Author : Wild-Melody
A/N : This was suppose to be the first chapter to 'Dark Shadows…Hidden Light', but after looking over the way that the 'The Hardest Thing' series was going, I decided that I had better re-edit a few things and intergrate the few chapters for the other story into this one. Hope you like the changes and I hope things aren't to weird. It's pretty bad when you have even yourself confused and it's your own story.
Read and review as always. Thanks!!
THE POWER RANGERS IN :
THE HARDEST THING I EVER DID
PART II
Chapter 8 : The Unraveling
Rocky stayed in the back of the group, watching as everyone hugged Kim. He longed to go to her too, but he was also watching for Isabel. He didn't quite understand what had happened to Kim, what she had experienced, but he now understood that Isabel had had a twin sister and something terrible had happened to her.
The sliding glass doors into the emergency room slid opened and he felt more than heard someone walk up beside him. He turned to look at Isabel. Though her eyes were clear, they were also slightly puffy and red. "You all right?" He asked her.
She nodded her head at him then walked up to the group surrounding Kim. Kim looked up at her, the sadness evident in her brown eyes. "I'm…" Kim started, but Isabel interrupted her.
"We haven't known each other long, what? A few hours maybe? I'm sorry about what happened to you, I'm also glad that you're going to be all right."
"I'm sorry about your sister," Kim said quietly.
What else might have been said was cut off as one of the ER doctors came over and broke the group up. "We need to get Miss Hart to the OR. We'll notify you immediately as soon as she comes out. If you just want to have a seat in the waiting room…?" The doctor said and motioned with the clipboard in his hand toward the waiting room. "It'll be a few hours a least, so you may want to run down to the cafeteria and grab something to eat. You may have a long wait ahead of you."
There were a chorus of "All rights," and "Ok's" as the group began to split up. Tommy helped Kim lie back on the uncomfortable stretcher and kissed her gently on the forehead. "I'll be right here when you get out." He said softly into her ear.
"Thank you," she said softly back to him.
After the doctor had wheeled the stretcher away, everyone looked at everyone else, unsure really of what to do. "I'm hungry," Rocky said. "Anyone feel like heading to the cafeteria like suggested by the head man on campus?"
"Don't that just figure?" Aisha said as she poked Rocky in his ribs. "Even after this tragedy you can still think about food."
"I'm actually kind of hungry too," Adam spoke up. Tanya just looked at him. "What?" he asked as he met her gaze.
"Nothing," she responded.
"I'd…I'd actually like to…go home for a bit." Isabel said shyly. "If you don't mind. Someone can give me a call when she comes out of surgery."
"I'll let you know," Trini said.
"Thank you," Iz said.
"Need a ride home?" Rocky asked.
Isabel gazed up at him, "I can call a taxi if you want to stay here."
"I can take you home," Rocky said, and it was final. She could tell by the look in his eye. She just nodded her head and followed him out of the emergency room and out into the parking lot.
****************
Isabel Bryant had tried to forget about the tragedy that had occurred when she was three, she had tried to forget about it for most of her life. Then suddenly, with the devastating quickness of a flashflood, the old memories and wounds were stirred up again and she was forced to deal with a past she had rather have left forgotten. She stared blankly out the window of her small apartment, Rocky sat next to her. He for once in his life remained quiet and allowed the young Australian woman free reign on her own thoughts.
She sighed and turned to look at him, "You wanna talk about it?" He asked as he gently pulled her into his embrace. He rested his chin against her hair and drew in a deep breath as he heard her sigh wearily to herself once more. "Might help," he coaxed.
"I-I just don't know if I'm up to it yet," she replied quietly.
He gently kissed her forehead. "Whenever you decide your ready, I'm right here," he said just a quietly. He wasn't accustomed to acting this way, least of all with her. He'd never seen her so broken before, the life was gone from her normally bright blue eyes, instead they were lackluster and so very dull. He tightened his embrace on her and pulled her more comfortably against him.
"Thank you," she whispered.
"Anytime Milady," he tried to joke, she just looked up at him and smiled sadly. "I'm sorry, I just wanted to see you smile…it was a lame joke."
She kissed him ever so gently on the lips. It was a brief kiss, but it was full of promise and what was to come. Then she smiled up at him, actually smiled so that it really did reach her eyes. "I know you're all worried about me…I'll be fine. Don't worry, it was just the shock of what Kim said about my sister…" she paused as she tried to regain her composure. Rocky kept quiet and listened intently. "I had always known she had died…on some level I felt it myself, I'd felt her death as if it had been on my own. I was so young then that I didn't understand what it was I was feeling…" the tears ran unchecked down her cheeks again. "If I hadn't been so stubborn…so damn bull-headed, it would've never happened and she'd still be here!"
"That's not true, you heard what Kim said. Brenda doesn't blame you so neither should you." Rocky interrupted.
"Do you really want to know what happened Rocky? Do you really want to know why it is that I blame myself for my twin sister's death?" Isabel asked, venom suddenly heavily in her voice. It wasn't directed at him though, it was directed at herself, all the anger and despair she had felt over the years for something she had convinced herself she could have stopped, somehow…anyhow.
Rocky just looked down at her, unsure if he should really answer the question or not. He just mutely nodded his head.
Isabel settled back into his embrace, "It's along story, are you sure you want to hear it?" she asked.
"Yes," came his instant reply. Maybe once he understood what had happened all those years ago he would finally understand this young woman's heart and the reason she kept pushing him away…yet at the same time she pulled him closer. It was almost like she was afraid to love someone again, like she was afraid to loose them again. He'd never let that happen…at least not by choice.
"Alright…" she said softly as her voice grew heavy with regret and her eyes became misty. "My sister and I were very close…"
{Flashback…Australia, 23 years before}
Brenda and Isabel Bryant were inseparable, where you found one, the other was not far behind. They were like most twins, thinking alike and talking alike but hated to be told they were exactly alike. They were after all, two completely different individuals, and they would let you know it. Isabel was the leader, the mastermind. It was always her way or no way at all. She did not like being second best, not at anything. She was often coming up with new ideas and subsequently always getting her twin into all sorts of trouble.
They each took it in stride though. Brenda was the quiet and reserved twin. She rather be led more than anything, but she loved her twin dearly, faults and all. Isabel was constantly finding new ways to get into trouble and Brenda was always there to back her up on the new ideas.
And it would be with one of these ideas that the two sisters would run into trouble like they had never faced before…
Debra Bryant kissed her twin daughters goodnight and turned the light off as she walked from their room. "G'Night my dears," she said quietly as she shut the door. Neither little girl stirred so Debra figured both toddlers were sound asleep…she could only wish that that were the case.
The minutes ticked by, but still neither child moved…until finally Isabel crawled from her bed and silently crept toward their bedroom door. Gently she eased it opened and glanced out into the darkened hallway of their house. Lights flickered at the other end of the hallway, where their parents were now watching a movie thinking that both of their young daughters were sound asleep.
"S'okay?" Brenda asked as she stepped up next to her sister.
Isabel quickly placed a hand over her sister's mouth. "Shh!" she shushed by putting her index finger over her own lips. "Wake Donny up." She peaked her head out the doorway again and looked at the door that was almost directly across from theirs. Their big brother Donny's room.
"Bad idea." Brenda said in a quiet voice as she too tried to peak out of the doorway but Isabel was in her way. "Move Izzy!" She cried quietly and tried to push her sister out of the way.
"Shh!" Isabel said again and quickly ducked back into the room. Gently she shut the door, making certain it wouldn't click shut so as to not alert anyone that the youngest members of the household were awake. They heard the door across the hallway open, but it didn't shut. They could hear their brother's footsteps as he sleepily walked over to the bathroom. Moments later they heard him again as he returned to his room and shut the door behind him.
Brenda grabbed for the door handle. Isabel's tiny hand shot out and grabbed her sister's quickly. "Uh-uh," she said quietly. "Don't know if he sleepy yet," she clarified once she caught the perplexed look on her sister's face.
"Oh, kay." Brenda said and smiled at her sister in understanding. "Hope he hurry and go sleepy. I bored."
"Me too. Play hide-n-go seek in the dark be fun…to bad Katty can't come over." Isabel said plaintively. They had tried earlier to get their parents to invite Kat over but her parents wanted her stay home…something about children missing further up the road. Isabel shrugged her shoulders. "I wonder what those other kids are missing." she said as she looked first at the door then over at her twin.
"Dunno, Mommy just said they missing." Brenda said.
"Maybe they lost some of their toys." Isabel said finally after debating the subject over in her mind. "We bring all our toys in?"
"Think so," Brenda said. "We find out when we go out, right?"
"Yeah." Isabel answered and both girls nodded their heads in agreement. The moments ticked by agonizingly slow for the young toddlers as they waited to make sure that their older brother was indeed a sleep again. After a few more moments of hesitation Isabel once again placed her tiny hand on the door handle and opened the door a fraction of an inch. She heard no sound so she opened it further and stuck her head out to look once again up and down the darkened hallway. Donny's door was tightly shut and their parents were still in the living room watching the television. "Coast clear," Isabel said and nodded to her sister to follow her out.
They snuck down the hallway, making sure that they kept their small bodies concealed in the darkness. The twins were indeed too bright sometimes for their own good. Isabel suddenly stopped and Brenda ran right into her back. "Wh-" Brenda began only to have Isabel place a hand quickly across her mouth.
She motioned for her sister to keep quiet and pointed to where their parents were sitting in the living room. Brenda nodded her head in understanding. They were just a few feet from the entrance into the kitchen, but all it would take was for their parents to look in their direction and it would all be over. Isabel began to inch forward, slowly as she kept her eyes glued to their parents. Brenda quietly followed her. They both knew if they got caught they'd be in a world of trouble. Maybe that was the driving force behind their little excursion, the fact that they could possibly get away with it.
Isabel reached the doorway and swiftly scrambled into the relative safety of the kitchen. Brenda wasn't far behind her. "Ready?" Isabel asked quietly.
Brenda nodded her head. The twins darted for the kitchen door. Isabel tried to quietly open the door, but it squeaked as she opened it. She froze and turned her petrified gaze toward the doorway into the living room, waiting to see one of her parents show up there. The noise from the television must have blanketed the squeak of the door for neither their mother nor father appeared at the doorway. Isabel sighed a breath of relief and opened the door the rest of the way. She and Brenda crept out of the house and into the stillness of the night.
Their yard was a large one, at least and acre and half. They had no dogs, but their parents raised horses. The barn was located further back into the darkness, beyond the hazy glow created from the lights within the house. That was the twin's first destination.
Isabel led, as always. Brenda was close on her heels, as always. "We gonna go and see the horsies?" Brenda asked.
"Yeah, see if we left any of our toys out there." Isabel answered as she glanced back to look at her sister. "So they don't go missing."
Brenda nodded her head. "Good 'dea." she said as if it was the most apparent thing in the world.
One of the horses neighed as it heard their approach. "Nightwing?" Brenda asked.
"Um, don't think so, think it was Blue Moon." Isabel answered.
The horse whinnied again, then was joined in by a second one. "Think that was Nightwing." Isabel said as they neared the door into the barn. Isabel slowed her pace and looked at the foreboding barn looming before them. Suddenly she didn't feel so very brave. It looked dark and scary and she wasn't so certain she wanted to go in there anymore. "I think daddy locked the door," Isabel said even before she had tried it.
"He never lock it before," Brenda said as they came to stop just outside of the imposing door.
"Um…" Isabel's young mind was churning for a reason not to go into the large, dark structure. Another whinny came from inside, as if the horses were telling them to come in. "Horizon?" Isabel asked as she turned around to look at her sister.
"Think so," Brenda replied and wearily eyed the door, she wouldn't argue with her sister if she decided not to go in there.
"Wanna go play?" Isabel asked, anything to divert her sister from their original target.
"Yeah…sand box?"
"Nah…mommy says the kitties use it as litter box," Isabel said.
"Oh…how 'bout swing set?"
"Not allowed without mommy or daddy."
"Hide-n-seek?"
"'Kay." Isabel said and both girls darted quickly away from the dark barn. The horses neighed dejectedly, as if they had truly wanted the little girls to come in and play.
Isabel raced across the starlit yard, giggling as she turned around to look at her sister. She quickly out distanced her sister and stopped to allow Brenda to catch up with her. "Thought was gonna play hide-n-seek." Brenda complained once she had caught up with Isabel.
"How 'bout tag?" Isabel asked and proceeded to run from her sister once more. "You it!" she called and giggled once more as she watched her sister try and catch her.
Brenda ran after Isabel, who kept darting and dodging, ever eluding her. "No fair!" she cried as Isabel slowly came to a stop a few feet away from her. "You said Hide-n-seek!"
"You no fun," Isabel pouted. "You no wanna play 'cause you never catch me."
"That 'cause you run to fast," Brenda said as she edged closer to her sister. Once she was within arms length of Isabel she made a mad dash to try and catch her sister but Isabel only giggled and sprinted in the opposite direction. "No fair!" Brenda cried out.
"Is to fair!" Isabel called back all the while giggling. "You just not fast 'nough to catch me."
"You slow down," Brenda ordered.
"No," Isabel said as she stopped and watched her twin once more try and catch her. Once again she jumped and sprinted in the complete opposite direction her sister was lunging for her from. She heard a thump as Brenda hit the ground and lay there not moving. "You kay?" she asked as she turned a worried eye toward her sister.
Brenda didn't respond, she didn't even move.
Isabel slowly approached her sister, watching her suspiciously. "Bren?" she called. Still there was no answer. "Bren, alright?" she got closer to her fallen sister and worry began to eat at her. "Bren?" she asked again. Brenda still didn't move. Isabel stopped next to her sister, and just as she was bending down to shake her shoulder Brenda jumped up and tagged Isabel.
"Now you it!" she said gleefully and ran quickly away from her sister.
"That not fair!" Isabel called after her. She easily jogged after her sister and followed her toward the woods that bordered their property. "Wait Bren!" she called.
Brenda stopped at looked back at her, "What?" she called back.
"We not suppose to go there," Isabel answered as she pointed in the direction of the darkened woods. Scary night sounds drifted out toward them and Isabel felt a shiver work its way up her spine than back down.
"You scared?" Brenda dared.
Isabel glared at her sister. "'Course I not scared." she said defiantly.
"Then come on!" Brenda called, elated that she was for once the one in the lead.
"Um…" Isabel was still doubtful.
"Izzy chicken!" Brenda cried.
"Am not!"
"Uh-huh," Brenda shot back.
"Uh-uh."
"Are so!"
"Am not a chicken Bren!" Isabel yelled and sprinted after her sister.
They both reached the woods at the same time and both stopped at the same time. Unsure of what to do next Brenda looked over at her sister. Isabel just shrugged her shoulders. The sudden cry of an owl startled both girls and they cried out in alarm. "What that?" Brenda asked, her voice shaking with fear.
"Dunno," Isabel answered and slowly began to back away from the woods. She could see eyes staring back at the both of them and she had no desire to find out what the eyes belonged to. "I think we go back that way," she said and hiked her thumb back over her shoulder indicating the house and it's relative safety.
"Yeah," was all Brenda said.
The two girls slowly turned around and started back toward the house. Both couldn't get rid of the feeling like someone was watching them…someone or something. The many eyes in the woods flashed through Isabel's mind and she had to make herself not shudder with the memory.
They heard a twig or something snap from behind them and both froze. Isabel slowly turned around to see what was there…
She saw absolutely nothing. The woods were suddenly quiet, to quiet. Isabel looked from the woods to the house and suddenly their safe haven seemed so very far away. Fear started to well in her heart. She grabbed Brenda's hand and they both started to slowly walk back toward the house. Neither could rid themselves of the feeling like something was watching them or maybe even following them.
Isabel felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up and a chill run its way up her spine. Again she heard a twig snap. Again she turned around and saw nothing. Absolutely nothing. The eyes had vanished in the woods, which had suddenly become deathly still.
Isabel's heart trembled in fear. She felt panic welling up in her body and the need to run roared through her mind. Her grip on Brenda's hand tightened and she gently tugged her sister to get her moving once more.
Again she heard the twig snap behind her. This time she didn't look back, instead she started making a mad dash for the house, never loosening her grip on Brenda's hand. Suddenly she heard footsteps pounding behind them and she felt her heart plummet from her chest. There was the sound of beating wings accompanying the heavy footsteps but Isabel didn't dare turn around and see who or what was behind them. Then suddenly she felt someone grab hold of her shoulder and try to spin her around. She easily shrugged the hand off, put on a sudden burst of speed and continued to drag her sister along behind her.
Something suddenly wrapped itself around her legs and she fell flat on her face. She scrambled to get back up and heard Brenda scream. Isabel turned around to see what was going on and saw some tall dark man had hold of her sister. Wings appeared to sprout from his shoulders and his eyes glared evilly down at her. Without thinking the three-year-old little girl launched herself at her sister's assailant and bit into his thigh. The thing screamed in pain and dropped Brenda then reached for Isabel.
"Run!" Isabel screamed once she realized that her sister was safe. Both girls took off in two different directions.
The man, if you could call it taht, who had been watching the girls for a while, knew which one was quicker so went after the slower one. In no time at all he had hold of Brenda again. Isabel didn't have time to do a thing before he disappeared into the woods with her twin sister. Isabel watched in horror as the stranger disappeared into the darkened woods with her best friend.
As tears started to stream down her face she turned and fled toward the house. She didn't stop screaming until the cops arrived a half hour later. Brenda was never found, nor were any of the other children that had been kidnapped. Isabel never went out alone again.
{End Flashback}
Isabel looked up at Rocky, the tears had dried up a long time ago but their coarse down her cheeks were still apparent. "So, that's what happened to Brenda. If I hadn't convinced her into going out that night she would've never been kidnapped and she'd still be here."
"Isabel, you can't blame yourself. You didn't know what was going to happen, you couldn't have known." Rocky said as he tilted her head up to look him directly in the face. "Why didn't you ever tell any of us?" He asked, then a sudden thought occurred to him. "Kat knew, didn't she?"
"Yeah, Kat knew. I asked her not to tell anyone. It was my dirty secret. It was my past and I didn't know how you guys would react to such a thing…" her voice became thick with tears once more. "I was so scared you would all think I was some kind of monster or something. I blamed myself for it and I didn't want anyone else to know about what I had done."
"You didn't do anything wrong. It wasn't your fault." Rocky told her, gently kissing the tip of her nose.
"That's easy for you to say, you're not the one who's been living with all this guilt and pain for all those years."
"No, I'm not. I can help you through it though, if you'll let me." Rocky said, his eyes wondered down to her lips. He wanted to kiss her so bad, but didn't think it would be right, not with the amount of pain she was feeling right at that moment. "Just let me help you Iz," he pleaded as his eyes wondered up her face to look into her eyes once more.
"I-I don't know," she said hesitantly. "I'm just so scared to relive it…I had put it all behind me, and then this happens."
"We're here for you, you know that right?" Rocky asked. "I'm here for you, if you ever need me."
Isabel met his gaze and smiled at him, it was a small smile, but it was a real one non-the-less. She closed her eyes and leaned her face up to his, her lips gently touching his. His arms wrapped themselves around her waist and pulled her closer against him as his lips pressed more firmly against hers. She sighed deeply and wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down closer to her, while at the same time pressing her body more intimately against his.
It was at that moment that the phone decided to ring. She looked up at Rocky shyly. "Better get that," he said, thinking the same thing she was. It could be about Kim.
She picked the phone up, "Hello?" She said into it.
"Hi Kat…is everything all right?" She paused as the other Australian answered. Iz met Rocky's gaze and smiled at him, singaling that Kim was all right. "Is she allowed visitors?"
There were a few more exchanges then Isabel put the phone down and smiled up at Rocky. "They expect Kim to make a full recovery. She's still in pretty bad condition, but Kat's confident that its going to take a lot to take her away from Tommy again."
"We suppose to go over?" Rocky asked.
"When ever you're ready."
"Then lets go," Rocky said. He stood up and looked down at Isabel, he extended his hand to her and said ever so gallantly, "If you're ready milady, your chariot awaits."
Isabel giggled inspite of herself. "Thank you," she said as she took his offered hand.
Slightly re-edited and it suits things for me now. Hopefully I'll get everything straightened out and it won't confuse you the readers to much. If so, just let me know…I'll see if I can fix it in anyway. I'm glad I still have a few people reading this.
Thanks a million to all the readers…Wild-Melody