Sweet Darkness Pt. 01

"No, it's just a question."

Tamara just rolled her eyes and walked out.

"Smooth." Zeb noted.

"Sorry."

Chapter Nine

It was finally summer and, back at home, Tamara was moving in Zeb's house.

"I'm going to take a break and go for a walk." Tamara informed, placing a box in the living room.

"Are you okay?" Zeb asked, walking over to her.

"Yea, I just need a break and some fresh air. I'll start unpacking when I get back."

Walking down the hill to the little convenience store, she walked in and bought herself a bottle of water; then headed to the abandoned bridge.

"What am I doing? Zeb is the love of my life and I'm acting like a total bitch." Tamara said to herself, leaning on the bridge side.

At that time, her bottle fell underneath the bridge and debated on getting it because it was getting dark, but she decided to do it and head back to the house.

When she reached the bottle and bent down to pick it up, someone hit her on the head and was knocked out.

When she woke up, she was in some kind of torture chamber chained up against a cold, wooden wall.

There were candles everywhere, making enough light to see partially around the room, and yet casted shadows everywhere.

As she stood there, looking for a way out, she heard footsteps coming toward the room. Then she saw her, Victoria, dressed in a black cloak with her hair slightly coming out of the hood around her neck.

She carried a black candle holder with three candles and set it on the table, paying little attention to Tamara.

As the light cascaded across the table, Victoria unrolled a cloth full of torture tools. She ran her hand across them until it landed on the handful of razor wire.

Tamara gasped when Victoria's eyes met her own.

"Let me show you what happens to freaks in this town."

Victoria let out a loud cackle and while her back was turned, Tamara managed to slip out of the chains and slowly scaled the dark wall to the door about five feet away, but when she went to turn the corner, she dropped to her knees with a sharp pain in her back...Victoria had thrown a dagger and it was in the middle of Tamara's back.

While still on her knees, she pulled out the dagger, tossed it aside and ran into the next room.

Tamara looked behind her and Victoria was standing in the doorway, smiling at her.

"Why are you doing this? You apologized." Tamara questioned.

"It was all a lie. I don't like you and never have."

She then cackled and Tamara ran to the closest door...locked!

Tamara put her back against the door, slid down to her butt and started crying.

Victoria walked over and stroked Tamara's hair; then grabbed her ponytail and dragged her across the room.

She stood her up while opening a door and stared down the steps to a basement.

Victoria pushed her...she screamed and hit the bottom.

"You can stay down there until I can figure out what to do with you."

When Tamara awoke from being knocked out by the fall, she didn't know how long she was out, but she could see the sun coming in from a hole above.

She could only crawl at that point, but the will power to see Zeb again kept her mind off most of the pain.

She managed to pull herself out and to the side of the road where someone stopped and took her to the hospital.

***

Tamara opened her eyes and seen the florescent light above her.

"You are lucky that fall didn't kill you." A familiar voice said from beside the hospital bed.

She looked over to see George sitting in the chair.

"Where's Zeb?" She whispered, wincing in pain.

"He's on his way; I'm the one that found you." He replied, standing up.

"What happen?" She asked, barely able to move.

"Only thing you would tell me was that you fell."

"The bridge?"

"You weren't by a bridge when I found you."

"What did the doctor say?"

"You broke both of your legs, your back and your wrist."

Tamara groaned and looked down at her feet; then the doctor walked in.

"Will I ever walk again?" Tamara questioned, looking at the doctor.

"It will take some time and physical therapy, but there's a chance."

"How long?"

"A year at the minimum."

Zeb walked in and took Tamara by the hand.

"What happen?" He asked, looking into her eyes.

"I don't remember. All I remember is the bridge."

"Maybe with time she will remember." The doctor informed.

"When can I go home?" Tamara questioned, looking at the doctor.

"You're not in the right condition to go home with your back broken." He informed.

"Well, I can't lay in bed forever, I'll never get better." She snapped.

"Tamara." Zeb whispered.

"No, she's right. I'm sorry, but I think you should stay in the hospital overnight for observation."

Tamara just shut her eyes and sighed.

Chapter Ten

Six months later, Tamara was finally walking with help of a cane, but still couldn't remember what had happen to her.

"Thank you for staying by my side through all of this." Tamara said, sitting by Zeb on the couch.

"Why wouldn't I? You were there when I wrecked my motorcycle." Zeb asked, taking her by the hand.

"That was different. You weren't in a wheelchair for half a year. I'm almost nineteen and can hardly walk."

"I love you, that's why I stayed."

Tamara just smiled and stood up.

"Well, I better get ready to go. We don't want to be late to our double date with George and Tori." She informed, walking to the bedroom.

"Have they chosen a wedding date yet?" He questioned, following her.

"She told me that they would tell us tonight."

That night, Tamara and Zeb met George and Tori for dinner.

"Have you decided when the wedding is going to be?" Tamara asked with a smile.

"The first week of January." Tori replied, smiling.

"But that's three weeks away." Tamara noted, looking down at her cane.

Zeb motioned George to go with him to the salad bar, so the girls could talk alone.

"We have stressed so much over it that we decided to elope." Tori explained.

"You can't do that...Uh, I mean..." Tamara exclaimed, hitting the table.

"I should ask you the same thing." Tori said smugly.

"What?" She questioned with a puzzled look.

"When are you going to marry Zeb?" Tori asked, looking over to the boys.

"I...uh...I don't know. He hasn't asked." She said shyly.

"But you have been talking about it." Tori reminded.

"Off and on." She noted, playing with her napkin.

"What are you afraid of?" Tori questioned, crossing her arms.

"Nothing...I..." She hesitated, looking back down at her cane.

"He was there the whole time, holding your hand when you wanted to quit. If I were you, I wouldn't let him get away." Tori said with a smile.

After dinner, Zeb took Tamara to the lake to watch the sunset.

While the colors of red and orange filled the sky and the sound of water splashed up on the bank, they stood hand in hand, reminiscing about the first time they went there together.

They looked at each other, as the moon and water sparkled in their eyes, then he led her to the dock and put their bare feet in the water.

While looking at the faint stars in the sky, Zeb reached into his pocket.

"There's something I want to ask you." Zeb noted, handing her a box.

Tamara opened it to find the ring he gave her a long time ago.

"We have been through rough times, but I love you and I know you love me, too...will you marry me?"

Tamara's eyes filled with tears and said yes as Zeb placed the ring on her finger...she really did love him...her high school sweetheart.

Under the stars, Tamara lied in Zeb's arms, looking at her ring; she looked over at him and smiled at her love.

She truly loved him.