BEAUTY & THE DARK PRINCE

Episode 12

Maria contemplates on notifying Tyra’s nana about what has happened but she figures she shouldn’t worry the old lady at least until she has better knowledge of what happened to her friend. She wonders if she should call Chad and inform him but then she conceives telling him won’t help in anyway and besides he is the last person she wants to talk to, after the bruises he left on Tyra's face a few days ago.

The buzzing of her phone shakes her thoughts away, her eyes dart to the screen of her phone and the name "chad" appears. "Speak of the devil," she sighs as she takes the phone into the palm of her hands.

She only picks up just in case he has some information on Tyra.

“Hey Maria listen I have been trying to get hold of Tyra but her phone is not going through are you with her?” Maria smirks and rolls her eyes before curtly responding, “No!” “Okay then where is she?” He asks hoping to hear she is recovering at the hospital and not lying dead at the mortuary.

Anxiety has gotten the best of him, he desperately needs to know what’s happening with Tyra. If she is dead then he has to leave the country before investigations bust him for murder and if she survived he has to beg her for forgiveness and convince her by any means possible not to report him, he cannot go to jail he just wouldn’t survive a day there.

“I don’t know where she is I should be asking you,” she ripostes and he panics upon hearing that, “What do you mean by that?” He tries his best to sound calm and composed.

“You are her boyfriend aren’t you?” “Yeah but I haven’t seen her since. . .” “Since you painted her face black with your fists,” she completes the sentence for him.

“Maria! I know you don’t like me but I will not tolerate your silly accusations... I guess calling you was a mistake just tell Tyra to call me when you see her," he hangs up.

If Maria had suspected that Chad had something to do with Tyra’s disappearance then his call would have made her think otherwise as she is now convinced he hasn't seen her since the day he beat her up. As a matter of fact she does not think Chad is capable of kidnapping his own girlfriend or that he would have a good reason to do so. His name didn't even cross her mind as a suspect thence she never mentioned his name to the police.

Chad worries why Maria doesn’t know where Tyra is...does she truly not know or perhaps she lied to him? Could it be that Tyra told her what he did? But then again if that was the case wouldn’t the cops be knocking on his door? He soon gets a headache from worrying and thinking too much, he is very restless and deeply regrets what he did.

***

Three days after the incident I slowly blink my eyes open. For the few seconds my vision is blurred but it soon normalizes.

My eyes dart around thoroughly scanning my surrounding. I observe a female doctor checking the monitor and jotting down notes. I realize she has not yet noticed that I'm now awake. “Doctor,” I weakly call out and the she promptly turns to face me. “You are awake Ms...oh I'm sorry I don’t even know your name you had no ID on you. I’m Doctor Anderson...do you remember your name?” She questions as she expectantly stares at me.

“Yes…I remember my name.. I’m Tyra Smith. Doctor, how long have I been here and how . . . how did I get here?” I ask with impatience.

“You have been here for three days someone called the ambulance and it brought you here.” The doctor pauses and starts to examine me, “I must say Ms Smith you are a very lucky girl the bullet slightly missed your heart. Can you remember what happened, do you know who shot you?”

I flash back to recall what happened and tears roll down my cheeks. The doctor watches me with lifted eyebrows awaiting my response. When I fail to move my lips she questions again, “Tyra, who shot you?” I gather she is not going to stop until she gets an answer.

“I don’t know...I didn’t see him,” “Are you sure?” “Yes, he was wearing a mask and he never took it off,”

“Do you know of anyone who would want to hurt you?”

I pretend to think for a few seconds before answering, “No.”

“Alright...well I have to inform the police that you are now awake. They need to ask you a few questions," she pauses and sympathetically glances at me. "I am so sorry about what happened to you. I'm glad you are going to be fine but I would still advise you to go for counselling,” she adds.

“Thank you doctor, you are very kind,” I weakly smile at the beautiful young doctor.

I'm at a small hospital located on the outskirts of Hilthray. The nearby police department were not able to identify me as the missing girl since my name was not yet known by the hospital staff. A physical identification was later made after a photograph of me was provided by Maria.

The police did not inform anyone that they had found me, it is their job to treat everyone as a suspect and Maria and Ayden were considered suspects who could find ways to finish up their job after being informed of my present location. They made the decision to first speak with me before anyone could be notified that I'm alive.

They rush to the hospital after learning I'm awake, itching to have a word with me and get some answers that would hopefully enable them to make an arrest.