Countdown

[year 2025]

[One week before the outbreak]

[Morning: 9:30 A.M........]

[Austin-Bergstrom International Airport]

(Eli’s pov:)

Her flight is delayed... again. God forbid any flight she takes be on time. Autumn knows this, yet she still books the last possible flight back home. Mom and Dad miss her like crazy and are always worried, but she can’t take a day off from being a firefighter.

I understand the call of service just as well as she does, but all our parents ask for is one day off. If it weren’t my wedding day, she might not even make it. I know she will be a handful.

Being away from the job is just as tough for me as it is for her. Still, I can’t believe she’s arriving so late to her own brother's wedding. I can already imagine her ranting about not being able to find a dress to wear and how she should have come early to help me with the arrangements. Well, at least there’s still an hour before her flight lands.

[Morning: 10:30A.M.......]

I wait for the crowd to disperse cause I know she’s gonna take her sweet time coming out. Ten or so minutes later, she spots me waiting. “Weapon Sergeant Elian Dylan Knight, how are you? Sergeant” says, extending her arms out for a hug, which I willingly accepted.

"Last time I checked, I was Eli to you, lieutenant. Autumn Cassie Knight, good to have you home, sister. Let's get your stuff in the car so I can give you an earful. You kno,w even my friends from the forces arrived last night you missed out on bachelor's party.”

By hearing the news she gave me that whining face of hers " couldn’t you have your bachelor's today you knew I couldn’t be off duty before today.”

“well you get what you get don’t whine Mom is at home waiting for you to come so you could go to shopping ASAP for your dress that you’ll wear tomorrow. You should have bought it before hand.”

“yeah it’s not like an asshole just brought up the news of his wedding on facetime a month ago when he was 2000 km away from home.”

“Yeah sorry about that. Cal and I sort of just thought it would be best to get married before we get too old to do so.”

“ Just when I thought you were never getting hitched at that.....well anyways, so how’s Cal?”

Something is going on. She is being comparatively calm and quite otherwise she’d be telling me about her latest rescue call and her crew it was our tradition sort off when one of us returns we’d tell each other those things but today she was quite and it felt like she had too much to say but couldn't.

“Cal... yeah, he is doing fine, just getting those wedding jitters, so Aut, any adventurous rescue this time or plain ol' firefighter drill?” There it was again, the sign of anguish and pain she is not telling something.

“Aut,is everything alright? No casualties at work or anything else like boy trouble.” I ask her, looking straight out while driving

“Nope, no casualties, no boy trouble I......I’m just tired today.” Yup, something’s troubling her, but she won’t say it. Our ride back home was disturbingly strange; it was quite aside from songs playing.

The drive, which was supposed to be 30 minutes to get home, felt like 30 days. At last, we reached the drive-through in front of our house.

[11:10 A.M Morning]

[home]

Mom and Dad were waiting in the doorway, along with Cal. When we exited the car, Mom hugged Autumn, and Dad did his usual head nod.

" Oh sugar, look how thin you have become. Are you not taking care of yourself properly?”

“Mum, it’s nothing like that. Just hectic days. I’ll gain the meat I lost in the blink of an eye.”

“Ways to prove you are a pig.” With that statement, I earned a punch from her, which I'll admit I deserved.

" Ma, she hits me.”

“Well, you were in the wrong to call her that, so yeah, you did deserve that punch.”

Cal muffled a laugh and I shot him a glance "What are you laughing at, huh?” Cal tried to cover his smile with a cough

"Ahem... hey, Aut, long time no see. How are you?”

” Yeah, it’s been long. I’m good, Cal, but I’m gonna need to know how you even ended up accepting my brother’s proposal.”

“You’d be surprised I'm the one who proposed, not him. Cause he was gonna take ages to even say will you marry me Callis Ignio cullen .” As if dumbfounded, she looks at Cal,

" Okay then, change of question: what did you see in him to propose? I mean, ain’t he kinda...” She turns to me and says,

“Plain and average, no good qualities as well, which I can think of.” Well, that was offensive.

"Aut, you’ll understand once you’re in love with someone, as long as I’ve been with him you’ll find everything lovable and you’ll eventually fall deeper.”Okayy and that is something that is making my cheeks burn cliche but sweet

“if you kids gonna keep standing at the doorway and not come in I’mma lock you all out.”

“Coming, Mom.” That gives me time to settle my nerves

“Didn’t know you could blush like that, big brother.”

“Shut it, Aut.”

” Oh, and Aut, if you call your brother plain and average, you are too, ’cause after all, genes matter, and well, I gotta say good-looking gene is part of the Knight family.”

“Never thought you’d play the gene card to protect your darling, Cal.” Cal goes ahead of us to help Dad settle a few things Autumn brought into her room. Aut starts pacing around in her room as if lost in her thoughts rubbing her neck way too often which she only does when she is way too stressed .Yep, something's 100% wrong..

"Aut freshen up then you have to go buy the dress mom shortlisted if you don’t like it pick the one you like and buy it okay.” she shows a thumbs up still lost in the thoughts maybe she is fatigued is what I want to think but can’t shake off the feeling something is off.

[evening: 6:30 P.M]

[dinner]

The dinner went quite eventless everyone busy on their own but Aut was not being herself that much was noted by pretty much everyone now cause when The Autumn knight even after being in the house wrapping things up without a game or two of cards with some nice wine was a crime but today she seemed fine with it and mum has already sent me three signals to ask her what exactly is up with her but I want to let her be by herself for today everyone has rough day or two today might be hers and I know when she has those she doesn’t like someone being noisy. So we all turned in early as tomorrow was gonna be hectic. With this, the day ended.