A Small Town

Chapter Thirty-one\Sarah

Sarah watched in shock as the door slammed sealing her in the wine cellar. Flames roared all around her and thick smoke filled the room. The agony in her feet suddenly seemed to rage and she looked on in horror as the roots began to recede slowly pulling back through the bloody wounds and tearing the skin of her arches. The rough wood grated against the bones in her feet and she was sure she was going to pass out. She clamped her teeth down hard fighting the pain and willing herself to stay conscious even as her vision began to fade.

She swooned and collapsed to the floor. The room seemed to spin and a wave of nausea racked her thin frame. She vomited and then drew in a huge lungful of smoke which set her to violent coughing. I'm going to die here, she thought and then everything went black.

~o0O0o~

Sarah was running through the forest as shafts of bright yellow sunlight filtered happily down through the canopy of leaves and branches high above. Her family never went anywhere so when daddy had said they were going to have a picnic it was the best surprise ever. She was six years old.

She could never run around the hotel, Daddy said that was bad and un-lady-like (even though she wasn't a lady). She had to be quiet and stay out of the way, which was so boring. But she always did as Daddy said or he would get mad and that was scary.

They had found a beautiful clearing in the old forest that Daddy said was a special place. There were wildflowers and huge trees all around them and to Sarah it felt like the best, most wonderful spot in the whole world. They put down a big checkered blanket and Daddy opened the wicker basket he had been carrying. Sarah couldn't believe it... they were going to eat on the ground!

From inside he produced tiny little sandwiches with toothpicks in them that Miss Kate the hotel cook usually only made for guests and drank freezing cold iced tea from a big red flask. Then Daddy took out a cake tin and inside of it, there were chocolate chip cookies and bran muffins. Sarah had never had so much fun. After they had finished eating Daddy said he was going to take a nap but Sarah could play as long as she didn't go far.

Sarah had pulled off her shoes and socks relishing how nice the cool grass felt on her bare toes. She was jumping and laughing and spinning around and around in the forest staring up at the bright blue sky as it peeked through the trees. She span faster and faster giggling at the weird feeling it made in her tummy and then finally she fell to the soft ground in a red-faced, sweaty, happy heap.

Sarah lay quietly catching her breath listening to the sounds of the forest. The cool breeze sounded like a waterfall as it weaved its way through the trees and birds added there twits and tweets to the mix of summer chatter all around her. She closed her eyes feeling warm and safe for the first time in her life. That was when she heard it for the first time.

[Sarah...]

The sound was her name, but there was no voice speaking. It was as though the wind had spoken to her.

[Sarah... can you hear me?]

She sat up and looked around in confusion, "Who's there?" She asked.

[I want to be your friend Sarah.]

The wind voice was strange and Sarah began to stand up and back away.

[Don't be afraid Sarah, I won't hurt you. I want to be your friend.].

"I'm not a-scared!" Sarah said indignantly. She stopped backing up and planted her feet on the ground defiantly. "Where are you?"

[I am all around you Sarah. I am the forest and only very special people can hear me... people like you.]

Sarah crossed her arms and scowled. "Forests can't talk."

[You're right Sarah, most forests can't talk, but I can and only you can hear me.]

"Prove it..." She said in her most grown-up tone.

[All right... but please don't be afraid of the way I look..."

"I'm not afraid of anything!" Sarah lied.

[Good girl.]

Suddenly the earth in front of Sarah bulged upwards into a small mound and out of it came two tiny green shoots. The shoots grew quickly side by side and then weaved together until they were as tall as Sarah. Next two branches twisted out of its sides like arms. One of the branches swept across its trunk and the small tree seemed to bow to her.

"Oh, my!" She exclaimed and jumped back in surprise.

[It's alright Sarah, I'm your friend remember..." Said the voice and then the tree grew thicker and suddenly it wasn't a tree at all but a little boy. He was naked and Sarah looked away in embarrassment.

"You're not wearing any clothes!"

[I'm sorry, I forgot. Is this better?]

Sarah turned back and now the little boy was wearing blue jeans and a red t-shirt. She started to tell him it was when she saw the scar across his face. It was livid red and ran from his forehead, diagonally across his face to his jawline.

Sarah swallowed hard and pointed her finger at him. "What happened to your face?"

[Some bad people hurt me.]

"Why did they hurt you?"

[They were afraid of me. They weren't brave like you, Sarah.]

Sarah puffed out her chest proudly. "I'm not a-scared of anything!" She said again.

[That's good because I need your help.]

"Help with what?"

[I'm trapped Sarah, but you can help set me free.]

"How?"

[You'll have to grow up a bit first... then I'll show you. Will you help me?]

"Okay... I guess so..." said Sarah dubiously.

The little boy stuck out his hand. [Promise?]

Sarah took his hand and shook it like Daddy did with the guests at the hotel. "Promise."

She let go of his hand and then a shadow crossed her face. "What's your name?"

[Theodore, but you can call me Teddy.]

"Okay, wanna play tag Teddy?" She asked and then slapped his arm and sprinted away giggling.

He took off after Sarah running on his new legs and the entire forest seemed to answer her with a thousand voices.

[Yes.]