Sara's life had changed quite a bit over the past two years; she had a new job, a new apartment and finally after 2 medicated years she was free of the anti-depressants her doctor had prescribed.

Yes, to all outside appearances Sara had moved on with her life. She had even been on some blind dates set up by the few close friends she had managed to hold onto throughout the tough years that had followed the escape at Fox River; one tended to find out who their real friends were after such an ordeal. Of course Sara always made up some excuse to avoid a second date; always finding some imaginary thing wrong with the men she was set up with. When in all actuality most if not all had seemed like great guys, the only thing wrong with them being that they were not Michael.

She ran a finger lightly over the rose she now held lovingly in her hand; the rose she had found nestled in the pocket of her bathrobe 2 years prior.

She brought it to her nose, but the fragrance had long since died leaving it a mere paper rose. But it would never be such a simple thing to Sara. To Sara it was proof that Michael was somewhere waiting for her.

Sara sighed and tucked the flower back into the drawer of her vanity table. She then picked up a brush and stroked it through her long red hair, her eyes searching the mirror for something; someone who was no longer there. Sighing again she stood up and made her way to the door.
She didn't want to be late for dinner. Her father would be waiting for her at the restaurant. She turned the light off and closed the door behind her leaving the beautiful blue eyes looking out of the mirror alone in the darkened room.

Sara dashed out into the rain soaked night her umbrella threatening to flip inside out as the wind tried to tear it from her clutching hands. Cursing the dreaded weather, she pulled open the car door only to have it yanked out of her hand and thrown wide.
She quickly shut the umbrella and climbed in slamming the door shut against the elements.

She pushed her dripping hair out of her eyes and looked out at the torrential down pour. It seemed that the Chicago sky had opened up and all of the angels were crying. She found the old saying she had learned from her mother somehow comforting and smiled despite the chill of her wet clothing.

She cranked on the heat, but cold air shot out instead. She sighed and put it on defrost trying to clear the condensation.

She was definitely going to be late for dinner if she didn't get a move on soon. Her relationship with her father had improved greatly over the past two years, leaving them closer than they had been in years and Sara had come to enjoy their weekly dinner out together. In fact it had become the high point of her week making her wish her father wasn't so terribly busy. But he still made time for her these days and that was a great improvement on the past.

She reached and swiped her palm over the inside glass trying to see the dreary night sky. Then telling herself that was about as good as it was going to get she put the car in gear and pulled out onto the road.

Sara sat hunched over the steering wheel her knuckles white. She knew this was foolish. She could have just canceled on her father, he would have understood. But the truth was she had been looking forward to this dinner and the thought of another lonely night in front of the TV with takeout Chinese had been too depressing to ponder. So here she sat cursing the weather and her own stupidity as she tried to maneuver through what had to be the worst thunderstorm that had hit Chicago in a while.

She peered into the curtain of rain that pelted the windshield, as lightening lit the dark sky. She felt the car slide, her tires hydroplaning as she hit the water that pooled in puddles alongside the road. Her knuckles whitened more as her grip tightened on the steering wheel. She was taking a tight curve when…..

Sara opened her eyes and gazed at the wet night. The rain had ended and she was…Where was she? She looked about her, her mind speaking to her frantically as her eyes took in her smashed car and the offending tree in front of it. There was steam coming from under the hood and the windshield was broken out.

She ran her hands carefully over her body and took a deep breath.
Nothing appeared to be broken or bleeding. But how had she gotten outside the car? She had been wearing a seat belt hadn't she? Would she have been foolish enough to be out driving in such a storm without wearing her seat belt?

Sara pushed her hands through her hair trying to remember. But things were getting fuzzy. Where had she been on her way to? She turned in a circle to better take in her surroundings, and realized she didn't recognize any of the terrain.

Sara stepped away from the car and made her way cautiously into the dark night. Surely there was a road somewhere up ahead she told herself. After all if I drove off a road it has to be here somewhere, doesn't it?

She was climbing the small hill her car had apparently plummeted down when she saw him outlined against the night sky. She squinted to make out the man's features only knowing it was a man by his build.

"Hello"? She said loudly and tried to quicken her pace.

The man looked in her direction and moved towards her.

Sara was only a few steps away when his hood fell back and his red eyes leaped out of the darkness at her.