The large clock in Scarlett O'Hara's room struck midnight. A large thong raised to the roof and seemed to bounce back down. But Scarlett didn't flinch, nor did she care. Why should she care? She was almost deaf from hearing it every night of her life. She even almost liked it. It was pitch black outside with no hint of light in any aspect. The only light lingering in the distance was the Milky Way, which strected from above Tara to what seemed like the ends of the Earth. Millions of constalations filled the dark sky with wonder and beauty. But Scarlett could see was a long period of darkness. It didn't terrify her, it didn't overwhelm her. It was the way she wanted it to be, the sky was dark and cold, like her life.
Almost all the starts out were farmiliar to Scarlett. Maybe even all of them. It would be for someone who stayed up all night till they were used to never sleeping, watching the stars relentlessly, never moving a single muscle. She did not even move to push her boycutt hair out of her eyes. It was her punishment, her punishment that she had bearing for years and years. One that suited all she had done. She had killed her own sister, without hands, nor weapon. Her only friend, the only woman who ever truly and willingly loved her without relation except by marriage. It was so long ago that Scarlett had almost forgotten her name. Almost. But not quite. Melanie. Scarlett whispered the word on her tongue. When she did, blood seemed to come out of her mouth. Scarlett turned her nearly faded green eyes which showed no signs of life to the stars. She wore a black dress with red gloves. Melanie was dead, and Scarlett killed her. Rhett was gone, she had killed his heart. Wade was living out in a Yankee state, she had killed his spot in the Confederate civilization. Ella had no place in her heart for her mother, Scarlett had killed her mind. Who hadn't she killed?\
Scarlett earnestly wondered if somewhere, Melanie was out there, in the heavens, looking down on her with unmeasureable disaproval. Cursing at the thought of the name of the woman she had once loved. Scarlett wouldn't blame Melly. She deserved it, every last bit. What of Rhett? Scarlett had not seen him for six years, nor heard of him. Was he dead? Remarried? Had he forgotten her? Did he think of her any time? Were his thoughts angry bellowing ones, or were they simple quite ones? Unknown to Scarlett, Rhett lived in England, thought no thought of her any longer. He had not remarried and never thought to do so. He never thought of Bonnie, Wade, or Ella. Never or Melanie, Belle Watling, nor Ashley. Nothing of his past life mattered. Not after he had left Scarlett.
More importantly then what had become of Rhett, what had become of Scarlett? When Rhett had left her, she went to bed and she laid there, praying the rosary seven times a day. No one could convince her to leave the bed until a letter from Suellen talking of news at Tara. Scarlett left with the two very scared and shy Wade and Ella. She had been annoyed with their silence and yelled at them until they were both holding onto each other sobbing at the top of their voices. The people stared and put their heads together disaprovingly. Scarlett didn't care. Since then, she never spoke a word to either Wade or Ella other than to scold them or tell them to get out of her way. Suellen was not welcoming to Scarlett but Will was warm and happy, like a brother and so were their two children, Christina and Carreen. The young Brenteen's were kind, friendly, and warm to Wade and Ella and so were Suellen and Will. Scarlett tried to be kind and polite and held onto it for awhile. She no longed yelled and was pleasant to be around. Her two young children creeped around her, trying to watch, but to afraid to come close. But The Brenteen girls happily climbed into Scarlett's lap and talked with her cheerfully and happily. Even Suellen began to welcome Scarlett as well. After a year, Scarlett went to Charleston to see Rhett. For four years, she ran after him. He told her over and over that he did not, and could not love her and that she best settle the way she was. Scarlett did not give up and finally when she was thirty-two, Rhett left Georgia, never to be seen again. Broken-hearted Scarlett felt her pain overwhelm and took to her bed, something she thought would only take days. But days turned into months and months turned into years. All her beauty was gone. She was a pale, wrinkled old lady with misshappened black hair tied up behind her head, and pale eyes. She bore the look of an overworked old lady. Her legs weakened so that she could only walk a few steps, her eyes could barely see, she could barely smell, or touch, hear, or taste. She hardly ate and was skinny as Melanie once was. All her past dreams were shattered.
Not all at Tara had changed for the worst. Suellen, while Scarlett became sullen and dark, became bright and cheery. She had welcomed Wade and Ella with a motherly hug and so had Will. She was now a tall, pretty lady with three daughters and one son and owned Tara with her husband whom she loved. Will also became happier with his family to cheer him up and to make him glad. Christina was now fourteen and a pretty girl. She had long brown hair with sparkly eyes and moistened eye lids. She was a small sort of girl who dreamed, loved life, laughed, flirted, and had many beaux. She always wore the prettiest dresses and danced the most romantic dances. Her main beau, was a tall southern gentleman, a cousin of the Tarletons with a short brown beard. Carreen was a different girl. She wore the same look as Will, peaceful, dedicated, kind, and honest. She was also shy and dreamy with many dreams floating around. She was more beautiful than Christina, however with her plain dresses and bonnets, you would never know. She seemed in love, but as the same, no one ever knew with whom. One man looked after her when she walked. He was even taller and stronger and his name was Dantes. But she never looked at Dantes. She had grace for not knowing her own beauty, a simple but charming grace. Then there was their younger daughter, Abilene. Abilene was nine, three years younger than Carreen and was one whom Scarlett secretly admired the most. She would be considered a boy by any passing neighbor. Not all of Mammy's former urging, nor Suellen's lessons could turn the girl into ladyhood. She ran across fields, threw rocks, climbed trees, rode horses, wore pants, cut her hair short, and did everything any boy would do. And she was as good as it as them. Suellen still loved her though and taught her lessons, hoping that one day, little Abby would turn into the pretty young lady she was meant to be. Then there was their only son, Jackson, who was a fine looking boy of six. He was like any other boy you would see out on the streets and liked to work. He picked grain in the fields with the workers and enjoyed it. The biggest change had happened in Scarlett's own Ella. Ella was now more beautiful than her mother had once been. Her red hair was frightfully red and was never tied back. Ella was the southern belle of the county with her wild, charming green eyes, square jaw, jutting chin, and dancing smile. She was now more popular than Christina who began to look on her as a threat. Ella also wore the prettiest dresses at all Tara, even prettier than Christina's. Scarlett loved Ella as well, but she didn't know how to show it. After all these years of silence, a mother would pop up and kiss her child? Scarlett had not seen Wade since the other year as he was off at college. She remembered the day when he came home well. He had been smiling, hugging and kissing. Yet when she had come down, his smile disappeared and he stormed past her without any greeting. Scarlett went to her room and sobbed. Sobbed harder than when Bonnie died or when Rhett left her.
"It's all over now" Scarlett told herself staring out into the horizon.
It was all over, Scarlett's life. She knew herself to die any moment. She wanted to die, to leave the bloody Earth and rot in hell. She thought of Rhett and her mind blackened, darker than the sky, darker than anything that ever happened to her. It was now all gone, forever. And all because of her, because she had been so stupid and so blind. Stupid and blind! Yes! That's what she was, and that's what brought her to her end. Her mind filled with rage at the thought of herself and Ashley. Insanitizing, burning, hateful, deathly anger that could only mean one thing, revenge. But on whom? On herself! She'd avenge all she'd lost on herself. She'd avenge Melanie, Rhett, Wade, Ella, and all the others she had killed or hurt. But how? Scarlett stood up with all her might. Her body trembled underneath her black robe. Several large mirrors were in front of her. What were they for? She did not know, she never paid them any attention. She raised both her fists and with all the might in her heart and mind, struck them to the bone, with all the damned anger, all the force the Yankees had, everything she had once known. The names of Melanie, Rhett, Ella, and Wade filled her head. She continued smashing her mirrors, screaming blood-curling screams, turning in circles, feeling blood on her arms and legs. She then turned around. Her green eyes completely black with anger, rage, and fear. She then smashed her head into the last mirrors, screaming "I'm a fool. Oh I'm a god-damned, bloody, dirty, cheating, ugly fool!". Suellen and Will ran in full speed to see Scarlett on the ground the children behind them, to see Scarlett, her dress torn, her hair sticking out all over, her eyes popped, and blood all over the floor with the smell of death.
Ella Lorena Kennedy was sitting down in her chair, her face pale with shock. She had never seen her mother for a year at least, and the thought of her hurt or dead made Ella feel sick to the stomach. Ella didn't love her mother any more. She had learned not to love her. Where Scarlett had been for most of Ella's life, now stood Melanie and Suellen. Suellen, Will, Christina, Carreen, Abilene, and Jackson all sat next to her with the same expression. There was no sound in the house, put Scarlett's screaming from her room, and sobbing. It frightened Ella. It all frightened her. Suddenly Dr. Fontaine emerged from the darkness, his face weary. Suellen stood up.
"Is she-"
The doctor shook his head and sat down.
"I've never seen anything like it! She was screaming, knocking down shelves, trying to punch out mirrors, dear God! She's gone mad, insane. What more can I say? I've bandaged most of her wounds, there were too many of them and some in places... well some in places that I'd rather not look at" he then stared at Suellen coldly. "Don't you ever let her out of your sight"
They all nodded grimly and didn't say a word. The doctor stood up.
"I need to go home. Good-bye" and he fled to the door.
What had happened to Scarlett? We know. She did go insane and sobbed wildly after her episode. In her insanity, she only asked for one thing. One that would not be forgotten the rest of her life.
"Oh dear lord! If only you'd ha-have m-m-mercy on me j-just once. Let me b-be sixteen again. I'll change e-e-e-everything. I promise. Oh let me be, let me be!" Scarlett sobbed at the top of her voice for all to hear from Georgia, to even Rome.