Rating: T
Summary: (You all know by now)
Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters!
November 5, 1984- Residence of Nancy and Ted Wilcoff- 9:30 pmSara started stirring. She groaned as she lifted her head from the small pillow lying under her and she squinted as her eyes adjusted to the faint light coming into the room from underneath her closed door. She yawned quietly as she sat upright on the bed and looked at her digital clock- she had been out for almost four hours, but she didn't mind, she needed the rest and she didn't want to discuss in detail what happened at the counseling center.
"Ted, what're we going to do?"
Sara tilted her head a bit as she heard Nancy's concerned and confused voice from behind her door in the hallway.
"I don't know Nance, we'll think of something."
"You heard what the therapist said…how the session went…"
"Don't worry about it Nancy."
"But Ted-"
"She's just insecure about it, alright? How would you feel if something like that happened to you?"
Nancy sighed. "I guess you're right…okay."
Sara rolled her eyes- they didn't know the half of it. Insecure? Well of course she felt insecure, who wouldn't?
She slowly got to her feet and threw her door open making both Nancy and Ted jump. They stared at her as she squinted at the harsh light coming from the lamps and the lights above her. She brushed some hair away from her face as she made her way to the kitchen. She opened the fridge and grabbed the carton of orange juice and poured herself a big glass. She drank it quickly, quenching her thirst and the harsh dryness of her throat.
"I made you a sandwich," Nancy said handing Sara a plate. Sara just nodded as she grabbed the peanut butter and jelly sandwich from her and began to slowly eat it.
Ted and Nancy looked at each other before they both went back to the things they were doing to try and make it look like they weren't watching Sara like hawks. Sara swallowed the bit of the sandwich that was in her mouth. She stared at both Nancy and Ted who quickly looked away once they noticed she made eye contact with them.
Ted had pulled an apple out from the fruit bowl and was looking around for a knife in one of the drawers. He muttered to himself as he looked around for it and finally found what he was looking for in one of the overhead cupboards. He pulled out a large knife from the holder in the cupboard and began to wash the apple at the sink.
Sara had picked up her plate and walked over to the sink to get a paper towel to serve as a napkin. The color drained from her face when she saw the large knife sitting on a dishtowel next to her. She backed away, her hands trembling and she dropped the plate holding her sandwich making it shatter into pieces.
Ted quickly looked over at Sara at the sound of the shattering glass. "Sara? Sara, are you okay?"
Sara backed away more, her eyes still fixed on the knife. She felt the need to run.
"Sara? Sara, what's wrong?" Nancy asked approaching her as Ted picked up the tiny remains of the plate.
Sara's gaze was not faltering- her eyes stayed on the knife. She kept backing up until her back hit the wall, which made her jump. She could feel her heart beating quicker and louder than before and she was sweating like crazy. She had nauseous feeling in her stomach and she ran down the hallway into the bathroom.
Nancy quickly followed and when she walked into the bathroom, she discovered Sara leant over the toilet emptying the contents of her stomach.
Sara couldn't stop retching- the thought of that night, the awful things they had said to each other, the blood- oh god there was so much blood- the loud sirens blaring, the social services worker, the flash of the silver blade digging into her father's chest again and again…
"Sara, it's okay."
Sara hadn't even noticed the tears running down her cheeks until Nancy was helping to wipe them away. She held her hair back as she continued to retch, her body shaking violently each time.
Finally, after what seemed like hours, Sara's body was exhausted and she fell back against the bathroom wall panting. Ted and Nancy were both by her side now. "Ted, take her to her room."
Ted nodded and slowly moved around Nancy to Sara. He wrapped his arms around her limp but shaking form and carried her to her room as Nancy wetted a rag. As he set Sara down on her bed, he wrapped her in a blanket. Nancy ran back into the room setting the wetted rag on Sara's head before disappearing into the kitchen. When she had returned she came back with a small bucket, which she set down next to Sara's bed on the floor.
The left her alone after her body had stopped shaking as much, but they kept her door cracked so it would be easy to check up on her. Sara lay in her bed tossing and turning all night. She couldn't get the images out of her mind. She had tried so hard to just forget it all and now it was coming back to haunt her.
November 6, 1984- 10:30 am"Sara?"
Sara stirred at the sound of the familiar whisper.
"Sara?"
She slowly opened her eyes, squinting at the sunlight coming into the room. The person standing in her room closed the blinds allowing her to see the room better without squinting at the light.
"Sara, are you okay?"
Sara slowly sat up rubbing her head. "I think so…"
"You gave Nancy and Ted quite a scare there, Sar."
Sara smiled a little at the mention of her new nickname again. "And how would you know that, Joshie?"
He smiled. "I came by this morning to see if you wanted to do something, but Nancy told me about what happened last night."
She nodded, lowering her head a little. "I see."
"Are you okay now?"
"I…I don't know."
Josh walked to the edge of her bed and took a seat. "They…they mentioned a knife…that…that you freaked out when you saw the knife."
Sara looked up at Josh like an abandoned puppy found in an alley.
"Sara, was…was that the reason you got sick?"
She sighed. "It…it was a combination of things…the shrink at that stupid 'Happy Campers' place was horrible…when I got there I just felt…I didn't feel right, I…I felt really insecure and…I even felt sick. I didn't want to talk about it…I…I snapped at the shrink."
Josh nodded.
"And then…I came home and I guess I made a scene…I went to my room and fell asleep and then I got up later. I walked into the kitchen and Nancy handed me a sandwich she had made me. I knew I should eat even though I wasn't hungry and I began nibbling at the sandwich…the whole time having Nancy and Ted watch over me like a hawk. But then…Ted was looking for a knife to cut his apple and…and the thoughts of that night just came flooding back."
Josh put a hand on her shoulder. "But it's over."
"I know, but…I can't get those images out of my mind…the awful things they said to each other…and to me…the…the smell of iron in the air…the blood- god Josh, there was so much blood!"
Sara had now broken down in sobs and Josh put a comforting arm around her. "Hey, hey, it's okay, shh…"
Sara slowly calmed down and as she did she laughed a little attempting to lighten up the mood. "You're good at this."
He smiled. "I've been at it a while."
Sara smiled and then narrowed her eyes sighing. "I'm sorry I'm doing this to you, I…I shouldn't have brought you into this-"
"Sara, it's okay, I don't mind. I'm your friend, this is what friends do."
Sara would not have known that if he hadn't said that since Josh was the only friend she ever had; she was still new to the friend world.
"Sara, listen, uh…"
Sara looked up to see a blushing Josh.
"I uh…there's this thing at my church in December around Christmas time and…uh…" Josh was stuttering as he walked back-and-forth in the room rubbing his head. "I uh…it's a Christmas dinner and I just…I wanted to know if…"
Sara looked at him smiling as he continued to stutter and choke on his words.
"If uh…you and I could…you know…go…together?" Josh finished. He swallowed hard thinking to himself about how this whole attempt at asking Sara to the Christmas dinner had been ruined.
"Of course, Josh."
Josh's eyes widened as Sara said those words. "I uh…really?"
Sara giggled. "Yes."
He smiled as a flush of red appeared back in his cheeks and he again began to choke on his words. "Okay, uh…it's…it's uh…on the twentieth of December, I'll uh…I'll uh…come get you around 5:30."
She smiled. "Sounds good."
"Okay, uh…bye."
Josh walked out of the house quickly as Sara sat in her room giggling to herself.
She never saw Josh jump up and down or hear his cheers of glee.