Everything Dies in the Autumn

“Everything dies in the autumn,” she thought as she scooted the crunchy leaves under feet. Walking to class each day had become bothersome. Same buildings, same sidewalk, same people making their way to their respective places. She wondered to herself each day why her life had been consumed with this town. She loved it, but she hated it. She loved being so involved on campus and in organizations because she loved the people. She wouldn’t be here if God hadn’t orchestrated it all, but 18 years in the same place for a person who desired to see the world didn’t necessarily work out in her mind.

“Life brings forth opportunity.”

If she could just wait four years for this degree, she could travel to places. Then she could feel like she was actually doing something with her life. Attending the small, private, Christian school for 13 years hadn’t actually prepared her anything now that she was at a four year university 45 minutes from that same school. College preparatory school? “What a false claim,” she thought.

After class that day she needed some quiet time in the dorm. Since Trish wouldn’t be back for a while, tonight was the night. Homework, facebook, paper, facebook, email, paper, facebook... such a nice rhythm for a student. A rhythm that was interrupted by Trish’s return.

“I guess I’ll go move my car before I get another parking ticket this week,” she said in a funk trying to avoid conversation with Trish. She couldn’t seem to get rid of this funk lately. It had overtaken her heart, and by herself she couldn’t get rid of it. Sometimes it seemed like God didn’t want to help either no matter how hard she prayed. If only she had been praying lately, she had to stop making excuses for herself. “I’m such a contradiction,” she knew it was true.

After moving her car to a place where her permit would work, she walked back to the dorm.

Swish... Swish... Swish...

Lost in thought she never noticed the man in track pants making his way quickly to her.

Swish, swish, swish...

As the strong right hand grabbed her neck, she felt the cold metal graze her neck.

“Give me your money, Bitch,” he spit out between his teeth.

“I... I... I don’t have anything on me.” she said timidly not knowing exactly what was going on as she moved her face to meet his black, tattooed, scarred face.

“Give me your money, Bitch!” he said a little more hurried.

“I don’t have anything on me. All I have are my keys and my phone. Take them,” she said trying, the only way she knew how, to convince him to leave her alone because she knew now that cold metal was a gun stabbed into the left side of her neck.

Just then another girl came out of the opposing dorm opening up her umbrella avoiding eye contact with what seemed to be an arguing couple. “There’s nothing she can do,” she thought as she was pretty sure she was going to lose her life.

As this obviously taller and stronger man pushed her away, he yelled in an angry voice, “RUN, BITCH!”

She walked calmly back into the dorm. She looked behind her to see the man run after the other girl as she escaped his grasp into the dorm.

“Call the cops. There’s a man with a gun outside.”

“Are you serious?” questioned the dorm worker.

“I’m serious! Call the cops!” she said frustrated.

She had amazed herself how calm she was during the whole situation as she stood at the desk. Just then Trish came bounding down the stairs on her way to work on a sorority project with a girl from another dorm. How happy she seemed. How wonderful this roommate was. How beautiful and loving. How innocent and God glorifying her life was. She was so honored and blessed to live with Trish because it was only by God’s grace that they lived together.

“You can’t go outside,” she said exasperated realizing the danger Trish was in.

“What’s going on?” Trish worried.

“I... I... just got held up.” Being in this place of people walking everywhere, all the emotions flooded her. All the emotions gripped her. She broke down. She couldn’t do it. As her knees buckled and tears flowed, Trish held her.

“Let’s move to the couch, while we wait for the police.”

After having her face in her palms for what seemed like hours, she looked up and realized how blessed she was to live in this dorm. Surrounding her were sorority sisters, friends from other sororities and organizations, and even her brother’s friends stayed with her. They had all heard through the grapevine what had happened. Many had left their rooms after they heard to come sit with her. Many just saw in passing and stayed. Some even came from other dorms ignoring the lockdown that the campus had gone on.

“Do you want me to call Brandon?” asked Marie Claire, one of her brother’s friends.

“Yes. Please.” she tried to sound nonchalant.

“He’s on his way. Don’t worry. We’re here.”

After Brandon arrived and the statement was given to the police, he took her and three of her friends for some ice cream to attempt to cheer her up. They both knew it would take a lot more than ice cream to get rid of this wound. When quiet hours took into effect, he had to leave. She didn’t want him to go. He was her older brother. He looked out for her. He loved her. She loved him. She needed some type of protection from the darkness that surrounded her tonight, but she understood that he had to leave.

“Thanks for the ice cream,” she tried with a smile.

As he hugged her, Brandon tried with his best shot to laugh off the situation because the worry was too much for him. 
 “Hey, you’re going to be ok. It was probably just a watergun anyway,” he joked.

“I still feel the cold metal on my neck. It wasn’t a watergun,” she said not being able to manage the joking just yet.

Hearing those damaging words from his younger sister, he knew the seriousness of what had happened tonight. Standing in the middle of the dorm hall for a time that nobody knows, holding each other for strength, she felt the love and concern and worry that Brandon had for her as his tears dropped onto her hair.

“It’ll be ok, Brandon. Besides everything dies in the autumn,” she thought.