have to go into the caves. We will just roam around outside them,” Nathaniel said, trying to sway Rick.

  “So apparently we aren’t going to heed Eric’s warnings about the caves being dangerous?” Autumn stated the obvious. “He was pretty distraught about his cousins going.”

  “What does Eric King know?” Nathaniel said, grimacing.

  “He is the prince of darkness, remember?” Mandy said sarcastically. “Come on Nathaniel. You are just jealous.”

  “That Eric looks better in black eyeliner than me?” he quipped.

  “No you halfwit,” Mandy said. “That he likes Autumn. I mean, he gave her a kiss on the forehead before we left.”

  “So? My mom kisses my forehead before I leave for school in the morning. It doesn’t mean she likes me!” Nathaniel pointed out.

  Mandy sighed, frustrated.

  “Autumn’s messy hair, the googly eyes Eric was giving her. You didn’t see it? I’d wager Eric didn’t just kiss her on the forehead Nate.”

  Autumn felt her face heat up and she was glad it was dark inside the car.

  “Enough Mandy,” Rick said, mercifully changing the subject. “I think going to the caves, as long as we don’t go inside them, is fine.”

  Autumn didn’t like this idea at all. “Is it even worth it Rick?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Catching the supernatural on film isn’t easy Rick. Most things that go bump in the night like to keep a low profile. Besides, you guys said yourself this is all hearsay, so if you leave with no footage, then what?”

  “Then I go back to plan A. Filming at the skate park.”

  Autumn shifted in her seat, trying to get comfortable. “And why are we going with plan B if plan A is the safest bet?”

  “Because,” Rick said glancing at Autumn for a split-second. “I want to film something intriguing and something unique.”

  Autumn closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She knew trying to change Rick’s mind was a fruitless endeavor. He was as stubborn as her when he set his mind on something.

  “So it’s settled. We will go tomorrow night,” Rick said.

  8

  When Autumn awoke Saturday morning, it wasn’t to the usual sound of her alarm blaring loudly. Instead, she heard birds chirping through her open window and rain drops gently pattering against the pane. She turned over and looked at her cell phone.

  It was nine in the morning. She snuggled deeper in the blankets, enjoying two thoughts: She could sleep in all day if she wanted, and she had made it through her first week at Whitan High. Eventually, her mind drifted lazily to thoughts of Eric, the caves and last night’s events.

  Autumn wasn’t even aware she had fallen back asleep until she heard a knock at her door. She sat upright in the bed, fixing her hair.

  “Hello?” she said groggily.

  “Hey Aut,” Rick said perkily through the door. He had obviously been awake awhile.

  “Can I come in?”

  Autumn pulled the blankets up to her chest.

  “Sure.”

  Rick opened the door slowly and stepped
in.

  “Hey,” he said. “You were still sleeping?”

  Today he was wearing a navy blue hoodie and jeans. He looked tired, like he hadn’t slept well.

  “It’s Saturday. We didn’t get in until late last night.”

  Rick nodded. “To be honest, I couldn’t stop thinking about the caves all night.”

  As he walked towards Autumn, she noticed he was carrying a large black backpack.

  She arched her eyebrows.

  “We don’t have school today.”

  “I know,” he said as he sat the backpack at the foot of Autumn’s bed. Autumn felt the mattress sink a little under its weight. “I spent most of the night researching online.”

  Autumn couldn’t help it. She was stunned. Rick was voluntarily researching something? She blinked.

  “Really?”

  Rick rolled his blue eyes. “Don’t look so surprised. Someone had to do it.”

  Autumn glanced at the black backpack again.

  “So what the hell is in there?”

  Rick’s face lit up with excitement. “What isn’t in the bag is the better question,” Rick began unzipping it.

  “Supplies for tonight of course.”

  “Supplies?” Autumn looked at him blankly.

  Rick nodded, and Autumn watched as he started to pull out a few things. She had to admit she was intrigued.

  Rick held up a variety of survival basics for her approval.

  “A compass, flashlights, a map of the area, extra batteries,” he began.

  “Well, at least we’ll be prepared,” Autumn said.

  “Oh, it gets better.” He dug deeper in the backpack and pulled out a large bag of salt, jiggling it meaningfully.

  “To keep the ghosts at bay,” he said, his voice lowered secretively.

  Autumn couldn’t help herself. She chuckled. “Are we going to season them first?”

  “I read it online. Ghosts hate salt,” Rick frowned.

  “Oh Ricky,” Autumn said, as she got out of her bed and began stretching. “I doubt we are running into anything out there tonight.”

  Autumn said the words trying to convince herself, but she felt nagging doubt in the back of her mind when she thought of the fight Eric and his cousins had. If there wasn’t something in those caves, why would Eric and his sister be so distraught?

  “Better safe than sorry right?” Rick said as he reached back into the bag, pulling out a large Catholic bible.

  “No matter what we run into, reading a passage from the bible always fights off the evil stuff in the movies.”

  Autumn patted Rick on the shoulder, grinning. “Well, you have all the bases covered Rick,” she admitted.

  He looked proudly at his stash strewn out on Autumn’s bed. “I know. We also need to make a stop today at the church downtown.”

  Autumn scrunched her face. “What for?”

  “Holy water of course,” Rick said.

  “Can Nathaniel even enter a church?” Autumn joked.

  “Oh and I almost forgot,” Rick said, pulling out two curved daggers. “Check these out.”

  They glimmered in the light shining through Autumn’s window. The handles were slate grey, and the blades were razor sharp. Their harsh edges glinted menacingly.

  “Most ghosts aren’t corporal,” Autumn said, examining the daggers.

  Rick looked at her blankly. “Meaning?”

  “Meaning, it may be hard to shank them Rick.”

  Rick nodded slowly. “They aren’t for the ghosts. During my research, I found stories online. The ghosts weren’t the only things people claimed to have seen in the caves.”

  He carefully handed Autumn a dagger. She took it hesitantly. A weapon felt foreign in her hands, almost uncomfortable.

  “I have never used a dagger before,” she admitted.

  “It’s simple. Just stab whatever attacks you.” Rick pantomimed a stabbing motion with his empty hand.

  Autumn stared at the dagger. She knew Rick had quite the intense sword collection in his basement, but she wasn’t aware of him owning any other blades.

  “Where did you get the daggers from?” she asked, handing the weapon back to him.

  “Nathaniel,” Rick said, his eyes gleaming with mischievousness. “He has connections.”

  Autumn looked at Rick in disbelief. “So you tried setting me up with a petty criminal?”

  “No! It’s his brother, Conrad. He’s in a biker gang. They run a huge part of town. So getting weapons is usually pretty easy for him.”

  “That is wonderful to know,” Autumn said sarcastically. “Anything else in the bag of tricks?”

  “Nope. That’s everything. Well, there is my camera. So I can record everything,” Rick said. “I even have an attachment for it. I can mount it to my head. Mom and dad got it for me for Christmas, so I could record my skateboarding from every angle.”

  As Autumn was listening to Rick, apprehension suddenly came over her. Were they making a huge mistake thinking all the cave rumors were fiction? Were they foolishly walking into a trap?

  Rick, who had begun packing up the supply bag, looked over at her, his brow furrowed. He could always tell when something was bothering her.

  “Autumn, what’s that look for?” Rick asked, scrutinizing her.

  She sat down on the edge of the bed and watched Rick put everything back into the backpack.

  “You heard Eric last night,” she said. “From what I gathered, being anywhere near those caves is dangerous.”

  Rick didn’t say anything. Instead, he continued putting items into his bag until he was finished.

  Autumn sighed, standing up. She began pacing the length of her room, frustration overwhelming her.

  Why wasn’t Rick listening to her? She knew if Eric was here, he would be admonishing them both for planning to visit the caves.

  “Hello? Earth to Rick! Aren’t you even the least bit worried?”

  Rick walked over to her and placed his hands squarely on her shoulders, effectively stopping her from moving. His blue eyes met her green ones.

  “Nope.”

  “Of course not,” Autumn said sardonically. “Why worry? It’s only our lives on the line!”

  “Autumn, I am not going to let anything happen to you,” Rick began, his eyes fixed on hers.

  “I can take care of myself!” Autumn said obstinately, and Rick laughed.

  “You are still stubborn. Glad to see that hasn’t changed.”

  “I just see this as our epic adventure,” he went on. “Life is ordinary. So, if we can spend one night chasing ghosts, I say, we are only young once. Let’s be a little reckless.”

  Autumn tried her best to be somber but she couldn’t help but smile. Hearing Rick talk about the caves like they were harmless, made her worries seem a little silly. She couldn’t forget Eric and Arabella’s warnings to Renee and Caleb, but they weren’t going into the caves. They would just be outside them.

  “So, are we going to do this or what?” Rick asked hopefully. “Then we can look back on our adventures when we are old and grey and being reckless is lawn bowling after taking our medication.”

  Autumn chuckled at the image in her head. Rick with graying curls and her wearing a floral granny dress as they tried their best to knock over pins. It was quite the mental picture.

  “Fine. We can go but we shouldn’t stay long. We get some footage and go, no tempting the fates,” Autumn reasoned. “And no going inside the caves. Deal?”

  Rick nodded, looking relieved. “Deal. I really want to get an A on this first assignment,” he admitted. “Besides, it could all be myths and legends right?”

  Rick spoke optimistically but even his voice harbored uncertainty.

  The logical part of Autumn’s brain told her it was ridiculous.

  Ev
il entities lurking in caves? It was preposterous.

  People could be evil, evil of the worst kind; she knew that for a fact. There was nothing more real than the evil that resided in the hearts of mankind.

  As for vampires, ghosts and werewolves being real? Those creatures were myths, and their stories were mere fables.

  Supernatural creatures were a part of many things: fiction books, horror movies and tales spoken around campfires. The one thing they weren’t a part of was real life.

  “It could all be just tales or maybe not,” Autumn answered Rick’s lingering question. “But we’ll see for ourselves soon enough.”

  9

  Autumn was relieved when Nathaniel arrived at around eight to pick her and Rick up. She spent most of the day climbing the walls, and she couldn’t relax. Now her fears had been pushed to the back of her mind, and her adrenaline was pumping.

  She just wanted to get this excursion over and done with.

  Eric sent her a text message around five o’clock asking her if she was busy. She told him she was going to Mandy’s for the night. Instantly, she felt terrible for lying to Eric, but she knew she couldn’t tell him the truth. The caves were a touchy subject for Eric, and she didn’t want him worrying about her.

  Autumn was pulling on a pair of boots when she heard honking outside. She looked up at Rick.

  “That’s Nate,” he said, strapping on his backpack.

  Autumn glanced once more around the empty house. Rick’s parents were gone on a business trip, and she was grateful they didn’t have to explain what they were doing tonight.

  There was a knock at the door, and Rick opened it just as Autumn finished fastening her boots.

  “Hey man,” Rick said as Nathaniel stepped in.

  “What’s up dude?”

  Nathaniel, who was dressed in a black hoodie and jeans, glanced at Autumn quickly before looking away.

  It was apparent he was still annoyed with her for running off with Eric last night.

  “Hey Nate,” she smiled brightly at him, a peace offering. She pulled on her grey pea coat and began buttoning it. “How are you?”

  “Ready for a night of adventure.” Nathaniel said, eyes on the ceiling.