Love Hurts

Scorpion's POV

I smiled at her. She smiled back and batted her eyes. She was pretty. I couldn't deny that. But she wasn't very bright. Couldn't she see the way I looked at her? No, they never did.

I met her when I was out on a walk. I had been heading home when I saw her, a girl with a lost look on her face. I asked her if she needed any help and when she nodded I asked if she was lost. She nodded again and then I asked if she'd like to come to my place while we sorted things out. She nodded again. It was strange that she refused to reply verbally. Perhaps she was mute? I asked if she could talk. She nodded, but didn't talk. Shrugging it off, I offered her my arm and she took it. She gave me an adorable smile as it happened. Then, as we walked to my home, I sang a little ditty into her ear. I had come up with it myself a few years back.

"Trust me, trust me, darling dear. I'm so sincere, there's no need to tear. Trust me, trust me, darling do. Just like I trust you," my voice was soft and I could tell that it tickled her ear because she giggled. Then at last, she graced me with the honor of hearing her voice.

"I trust you," she said. Her voice was lovely.

Once we reached my little home in the far side of town, I sat her down on my couch and asked her who she was. She told me that her name was Tamara Lounds and that she didn't know where she was, or why or how. As a matter of fact, she couldn't remember anything before waking up lost, just lying beside the river where I found her when I had been headed home from the market. I nodded sympathetically. I got that a lot. Lots people came to my town, not knowing why they were here or how. Maybe it would be different if they did.

When I ran out of questions for Tamara, she turned the tables and began to interview me.

"Sooo," she began shyly. "What's your name?"

"My name?" I asked. It was a stupid question but I was never one for long or dramatic back-stories. But Tamara insisted so I decided to give her the very, very abbreviated version of it all in one line. "My name is Scorpion and although I'm not sure how I got here either, I just know that I've been in this town for quite awhile now and I actually really like it."

"Oh," she replied. I could hear the disappointment in her voice. Clearly she had hoped that hearing my story would help her find her own. No such luck. I took pity on her and touched her arm gently.

"Maybe you can just stay here. Hopefully you'll remember who you are soon but, if not, you can always live here!" I offered.

"That sweet of you, but I couldn't possibly!" Tamara blushed. "Besides, I already know who I am."

"No you don't," I replied, but I said it so quietly that she didn't hear.

Suddenly, my door creaked open and in came a hooded figure. The figure removed its hood. Underneath was a woman with skin as cold and pale as porcelain. She had heterochromia eyes that seemed to never blink and her hair was so blond it was white. In addition, a big, black, web-like scar covered the right half of her eerily pale face. She was the most gorgeous and amazing woman I ever met.

"Who are you?" Tamara squeaked fearfully as she walked in. The intruder raised a skeptic eyebrow, as though she couldn't believe that Tamara didn't know who she was. Then she gave Tamara a sneer only I saw before sidling up to me to convey a message. She didn't speak, so her message was all pantomime, but I understood every word.

Once the message was finished, she ambled haughtily. I groaned inwardly as the door shut again. I had hit a dilemma. My friend's message was that my boss wanted us all at the center of town in 10 minutes. But I didn't want to go. Town meetings sucked. Especially where I lived. All it was, was a smokescreen. We pretended to exchange ideas but, in the end, only one opinion mattered and that was the boss'. Why go to a town meeting where my voice had no levity? My boss could screw himself for all I cared. I wanted to stay back here with Tamara and have some fun, you know? But at the same time, disobeying the boss could yield horrible punishment.