Autumn

WHOOOOSSHH! A rainbow-coloured gumboot swung into view, sending a flurry of fallen leaves flying into the air. The blustery breeze tapped her freckles gently, blowing a stray strand of hair out of place. The hard bitumen path was barely visible under hundreds of leaves, the victims of gravity, yet the still continued to drop like blazing suns raining from the sky. A pair of emerald green eyes sparkled cheekily, hidden partially behind a curtain of curly orange hair.

Tabitha Manners was autumn. She romped down the path, giggling and frolicking and kicking leaves wherever she went, and she did so with the air and grace of a ballerina.

She locked hands with the sturdy figure beside her, closing her eyes and leaning contently into her father, his arms a safe refuge. He was as devoted to her as a faithful dog, and as she gazed lovingly at her hero, she wondered how things could possibly be more perfect.

The breeze pecking her upturned nose, Tabitha felt content in her very own woodland wonderland.

Isn’t it funny how the mind can play tricks on us? Tabitha’s autumn world, her father, it all seemed so real. Little did Tabitha Manners know, her real body lay in a land far, far away.

A 30-something year old woman sat by the bed. She had the same burning orange hair as her daughter but her face was creased with a lifetime of worry. Lucy Manners reached out and gingerly held Tabitha’s hand in hers, carefully, as if she could crack at any second.

Tabitha’s traffic-cone tresses lay sprawled messily in all directions as they rested on a blindingly white pillow. Machines were taped, plugged and stuck onto every inch of her once lively body.

Her mother caught sight, once again, of the crumpled postcard Tabby clutched tightly in her other hand. Try as Lucy might, it was impossible to remove that day from her head. Thoughts spiraling, she was plunged into the painful memory of the day that had knocked the very soul out of her daughter.

A mere four days earlier, Lucy had driven a bouncing Tabitha to the post office to collect a post card from her father. “Oh mum, I told you he would send one! I’ll forgive him for forgetting my birthday and everything!” Tabby chatted excitedly the entire trip, despite her father legging it in Lucy's fourth month of pregnancy. Sadly, Tabitha idolised her father as if he were a god.

Minutes later Tabitha shot out of the car like an orange bullet and into the post office. Within seconds she emerged with an orange postcard and a grin as wide as the ocean. Kissing it exuberantly, she danced across the street to where a chuckling Lucy waited by the car. “Look mum! He sent it, I TOLD you! Isn’t it pretty? He wrote that autumn reminds him of me because I—‘’

SCREEEEECH!!

Tabitha didn’t see the motorbike until it had plummeted into her chest.

Lucy opened her eyes before she realised she was screaming. “Get out get OUT!” She clutched her head and a nurse rushed over to her, talking calmly and trying to avoid being hit by Lucy’s shuddering fists.

Amongst the chaos, little Tabitha lay still, as if spell-bound. Lucy immediately silenced when she saw Tabby’s lips twitch, a faint smile dancing across her mouth. The only sound that could be heard was the soft BEEP… BEEP… BEEP… of the machines. Lucy bent down and kissed Tabitha’s forehead, glancing once again at the postcard. Lucy’s voice came out a gentle whisper.

"She's dreaming."