Autumn’s Enigma: A Grandmother’s Haunting Tale Unfolds

By Srijana Raje

“I have traveled a lot in my childhood, and let me tell you, I am so thankful for the places I got to see. Some were interesting, and some were indifferent, but the place that truly left quite an impact on me felt boring at first. We came to the town of Tennessee in summer; it was insignificant, to say the least, and life went on. However, oh! I did make a few friends; Astoria and Nanda were my closest ones though. I am going to tell you straight away that no one looked forward to autumn, NO ONE. 

I mean school started in autumn, nothing more to say. However, I have a confession to make; I really like autumn, still do. Oh, the colors! It is really something when the pastel part of the world is revealed in October. Ok, so our story starts here. School had just started… Oh dear! Did I forget to switch off the oven? Hopefully, the apple pie is not burned. Here.” “Oh, don’t worry Granny, I’ll turn it off. Please continue,” Amara said. “OK, dear! Where was I? Oh yes, school had just started, I was very excited. For the school, of course, but also for the library beside the school. Let me make it clear; the story is not taking place in the school; the library is what is important. 

Some people called it quite weird, but then of course, half of them hated reading, and the other half school. Oh, yes! It was a weird old place, I tell you; glad it is behind us. I visited the place every day after school. Not to boast, but I read all the books in the kid’s section, and I went hunting for more. I asked the librarian, and she guided me to the upper section of the library. It was weird, a creaky
old-looking place, opposite of the first floor. 

After showing me the place, she left me alone to search for my next book to devour. I searched the place to its last corner, but I could not find a book I was interested in. I went to the last bookshelf and searched it, but then an invisible waspish voice whispered to me, “Open my book dear, don’t be afraid.” I was scared beyond my wits and screamed, but then a book on the topmost shelf fell on my head. You could just imagine my fear. It read “Autumn: The Mystery Girl.” I was speechless and wanted to scream, but did not. 

The voice whispered, “Open it or we both will die on this hill, dear.” Autumn: The Mystery Girl I should have immediately run downstairs and screamed my heart out, but I did not for some reason. Oh well! That wasn’t the end of my foolishness; I opened the book, and that was the biggest mistake of my life.” “What happened then, grandma?” “Don’t interrupt, Amara! Therefore, the book opened and sucked her, I mean me in, and all I remember of that was the voice singing an angelic tune and a look-alike of me staring at me, emptiness haunting her red eyes. “I was autumn, and now you are autumn.” In addition, suddenly, a searing pain took over my head, and then I was transported back to the library. I should have told my parents about it immediately, but something told me to keep this incident to myself. See, when I told you the place left quite an impact on me; I didn’t specify it was good.” 

“Oh wow, Granny, I am so sorry you had to experience that. But what happened to her, your look-alike?” Amara squeaked. Her grandmother was now cutting the apple pie when she said in the same waspish whispery tone she had previously described, “Oh old Autumn, I am afraid you shouldn’t be worried about her dear; she’s fine, but rather for your Granny…” Before Amara could realise what was going on, an angelic tune starts playing, and her “Grandmother’s” eyes turn red…