Strive

Prologue

PROLOGUE

SARAH’S POV

            “Mooooooom!” I wined, pulling on her shirt. “I wanna go home! This is so boring.” I trudged behind her, still with my hand gripping her shirt. When she didn’t respond I pulled her shirt again and began to make annoying noises until she answered me.

            She turned around and removed my hand from her shirt. “Sarah stop. You’re going to ruin my shirt. I know you’re tired, but we have to get food. I told Daddy we’d have dinner ready when he got home.”

            I wined again and grabbed onto the cart. “But we’ve been out all day!” I complained.

            “I know sweetie.” She soothed, slowing down the cart to match my speed. “It’s been a long day and you’ve been a real trouper. Here, how about this? If you promise not to complain anymore, you can go pick out one treat for tonight. Just one. I don’t need you having a sugar high tonight. You have school tomorrow.”

            I began to jump up and down excitedly, shaking the cart along with me. “Yes!  I promise I wont complain!” I beamed with a smile stretched ear to ear.

            “Okay you see that aisle right there?” She asked, pointing to the freezer aisle. I nodded giddily and shook the cart. “Right next to it is the pastry and candy aisle. You can go there and pick out one treat.” She repeated, emphasizing the one. I always managed to convince her to get more than one though. She tried to be strict, but I honestly don’t think she was ever really good at it. “Once you have what you want go straight back to that freezer aisle. That’s where I’ll be. Understand? No wandering and no dilly dallying.” She instructed.

            I rolled my eyes and removed my hands from the shopping cart. “I know.” I sighed, still with a smile on my small face from thinking about candy.

            “Alright, shoo little one.” My mom giggled, shooing me away with her hand. As soon as the words left her mouth I was gone. I ran down the aisles until I got to the pastry and candy one that my mom had pointed out.

I looked wide-eyed at all the colors and breathed in all the smells. “Yummy.” I smiled, clasping my hands together. I must have walked up and down the aisle five times before I finally decided what I wanted. It was a chocolate cupcake with pink frosting, placed in the big pastry display. I stood on my tiptoes and tried to get it, but unfortunately for me, it was way too high up and I was way too short. For a while, I just stood there looking up at it and trying to figure out how I could possibly get to it. Eventually only one option seemed reasonable. I would need help. “Mom I-!”

“Hello there.” A friendly voice interrupted me. I turned around and saw a tall man, who was about mommy’s age, smiling down at me. It was a nice smile and it made me want to smile as well.

“Hi.” I replied friendly.

I returned my annoyed gaze back to the cupcake. “Need some help?” The man offered, causing me to light up.

“Yes, yes, yes!” I replied energetically, jumping up and down. “Can you get that pink cupcake?” I asked, making myself as tall as possible and pointing at the cupcake on the top shelf.

He chuckled walked next to me, to get it for me. “Of course.” He grabbed it and put it in a plastic container. “What’s your name?” He asked, handing me the delicious looking cupcake.

Instantly my mouth began to water and I wanted nothing more than to open the box and eat it right there, but my mom had always told me never to eat anything in the store without paying. “Sarah. What’s yours?” I asked innocently, looking up at him.

“Sarah. That’s a pretty name.” He smiled. After that he left without answering my question. I couldn’t help but feel disappointed. He seemed so nice and maybe we could have been friends. I shrugged it off and brought my boxed cupcake closer to my nose. It smelled like heaven. If I were to be president I’d make sure that every body got two cupcakes all the time. One to eat and one to smell.

Suddenly I remembered something. Mommy! I turned around and ran as quickly as my little legs would allow into the freezer aisle. When I turned in, I nearly crashed into my mom. Instead, I crashed into her cart, making me fall backwards onto my butt. “Oh my god Sarah! You have to look where you’re going. Are you alright?” She fussed, bending down to help me up.

Before answering I examined my box, just to make sure the cupcake I’d worked so hard for wasn’t smushed. “Yep I’m fine.” I chirped, standing back up. I placed my box into the cart and for the rest of the time we spent there I kept my mouth shut. I wasn’t allowed to complain. Not if I wanted to eat the cupcake. When we were finally done I was nearly asleep. As we left the store, I grabbed my mom’s shirt again and closed my eyes; letting her guide me to the car. I felt her shirt slip from my fingers, but it took me a moment to realize that she was gone. I paused and opened my eyes, to look around the dark parking lot. My mom was gone. Mixed amongst the various cars and few people. “Mom?” I asked, beginning to feel a little scared. “Mommy?” My voice shook, as I kept walking, hoping to remember where we’d parked.

“Are you alright?” Someone asked me. I squinted and looked up, soon recognizing it as the nice man who’d help me get my cupcake.

“Yeah… No.” I admitted quietly. “Have you seen my mom? I was just with her.” I asked hopefully.

He shook his head sorrowfully and crossed his arms. “You know, I’m afraid I haven’t. How about you come with me?” he offered generously, outstretching his hand. “We can look for her together.” I nodded, regaining my smile and took his hand.

… And that was the biggest mistake I’d ever made in my entire life…