"Turn back, Sarah. Turn back before it's too late."
As the pain sweeps through, makes no sense for you...
She was twirling, dancing. She was in a beautiful dress that made her feel like a princess...
Every thrill has gonst, wasn't too much fun at all...
The melody was haunting, both pulling her in and frightening her at the same time...
But I'll be there for you...
Strong arms were wrapped around her, and she felt protected and... dare she say, loved?
As the world falls...
"Sarah? Sarah... Sarah! Wake up! Up, I say! Up!"
down...
Sarah groaned, frowning and trying to force herself back to sleep. She didn't want to get up, she was still so tired... And she was having the most marvelous dream... Where had she heard that song before?...
"The morning worship is going to file in at any moment... God, oh God, I do not want to have to sit through the service... I can't sing worth a damn... I wonder if it's a sin to curse in a church? Well, of course it is, but how bad of a sin?"
"Will you shut up?" Sarah grumbled in annoyance, childishly putting her hands over her ears. She wanted to find out who the strong arms belonged to!
"Oh, c'mon, get up Sarah! Or else we're going to have to stay here and pray." Jennifer's last sentence was a deadly whisper, conveying doom and panic in every syllable.
"Just five more minutes." Sarah half-pleaded, half-demanded, turning over so that she was laying flat on her stomach. But it was too late. The dream was gone, and she was almost completely awake.
"Five more?... We don't have five more minutes! We have to go now! I can't, like, stop time or anything, so let's go!"
I have reordered time and I have done it all for you...
"Fine, fine." Sarah sighed, rubbing her eyes and getting onto her feet.
"Thank you, thank you." Jen said, her voice full of gratitude as she grabbed Sarah's arm and practically ran out of the church.
Sarah yawned and tried to grab the car keys from Jen. "No way." Jen took the keys out of Sarah's reach. "You're exhausted. I'll drive."
"You drove all last night." Sarah pointed out grumpily, reluctantly getting into the passenger's seat of the car.
"So?" Jen rolled her eyes, revving up the engine and pulling out of the church parking lot.
Sarah suddenly sat up straight in her seat, her eyes wide and panicking. "Oh my God, Toby!" She cried, looking around frantically, having no idea what to do. "I've got to go get him! He must be so scared!"
Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered...
"Relax, Sar, geez louise." Jennifer shook her head in amusement. "He's still with the sitter. I had her stay the whole night with the kids. They're probably still sleeping. Or, y'know, running around the house with the energy of two five year old boys."
Sarah let out a held breath and sank into the seat. "Sorry about that." She exhaled soundly, her lips upturning slightly. "I just... I get so protective with him."
... I have fought my way here... to take back the child that you have stolen...
Sarah put her hands over her eyes and took a deep breath. These "dreams" of hers were starting to become really unnerving. She was getting fed up with hearing voices in her head, and seeing different things, and not understanding where these things came from! Was she losing her mind?
Hey! Her head don't come off!...
"Just stop it!" She suddenly screamed, cupping her hands over her ears and shaking her head violently. "Stop it, stop it!"
"Stop what? What the hell are you on about, Sar? Are you okay?" Jen was shaking her friend's arm now, her voice sounding confused and upset.
Sarah was on the verge of tears, and she turned to Jen with a look of desperation in her eyes. "I think I'm going crazy, Jen." She said softly, moving her hands so that they covered her nose and mouth, making her look like she was trying not to throw up.
"Calm down." Jen said, but almost entirely to herself. She pulled into the driveway of her home, where Todd and Toby were with Bethany the sitter. "Tell me what's going on, Sar."
Sarah promptly burst into tears, shaking her head and putting her hands over her eyes in an attempt to stop or slow the waterworks. "I don't even know myself!" She cried hysterically.
Jennifer suddenly screamed and Sarah looked up in surprise, tears still streaming down her face. Jen's finger was pointed at an owl that had suddenly and quite randomly landed on the hood of the car. It was a barn owl, Sarah examined, with large eyes that were looking straight at her. They were wide and sympathetic, like they were telling her that everything was okay and she was perfectly sane. Sarah quickly wiped the water off of her face, feeling embarrassed for some reason.
"What the hell is that?" Jen screeched, fumbling with her seatbelt in an attempt to stop it from strangling her.
"It's just an owl, Jen." Sarah said quietly, smiling hesitantly at it. She reached out her hand as if to touch it, not thinking that glass seperated them, but it's head suddenly swivelled around towards the door and it took off.
"Sarah!" Toby cried from the door.
"Owls should know they're only supposed to be out at night." Jen grumbled in annoyance, getting out of the car and completely forgetting about Sarah's brief meltdown.
Sarah frowned and looked at her outstretched hand. Her birthmark was a light pink color, she noted with a mix of fascination and apprehension. But she didn't get to think about it for very long, because Toby's face was suddenly up against the car window and he was making silly faces at her.
She laughed, shaking her head. "You're crazy!" She told him teasingly as she got out of the car.
He shrugged, nodding in agreement. He gave her a hug and then frowned when he got a good look at her face. "You were crying?" He accused suspiciously.
She managed to smile and shake it off. "Yep. But it's not a big deal, Tobes. How was your playtime?"
"Great!" Todd yelled enthusiastically, hugging his sister before pouncing on Sarah's back. "Jen won't give me a piggyback ride! Will you? Please, please, please?"
Sarah stumbled but made a quick recovery, grabbing onto Todd's legs. "Hold on!" She yelled before taking off, running around a tree and the car. Toby laughed and Todd shrieked in joy before Sarah suddenly plopped him down on the front step. "You owe me, kid." She said to Todd, grinning impishly and completely out of breath.
Jen suddenly swooped in and started tickling Toby. "You didn't drink all of my juice boxes, did you?" She giggled along with him. "My parents won't be happy when they get back from Aspen and all the juice boxes are gone!"
"I didn't, I didn't!" Toby promised between laughs.
"Okie dokie." Jen quickly dropped him and went over to Todd. "Juice boxes?" She growled playfully, pointing a finger at him.
Todd shook his head frantically.
"Are we going to the Library today, Sarah?" Toby randomly asked, looking up at his sister hopefully.
Sarah's brow furrowed. "Um, no, Tobes. Today's Sunday. We don't go on Sundays."
"I know." Toby said serenely. "But I think we should. We're not doin' anything else, are we?"
She shook her head. "No, not really, I guess. Why do you want to go?"
"I just have a feeling that we should." Toby shrugged, smiling brightly.
Sarah tilted her head. "Um... okay. I guess we can. Do you wanna walk?"
Toby nodded eagerly, and Sarah smiled apologetically at Jen, who waved away the unspoken apology with a wave. "Have fun!" She said, pulling Todd to her chest. The siblings and Bethany waved goodbye as Sarah and Toby walked hand-and-hand towards the Library.
Sarah stifled a yawn, trying to stay awake and alert for her brother's sake. "Did you have fun at Todd's, Tobe?"
Toby nodded. "Tons and tons! We ate popcorn, watched movies, played Star Wars legos... hey, why's there an owl over there in that tree?"
Sarah turned to look where Toby was pointing, and she noticed that is was the bird that had landed on Jen's car just a few moments ago. It must've followed them. "I think he's lost." Sarah said. "He must belong to someone, and that's why he's out during the day. We might look like his owners."
"Why would people own owls?" Toby asked, frowning. "Owls isn't pets."
"Owls aren'tpets." Sarah corrected her brother, watching the owl just as it watched her intensely. "And there are many reasons. There are lots of bird rehabilitation places around here. That could be it."
"Do you think it'd come down and hang out with us?" Toby asked eagerly, looking up at his sister hopefully.
"I dunno, Tobes." Sarah shook her head slightly. "Probably not."
"Can we try? Please, please, please?"
"What exactly do you want me to try?" Sarah asked, raising an eyebrow. "Do you want me to just stick out my arm and coax it down?"
"What does co-ax mean?" Toby asked curiously.
"It means, like, gently convincing."
"Oh." Toby nodded. "That sounds good! Try it!"
Sarah let out an exasperated sigh and let go of her brothers hand, sticking out an arm in front of her. "Hello, Mr. Owl." Sarah said softly, smiling at the animal. "Or Mrs. Owl?" She questioned, and the owl, surprisingly, moved it's head to the side as if to say "no". "Mr. Owl?" She questioned again, and the owl stretched out his wings, seemingly saying "of course".
She giggled, and so did Toby. "Would you like to come down, Mr. Owl?" Sarah asked, delighting in the childish game of "get the animal off the branch and onto you". She felt like she was six again.
To her surprise and Toby's delight, the owl flew off of the tree and landed gracefully on Sarah's outstretched arm. Toby squealed happily, and Sarah's mouth dropped open in shock. The owl actually landed on her.
"Wow." That was about all she could say as the owl blinked, watching her as intently as she was watching it. She felt an overwhelming feeling of affection and knowing, like she had met this owl before...
"It likes you, Sarah!" Toby said, clapping his hands together happily. The owl drew itself up, looking regal and almost human-like in it's mannerisms. "What are we going to name him?"
"Isn't Mr. Owl a good enough name?" Sarah teased as the owl "shook" its head again, looking rather put out at his current title. She reached up her free hand to tentatively stroke the length of the creature's back, and it cooed in appreciation.
"I like Puffball!" Toby grinned. "'Cause he looks like a puffball!"
The owl looked mortified, turning its head to glare at the boy. "I don't think he likes that one." Sarah said, smiling in amusement.
Toby frowned in disappointment. "Fluffers?"
The owl promptly turned and hopped onto Sarah's shoulder, straightening and looking like royalty. "I don't think anything in their right mind would like to be called 'Fluffers', Tobes." Sarah said teasingly. She looked at the owl of the corner of her eye, really searching for the right name for him. "I think we should name him King." Sarah said decisively. "He certainly acts like one." The owl suddenly nibbled at her earlobe affectionately, like he approved of his new name. She giggled and pulled away instinctively, not used to some random owl biting on her.
"Kingy." Toby tested out the sound of the name, and decided that he liked it. "Okay! I like it."
The owl glared at Toby again, but it seemed to understand that he was getting the lesser of two evils in being called "Kingy" over "Puffball" or "Fluffers". "Are we gonna keep him?" Toby asked, his eyes wide and pleading.
Sarah hesitated. "I don't think dad would be too happy if we brought home an owl."
"Where else is he gonna go?" Toby pointed out, sticking out his bottom lip and looking up at her with puppy-dog eyes.
Sarah sighed, placing one hand on her hip. "We'll see. He can at least come with us to the Library."
Toby clapped his hands together happily. "Yay! Can I hold him?"
"Um, sure, I guess." Sarah put her hand in front of King's feet so he would jump onto her hand, which he did rather reluctantly. He didn't seem to particularly want to get away from her, but he obediently hopped onto Toby's shoulder, once again drawing himself up to his full height and looked around imperiously.
They walked together to the Library, smiling and Toby chatting nonstop about how all of his friends would be so jealous because he had held an owl. When they reached the building, King flew off of Toby's shoulder and onto the sign that said the Library's hours.
"We'd like it if you stayed here to wait for us." Sarah told him, surprised that she wasn't feeling silly talking to a bird. It seemed almost... natural for some reason. "But you can do whatever you'd like."
King just blinked at her. She had a feeling he understood her every word.
"Bye, Kingy!" Toby waved goodbye to the owl as he and his sister went inside.
"Sarah! Toby! What a nice surprise!" Mr. Hobbs, an older man who was at the front desk, smiled warmly at them both. "Are you here for anything in particular?"
"Nope, we just wanted some books." Sarah said. "We rarely take any home anymore, so this is a nice treat."
"Well, have fun." He said, as Mrs. Dean suddenly appeared and handed Toby a lollipop.
"You spoil him so, Mrs. Dean." Sarah said in mock exasperation as Toby eagerly took the candy and put it in his mouth. Mrs. Dean patted her hand and smiled, saying nothing as usual.
Toby trotted off with a Magic School Bus book to go read in the kid's corner that had comfortable bean bag chairs. Sarah felt comfortable leaving him alone with so few people around and caring, attentive staff keeping an eye on him. She went over to the fiction area and started skimming the spines of the books, suddenly possessed to look for another copy of the tiny red book she had seen the day before.
She had only been looking for a handful of minutes when her left hand started tingling. She shook it out and gently massaged it, but it wouldn't go away. Then she heard the shuffling of footsteps not far away from her.
She stood up straight, freezing in place. She felt uneasy all of a sudden, and she was tempted to make a run for it. She looked to both of her sides and saw only books and empty space.
That's when she saw the flash of black on the row opposite hers.
She thought quickly, curiosity overwhelming her. She wanted to know who was there. She slowly turned and walked down the aisle, pausing at the end. She could hear the steady sounds of someone breathing, and her hand was tingling so much it felt like it was vibrating...
"Sarah! Someone for you at the front desk!" Mr. Hobbs suddenly called, his voice muffled because of the distance. Sarah frowned, wondering who could want to see her, and why they had to pick this time of all times.
She paused, deciding that it was just her imagination and it was probably just some college kid looking for a way to kill some time. "Coming!" She called after a moment, reluctantly turning away from the flash of black and feeling of curiosity. She turned her back on this person and she felt such a sense of loss that she felt like she was practically leaving a close friend on their deathbed.
But at the same time, she had turned away before it was too late.
When Sarah reached the front desk and she saw who was there for her, she stopped, her mouth dropping open in surprise. She was so stunned that she completely forgot about what had happened only minutes previously, and all she could do was stare.
"Hey there, beautiful." Travis greeted her with a cocky grin. "Are you doing anything tonight?"
[insert evil laughter here] XD BET NONE OF YOU SAW THAT COMING!!
Well, actually, I'm sure a lot of you did. But now... NOW... the prophecy had been fulfilled!! ... um... Can you tell that I have gotten little sleep, little sugar, and have been watching/reading epic movies/books/fanfics obsessively?
So, yeah, "you know who" was in the Library. She was just about to find him and BAM... Travis pops up and goes OH NO YOU DIDDINT!! XD
I am exhausted, so I'm just going to hit the little 'add chapter' button and hope that all of you review!! Also, I'm still looking for a beta! *poke poke*
Oh, and for all of you that are dying due to the suspense... *shoves oxygen tanks at them* TAKE THEM, TAKE THEM!! BREATHE!!
You're going to have to live with those tanks for awhile, because one of the genre's for the story is "suspense". *grins guiltily*
Now that you are all breathing and have NO EXCUSE... Please review? :)
Love you all!!
Disclaimer: If I really owned something, don't you think I'd be writing the screenplay for Labyrinth II instead of this??
