Hi everyone! This is the start of my new story, and I am looking forward to writing these chapters out. This is a story I started when I was 16, and I had not been able to forget it. The first few chapters were already written, so updates will be more frequent at first, as just revision and editing are needed. My next update should be posted sometime either the 26th, or on Thanksgiving. I hope you enjoy the story!
Chapter One
Sarah shuffled her feet against the yellowed floor. Staring vacantly at the large black and white clock above the grocery coolers, she was leaned against the counter, lost in thought. Flo, her supposed co-worker, had left for a cigarette break three hours ago and still wasn't back. She sighed, glancing away from the clock. It looked like she would be closing up. Again.
Work wore Sarah out. She was a senior in high school, and after a 6 hour school day, every day she would go straight to QuickMart to work another 8 hours. Except days like these when one of her only coworkers skipped out on her minutes before the end of her shift. Thanks for another 11.5 hour shift, Flo. Other than Brian, the owner and head manager, QuickMart only had three employees. Except for the occasional weekend, she only saw Marcus when she arrived at work for her shift. Marcus worked the morning shift, Sarah was afternoon, and Flo was late afternoon/evening- or was supposed to be, anyway.
Flo was a middle aged woman with six children. A few of her children were older and already moved into houses of their own, but three still remained: a 12 year old, a 7 year old, and the youngest, a 3 year old. Flo was in her early fifties, but thanks to her smoking and drinking habits, she looked to be in her mid-sixties. Her skin was thin and leathery, her face covered in wrinkles, age spots, and dark circles were permanently placed under her sunken eyes. Her red hair was unkempt, but knotted in some kind of bun anyway, and she always smelled like stale cigarettes and cheap perfume.
Flo left early without asking more often than she worked through her shifts. If she was confronted, it was always an emergency with her youngest. Despite being tired, Sarah didn't mind staying late. Being anywhere was better than being home.
It was a Tuesday night and the chance of customers had been slim. It normally was on Tuesdays. Then again, it normally was most days. Seeing only a handful of people a day made the hours crawl by, but Sarah found other ways to occupy her time.
After her homework was finished and she had spent hours making sure that the store was stocked and as clean as it could get, Sarah would read. It was mid-October, and Sarah had already read half of the books on her English teacher's "for fun" list of contemporary fiction novels , but had also made a good dent in his list of classic fiction. Despite her long work hours and home situation, Sarah maintained good grades in school, and her teachers adored her for it. Her grades were the only part of her life that she felt she had any control over.
Sarah always worked hard at everything she did. It was frustrating her that she was continuously turned down for a promotion to the assistant management position that had been vacant for months. Not only did she do her job, and the assistant management job anyway, but she did it well. She took pride in her work and made sure that everything was always taken care of before leaving the store. She didn't deserve to be making minimum wage.
Brian had established that there was only one way to that position and Sarah made it clear to him that she was not that kind of girl. After that point, Brian was always quick to say something hurtful to Sarah whenever he was in town to get a rise out of her. Luckily, He lived over an hour away, and really only checked up on the store monthly, so Sarah was often alone at work.
Personally, Sarah enjoyed being alone. She thought better alone, worked better alone, and even felt better alone. Being alone was all she knew for nearly her entire life.
The bell on the door jingled. Sarah looked up stoically, thinking she would see a customer. Rather than a customer, Ana pranced through the door.
It is said that opposites attract, and this had always been true in the case of Ana and Sarah. Ana had been her only friend for the past five years. If Sarah was the darkness, Ana was the light.
Ana was one of the school's best cheerleaders, and certainly fit the role. She was the perfect height and weight and always had a smile on her face. Her boyfriend was the school's football quarterback. Her nails were always manicured to the perfect shape. Her make-up was always perfectly applied. Her platinum blonde hair was always perfectly styled. She seemed to be good at everything she touched; sports, art, writing, acting, singing…it wasn't fair.
Sarah was short. The bones jutting from her hips and ribs were covered by her baggy black hoodie. She generally always wore jeans, and never had a boyfriend- much less one on the football team. Her nails were ragged, bitten, and bare. She never wore any make-up besides the occasional lip balm, much to Ana's dismay. Her auburn hair was flat and un-styled. Sarah was clumsy and uncoordinated, and was only talented with her schoolwork and reading. Sometimes Sarah was jealous of Ana and her inherent beauty, but despite it all, they were friends and loved each other like family.
"I brought you dinner! I think you need to eat something." Ana ordered, marching to her with a brown paper bag.
"Thanks," Sara muttered. She took the bag from Ana and placed it on the counter behind her. She wrinkled her nose at the smell, but her stomach grumbled, giving her away.
"There's a party at Jackson's house tonight. I'm actually about to head out there now. You should come!" Ana clapped her hands together excitedly.
"I'm at work, and I'm not into partying. You know that, Ana." Sarah rolled her eyes.
"So? You can close a bit early. Flo left."
"That's because she has no problem losing her job. I do. I need this job desperately. I wouldn't be here at all if I didn't. Listen, I'll see you later, ok?"
"Fine," Ana said, "But next time, you're not getting out of it!"
"Yeah, yeah. Thanks for the dinner. Have fun tonight."
"No problem. And I will." Ana said, and practically danced out of the store.
After Ana left, Sarah opened the bag and pulled out a thermos of hot soup. She took a few sips of the broth, but brought the rest into the mini-fridge in the break room.
She returned to the front of the store, in time to see a customer jogging toward the door. His eyes were cast downward, and his hands were in his pocket. It had just begun to rain. Sarah cursed under her breath. Her walk home would not be an enjoyable one.
Sarah walked behind the counter, and sat down on the stool. The bells on the door jingled as the customer walked in.
"Welcome to QuickMart. If you need help finding anything, just let me know," Sara called over to the customer who had been walking toward the other side of the store. Upon hearing her voice, he froze in place.
He very slowly turned in place, and once he was facing her, she could see that his skin was white. He looked as though he had seen a ghost.
Despite his shell-shocked expression, Sarah could tell that he was a very attractive man. The first thing she noticed were his eyes. A piercing blue-grey, they locked in with hers and held her in place. He had a chiseled face, full lips, and a strong jawline. His hair was dark and wispy. He was slender, but had broad shoulders and large arms. There was something oddly familiar about this man. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she felt as though she had seen him before.
Sarah looked around, feeling uncomfortable at the fact that this stranger had his full attention on her in a very intense manner. "Are you okay, sir?" She offered, trying to break the tension.
"I… You… You're alive?" The man had a faint accent, although Sarah couldn't point out what it was.
"The last time I checked," Sarah shifted uncomfortably. "Do I know you?"
"You don't recognize me at all?"
"Should I?"
"No…I guess not." The stranger's lips pursed together in a thin line, his brow creased. Fear, confusion, and disappointment played across his face. Then suddenly, a new emotion. Determination? "I'm so sorry to bother you. I have to go."
Before Sarah could respond, the man had darted back out the door and disappeared into the rain.
Sarah made sure the door was locked behind her as she stepped onto the sidewalk. She quickly put up her hood and shoved her hands into her pockets. Despite the weather she always walked home. She didn't have a car and on her salary, it would be impossible to get one, even if she could save any money.
She enjoyed the walk anyway. It make it take longer to get to the trailer park. And god forbid she walked in and her dad was there. She shuddered, but it wasn't from the cold.
All too soon, rounding the corner, she saw the trailer park. She could see her house, but no truck. He wasn't at the trailer. She sighed in relief, but it also probably meant that the money jar had been emptied.
"There goes another month's paycheck…" She muttered to herself, as she walked through the door, not even bothering to turn on the lamp.
Sure enough, as she approached the money jar, it was empty.
Needing something to satisfy her hunger, she opened the refrigerator, looking for food. Instead, she found an empty milk carton, a single egg, and her dad's electric razor. No beer. That explained why her father wasn't here. Sarah sighed and made grocery shopping at the top of her list of things to do.
She sat down on the old, lumpy couch, covered with stains. It reeked of stale beer and cigarette smoke. She noticed on the small coffee table that her father had left his cell phone at home. He had a missed call and new message on his voicemail. She picked up the phone and pressed play on the message.
"Hello Mr. Anderson, this is Mrs. Keeton again from Carson's Power Company. It's been a while and we have not received a bill. I am sorry to report that if we do not receive this bill at six 'o clock this evening, your power services will be suspended."
Sarah glanced up at the clock. 7:45. She tried to turn on the TV. Nothing. Great. She added paying the electric bill to the list.
Her stomach grumbled. Kicking herself for not bringing home the soup that Ana brought her, she simply curled up on the couch and fell asleep.
Sarah awoke to a cup of ice water being thrown onto her. She shrieked, sputtered and leapt to her feet. Her father, at a menacing six feet, seven inches held in his hands a coffee mug and the TV remote. His eyes were glazed over and he swayed slightly in place. Drunk. Again.
"Why isn't the TV working? Huh?" He slurred angrily. "How am I supposed to entertain our guests if it's not working?"
Sarah, peered around him. Five men, equally as drunk and equally as grungy-looking glared at her.
"You forgot to pay the bill again. Sorry. Not my fault." Sarah tried to shoulder past him, heading for her room.
"Excuse me?" Her father's eyes narrowed, and he blocked her way.
"No. Excuse me." Sarah muttered, moving his arm to brush past him again. Her father gripped onto her arm and squeezed tightly, throwing her to the floor.
"You will not talk to me like that, you little bitch!" he roared.
Sarah turned her head away from him, rolling her eyes, and climbing to her feet. "Yeah, whatever."
She could only take so much, and after a long day, she did not need his drunk ass telling her what to do. He was supposed to be her father, but she did not have a single memory of him being a decent person. All she could ever remember thinking of him was hate, and the pain he caused her.
Lost in her thoughts, she didn't see his hand whip out. The pain and a bright red handprint across her cheek was the only evidence that she had been slapped. Sarah fell back to the ground, clutching her cheek.
"Ya know, Sam…" The most revolting of the five other drunks slurred, "I think I've thought of a way we can be entertained. It won't require a TV..." He grinned at Sarah suggestively, revealing a set of yellow chipped teeth.
"Fuck it, you can have her for free. I'm never going to find anyone to take her away otherwise."
"Done! I'll take her!" He quickly advanced on Sarah, put a hand on her waist, and started trailing it up her stomach. "What do you think, Baby? Wanna go find a room?"
"No! Get the hell away from me!" Sarah slapped his hand away.
"Ooh. I love it when you talk dirty to me." He leaned in again, rougher this time, and started trying to rip her shirt.
"I said no!" She shouted, kicking him in the shin. Looking around, the room, she saw that her father and the other men had moved to outside the front door, likely for this man's privacy.
"Fuck!" He shouted. "You're coming with me whether you like it or not, stupid bitch!"
He grabbed her by her hair and dragged her to the couch, ripping at her clothing. Screaming, Sarah thrashed around kicking anywhere she could to get away.
Finally, she got a lucky shot, and kicked him between the legs. In his moment of weakness, she twisted out of his grip and sprinted out the back door, ignoring the slurred shouts of the six angry men. She ran as fast as she could, knowing that they were chasing her.
Tears streaming down her face, trying to hold up her ripped clothes, she stumbled up the dirt path and back up to the entrance of the camp. They were still following, but were slower in their drunkenness.
Sarah never blamed her mother for what she did. She just wanted to be free of her terrible marriage. But in this moment, Sarah hated her for leaving her alone with these people. How could she leave her only daughter alone in this situation?
Blinded by her tears, Sarah collided with a tall figure, and fell back. Searing pain shot through her, but in her hysteria, she couldn't feel where. Scrambling back in fear, she looked up, expecting to see her father. Instead, she was met with the concerned, horrified expression of a familiar stranger. The eyes. Partial relief and a strange sense of magnetism flooded through her.
"Are you okay? I mean, of course you're not, but let me help you up!"
"No, no, no, no," Sarah shouted hysterically, snapping back to reality. They were getting closer. Sarah had never run before. Her father would kill her. "I have to get out. They're coming."
She tried to pull herself to her feet, but collapsed immediately in pain. The stranger caught her before she hit the ground. Her ankle. Sarah pulled up her pant-leg to find her foot twisted at a very unnatural angle.
"Help," Sarah gasped up at the stranger weakly, as the ground began to tilt, and Sarah slipped into unconsciousness.
Thank you so much to everyone who read! This was a dark chapter that was necessary to show the darkness in Sarah's life before her journey. It will get lighter, I promise! Please review, and follow if you enjoyed it! More updates will be coming soon, and your reviews make me a better writer! XOXO~ Stepanie