Existence

Prologue

"Tell me another story, Jed!"

Sarah's older brother laughed at the eager look on her face. His seat made a slight creaking sound as he reclined and put an arm over the backrest. His other hand passed through his hair, ruffling the already messy brown locks. "Another? You know the rules, Sar. One story per night. And besides, it's way past your bedtime." Jed glanced out the window at the darkened sky, a sliver of moonlight passing through the clouds and reflecting in his blue eyes.

It was only 8 o' clock, but their mother had strict rules. They had to be upstairs by 7:30 and in their PJ's. Around a quarter to eight, Jed would come over to tell her a story before going to bed himself.

Sarah crossed her arms and pouted, giving her brother big, blue, pleading eyes. "But I'm not tired ye-e-et!" As he made to get up, she quickly reached over her blankets to stop him. The picture of Snoopy on Jed's shirt stretched as she tugged and it seemed to grin at her. Despite already being fourteen, Jed didn't seem to mind wearing shirts with old cartoon characters on them.

Jed groaned, trying to avoid her gaze. He could never resist her 'puppy dog' eyes and she knew it. He scratched his head, muttering something about demanding six-year-olds. "Fine. Just one more. But it's going to be an old one, Sar. I don't have any more new stories."

Sarah nodded quickly, her blonde curls bouncing around her. She was happy as long as it meant Jed could stay a bit longer.

Jed settled in his seat, leaning towards the bed. "Okay, so the story starts with our hero..."

"Lewis!"

"Right," Jed nodded, "and our brave hero Lewis was walking around the forest with his cousin Sweet. And—"

Just then, someone knocked on the door. Sarah glanced over, expecting their mother to come in and tell them to go to sleep. Instead, a male's weak, muffled voice came through. It didn't sound like their father and Jed's friends weren't staying the night either.

"Jared? You in there?"

Jed stood up, much to Sarah's annoyance. Whoever was outside could wait. She huffed and crossed her arms. "It's story time!"

"Hush, Sar," Jed said gently before turning the handle. He opened the door a crack, just enough for him to see whoever was behind the door. He didn't seem surprised by the presence of the intruder in their house. "What is it?"

The guy behind the door whispered something Sarah couldn't understand. She craned her neck to try and glimpse the figure behind the door but Jed was in the way. It was as if he didn't want her to see the stranger.

"Now?" Jed exclaimed in a whisper. "But—" The guy said something else. Who could it be? Sarah didn't know many people who called Jed by his full name.

Curious, Sarah silently climbed out of bed. She padded across to Jed, the floor cold beneath her bare feet. When she got closer, Jed caught sight of her and stopped short. "Go back to bed, Sar."

Feeling drowsy, Sarah let loose a huge yawn. She blearily rubbed at her eyes, finding herself back in bed thanks to her brother. The bedroom door was wide open, but no one was there anymore. Jed tucked her in, a little distracted. "What's wrong, Jed?" Sarah asked, noticing.

"Hm? Nothing, Sar."

"Who was at the door?"

He glanced back at the open doorway. "Um, you remember Aunt Monica? She's coming home tonight from France and Uncle Jack wants me to go with him. She wasn't supposed to arrive until tomorrow morning but..." he shrugged. "I'll be back tomorrow morning, okay?"

"But—"

"I'll have a new story ready by tomorrow night," he promised, already backing out of the room. He turned on the night light and made to switch the lights off. "And, Sar? Um, no taking in stray animals for pets, okay? No matter how cute they look."

Sarah nodded, unsure why her brother made such a request. Not giving it a second thought, she drifted off to sleep, dreaming of the latest adventure Jed had told her about.

Her brother was at home the next morning just as he promised, but when night came, it was their mother who came in to tell Sarah a story.

"Once upon a time—"

"Where's Jed, mommy?" Sarah asked, sitting up.

"He had to go out for a moment, sweetie," her mom replied, smoothing down Sarah's hair. "I'll be telling you a story tonight."

"What kind of story?" Sarah asked, blinking up at her mom. She'd never heard the phrase 'once upon a time' before. "Jed had just finished telling me about how Lewis managed to tame a Big Lion. I think he was gonna go after the ravens next with his best friend."

"Well, this is a different story." Her mom held up a purple book with a glass slipper on the cover. "And it happens in a small kingdom."

"But—"

"Jed will be back to tell you about the ravens tomorrow. Now lie down, Sarah." Sarah obeyed and listened as her mom told the story of a maiden with a cruel step-family and a fairy godmother who helps her attend a ball and meet a prince. It was different from Jed's stories, with mice that could sew and pumpkins for carriages. Not exactly something she was used to.

Jed will be back tomorrow, Sarah thought. And he'll probably have two stories this time.

But Jed stopped coming over to tell her bedtime stories. He spent most of his nights at a friend's place, working on projects according to him. So Sarah spent the rest of her childhood listening to stories similar to the first one: The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.

Over the years, she eventually forgot about Lewis's adventures and the thrill they gave her. Her brother's time with her nothing but a distant memory... until the black cat came along.