Dark

(This short story is from my short story collection ODDS AND ENDINGS: FICTION SHORT AND OTHERWISE. For more info on me and my novels, check out my website at http://www.joederouen.com. Thanks, I hope you enjoy it!)

Charlie woke in the darkness, a scream on her lips. She had no idea where she was or how she'd gotten there, only knew that she had to get out. She willed her hands to reach out into the blackness that surrounded her, but they ignored her, remaining motionless. She couldn't even feel them, and couldn't feel her legs either.

What had happened? The last thing she remembered was her and Sara on the sailboat, laughing and drinking margaritas, watching the waves lap at the shore some fifty yards away as they enjoyed the warm summer breeze. They were in love, and were celebrating Charlie finally having the courage to leave her husband and accept herself and her feelings for this beautiful, intelligent woman whom she'd known for only six months.

They'd made love for the first time on that rented sailboat. It had been tentative at first, clumsy even, but then their passion had taken over, and it felt like nothing Charlie had experienced before. She'd come, really come, for the first time in her life. Sara held her afterwards, kissing her, telling her how beautiful she was and how much she loved her.

What happened after that? She struggled to remember, fighting down the panic that slowly spread throughout her body. Why couldn't she move? Had the boat capsized? No, the boat was fine. A flash of memory. They'd been sailing just outside of Oak Bluffs, heading back to the docks, when, on a whim, they'd decided to set shore on the beach. They jumped hand in hand from the boat, giggling, marveling that they seemed to have the whole beach to themselves. The sun was just beginning to set and looked breathtakingly beautiful over the blue Massachusetts water.

Why was she so cold? She struggled again to move, but it was as if her body was no longer hers. She felt like shivering, would have welcomed the chatter of her teeth, but she remained motionless despite herself. What was happening to her?

The beach. They'd been on the beach. And then what? She concentrated on remembering the feel of the sand crunching beneath her bare feet, the taste of Sara's lips, the smell of... the smell of what? And then she remembered.

"It's getting a little cold," Charlie said, enjoying the musky smell of Sara's patchouli perfume as she snuggled closer to her.

They decided to build a fire. Charlie gathered various dry and brittle branches from the trees on the other side of the beach, while Sara ran back to the boat to look for a lighter. Soon they had a small blaze going, and Charlie began to sweat. She looked into Sara's eyes, smiled, and pulled her tank top up and over her head. 

Had they made love again then, in the sand, as the sun went down? Charlie had wanted to, but didn't think they had. No, they'd decided to go skinny dipping first. They'd strewn their clothes around the fire before running, giggling and splashing, into the cold water that lapped at their rented sailboat.

The water felt wonderful on her bare skin, caressing her back and shoulders. She was in Sara's arms again, laughing and kissing, wanting nothing more than to spend the rest of her life with this gorgeous woman.

She pounded at the gates of her memory, but nothing else would come. She had a thought, but pushed it down. She could feel her heart beating in her chest, couldn't she? She was sure that she could, and wasn't there light there, just a hint of it, in the darkness?

Something had grabbed her foot, pulling her under the water. She screamed, her mouth filling with water, choking her, making her cough and spit. What was it? Some ancient darkness, wanting to drag her deep beneath the surface? No, it was just a submerged branch that had managed to wrap itself around her ankle. Sara pulled her and the branch came loose from whatever anchored it, floating to the surface.

They'd made their way back to the beach, shivering, laughing, and warming their naked bodies beside the fire. And then he was there, gun in hand. Her husband held the pistol in trembling fingers, tears on his cheeks. If he couldn't have her, nobody would. She heard the crack of the pistol and, after that, nothing. She hadn't drowned, she'd been murdered.

Now she knew why she couldn't move her arms or feel the beat of her own heart. She was dead. But at least Sara was alive. At least there was that, and hopefully Mike was rotting in a prison somewhere. She embraced the darkness and fell into a deep, dreamless slumber, never to awaken again.

 ---

The nurse stood over Charlene Montgomery, reading her chart. She'd been in a coma for almost three years. Apparently, her husband had caught her having an affair with another woman. He'd murdered the woman and then shot himself. By the time the paramedics arrived, Charlene was catatonic and her husband and Sara Stone were both dead. Such a tragedy.

The nurse noticed Charlene was shivering and added an extra blanket to her bed before leaving the room.

 ---

 Charlie woke in the darkness, a scream on her lips. She had no idea where she was or how she'd gotten there, only knew that she had to get out. Why couldn't she move her hands?