The Winds of Autumn Ch. 01-02

Worst of all, the large branch had landed on the part where the zipper was located. This left her not only unable to access the opening, but she was also unable to retrieve her stuff without cutting the entire thing open.

She sat there for a second, as the rain only grew heavier, trying to think of any way to salvage her belongings. After mulling things over for a moment, she remembered that there was a hardware store not too far away. She decided to run to the store and see if it was open so she could find something to help move the branch from her tent.

Unfortunately, it was much too muddy for Emma to run as fast as she wanted to. She had to jog carefully through the woods, making sure she wouldn't slip and fall again. Still, she lost her balance several times, but was somehow able to stay on her feet.

After her long and treacherous journey, she finally made it to the hardware store. But once again, she was left disappointed as she discovered that the store had already closed.

With an empty feeling in her heart, Emma began jogging back towards her campsite. Unfortunately, since most of the journey back was on the concrete trail, she wasn't being as careful as she had been when she was running in the mud. With her guard down, and her mind on everything but each step that was in front of her, she slipped in a puddle of water that was covering another muddy spot on the trail and fell face first once again.

Instead of getting right back up this time, Emma just stayed on the ground as the rain poured all over her muddy clothes and skin. She only got up to her knees as she stared down at the ground and thought to herself,Why am I even running when I have nothing to go back to?

She sat there for a few seconds, just thinking about her life.I guess I deserve this,she thought as the rain drowned out her tears.I never even prepared for this situation... I guess I can check if the public restrooms in the park are open... and sleep in there tonight... Hopefully no one sees me...

Suddenly, as Emma was still staring at the ground, she noticed the rain had stopped falling on her. At first, she didn't understand because when she looked around, she noticed it was still pouring. However, once she glanced up, she realized that there was a man standing next to her, holding an umbrella over her head.

As she looked up at him with wide eyes, he stared down at her with a confused face and asked, "What are you doing out here?"

"Oh... I was just... coming back from the store... but I'm okay..."

"Really?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. "Because it looked like you were having some sort of breakdown."

"Oh, no!" she reacted, trying to put a smile back on her face. "Everything is fine. I just tripped and my clothes got a little dirty..."

As the girl was talking, the man handed her his umbrella before taking off his own rain jacket. He then put that around her shoulders. "Here... you must be freezing."

After being helped up to her feet, she attempted to hand the umbrella back. "Oh, no... I can't. Besides, I'll get your stuff dirty... And now you're getting all wet!"

"It's okay," the man responded, not accepting the umbrella or his jacket back. "It doesn't bother me at all."

Emma just stared at the man and in a quiet voice responded, "Oh... thank you..."

"You should probably get home. It's going to be raining all night. Do you need a ride?"

"Er... about that... I'm actually staying in a tent..."

"A tent? Why would you go camping in this kind of weather?"

"Well... you see... I sort of live in that tent..."

The man's head shot back as he stared at the girl, wondering if she was being serious. "You live... in a tent?"

"Uh... yeah," Emma answered, shrinking into her shoulders. "It's sort of a long story... but do you mind helping me? A large branch landed on it and I can't move it by myself."

"Uh... sure..." the confused man answered, as they began walking together towards her campsite.

Once there, he tried to help her move the log, but was pretty sure all along that it wouldn't budge. "This is way too heavy," he explained, as their feet kept sliding while trying to move the branch. "We need to cut this branch into smaller pieces before we can move it, but we should at least wait until it stops raining."

With her head down, the girl answered, "I figured as much... Well, thanks for trying..."

Turning and facing the woman, the man asked, "Do you have somewhere to stay tonight? Is there anyone you can call?"

"Um... yeah, I can figure something out..."

"You're lying to me, aren't you?"

"No... I can try calling some people... And if anything, I can just stay in the public restrooms in the park."

"Yeah, that sounds like an awful idea," the man responded, letting out a sigh. "Either you call someone who will let you stay over, or I'll figure something out for you."

A panic quickly came over Emma's face, as she didn't want to inconvenience the man. "Oh, no!" she said, as she tried once again to return the man's items. "You don't need to worry about me."

Before she could make another move, he grabbed her by the wrist and stopped her in her tracks. "Look," he started as the rain continued to pour down on him. "I don't know anything about you, but you're obviously going through something right now. If you stay out here, you'll probably get sick, and things will only get worse for you."

The woman blushed as she stared at the man who was holding her by the wrist. Feeling she had no other option but to accept someone's help for once, she quietly responded, "Yes, Sir..."

"You don't have to call me sir. My name is Daniel, and I have an apartment nearby. You can stay there and dry up until you figure out a plan."

"No, wait!" the girl reacted, barely resisting. "I couldn't possibly impose..."

"Just stay at my apartment tonight," the man instructed, not taking no for an answer. "I'm staying at a friend's house anyway, so you'll have the apartment all to yourself. You might as well stay there for the night and get some rest."

The woman stopped resisting as she followed the man, staring at him with a surprised look on her face.That's awfully kind of him, she thought to herself, following along quietly.If I really do have his apartment all to myself... I guess I don't have to worry about being taken advantage of... That would be really nice of him... almost too nice...

"Sir! I mean... Daniel!" she called out, growing worried once again that she would become a burden. "Please don't feel obligated to help me. I promise I'll be fine!"

Looking back, the man expressed, "I'm not going to let you stay out here and get sick. So unless you can come up with your own plan to get yourself out of this mess, I'm going to take things into my own hands."

As the young woman followed, she was forced to put her head down as she realized she was unable to take care of herself. "Yes, Sir," she responded, now willingly following the man because she had no other option. "Thank you for taking care of me."

Although Emma was already soaking wet, she felt no need to run now that she had a jacket and an umbrella. She shared the umbrella with Daniel, since he was nice enough to give it to her. However, she couldn't help but wonder if his intentions were as good as he presented them to be.

I guess I don't really have any choice but to go with him, she told herself as they approached the apartment complex.He says he's going to stay with a friend, which is a little strange... I guess if it's a lie, it's worth being taken advantage of because I need somewhere to stay for the night.

She probably thinks I'm trying to take advantage of her, Daniel thought to himself, now holding the umbrella since they were both standing under it, anyway.But regardless of what she thinks, the right thing to do is help her. It doesn't matter how many times I've been wronged in the past. I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing I allowed this girl to freeze to death out here.

Once they got to the apartment, both soaking wet, Daniel opened the door and apologized before Emma could even see how it looked inside. "I'm sorry if it's a little messy," he explained as they stepped inside the studio. "It's been a long time since I've had company... and I really wasn't expecting anyone to see it today..."

"No, that's okay," Emma replied, taking a look around the small room. "It's not that messy at all. Do you live by yourself?"

"I do... and I don't usually host people either. I have a couple of waters in the fridge if you're thirsty, and I have a coffee machine if you want something warm to drink."

"Oh, that's quite fine," Emma responded nervously. "I really don't want to be a burden at all if I can help it. Just you letting me stay here is nice enough..."

Daniel continued the short tour, showing Emma The TV and the bed. "I really don't even know why I have this TV since I hardly ever watch it. And feel free to sleep in my bed, though I haven't washed the sheets since last week. You can sleep on the floor if you're more comfortable with that."

"No, that's quite generous of you... I'll sleep on the floor if you'd rather have the bed to yourself."

"I already told you I'm sleeping at a friend's house tonight," Daniel further assured. "Sleep wherever you want. And I don't have any cameras, so it's not like I'll know the difference, anyway."

As they continued the tour, Daniel noticed the nervous look on the young woman's face. Wanting to do everything he could to put her at ease, he expressed, "I can tell you don't want to share what's going on in your life, and you don't have to unless you want to. Just feel free to use my apartment until you figure out your own plan. And don't feel a need to pay me back either."

"That's so kind of you," Emma responded after a long pause. Unable to wipe the frown from her face, she finally confessed, "It's just... I'm in a lot of debt right now... so I've been living in that tent for the past few months to save money. It was irresponsible of me to not even consider what would happen if it rained..."

"The past few months, huh? That means you probably haven't experienced living outdoors when it gets cold, either."

"Yeah... I guess you're right about that too..."

"Well, use this time to figure out a plan," Daniel instructed as he walked around, gathering a few belongings for the night. "I'm sure you don't feel comfortable staying in some stranger's apartment. But at least this way, you can take a warm shower and get a good night's rest."

Emma stood there for a second, twiddling her fingers as she watched the man grabbing a few things. "A warm shower sounds really nice... I haven't had one of those in a while..."

"There are clean towels in the cabinet. I also noticed how dirty your clothes are, so don't hesitate to use my washer and dryer."

"Oh, how nice..."

Coming to a stop after he had loaded his bag, Daniel stood at the door and turned towards the soaking wet woman. "Oh, and by the way... your shirt... it's a Burger Hut shirt... Do you work there?"

Cringing once again, Emma quietly answered, "Yeah... I don't have much clothes, and what I do have left is still in that tent... so this is all I have to wear..."

Daniel shrugged his shoulders before opening the door and taking a step out. However, before leaving, he instructed, "Yeah, you should wash that in the machine then. I have clothes in that top drawer if you want to get in something warm. Oh, and in case you're hungry, I have some leftover chicken and rice in the refrigerator. There's also ramen and other stuff in the pantry. Feel free to have whatever you'd like."

"Are you sure? That's so generous of you..."

"Yeah, go ahead... I have work in the morning though, so I'll probably be back pretty early to get my things."

"Oh, okay..." Emma responded as she watched Daniel start to close the door. However, before the man could fully exit, she decided she couldn't let him go without asking him another question.

"Wait!" she yelled, just inches before the door shut. Then, as the man opened it back up and stared at her, she asked, "Are you really going to just let me stay in your apartment by myself... for free?"

Daniel just stared at her for a moment, looking into her innocent eyes. "I guess so," he answered, shrugging his shoulders once again. "Should I not trust you or something?"

"No, no!" Emma reacted, waving her arms in a panic. "I promise I won't mess anything up..."

"Okay, well... I guess I'll see you in the morning then..."

"Okay... Thank you, Daniel..."

"Oh, and what was your name again?"

"It's Emma... Pleasure to meet you..."

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Emma. I'll see you in the morning."

"Okay... See you..."

"Have a good night."

"Good night, Daniel..."

***

Once Daniel got outside, he walked downstairs to the parking lot and let a deep breath out as he took a seat inside his car. Then, pulling out his phone, he made a call to his co-worker, Todd, so he could ask him a favor.

"Hey, Bud!" Todd answered, after the phone rang several times. "How's it going?"

"Hey... things are going... okay..." Daniel replied, not really wanting to get into what had just happened. "Are you still out at the bar?"

"Actually... things worked out even better for me! I met a girl at the bar as soon as I got there. We're on our way to my place right now. Isn't that great?!"

"Yeah, that worked out perfectly for you," Daniel said as he leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. Then, after wishing his friend good luck, and ending the call, he whispered to himself, "Shit..."

He contemplated a few different scenarios in his head.I definitely can't go back in there after promising she could have the place to herself. My parents live too far for me to come back in the morning before work... I guess I could get a motel, but I don't want to waste fifty dollars when it's already so late...

Unfortunately, after thinking through all his options, he knew he only had one clear choice. After cranking up his heater and rolling his seat back, Daniel simply closed his eyes again before telling himself,I guess I'm sleeping in the car tonight...

***

Chapter 2

After a long night, and a surprisingly eventful early morning, Daniel slowly crept back into his apartment, covered in mud. However, much to his shock, he was immediately captivated by a zestful smell, and the shine that came from every single item that was in his apartment.

Rushing out of the restroom, Emma greeted him in a panic. She was wearing her Burger Hut outfit from the previous night. This time, however, her clothes, just like everything else in the apartment, were spotless and clean.

"Oh, I didn't expect you back so early!" she said, twiddling her fingers. "I wanted everything to be done before you got back..."

"You're cleaning my apartment?" Daniel asked, raising his eyebrows as he looked around.

"Uh... yeah... I figured I'd do it as a thank you for letting me stay here... I hope that's okay..."

"That's... very nice of you... Thank you..."

"Oh, and thanks again for letting me use your washer. I was able to clean my work uniform. I also washed your sheets since I slept in your bed last night... Oh, and I know I told you I wasn't hungry, but I ended up eating one of your ramen packets... I hope that's still okay..."

"Yeah... I offered, but I didn't expect you to clean so much... Thank you..."

"It's no problem!" Emma replied, waving her hands to brush off the attention. "It's the least I could do. You really saved me. I would have been in really bad shape without my tent."

"Oh, speaking of your tent... it stopped raining early this morning, so I went out and got it. I was able to get it out from underneath that log by positioning a car jack between some rocks that were... well... it's not really important... Long story short, I got your stuff. I took the rods out of your tent and used it as a sack."

"What?!" Emma reacted as her eyes grew big. Fighting off a hopeful smile, she asked in disbelief, "You did that... for me...? That's why you're all muddy? Because you went out there and got my stuff?"

Looking down at his dirty clothes, Daniel scratched his head before admitting, "Uh... yeah... I don't know if the things inside are salvageable, but... I just wanted to help..."

"That was like... super nice of you..." the young woman said, struggling to find the words to express her gratitude. "And you said you got it out with a car jack? Are you some kind of handyman or something?"

"Uh... no," Daniel answered, almost chuckling at the idea of being blue-collared. "I'm not really good at that kind of stuff... but I guess I'm good at figuring things out when I really put my mind to it. I'm actually a portfolio analyst. Maybe the most white-collared job in the world."

Emma let out a giggle before blushing for just a moment. "I guess you could have fooled me. You can totally pass for a blue-collar worker, especially with your dirty clothes... But that's really cool that you're so smart.

Even though Daniel had heard that same compliment from everyone in his office, for some reason, when the young woman said it, it almost made him blush. With a little smile on his face, he quietly responded, "Thanks... I'm glad you think so...."

"So... um... you have work soon, right? Would you like some breakfast? I don't know what all you have but I could try to..."

"That's okay, actually... I don't normally eat breakfast, but since I was up so early, I picked up some breakfast burritos. I got you some if you want them."

Growing slightly red in the cheeks, Emma responded, "Oh... you got me breakfast too... That was nice of you to consider me..."

"It's really not a big deal," Daniel said, shrugging his shoulders. He then pulled the breakfast out of his bag and handed it to the young woman, along with a bottle of orange juice.

"And you got me orange juice too... Wow..."

"Do you not like orange juice?"

"Oh, I do!" Emma reacted, growing even redder. "I apologize if that came off ungrateful! I was just... surprised... But I really do appreciate it!"

"Oh, okay... Well, I hope you enjoy it."

"Okay, thank you," Emma responded, taking the food before standing awkwardly in front of the man. "Are you going to eat yours with me?"

"No. I need to get going. I'll change out of these clothes at work. I have to be there pretty early today."

"Oh... Should I leave right now, then?"

Staring into her eyes, Daniel could tell Emma was willing to leave whenever he wanted. However, he could also tell she probably needed more time to get herself situated. Trying to help her once again, he asked, "Do you have work today?"

"Yeah, but not until later. I work from noon to eight."

"Well, you can just leave whenever you need to get to work. There's a keypad on the door and it'll lock automatically."

"Oh, okay... Well, I'll probably need a minute to go through my tent, so I appreciate you letting me stay a bit longer. I hope the stuff inside isn't destroyed..."

"Yeah, it's still very wet... You can take it onto the patio and sort through your stuff there. And... uh..."

"Yeah?"

"You can... you can come back after work if you still need time... sorting your stuff out... Or if you need to stay here another night, I can sleep... at my friend's place again."

Emma's eyes quickly lit up. "Wait... really? I can stay here again tonight?"

Daniel immediately noticed the excitement in Emma's voice, despite her trying to hide it. "You haven't been able to come up with another option, have you?"

"Not yet..."

"Well... if you don't come up with anything by the end of the day, you should probably stay here again. The winds are bringing in a big cold front. It's going to be freezing soon."