Autumn Delicious

Ah, autumn is such a beautiful, special time of year. We’re such big fans of going outside for a walk on a brisk fall day, leaves crunching under foot, breathing in hints of spicy air. Maybe take the long way back home, pass by that old cemetery and head in for a stroll to look at the beautiful old headstones. They just don’t make them like they used to, with resplendent carvings and incredible inscriptions, to remind us that there’s beauty in both life and death. Take a long circle around the oldest part of the cemetery, admiring the falling leaves and the setting sun. Wow, yeah, the sun is setting quickly tonight; best scoot out and back home. Except … where did the path go? Huh, ok, better double back and … no, no path there, either. Now the sun is setting even faster, there’s just minutes of daylight left. No need for a path, just start running toward what must be the front of the cemetery, though there’s no way to check because somehow the phone is dead. All of the beautiful tombstones seem to keep repeating themselves, like running in a circle around and around the same spot. How did this happen? There must be a way out; there was a way in, after all! But no; the circle keeps getting smaller, until it’s just doing small laps around the same area. Gasping for breath, collapsing on the ground, there’s a sudden note of smoke in the air. Breathe in, breathe out; calm down. There must be an explanation … and that’s when the scent of blood hits your nose, and you know for sure that you’re not going home ever again. Scent Notes: Milk and honey, gunsmoke, sparkling cardamom, a hint of coppery blood.