BROKEN BEGINNINGS

Chapter 6 - The Invitation

Seconds after Esme disappears, Sarah barrels up the hill.

"Tarese, darling!" she calls, practically floating, her cheeks a lovely rosy hue. "Have you heard?"

"Heard what?" I ask, leaning against the door frame and trying to act nonchalant, like I hadn't just seen a ghost.

"The ball!"

Oh. No. What is happening.

"Are you okay?" Sarah tentatively inquires, cocking her head. "You're frightfully pale... not that you weren't to begin with."

"Oh, me? I'm p-perfectly f-fine! Nothing's wrong a-at all!" I titter nervously, trying to hide my surprise.

This didn't happen in my old life.

"I already reserved our places, so you have to come. But never fear! I've already picked out your dress." Sarah says, thrusting a soft square parcel wrapped in burlap into my arms and turning around, about to leave.

"Wait!" I call after her, launching off the step after her. "Aren't you going to help me?"

"What? Oh, darling, no! Did you really think I would?" Sarah asks, turning with a light laugh and lifting her chin with an air of superiority. "I need to get my hair done and after that my dress fitted, and then I need to select what breed horse I want to pull my carriage. As you can see, I'm very, very busy. Toodoolo!"

I watch Sarah flounce down the hill, letting a groan escape me. I have no memory of this happening, and now I've been cornered into going to a fucking party full of snobby nobles.

Well, no going back now, I think to myself, trudging back inside and dropping onto the sofa.

"What's that?" Esme inquires, floating down from the rafters and hovering beside me.

"Sarah said it was my dress for the... ball tonight." I say, cringing at the thought of all the people that would be there.

"Oh! Open it, open it!" Esme squeals, clapping her hands in pure delight.

Managing to rip a knife from the wall and casting aside a few shreds of wallpaper, I steel myself for whatever is under the burlap wrapping.

I never could have been ready for the shock.

What Sarah had given me may have been a dress at one point long ago. Now it looked like a dress, only after a grizzly bear had shredded it and then the scraps were cooked in a kettle.

Sarah hadn't given me a dress.

All she gave me was a pile of scorched, shredded fabric.

I can feel hot tears stinging the back of my eyes, threatening to spill fourth. I know its stupid to get upset over something as lame as a dress, but still. I can't help it.

"Told ya she was a dirty cheat," Esme comments with a frown.

"I'm sure t-there was some kind of m-mistake." I sputter trying to keep my voice steady. "I-It's not like S-Sarah to do--"

That's when I realize that what she just did was classic Sarah. Winning people over and then using them to her advantage. I remember her words from earlier.

"Did you really think I'd help you?" The sentence echos through my head, the truth setting in like a pebble sinking to the bottom of a stream.

The cold, hard truth.

I take a deep breath and look at Esme. "You were right." Is all I say. Esme bobs her head in grave agreement.

"Well, I know another place where you can find a dress," Esme says, floating towards the stairs. "Follow me."

I decide to take the only possible option at the moment... and follow Esme's ghostly glow up the stairs.