Autumn in the City of Lights (30 page)

Connie looked up at me, her eyes bright with tears. “Autumn, I want you to meet someone.”

I glanced at Grey, who smiled and nodded. “It’s okay. The baby’s immune now.”

I approached cautiously. The baby was so small in her arms.  I craned my neck to see the little face without getting too close. Miniature lips. A teeny button nose. Two barely there wisps of eyebrows hovered over closed eyelids. One tiny fist with even tinier fingers was visible, tucked just under the baby’s chin.

“This is our son, Shad,” Connie whispered.

I looked up at her, but she was staring adoringly down at the small thing in her arms. Daniel appeared behind her. He squeezed my shoulder.

“It
is
a boy,” I said. “You called him a boy right before you left. But how did you know?”

“Just a sudden feeling,” Connie shrugged. “Well, that and after having three boys already, I figure boys are the only gender I can make!”

I wanted badly to touch that small, fuzzy head, but I kept my dirt-caked hands clasped behind me.

“Autumn?” Grey slipped his arm around me, pulling me into a hug. I looked up at him, and he bent his head to kiss me. “It’s so good to see you.”

“It’s so good to see you, too. All of you.” I looked behind Grey to the empty street. “Where’s Ben?”

“He’s up on the front porch, talking to Rissi.”  Grey pointed toward the house, his smile growing wider.

“I should go say hi. Don’t disappear again until I’ve gotten to hug you at least ten more times. Okay?”

“I promise,” he said. “Go say hi to Ben.”

I started toward the porch where Ben stood talking to Rissi. I was so happy they were all home again. Maybe now we could all start really living.

“Ben!” I yelled and jumped up the steps. “So did The University recruit you? Are you too smart for us Earthlings?”

Ben spread his hands wide, laughing. “Isn’t it obvious?”

Then I noticed Rissi was crying. I looked back at Ben, and it hit me. He was standing.
Standing
.

I took a step back and realized I was standing at the top of the stairs. I wobbled for a moment, and Ben reached out and grabbed me, pulling me back. I clutched his arms and stared at him. It was as if the accident had never happened. He stood perfectly with no assistance or pain.

“But, but... but... How?” I finally managed to say.

“I’ll explain it over food – I’m starving. The University may have the advantage on medicine, technology, and pretty much everything else, but their food sucks. Let’s eat.”

I stared in wonder as Ben picked Rissi up and tossed her over his shoulder, like he used to do when she was little, and carried her inside. I pointed to them as Daniel assisted Connie up the steps and into the shade of the porch.

“I know,” Daniel said.

“It’s a miracle,” I said.

“To us, it is,” he agreed. “But to The University, it’s science. Same thing with this little ball of warm dough here.”

Just then, Daniel’s little ball of warm dough parted his tiny, red lips and let out a shrill wail that seemed much too loud for such a small thing.

“Shad’s hungry,” Connie said.

“Some things never change,” I replied, staring in wonder at the now squalling baby waving his tiny fist in anger.

“Are you coming inside?” Daniel asked as they passed.

I nodded. “Wouldn’t miss the chance to eat at the same table as this Shad.”

They disappeared into the darkness of the house. Then it was just me and Grey. He held out his hand to me.

“Sit with me a minute before we go in?”

I took his hand, and we sat close together on the top step. I leaned against his solidness and sighed, content.

“I have to go back, Autumn,” Grey said quietly. “Not forever,” he added, when I looked up at him suddenly.

I let out a shaky breath and put my hand on my suddenly pounding heart. “Can we be done with freaking each other out and just
be
together forever?”

He laughed and drew me closer, under his arm. “Yes, please.”

“What do you have to go back for?” I asked. “And for how long?”

“We still need a solution that will eradicate The Plague here on earth so that none of the next generation die after they’re born.”

“Right,” I said slowly. “So I guess The University isn’t interested in being the permanent Labor and Delivery wing of our local hospital?”

“No, they’re eager to move on. However, Wingfield has agreed to make sure the ship stays put while we work so I can come back and forth.”

I leaned my head against him. “Can you stay for a little while before going back?”

“Of course,” he murmured, stroking my hair.

“I have one more request,” I said, closing my eyes.

He chuckled. “Yes?”

“Will you take me to see Mamó soon?”

“Absolutely.”

“Maybe we can take Ben and Rissi with us?”

He nodded. “I’ve missed you,
Fòmhair
.”

I pulled away just enough to look up at him. His blue eyes burned as he stared down at me. His fingertips grazed one of the bruises on my cheek, then his eyes finally met mine, and his expression softened. He lowered his head until his lips met mine. His kiss was like coming home. Welcoming, familiar, safe.

We looked out together across the yard and heard our family inside, preparing a meal in the usual loud way. Some things don’t change. And that was good.

“It’s over,” he whispered, holding me tightly against him.

“No,” I said. “It’s just beginning.”

January 1

13. Thirteen. 13. 13. 13. Finally. I’m going to be a teenager soon. It’s about time!!! I can’t wait. Being 12 is SO last year. We’re going to have a party with all my friends from school, and I think Miles is going to come. Le sigh! He is seriously the definition of CUTE. I’m not sure what I’m going to wear, though. It has to be awesome.

Ben gave me this journal for Christmas, and since it has a date listed on each page, if I write more than one page today, I guess I don’t have to write anything tomorrow.

So everything’s gotten pretty boring around here since Karl disappeared and The Reconstruction Front was disbanded. I mean, “boring” is probably not the right word, but honestly, it’s kind of dull around here now. All the adventure in the few years right after The Plague is over now, but we’re still as busy as ever. Constantly building, constantly cleaning (I HATE cleaning), but things are getting more organized, which I guess is good.

I spend a lot of my time helping on the Preservation of Life Committee. “We’re dedicated to finding and preserving the pre-plague way of life, striving to help others remember it and introduce it to the new lives among us.”

That’s our motto. We all had to memorize it. (I HATE memorizing things, except for maybe song lyrics.)

It’s mostly kids my age who work with P.O.L. I think the adults created it just to keep us kids out of their way. We save anything we find from the old life and store it all in these massive warehouses. Music, artwork, books, magazines, tools, toys, electronics — everything that used to mean something but isn’t all that useful right now gets logged, categorized and stored. It’s mostly really boring stuff, but sometimes we find something pretty cool. We’re allowed to borrow stuff from the catalogue, and right now, I’m obsessed with borrowing records. Miles found a record player last fall, and I got it working again, so he let me have it. I’m keeping it a secret from P.O.L. It’s under my bed, and I listen to music late at night. I also borrow tons of scifi books. I LOVE science fiction, especially anything by Heinlein. Maybe it’s because of Grey. It’s probably because of him. I can’t get enough! When I’m in the middle of a good book, I sometimes forget about school or a P.O.L. meeting I’m supposed to be at.

Ben is a super nerd, so he loves that I’m reading scifi. He runs four radio stations and talks about nothing but that these days. His wife Jen (my sister in law – WEIRD!) works at the hospital with Grey.

I also babysit a lot for Connie. Her son Shad is kind of like my little brother. He’s three years old and has adorable bright red hair, just like his dad. Shad’s little sister, Betsy, is one, and Connie is pregnant AGAIN. Autumn and Grey are also expecting. Both she and Connie will have their babies this fall.

They’re not the only ones either. Since Grey figured out the cure for the Crimson Fever, people started having babies like crazy. Grey stays so busy at the hospital these days that we hardly ever see him. Autumn still comes around just about every day, though. They live in a house across the street, but she says the garden there still isn’t as good as ours. Something about the dirt. I don’t know.

I wish there were more adventures like me and Autumn used to have. I miss it. Autumn says I’m crazy and just being a dramatic teenager. Whatever. At least she’s already calling me a teenager.

I want more adventures, so I can be like her. She’s a hero. And everyone knows who she is and what she did. No one knows who I am except this journal.

So maybe I should introduce myself.

My name is Marissa. And I’m not a little girl anymore.

way"far"er: noun 1. a person who travels on foot

The Wayfarer is a story of a teenage girl lost in the Central California foster system. After a particularly frightening confrontation with bullies at school, she runs away and unknowingly stumbles through a passageway to a land called Providence – the place between life and the afterlife. There she searches for someone she believes might be waiting for her, and is the one person who can make everything right again.

Dana Melton and Jessica Alexander, who write under the name Kirby Howell, have been writing together since 2000 when they met as freshmen in their first scriptwriting class at the University of Alabama. Dana, a native Southerner, quickly showed Jessica the ropes and the joys of living below the Mason-Dixon Line. Having lived in nearly every other part of the country, it didn’t take Jessica long to acclimate to sweet tea, grits and football. Four years later, with a couple film degrees under their belts, they moved to Los Angeles to pursue their professional writing careers.

Subscribe, follow, like, share, pin, tweet, and email us at:

The Official Kirby Howell Page

Kirby Howell on Facebook

The Autumn Series on Facebook

Kirby Howell on Pinterest

Kirby Howell on Twitter

Kirby Howell on Goodreads

Send us an Email

We began work on the first Autumn book in 2008. Seven years later, Autumn’s story is now complete. This would not have been an accomplishable goal if it weren’t for several people.

Our beta readers are always the engine of our train: Adrian, Anna, Ashley, Brian, Connie, Heather, Izza, Jen E, Jen K, Jessica, Joseph, Judy, June, Kristin, Melanie, Michelle, Pat, Poppy, Stephanie, Wendy, and always last but never least, Momma Kirby and Momma Howell.

Kristin Walters was our editor for the entire series. Boy are we happy to have befriended you! “Make it bleed!”

Judy Bogdonove – we’re ready for another lesson on lay and lie.

Raine McNeil – you designed the covers for all three Autumn books, and you didn’t disappoint with the final one. Thank you for creating the imagery readers will associate with Autumn.

A.Z.P. / Beta #0 – when you need a pretty gal to dye her hair red (magenta) and stand thisclose to a dude she’s never met, always call A. Pro.

Brent Wainscott – thank you for turning a potentially awkward photoshoot into a professional and memorable experience. Katie – you’re one lucky gal.

Here’s comes that Scotch, Brian Alexander. Thanks for all the pretty pics.

Thank you to Eric Melton, our astrophysics and aeronautics advisor, and to Dan Howell, our amateur radio advisor. Your geekery inspires us.

Heather Whidden, of “Reflections Of” Photography – our use of the fabulous “peaches & cream” author picture you snapped has been endless! We appreciate your expert photoshop skills!

HRH Bethany Jones, QUEEN of Oxford – Help! We need more French translated! Merci! Merci!

A big "xoxo" to our superfan and superfriend, Connie. Autumn would not be who she turned out to be without the guidance and love of the motherly "Connie."

Our families: Flyboy Eric, Momma and Poppa Howell, the Mookie Monster, Baby Belle Cheese, Mister Brian and Baby Danny Bear, Mum & “the Rev” Kirby, “Little” Buddy R., Famous Aunt Jen, and the Ninja. You knew we could do this before we did.

Finally, we’d like to thank our readers. To those of you who have taken the time to write reviews and reach out to us over the years, we appreciate your efforts to support us! Your encouragement usually came when we needed it most, and your kind words never failed to springboard us back into action. Amy D. – your Amazon review has held the top honors for being the most helpful review for over two years running! You rock! Amber-Rose – your unabashed enthusiasm for Autumn’s story was energizing and helped remind us what it was like to be a teenager. Mallorie M., Robin B., Diane L. – your emails to us came at a time when we were feeling low and unproductive, and your comments have rung in our collective ears ever since, buoying our spirits and resolve to continue writing. Though we’ve never met any of you, you’re our motivation. This book would not have been possible without you.