Tara's Story

Chapter 54

“No! I won’t leave you here!” I protested as my internal clock felt the time until this place was blown up ticking down.

“I saw her as they brought her out, Conner. She’s close to death. Please, just be there for her. For me,” Sara’s eyes watered as she continued to struggle against the blonde woman.

“Ah, the little wench is dying now?” The blonde grinned. “I hope she dies a painful, slow death. She was always a troublemaker. Thinking she’d come out of here alive, ha! No one does. And she never even knew about the-”

“Just SHUT UP Ivory!” Sara screamed. “You destroyed my life, like so many others, and I’m not going to let you get away with it! Now it’s your time to pay!”

They began to wrestle again as I hesitated-caught between leaving Sara or staying. They stopped rolling around, this time with Sara pinning Ivory down. “Conner GO!” She snapped.

“They’re blowing this place up in a couple minutes!” I exclaimed. “I’m not leaving you to go up with it!”

“Just do it,” she hissed. “I won’t let this b*tch go. She cannot live to destroy any more lives!”

“I’m not leaving you here to die with her!”

“Yes you are!” Sara yelled. “I don’t have a life to go back anymore, Conner. It doesn’t matter. If I did come back, where would I go? You already have a family.. I have nothing.”

“We’d find a place to fit you in-”

“You were already living just dandy without me as it were! You don’t need me.”

“Sara, you can start your life over with us. Just come with me!”

“I can’t start over Conner! You two will have a nice little family life together while I’m stuck as a third wheel-forever lost. One does not simply come out of this place the same, Conner. You will learn that more if Tara is saved. So go to her! Go have that life that can never happen for me! I can’t be saved now, but she can.”

“Sara-”

“Just leave! You’re running out of time! I’d never live with myself if I let this b*tch escape. Go save Tara.”

I swallowed and gave a small nod before turning away. “And Conner,” I looked back and met her watering eyes, “tell her I love her.”

“I will,” I whispered and took a mental picture of  her expression before running full speed to the exit.

Once out the door and a good distance away, I met Quil waiting for me. “Everyone out?” he asked, holding a lighter.

“Yes,” I gulped and watched as he lit the gas trail. Flames lept up and engulfed the building within a minute. I watched the blaze for another minute or two with a sinking heart, before running to my love, running away from that hell hole, and running to keep my sanity.

Quil trailed behind me and we reached the camp shortly. It was packed full of new faces, and people without faces. I was surprised, shocked, and disgusted by the sight of them. Disfigured limbs, contorted features, and colors that should never be a part of a normal being were all around. These were Tara’s neighbors, I realized.

Around Tara’s stretcher, was an army of people. Carlisle was doing a variety of things, Esme acting as his assistant, Seth held Mirabelle and her and Rena’s cries rang out, and a variety of other people did odds and ends. Before I reached Tara herself, a man with crutches (who was a complete stranger to me) stopped me.

“What is her name?” he asked with innocent green eyes.

I swallowed, my throat dry after looking upon her lifeless figure. “Tara.”