I apologize for the delay in my second chapter. Please enjoy!
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Life in the Darkness
Chapter 2
Time seemed to stand still. She was dimly aware of her surroundings, but she could only focus on one thing.
"Are they" … she could barely bring herself to say the word, "dead?" She needed to know, but at the same time, she wasn't ready to hear the truth.
"No" Mrs. Tarleton said softly. "But just barely alive." Something stirred within Scarlett when she heard these words. She suddenly knew that she needed to save her family. After all, they were all that she had left.
"Scarlett?" She was jarred from her thoughts as she remembered she wasn't alone.
"You should go back to Atlanta, where you'll be safe," Mrs. Tarleton said.
"No." She was surprised by the anger in her voice.
"But Rhett…"
"Rhett doesn't care." Her voice broke and she struggled to hold back tears.
"He's your husband." Her voice sounded indignant. "Of course he cares."
"He left." At that point Scarlett didn't care about her southern pride. She needed a friend. With Melanie and Rhett gone, and her family all dying… she just didn't have the heart to care.
"Oh Scarlett." Mrs. Tarleton held her arms out, and, sobbing, Scarlett threw herself into them. With that, the tears started coming, and within seconds, she was sobbing.
"It'll all be okay. You're strong, I know you can push through this."
"No." She cried. "I can't. Not anymore." It was quiet except for her sobbing, which slowly decreased. Suddenly, she started running. She didn't know where, but she needed to get away. Crying, she stumbled away, her vision blurring, her ears barely hearing the pleas of Mrs. Tarleton.
She hadn't gone far when she realized she didn't know where she was going. She fell to the ground, exhausted. Within minutes, she heard the sound of Mrs. Tarleton's carriage, she was too tired to run away, too tired to care.
"Scarlett." She heard Mrs. Tarleton's soft voice.
"Come with me. You need some sleep. We can figure all of this out tomorrow."
"Can I visit Tara? I have to get my children out. And Mammy. And all of them. I know it's not too late, I can still save them."
Mrs. Tarleton hesitated.
"We'll see. But for now you need some rest."