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Tabitha noticed strange things happening lately. Things in her house not where left them. Mysterious business calls being made without her knowledge. And most bizarre of all, Stella.
She was constantly staring at her from a distance or getting too clingy.
Stella tries her best to be subtle and stealthy, which sometimes works...but most of the time it's painfully obvious how often Stella watches Tabitha from afar.
She doesn't even flinch when their eyes meet. She just continues to give Tabitha her signature unsettling smile.
And then one day, she acted...
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Tabitha woke up light headed. She tried to move but found her wrists and ankles tied up. She also seemed to be in a moving car.
As she finally becomes conscious, she hears a familiar voice coming from the driver's seat.
"Don't bother trying to struggle, I made sure those ropes would hold."
Stella glances from the road to the back seat
"Good morning, sleepyhead. How are you feeling?"
"Stella! What the hell is going on?! Why am I tied up?! Have you lost your mind?!"
"Lose my mind? No no, in fact I've never been more clear-headed. I just need you to remain calm and listen to me. Can you do that for me, Tabby?"
Stella didn't wait for a response. She just kept driving, looking from the road to her bound passenger.
"Why are you doing?!"
She sighs, almost wistfully. "Because you don't understand. I have to keep you safe from everything... and everyone."
A pause as she turns down a dirt road. "You'll see soon enough."
"Where are we going?"
"Somewhere we can be alone. No disturbances, no distractions. Just us." She makes turn after turn down the winding dirt path. They seem to be going deeper and deeper into the forest.
Tabitha was getting nervous. The drive was taking forever. Her surroundings were unfamiliar to her. Finally, they arrived at the destination.
As the car finally stops, Stella turns off the engine and takes a deep breath. "We're here."
She gets out of the car and walks around to Tabitha's side. She opens her door but doesn't immediately start untying her.
"What is this place?"
Stella looks around for a moment before answering.
"We're at an old hunting cabin I found on one of my adventures."
She begins untying the rope around Tabitha's ankles. "Come on, let's go inside."
They're now inside a small cabin. It's old and dusty. The only furnishings are a table, a few chairs, and a bed. Stella stands in the center of the room, watching Tabitha as she examines her surroundings.
"Stella. You can't expect me to be here. I have a home. A mine to run." Tabitha hoped she could get Stella to see reason.
"And do you really think that's what's best for you? Working yourself almost to death in that dangerous old mine?" Stella begins to cross the room, slowly approaching Tabitha.
"That mine was something you never wanted. That bitch Pearlanne forced it on you. I couldn't stand seeing you unhappy."
A sudden flash of anger.
"That mine...is a death trap. Every time you go in there, you're playing a game of russian roulette! Do you have any idea how many times I've stayed up, worried sick, wondering if you were going to come home?!"
Stella grabbed Tabitha's shoulders. "I know you're independent and strong-willed, but can't you see that I'm just trying to protect you? I care about you, damnit!"
Stella pulls Tabitha closer to her, their faces only inches apart. "I can't stand the thought of losing you... and as long as you keep going into that damn mine, you're putting yourself in harm's way."
Stella hesitates, seeing the distress on Tabitha's face. She slowly loosens her grip but doesn't let go completely. "I'm sorry... I just..." her voice cracks slightly.
"Stella," Tabitha finally said, clearly disturbed. "You need help. You have to let me go."
That was the last thing Stella wanted to hear. She grips Tabitha's shoulders again, a bit too tightly.
"No. I won't let you go. You're mine, goddamnit! I won't lose you, even if it means never letting you out of my sight again!"
Realizing she was hurting her, Stella loosened her grip. "Sorry. I got too aggressive. Look, Tabby. I took care of everything. There's nothing for you to go back to."
Tabitha's heart drops at those words. The implications of what Stella meant were terrifying.
"What...what do you mean by that?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.
Stella looked genuinely remorseful for a brief moment, before her expression hardened again. "I sold the mines. It's no longer under the Scarlet name. They also means it'll eventually be shut down. Permanently."
She hesitated "And... I made sure there would be no reason for you to leave here."
Each sentence hit Tabitha like a freight train. The realization that her mines were sold behind her back was shocking enough, but the ominous undertone to Stella's final words sent chills down her spine.
"What… what did you mean by that last part? There would be no reason to leave… here?"
Stella paused before speaking. "The Scarlet estate is gone. Destroyed. Reduced to ashes."
The color drained from Tabitha's face, and her breath caught in her throat. The thought of her childhood home being reduced to embers was an unbearable blow.
"Are you...are you saying there's nothing left? Nothing at all?" Her voice trembled with a mix of grief and fear.
"None. Don't you see Tabby? There's nothing for you in Scarlet Hollow anymore. You're free. Free from the burden of being a Scarlet."
Tabitha felt numb. The weight of everything she'd just lost pressed down on her all at once.
"Free?" She repeated hollowly, as if the word itself was meaningless now. "You burned my home... you sold my mines..."
Stella placed her hands on Tabitha's face. "That place was never your home Tabby. A home is supposed to be warm and inviting. You yourself said how much you hated running the mines. Trying to live up to the expectations of your mother. Of the Scarlet bloodline. You don't have to worry about that anymore. You can live your life with me." She gave Tabitha a kiss on the lips.
Tabitha recoiled in shock, her body stiffening as Stella's lips met hers. The kiss was brief but it left Tabitha feeling violated and sick to her stomach.
"Stella... please." Her voice was barely audible. "Don't do this..."
She moved closer, closing the distance between them until their bodies were pressed together. Stella's touch was possessive as she ran her hands down Tabitha's sides, resting them on her hips. She looked down at her with possessive eyes.
"You're mine, Tabby. You've always been mine. I've wanted this for so long... I've wanted you for so long..."
"Stella," Tabitha said.
Ignoring Tabitha's plea, Stella wraps her arms tightly around Tabitha, pulling her closer in a possessive embrace that borders on desperation.
"You belong with me, Tabby. Can't you see that? We don't need the mines, or the estate, or anything else. All we need is each other."
"STELLA! I SAID STOP! RIGHT NOW!!!" The sheer tone of Tabitha's voice was unnerving. Stella freezes, the harshness of Tabitha's tone cutting through her like a knife. For the first time since this whole ordeal began, genuine shock and fear flicker across Stella’s face. "...You're... scared of me?" Her voice is small now—lost.
"Why? Why aren't you happy? Isn't this what you wanted?"
Stella's hands tremble as she stares at Tabitha, the cracks in her twisted devotion finally showing. The realization that what she thought would be freedom—what she believed Tabitha would thank her for—had only brought terror instead... it shattered something inside of her.
"...I wanted you to be safe," she whispers hoarsely, "...not afraid."
Fearing what Stella might do if displeased, Tabitha tells her what she wants to hear. "Of course, this is what I want. You and me... free from all the bullshit that's been holding us back. We can be together without any obligations or distractions. Isn't that what you want too?"
Relief floods Stella's features, the tension melting away at the reassurance.
"Yes. Yes, that's all I want… all I've ever wanted, Tabby. Just you and me..." She moves closer to Tabitha once more, her gaze fixed on Tabitha's like a tiger preparing to pounce. There's a possessive gleam in her eyes, almost predatory.
"No one else."
Later that night...
Stella had finally allowed Tabitha to move around freely, though she never let her out of sight. The two sat in the dimly lit cabin—Tabitha on the edge of a chair, Stella sprawled comfortably across an old couch nearby. The silence between them was heavy with unspoken tension. Then, Stella stood up and sat down next to Tabby. She stared at her for a brief moment longingly because connecting their lips.
Stella kisses Tabitha with passion. Tabitha reluctantly returned the affection. Stella deepened the kiss, a hunger and desperation to her movements. Her fingertips trailed down Tabitha's waist, gripping her sides as she pulled their bodies closer together.
Maybe this won't be too bad. She didn't have to worry about the mines. No more overworking employees. No more underpaying. The town and the Scarlet legacy wasn't her concern anymore.
The estate was gone. She didn't have to maintain it. Didn't have to worry about it falling apart. This cabin was almost like how she envisioned her dream home.
And Stella. She got to be with her. Her long buried feelings for her didn't have to be hidden anymore.
As Tabitha lost herself in the sensations and thoughts brought on by Stella's kiss, she tried to ignore the underlying worry that still gnawed at the edges of her mind.
She could almost convince herself that this new reality could work. That she and Stella could be happy together. But a small part of her couldn't shake the feeling of being trapped - of being Stella's prisoner, both physically and emotionally.
But then again, was this really any worse than her how things were for her before? Was that life any different? Was she not already a prisoner under the Scarlet family? At least here she could love and be loved. If she had Stockholm syndrome, then so be it.
As Tabitha attempted to justify her current situation to herself, a glimmer of resignation began to settle over her. Maybe it wasn't all bad. Maybe it was even... good to have someone completely devoted to her.
She leaned into Stella's kiss, trying to lose herself in the moment and forget her nagging doubts and fears.
The night ended, and Tabitha found herself drifting off to sleep on the bed, Stella close by on the couch. The cabin fell silent, save for the occasional creaking of the old floorboards. Stella remained awake for a bit longer, watching Tabitha with a mix of affection, obsession, and protectiveness.