In my childhood years, I dwelled in an old-fashioned ranch-style house alongside my parents in the charming state of South Carolina. As any child living in a small rural town could attest, the lack of modern entertainment options rendered one’s imagination as their sole source of amusement. With no smartphones or internet at our disposal back then, I had to rely on myself to keep boredom at bay.
Our property boasted a vast expanse of land, roughly 15 acres of wooded area that beckoned me to explore every afternoon after school. As I roamed the trails, I would indulge in my fantasies, imagining myself as an adventurer or something childish like that. When summer break started this became my main source of entertainment.
One day while I was wandering about, I found myself at the outer edge of our property, where a small clearing came into view. It was there that a weathered shed and a heap of old tires lay abandoned.
Initially, I was filled with intrigue at the sight of it. Its appearance was reminiscent of an old storage shed, probably left behind by the previous owners. Giddy little me was more than happy to claim and declare it as my base for operations. As time passed, I found myself increasingly invested in the place. I would bring over various items like a small table, some chairs, and even a radio.
Whenever the sun set in the summer, fireflies would arise from the long grass and the whole clearing would light up like it was filled with a sea of little stars. It was just the most whimsically beautiful place you’d ever seen. Like something that came out of a fantasy movie. However, that wasn’t what made this place special.
What made it special was her.
It was a warm summer evening when I decided to take my stroll to the clearing. I just loved the way the sun cast golden light through the leaves of the trees during that time of day, and that sweet smell, like honeydew and dandelions.
However, as I approached the shack this particular day, I noticed a girl sitting on one of the tires, whittling a stick. She had chestnut brown hair and eyes that glowed like amber. She looked up as I walked closer and we both froze.
“Hello,” she said with a nervous smile. It had been ages since I last talked to someone new in this small rural town.
“Hi,” I replied, my voice quivering a little. The trees around us stood tall, watching as we stood there in silence.
“It’s such a nice spot, isn’t it?” she said, breaking the quietness. I nodded in agreement, my eyes studying her features, trying to get a read on her.
For a while, we just stood there, not sure what to say. Then, I mustered up the courage to ask, “Do you live nearby?”
“Yes, I do,” she responded with a soft smile, her eyes scanning the forest as if looking for something. “What about you?”
“I live nearby too,” I replied, feeling relieved that we weren’t complete strangers.
As we chatted, I felt the awkwardness dissipate and a sense of comfort settle in. It was like we had known each other, even though we had just met.
Before long, I offered to take her on a tour of the woods. She was hesitant at first, but I managed to persuade her. We walked through the winding paths, talking about anything and everything. When the sun began to set, casting a golden glow over everything around us, we found a small creek where we sat down and continued our conversation.
As the sky grew dark, I knew it was time to head back home. I walked her back to the shack, feeling grateful for this chance encounter. But as I was about to leave, I realized I had forgotten to ask her name.
“What’s your name?” I asked, feeling a little embarrassed.
“Autumn,” she replied, and it was like everything fell into place.
Her name lingered in my mind, and it was a perfect fit for her. She embodied the essence of the season - a refreshing breeze of change, bringing new beginnings.
The following days turned into weeks and weeks into months. Autumn and I spent every moment we could exploring the woods, laughing, and just being kids. It was a simpler time, a time when you were free to roam without a care in the world.
Looking back, those summer days were some of the happiest moments of my life. The memories of our adventures are etched in my mind forever. In those woods, I found warmth, friendship, and a special bond. A bond that only children can have.
I can still remember the excitement of rushing home to tell my parents about my newfound friend. They were just as surprised as I was that there was another family nearby that we didn’t know about. Their suggestion to invite her overfilled me with anticipation.
But when I asked Autumn if she wanted to come over, she politely declined. I then asked if I could visit her, but she said it wasn’t possible. Looking back now, I realize that I never actually did see her go home. We always walked back to the shed and said our goodbyes, but I never checked to see where she went or which direction she came from. And no matter how early I arrived, she was always there before me, adding to the air of mystery that surrounded her.
I didn’t want to force anything. I wanted her to open up whenever she felt comfortable. Time passed and Autumn became a constant presence in my life. She was the one who made the mundane days exciting, someone who added color to my world. But as summer came to an end, something strange began to happen. Autumn started to fade away, not literally. She just started to show up less and less, until one day, she stopped coming altogether.
Initially, I thought that Autumn may have only been staying for the summer and left without saying goodbye, or maybe she was just too busy with school to come out. Regardless of the reason, I felt sad and it didn’t take long for my parents to notice.
“What’s wrong, buddy?” My dad asked.
“Autumn hasn’t been around lately,” I replied with a heavy sigh.
My mom suggested, “Maybe she’s staying with relatives or something. Surely, she’ll come back next year.”
“It’s strange because she never told me where she was staying,” I remarked.
“Oh, I forgot to mention,” my dad added. “I checked and there are no properties nearby, so I have no clue where your friend could be from.”
“Where did you usually find her?” my parents asked in unison.
“At the shed in the woods,” I answered.
My parents looked at me in confusion.
“What shed?” they asked.
I explained to them about the old, rundown shed at the edge of our property with piles of old tires.
Upon my dad’s expression of interest, I decided to give him a tour of the place. I took him down the path I usually take in the woods and into the forest clearing. I noticed that the shed seemed even gloomier than before. Nonetheless, we entered.
“Great job on this place, buddy,” my dad complimented.
“Thanks,” I replied, and proceeded to show him the changes I had made to the interior and exterior of the shed. As we exited, my dad mentioned his willingness to assist with rebuilding some parts of the structure. Suddenly, his attention was drawn to something nearby.
“Hey, have you considered moving these tires out of the way?” he asked.
“Huh? I hadn’t thought of it,” I responded.
My dad mustered up his strength and lifted the tire closest to the shed, which happened to be the same tire I found Autumn sitting on when I met her. To my astonishment, there was a trap door beneath it.
We exchanged bewildered looks, both surprised by the sudden discovery.
“I never knew this was here,” I remarked.
My dad suggested we investigate, and my curiosity got the best of me. He struggled at first, but eventually managed to force open the trap door. A rickety wooden ladder led down into the hidden cellar. My dad bravely went down first and, after confirming it was safe, I followed.
The cellar was filled with crates and barrels. My dad eagerly opened some and found bottles of alcohol.
“Woah-ho, Jackpot!” my dad exclaimed.
As he began to loot the crates, I ventured deeper into the cellar. That’s when something slowly came into picture. My stomach sank and the air around me froze. Sitting up against the cold cellar wall was a skeleton.
A small human skeleton.
I was so shocked, my mind went blank, words weren’t able to come out of my mouth, and instead, I let out a scream. My dad came rushing over to see what had caused my distress. When he saw the ghoulish-looking shell of a corpse, he too was left breathless. “Oh my god,” he whispered.
The events that followed were a blur to me. I can’t recall all the details. The police were summoned and cordoned off the area with tape. Following an extensive investigation and numerous visits from the local forensic examiner, it was discovered that the remains belonged to a girl who had gone missing 15 years earlier.
The previous owners of the property were abusive parents who mistreated their child. The girl frequently appeared at school with bruises, in soiled clothing, and was severely malnourished. Child protective services had been notified and were about to intervene, but one day the girl vanished.
The county police department had always suspected the parents had something to do with the disappearance, but lacked sufficient evidence to pursue them. Their suspicions remained unsubstantiated. Like many missing person cases, the investigation eventually went cold and the girl was never located.
However, there was one detail that stood out.
The girl’s name was Autumn.