Disclaimer-I still don't own any of the Pretender's characters or the Centre, and I still own Sarah.
OK, guys, this is it. The grand finale, and I hope you all enjoy it!
Let There Be a Light
Part 9/9
By Tchabu
***
Sarah thanked Lou for the ride as she and Angelo hopped out of the cab. They waved to him as he drove away, and he honked his horn in reply.
The girl still had no idea where they were going as Angelo set off confidently. She hurried to catch up. She decided that they were fairly close to their destination, since her friend wasn't looking for a bus stop or trying to hitch another. At least the weather was warmer, around 55 degrees, instead of 25.
They walked at a fairly relaxed pace through the streets lined with well kept homes, white picket fences, and children playing in piles of fallen leaves. The autumn air held a musty odor of wet leaves. The sun was warm on her back and the fresh air felt cool on her face, so Sarah enjoyed the walk.
Soon, Angelo took her hand and led her up to a blue house with white trim and a bare weeping willow in the yard. The man grinned at her encouragingly as he positioned her directly in front of the door. She rang the bell and waited, having no idea what to expect, and not noticing that Angelo quietly turned and left her alone on the steps.
***
Lyle walked stiffly through the dark corridors of the Centre. He could almost taste the revenge now. That little bitch is going to pay, he said to himself with a malicious smile. Nobody would get away with humiliating him. It had almost been too much to bear: a fourteen-year-old girl who was drastically underweight had nearly killed him. His face was still sore from the beating he'd taken.
Lyle found himself in front of Sarah's room. He glanced at his watch. Good. It was the usual time for his session with her, so he let himself in. Two steps into the room, he stopped dead in his tracks. The mattress was bare, the bathroom freshly cleaned, the security cameras disabled. The room was empty!
Hurrying into the hall, Lyle called to an orderly who was wheeling a supply cart down towards him.
"Where is the occupant of this room?" he demanded impatiently.
"Oh, she disappeared a few days ago, sir. I believe she left a suicide note," the young woman said, moving on down the corridor.
She was gone. Lyle muttered under his breath bad temperedly as he made his way back to his office. There's nothing worse than missing a chance of revenge, he thought.
***
The doorbell rang. He didn't think anybody from the Centre would be so polite, but you could never be sure. Moving silently, he grabbed his gun and peered out the window. There were no black town cars or Sweepers, so Jarod put his gun away and swung the door open and was shocked by who he saw.
On the front step stood Sarah. An immense wave of relief swept over him. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words would come. Her eyes filled with tears as her big brother pulled her into a loving embrace. The man held her while she cried, as she never had before.
At last, Sarah pulled back and looked into his eyes. "They told me you were dead," she whispered. The words echoed in Jarod's mind, and he remembered the other occasions he'd heard them used. He answered as he had before:
"Not hardly, little sister."
***
Jarod made some hot cocoa as he waited for Sarah to come out of the bathroom. She looked terrible: she was dangerously thin, still had a cast on her right arm, and was covered in bruises. There had been something about her eyes for just an instant before she'd recognized him: they'd been so dark and angry, and it worried him. He pushed the thought from his mind. Sarah was safe now and they were a family again. That was what mattered.
***
The girl stood under the hot water streaming from the showerhead, carefully keeping her cast dry. She turned the water off and quickly dried. Then she slipped into a pair of her old flannel pajamas and ran a comb through her long hair. As she did so, she noticed how gaunt she'd become and made a mental note to put some meat back onto her bones. Now that she could be sure her food wasn't being drugged…
She also noticed a thin scar, about an inch and a half long, that ran along her cheekbone just under her left eye. She touched it gently. Lyle hadn't given it to her; of that she was sure. Come to think of it, she didn't even know why she'd been comatose and had a broken arm. The only thing she could remember was the face of a crying child. Removing the last tangle from her hair, Sarah set the comb down and decided to ask Jarod about it.
She found him sitting on the couch in front of a comforting fire he'd built. Wordlessly, he handed her a steaming mug of cocoa. Sarah sat down and took a sip. They were silent for a while, then, "Thank you," she said abruptly.
"What for?" he asked, knowing it wasn't the beverage.
Sarah smiled softly. "For talking to me when I was comatose. You kept me from being afraid." Jarod smiled back, not caring what this would mean to science, and not speaking. Another long period followed with no noise save for that of the crackling fire. "Jarod," Sarah finally said, "what happened to me? I can't remember." So Jarod briefly explained the amazing Sim she'd completed, and how she'd rescued the little girl. Sarah's only question was, "Is the girl alright?"
"She's fine." Her sincerity made his heart swell with pride; although his concern was always for others first, it was wonderful to hear the same selflessness from his sister.
Jarod suddenly straightened. "I promised I'd call Sydney when I found anything out," he said. He reached for the phone, but Sarah stopped him.
"Please don't."
"Why not?" he asked, surprised.
"You know about my supposed suicide note." At his nod, she continued. "I wrote it because if they think I'm dead, they won't come after me. I don't want anybody to know just yet."
Jarod conceded, and then they sat contentedly until Sarah fell asleep on the couch. Jarod covered her with a blanket and kissed her forehead. Once again, he had family nearby, and he was happy.
***
THE END
Tell me how you liked it!
OK, guys, this is it. The grand finale, and I hope you all enjoy it!
Let There Be a Light
Part 9/9
By Tchabu
***
Sarah thanked Lou for the ride as she and Angelo hopped out of the cab. They waved to him as he drove away, and he honked his horn in reply.
The girl still had no idea where they were going as Angelo set off confidently. She hurried to catch up. She decided that they were fairly close to their destination, since her friend wasn't looking for a bus stop or trying to hitch another. At least the weather was warmer, around 55 degrees, instead of 25.
They walked at a fairly relaxed pace through the streets lined with well kept homes, white picket fences, and children playing in piles of fallen leaves. The autumn air held a musty odor of wet leaves. The sun was warm on her back and the fresh air felt cool on her face, so Sarah enjoyed the walk.
Soon, Angelo took her hand and led her up to a blue house with white trim and a bare weeping willow in the yard. The man grinned at her encouragingly as he positioned her directly in front of the door. She rang the bell and waited, having no idea what to expect, and not noticing that Angelo quietly turned and left her alone on the steps.
***
Lyle walked stiffly through the dark corridors of the Centre. He could almost taste the revenge now. That little bitch is going to pay, he said to himself with a malicious smile. Nobody would get away with humiliating him. It had almost been too much to bear: a fourteen-year-old girl who was drastically underweight had nearly killed him. His face was still sore from the beating he'd taken.
Lyle found himself in front of Sarah's room. He glanced at his watch. Good. It was the usual time for his session with her, so he let himself in. Two steps into the room, he stopped dead in his tracks. The mattress was bare, the bathroom freshly cleaned, the security cameras disabled. The room was empty!
Hurrying into the hall, Lyle called to an orderly who was wheeling a supply cart down towards him.
"Where is the occupant of this room?" he demanded impatiently.
"Oh, she disappeared a few days ago, sir. I believe she left a suicide note," the young woman said, moving on down the corridor.
She was gone. Lyle muttered under his breath bad temperedly as he made his way back to his office. There's nothing worse than missing a chance of revenge, he thought.
***
The doorbell rang. He didn't think anybody from the Centre would be so polite, but you could never be sure. Moving silently, he grabbed his gun and peered out the window. There were no black town cars or Sweepers, so Jarod put his gun away and swung the door open and was shocked by who he saw.
On the front step stood Sarah. An immense wave of relief swept over him. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words would come. Her eyes filled with tears as her big brother pulled her into a loving embrace. The man held her while she cried, as she never had before.
At last, Sarah pulled back and looked into his eyes. "They told me you were dead," she whispered. The words echoed in Jarod's mind, and he remembered the other occasions he'd heard them used. He answered as he had before:
"Not hardly, little sister."
***
Jarod made some hot cocoa as he waited for Sarah to come out of the bathroom. She looked terrible: she was dangerously thin, still had a cast on her right arm, and was covered in bruises. There had been something about her eyes for just an instant before she'd recognized him: they'd been so dark and angry, and it worried him. He pushed the thought from his mind. Sarah was safe now and they were a family again. That was what mattered.
***
The girl stood under the hot water streaming from the showerhead, carefully keeping her cast dry. She turned the water off and quickly dried. Then she slipped into a pair of her old flannel pajamas and ran a comb through her long hair. As she did so, she noticed how gaunt she'd become and made a mental note to put some meat back onto her bones. Now that she could be sure her food wasn't being drugged…
She also noticed a thin scar, about an inch and a half long, that ran along her cheekbone just under her left eye. She touched it gently. Lyle hadn't given it to her; of that she was sure. Come to think of it, she didn't even know why she'd been comatose and had a broken arm. The only thing she could remember was the face of a crying child. Removing the last tangle from her hair, Sarah set the comb down and decided to ask Jarod about it.
She found him sitting on the couch in front of a comforting fire he'd built. Wordlessly, he handed her a steaming mug of cocoa. Sarah sat down and took a sip. They were silent for a while, then, "Thank you," she said abruptly.
"What for?" he asked, knowing it wasn't the beverage.
Sarah smiled softly. "For talking to me when I was comatose. You kept me from being afraid." Jarod smiled back, not caring what this would mean to science, and not speaking. Another long period followed with no noise save for that of the crackling fire. "Jarod," Sarah finally said, "what happened to me? I can't remember." So Jarod briefly explained the amazing Sim she'd completed, and how she'd rescued the little girl. Sarah's only question was, "Is the girl alright?"
"She's fine." Her sincerity made his heart swell with pride; although his concern was always for others first, it was wonderful to hear the same selflessness from his sister.
Jarod suddenly straightened. "I promised I'd call Sydney when I found anything out," he said. He reached for the phone, but Sarah stopped him.
"Please don't."
"Why not?" he asked, surprised.
"You know about my supposed suicide note." At his nod, she continued. "I wrote it because if they think I'm dead, they won't come after me. I don't want anybody to know just yet."
Jarod conceded, and then they sat contentedly until Sarah fell asleep on the couch. Jarod covered her with a blanket and kissed her forehead. Once again, he had family nearby, and he was happy.
***
THE END
Tell me how you liked it!
