The Victor

Tallulah satin a parlor on a crimson crushed velvet loveseat. She was dressed in a black and red gothic ball gown with a sweetheart neckline and cascading ruffles. The taffeta was cool on her freshly healed skin.

A hair and makeup artist gave her smoky eyes and twisted her dark hair back, leaving ringlets around her face. She felt like a princess sitting with her hands crossed thoughtfully in her lap. Breathing was a habit that was no longer painful.

Tallulah's life was divided into two parts: before and after. Before was several failed relationships where she was left heartbroken. She'd never known her father, as he had passed away prior to her birth. Before was losing her mother after years of battling disease. Medical bills had mounted to crippling debt.

Working three jobs left her little time for socializing and dating. She found solace and enjoyment in watching horror movies and writing on online message boards. In retrospect, she suspected that was how she had come onto The Society's radar.

A fever dream left her in the after. Tallulah Daniels was among the few who had accepted an invitation from The Society and passed the trial. Many times she questioned what was real during her night in the fairground.

The news continued to share the story regarding the terror at the fair. Drone footage showed the mutilated corpses of several scare actors hidden beneath clothes stained with blood. Though she'd seen it many times and been questioned by authorities, Tallulah couldn't recount the events of the night.

Lucien's footsteps were so light she didn't hear him enter the room. The hair on the back of her neck stood up as he cleared his throat. He was breathtaking in his black brocade Victorian-style tailcoat and black trousers with a blood-red shirt. It wasn't lost on the young woman that their attire matched.

"Sadie?"

He spoke so softly and intimately that she became enraged. A torrent of emotions overwhelmed her at his proximity. She screeched and flew into him, beating his chest with her fists.

"How could you let me forget who I really am? How could you put me through all of this? Did you do all this to punish me?"

Lucien wrapped his arms around Tallulah and held her steady against his muscular chest as she sobbed against his shoulder.

"I love you. I love you so fucking much that it killed me to have you enter the trial. There's a reason I was on the ground and trying to help you."

Her heart fluttered at his confession. He loved her.

"Aren't you always part of it?"

He shook his head and said with a sigh, "Members of The Society are prohibited from participating in the events."

Tallulah's head and heart were conflicted. Her head was a foggy, fucked-up mess from her experiences and discovering a past they had shared. The treacherous organ in her chest had no doubts about Lucien's claims. Her heart carried him inside.

"What's next?" she asked.

"I love you so much that I'm ready to burn down The Society to be with you."

Tallulah lifted her chin to look into his eyes. Every word was laced with sincerity.

"And what if my memories never return?"

"We have a lifetime to make new ones."