Mortality

Summary: One night in the dark of the attic, Sarah begins to doubt even her circle.

Disclaimer: I do not own Sarah, Becky, or any other recognizable characters and/or places

*****

Alone in the darkening night

Rafters creak and mouses squeak

And I cannot find the sleep

Repose will not release me tonight

No dreams come to take away reality

Sorely muscles ache, but this pain does not keep me awake

My broken and fragmented heart shatters again and again

Once I had pride

Not that I was proud

But once I could have been.

Now I have nothing but this black rag to hide behind

And it does not hide me

Does not hide my fears

Does not protect my flaws

Does not keep my secrets.

I am on display

For a cruel world

Maybe Miss Minchin is right

Maybe the world is too cruel

Maybe she is being kind to me.

Falling tears run

The floor is crooked

And my tears run like little rivers

And my little chalk circle is broken.

My protection is gone

The evil will get me now.

*****

"Papa," Sarah whispered. "Why did you have to send me here? I do not grudge you for it, but what if I had stayed in India? Oh, Papa. . ."

"Sarah?" Becky asked. She slid aside the loose board, and knelt by her friend's side. "Sarah, your circle. . .it's broken. Have you got chalk to fix it?"

Sarah sniffed and shook her head. "I think the mice ate it," she replied.

"Don't fret, I've got some here, I think." Becky searched the pockets of her apron, pulling out a small piece of classroom chalk. She colored thick whitish-yellow lines to complete Sarah's circle on the floor.

"That's school chalk, Becky! You could get in trouble if you got caught, Miss Minchin would have you arrested for stealing!"

"I didn't steal it, Sarah," Becky said, shaking her head from side to side. "It was in the trash can already. Even if Miss Minchin does notice, we can get rid of it quick. Should I put it back?"

"It wouldn't change much. You're right Becky, she won't notice."

"All right. I have to get back to bed." Becky rose and headed for the loose board.

"Goodnight, Becky," Sarah called.

"Goodnight, Princess," Becky replied.

"Please don't call me that," Sarah said.

"But Sarah, you are a princess. A princess who walks among her people, because she isn't afraid of helping them. That's a real princess."

Sarah turned to respond, but Becky had already gone back to her room. "Maybe you did right in sending me here, Papa," Sarah whispered. "Maybe here I can help people even more than back in India."