Autumn in Cardoy Town

It's a lovely day for apple picking: the Sun shines high in the clear, blue sky, and the temperature is just right. So it's no surprise when Riley King picks up her woven basket and challenges her best friend, Iryn Dahl, to a friendly competition of collecting the juicy fruits.

Riley King scrambles into her simple yet cozy jacket and her brown leather shoes. She then waits impatiently for her mother, who had insisted upon Riley bringing some treats for her companion. Her mother hands the pastries to Riley gingerly, who in turn does the exact opposite - mindlessly throwing them into her apple basket. She immediately sets off, maintaining a frenetic pace,as if the world's tragic end depended on how long two twelve-year-old girls meet in Cardoy Orchard.

Leaves crunching under her feet. Her nostrils fill up with the unique refreshing air that only Autumn provides. Riley looks up - a rainbow of colors, from ruby red to 

gold, takes the form of perfectly shaped leaves. Occasionally a cheeky one brushes the top of her head, but when she snaps her head up, it dives away, into the horde of colors. The dense amount of fallen leaves create a seemingly magical path for Riley, leaving her feeling like a special queen, The Queen of Autumn - blame her over-creative imagination.

Riley King spots her friend from over fifty metres away. She calls to Iryn and increases her speed. In a jiffy, she reaches her friend. They hug, greet each other, and do whatever friends do.

“Alright, we’ll start now. Three minutes on the clock!” Riley tells Iryn who’s jumping around while trying to balance her basket on her head. Of course, her basket refused to stay on her head, toppling with every little movement she made. If the basket did stay put on her head, it’ll be legendary and everyone would start trying to defy the laws of gravity.

The two girls start to climb trees like nimble little monkeys, reaching for all the apples in their sight and stuffing them into their baskets. Riley climbed onto the highest branch on the highest tree and stole all the juiciest ones; however those quickly ran out. Time was sprinting out of their reach, like how sand trickles out through your fingers no matter how hard you try to contain it in. In a matter of seconds, time’s up.

Riley jumps off the tree and rushes to compare the results. “I have twenty-two,” she announces proudly. Iryn counts hers, with Riley looking at her every movement to make sure she doesn’t cheat. It’s a tie.

The two friends start collecting piles of dried up leaves, arranging them into two huge piles. Iryn and Riley take their places… three, two, one. They cannonball into the leaves, spraying them everywhere. No need to clean up, it’s too much of a bother.

They lean against a sturdy old tree in comfortable silence, calming down after all the excitement. Riley takes out her pastries and shares them with Iryn, munching while they watch a nearby squirrel collecting nuts for the Winter.

~

Today’s yet another splendid day for apple picking. Riley’s aiming for big and juicy ones for her mother’s apple pie. Apple pies are the best to keep one warm when the Winter arrives. Riley, again, calls her best friend Iryn to go with her.

This time the two meet at Iryn’s house. They set off for Cardoy Orchard. Only patches of sky could be seen from the nature path, blocked by the natural patches of red, orange, and yellow. Leaves crunch under their boots as the soft and gentle wind caresses their faces. The Autumn Wind starts playing games with them, playfully sending leaves flying toward them, grazing their faces and landing in their apple baskets. The rich earthy smell surrounds them, along with hints of nuts and bark of trees.

Like before, the girls compete in picking apples. Riley rushes around like a tornado, Iryn calmly jogging. Riley drops half of all apples she picks, but is too anxious to put them back into her basket. Iryn ends up ‘intercepting’ those fruits, so it’s really no coincidence that Iryn Dahl wins the competition by half a dozen. Defeated, Riley sank down, having wasted all her energy in a lost battle. Iryn rests beside her, offering her prettiest apple for Riley to munch on.

The girls race to the Cardoy stream, where they call it their ‘Heaven’. The surroundings go well with the clear water, looking like a realistic oil painting from afar. This place really resembles Heaven; it’s so beautiful. Putting their hands under the mini cascading waterfall, the water parts outwards under their fingers, so soft it feels like nothing. Leaves float on the surface of the flowing river. Little animals are scurrying around, preparing for the mercilessly freezing Winter. The girls happily listen to the calming rushing of water while soaking their bare feet in the cold water. How peaceful…

Riley King and Iryn Dahl get up to leave. It had been a fun day, and it was now evening. Riley, still craving for some fun, spots a naughty squirrel hopping about, eyeing her basket of apples suspiciously. No, make that the nuts that are mixed inside. Then, without warning, the little fella lunges forward and topples the whole basket of food! It starts scurrying away, trying to escape from the site of the crime, but Riley excitedly follows behind it. “Riley! Stop! It’s too late, we have to go home. Today’s the last day of Autumn, if you get lost you’ll probably freeze to death!” Iryn calls anxiously after her energetic friend. However, she has lost sight of Riley and has no choice but to follow them into the dark woods…

It’s been five minutes since the last time Iryn had seen Riley enter the forest. Iryn wanders in the dark, all alone, unsure of what was waiting for her deeper inside the large entangle of plants.

All of a sudden she sees Riley. She had been waiting for Iryn in a spot where all growing vegetation is removed. The bare soil makes a sharp and heated contrast with the lush greenery in the background. But, looking at Riley, Iryn realises her friend looks very different from her usual self with the messy plaits and a crumpled dress. She’s floating in the air, emitting a strange and scary red light. Her hair floats around, and she’s wearing a graceful long dress that swishes around her ankles. Iryn looks down at Riley’s feet. Barefooted. Her eyes - they’re closed. Riley looks like an angelic devil - or the other way round.

“Come.” A single shrill, high pitched voice breaks the silence. Riley beckons Iryn closer. In a trance, the girl obeys the orders. “Together, we will again remove the beauty of Spring, the comfort of Summer, the fun of Winter. We will rule together. My sisters shall not be more powerful than me! Autumn must remain the best season!” With a flick of a finger, Riley, the Queen of the Autumn, changes herself back to the usual messy girl, and Iryn is whisked back home. In the town, everyone’s memory is erased and they rise from a slumber.

~

It's yet another lovely day for apple picking: the Sun emits a warm glow that plays a part in cooling down the weather, making it the perfect temperature for the activity. So it's no surprise when Riley King picks up her woven basket and challenges her best friend, Iryn Dahl, to a competition of collecting the delicious fruit.