Call Me Sarah
Chapter Seven
"Brady! Son, are you here?" John called out into the penthouse.
"I thought I saw his van in the parking deck." Belle offered as she and her parents looked around the empty living room. The trio glanced up to see Brady hobbling painfully down the stairs. He leaned heavily on the rail as he went down slowly one step at a time.
John rushed forward to his son's aid with Belle following close behind. Marlena maintained her position, looking slightly uncomfortable. Her heart twisted with remorse and guilt at the sight of Brady's obvious pain. She still felt responsible for her role in the crazed witch-hunt that ended in Brady being shot and paralyzed. She prayed that somehow they would be able to work through it.
"Brady! What's wrong?" John cried out anxiously while examining his son. "Your legs?" He had thought that Brady had gotten through this, he had begun walking and dancing again without needing a cane. And now to see his son in great pain, barely able to walk.
"I'm fine, Dad." Brady winced as another spasm of hot fire shot up his back. "My legs aren't important. We have to find her."
But John still focused on his son's legs. "Find who?"
"Chloe - Sarah! She was just here, not ten minutes ago. We have to find her!" Brady stated firmly, his blue eyes pleading. "We can't let her be out there like this. She needs help." He finished quietly.
Sarah snapped the phone book shut and turned away from the pay phone. She sauntered off into the black shadows, whistling an ironically happy tune.
Jan Spears clutched her stomach for dear life as it heaved violently. {Come on Jan, don't puke in the yard. You can make it inside.} She managed the remaining few wobbly steps to her porch and stood unsteadily in front of the door.
"Note to self: Beer first, THEN the hard stuff. NOT the other way around." She mumbled aloud as she fumbled for her house keys. She vaguely wondered through her drunken haze why none of the house lights were on.
"Oh right. Mom's away on business. Again." Jan was so busy talking to herself and searching for the right key that she didn't notice the shadow that fell over her shoulder.
"I guess that means you're all alone." a strange voice spoke from behind her, an evil edge to the dark voice.
Jan jumped and spun around. Her eyes visibly bulged from their sockets and her jaw dropped open. She blinked rapidly to clear her vision. This just couldn't be happening. She must be seeing things. But the person was still there.
"Chloe?" she asked finally, quickly gaining control of her surprise. Her eyes traveled over the black leather and red see through top that Chloe wore. "I must say, this is certainly a new look for you." She laughed harshly.
"What is this, your latest incarnation? Ghoul girl - to high school princess - to what, street walker?" Jan sneered. "Of course, I don't know why I'm so surprised. After what we all saw this evening."
"I'm so glad you mentioned that." Sarah spoke up and then Jan noticed the harsh gritty quality in Chloe's voice. "You see, it's kinda the reason why I'm here."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Jan replied automatically, her face the portrait of feigned innocence. She backed up though, when Chloe advanced on her, wearing an expression of deadly calm. Jan shivered involuntarily from the cold that radiated off of the other girl's aura.
Sarah continued her dark advance on the cowering girl. She raised her arm, hand balled into a menacing fist. No other words were spoken.
"Okay, what happened, Brady?" Marlena finally spoke up, the voice of calm.
Brady sighed and recalled the night's events and the crazy search for Chloe. "Finally, after all this, I found her in a back alley beside some wild club, an unconscious man lying at her feet. She agreed to come back here with me. Only, no one else was here. She wanted to lie down, so I.got her settled in my bed.Then she totally went berserk, and kicked me and then left. I lost my balance and wrenched my knee. It's not so bad now, but I couldn't move for a few minutes. But anyway, that doesn't matter. We have to find her."
"And we will, but we need to know the mindset she's in. Why did she become angry with you? Did she say anything before leaving?" Marlena questioned.
Brady bit his lip. He knew the reason for Chloe's explosion of temper, but couldn't share it. It just didn't feel right. "I.don't know why she got mad. But she did say as she was leaving that she didn't need help; she needed revenge."
"Revenge?" Marlena pondered. "Revenge on whom?"
Brady sighed heavily with a slump of his tense shoulders. "I don't know."
Jan was only slightly aware of the blood that trickled out of her throbbing nose. She was focused on protecting her face and head from the storm of vicious blows that rained down on her body. She pushed herself back as far as she could into the corner of her porch.
"Please" she pleaded with fearful eyes. "Don't kill me." Jan had never been so terrified in her entire life. Not even the many times that her mom beat her. She was used to those beatings - she knew how to handle them. But this was different. There was no anger, no yelling. Just a cold silence.
And then, just as abruptly as it had begun, it was over. And she was gone. Jan gave a small whimper as her bottled up fear and relief flowed out of her. She curled up into a fetal position on her porch and cried the first tears since childhood.
Sarah practically skipped down the deserted city street; she was so proud of herself. She stopped suddenly when something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. She peered through the front window of a hunting supply store. There on a window display in a protective casing of thick glass laid a stunning dagger. It was long and slender, with a deadly sharp point. The handle was carved pewter depicting a serpent's body wrapping around it. The streetlights flashed off of a ruby jewel set in the eye of the snake. It was a work of art.
Without a moment's hesitation she broke the glass window with her elbow and snatched the dagger with one quick motion. She pocketed the knife and was gone before the alarms sounded.
Marlena hung up the phone and turned around to her waiting family. "That was Chloe's case worker at the orphanage. She will be on the next flight out. She seemed very concerned about Sarah's appearance but wanted to wait on any details until she was here in person."
"Did you ask her about the revenge thing?" John asked as he thoughtfully stroked his chin.
"No, but she did say that Sarah's primary role is as Chloe's protector, so if she feels that someone has hurt her, then she will go after them." Marlena's reply was cut off by the ringing of her cell phone.
She clicked open her phone. "Dr. Evans" Brady stretched his sore legs while his stepmother talked on the phone. He barely noticed the dull pain in his legs, or Marlena's serious conversation. His mind was totally focused on Chloe, where she might be, what she might be doing.
He closed his eyes as sweet memories played from earlier that night. He remembered touching her, kissing her. He could still smell her sweet fragrance of jasmine and honeysuckle. He remembered how it felt to run his fingers through her thick mass of soft hair. Mostly, though, he remembered the passion she was able to invoke in him with just a kiss, and the small regret that they hadn't completed their act of love.
{That wasn't Chloe, Brady.} he reminded himself firmly. He turned back to Marlena as she was hanging up the phone. He immediately noticed her concerned expression.
"That was Craig. Jan Spears was just admitted into the hospital with pretty severe injuries. She says that she was attacked and beaten by.Chloe." She trailed off, stunned at the strange news.
"Revenge." Brady muttered aloud. "Of course. Jan and Mimi had set up the website that had caused Chloe's personality to shutdown in the first place. So that's what she's after. Which means the next place she'll go is." he trailed off as he looked at his little sister.
The worry on Belle's face showed that she had come to the same conclusion. "Mimi" she breathed, fearful for her good childhood friend. "We gotta stop her." Wordlessly the four exited the penthouse.
"Looks like everyone's asleep." Sarah muttered as she peered through the windows into the darkness inside the house. "Good. Makes my job easier." She threw a quick glance around the front porch. She picked up the heavy mat that read "The Lockharts", but there was nothing underneath.
Sarah furrowed her brow in thought. Then she spied the hideous frog statue and picked it up. {Yes!} she cheered inwardly as she picked up the key. She quietly unlocked the door and slipped inside.
Her sock feet made no noise as she padded through the house, looking for her room. She found it finally, upstairs. She was fast asleep in her bed, snoring softly. Sarah expertly taped over the sleeping girl's mouth and then squatted over her prone form. She slowly drew her dagger out, the vicious blade glinting in the moonlight.
Mimi Lockhart twitched in her sleep. She could feel something on her face and a weight pressing on her. She blinked open her eyes and was immediately startled to find the tape over her mouth. She tried to scream as she saw Chloe advance on her with an evil looking knife in her hand. But there was no sound in the room. Only silence.
Chapter Seven
"Brady! Son, are you here?" John called out into the penthouse.
"I thought I saw his van in the parking deck." Belle offered as she and her parents looked around the empty living room. The trio glanced up to see Brady hobbling painfully down the stairs. He leaned heavily on the rail as he went down slowly one step at a time.
John rushed forward to his son's aid with Belle following close behind. Marlena maintained her position, looking slightly uncomfortable. Her heart twisted with remorse and guilt at the sight of Brady's obvious pain. She still felt responsible for her role in the crazed witch-hunt that ended in Brady being shot and paralyzed. She prayed that somehow they would be able to work through it.
"Brady! What's wrong?" John cried out anxiously while examining his son. "Your legs?" He had thought that Brady had gotten through this, he had begun walking and dancing again without needing a cane. And now to see his son in great pain, barely able to walk.
"I'm fine, Dad." Brady winced as another spasm of hot fire shot up his back. "My legs aren't important. We have to find her."
But John still focused on his son's legs. "Find who?"
"Chloe - Sarah! She was just here, not ten minutes ago. We have to find her!" Brady stated firmly, his blue eyes pleading. "We can't let her be out there like this. She needs help." He finished quietly.
Sarah snapped the phone book shut and turned away from the pay phone. She sauntered off into the black shadows, whistling an ironically happy tune.
Jan Spears clutched her stomach for dear life as it heaved violently. {Come on Jan, don't puke in the yard. You can make it inside.} She managed the remaining few wobbly steps to her porch and stood unsteadily in front of the door.
"Note to self: Beer first, THEN the hard stuff. NOT the other way around." She mumbled aloud as she fumbled for her house keys. She vaguely wondered through her drunken haze why none of the house lights were on.
"Oh right. Mom's away on business. Again." Jan was so busy talking to herself and searching for the right key that she didn't notice the shadow that fell over her shoulder.
"I guess that means you're all alone." a strange voice spoke from behind her, an evil edge to the dark voice.
Jan jumped and spun around. Her eyes visibly bulged from their sockets and her jaw dropped open. She blinked rapidly to clear her vision. This just couldn't be happening. She must be seeing things. But the person was still there.
"Chloe?" she asked finally, quickly gaining control of her surprise. Her eyes traveled over the black leather and red see through top that Chloe wore. "I must say, this is certainly a new look for you." She laughed harshly.
"What is this, your latest incarnation? Ghoul girl - to high school princess - to what, street walker?" Jan sneered. "Of course, I don't know why I'm so surprised. After what we all saw this evening."
"I'm so glad you mentioned that." Sarah spoke up and then Jan noticed the harsh gritty quality in Chloe's voice. "You see, it's kinda the reason why I'm here."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Jan replied automatically, her face the portrait of feigned innocence. She backed up though, when Chloe advanced on her, wearing an expression of deadly calm. Jan shivered involuntarily from the cold that radiated off of the other girl's aura.
Sarah continued her dark advance on the cowering girl. She raised her arm, hand balled into a menacing fist. No other words were spoken.
"Okay, what happened, Brady?" Marlena finally spoke up, the voice of calm.
Brady sighed and recalled the night's events and the crazy search for Chloe. "Finally, after all this, I found her in a back alley beside some wild club, an unconscious man lying at her feet. She agreed to come back here with me. Only, no one else was here. She wanted to lie down, so I.got her settled in my bed.Then she totally went berserk, and kicked me and then left. I lost my balance and wrenched my knee. It's not so bad now, but I couldn't move for a few minutes. But anyway, that doesn't matter. We have to find her."
"And we will, but we need to know the mindset she's in. Why did she become angry with you? Did she say anything before leaving?" Marlena questioned.
Brady bit his lip. He knew the reason for Chloe's explosion of temper, but couldn't share it. It just didn't feel right. "I.don't know why she got mad. But she did say as she was leaving that she didn't need help; she needed revenge."
"Revenge?" Marlena pondered. "Revenge on whom?"
Brady sighed heavily with a slump of his tense shoulders. "I don't know."
Jan was only slightly aware of the blood that trickled out of her throbbing nose. She was focused on protecting her face and head from the storm of vicious blows that rained down on her body. She pushed herself back as far as she could into the corner of her porch.
"Please" she pleaded with fearful eyes. "Don't kill me." Jan had never been so terrified in her entire life. Not even the many times that her mom beat her. She was used to those beatings - she knew how to handle them. But this was different. There was no anger, no yelling. Just a cold silence.
And then, just as abruptly as it had begun, it was over. And she was gone. Jan gave a small whimper as her bottled up fear and relief flowed out of her. She curled up into a fetal position on her porch and cried the first tears since childhood.
Sarah practically skipped down the deserted city street; she was so proud of herself. She stopped suddenly when something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. She peered through the front window of a hunting supply store. There on a window display in a protective casing of thick glass laid a stunning dagger. It was long and slender, with a deadly sharp point. The handle was carved pewter depicting a serpent's body wrapping around it. The streetlights flashed off of a ruby jewel set in the eye of the snake. It was a work of art.
Without a moment's hesitation she broke the glass window with her elbow and snatched the dagger with one quick motion. She pocketed the knife and was gone before the alarms sounded.
Marlena hung up the phone and turned around to her waiting family. "That was Chloe's case worker at the orphanage. She will be on the next flight out. She seemed very concerned about Sarah's appearance but wanted to wait on any details until she was here in person."
"Did you ask her about the revenge thing?" John asked as he thoughtfully stroked his chin.
"No, but she did say that Sarah's primary role is as Chloe's protector, so if she feels that someone has hurt her, then she will go after them." Marlena's reply was cut off by the ringing of her cell phone.
She clicked open her phone. "Dr. Evans" Brady stretched his sore legs while his stepmother talked on the phone. He barely noticed the dull pain in his legs, or Marlena's serious conversation. His mind was totally focused on Chloe, where she might be, what she might be doing.
He closed his eyes as sweet memories played from earlier that night. He remembered touching her, kissing her. He could still smell her sweet fragrance of jasmine and honeysuckle. He remembered how it felt to run his fingers through her thick mass of soft hair. Mostly, though, he remembered the passion she was able to invoke in him with just a kiss, and the small regret that they hadn't completed their act of love.
{That wasn't Chloe, Brady.} he reminded himself firmly. He turned back to Marlena as she was hanging up the phone. He immediately noticed her concerned expression.
"That was Craig. Jan Spears was just admitted into the hospital with pretty severe injuries. She says that she was attacked and beaten by.Chloe." She trailed off, stunned at the strange news.
"Revenge." Brady muttered aloud. "Of course. Jan and Mimi had set up the website that had caused Chloe's personality to shutdown in the first place. So that's what she's after. Which means the next place she'll go is." he trailed off as he looked at his little sister.
The worry on Belle's face showed that she had come to the same conclusion. "Mimi" she breathed, fearful for her good childhood friend. "We gotta stop her." Wordlessly the four exited the penthouse.
"Looks like everyone's asleep." Sarah muttered as she peered through the windows into the darkness inside the house. "Good. Makes my job easier." She threw a quick glance around the front porch. She picked up the heavy mat that read "The Lockharts", but there was nothing underneath.
Sarah furrowed her brow in thought. Then she spied the hideous frog statue and picked it up. {Yes!} she cheered inwardly as she picked up the key. She quietly unlocked the door and slipped inside.
Her sock feet made no noise as she padded through the house, looking for her room. She found it finally, upstairs. She was fast asleep in her bed, snoring softly. Sarah expertly taped over the sleeping girl's mouth and then squatted over her prone form. She slowly drew her dagger out, the vicious blade glinting in the moonlight.
Mimi Lockhart twitched in her sleep. She could feel something on her face and a weight pressing on her. She blinked open her eyes and was immediately startled to find the tape over her mouth. She tried to scream as she saw Chloe advance on her with an evil looking knife in her hand. But there was no sound in the room. Only silence.