Sarah was lying on her back atop her bed after the incident in the ballroom and gazed into the mask she had acquired from her strange admirer. She could barely begin to explain why she saw the boy's stunning blue eyes every time she looked into the hollow eyes of the empty mask. They haunted her as well as enraptured her. It was as though he was calling her with his melancholy blue eyes; telling her that there was something important she had forgotten.
Sarah rolled onto her stomach and set the mask on her bedside table. Near to where she had placed it was the glimmering gold locket. Sarah reached for it and held it softly in her hand and let the chain tangle around her fingers and the pendant swing and shine against the backdrop of her elaborately painted ceiling. "He said what was on the inside is important." Sarah said repeating every word he had said to her. She hesitated in opening the locket but made her decision to do so. Just as her finger tips brushed the clasp of the treasured object Tristan knocked on the door of her chambers.
"Sarah, can I come in?" he asked with a somewhat anxious voice. Knowing he wouldn't approve of anything from the hands of the boy, Jim Hawkins, whom he so detested she hid the mask and locket in the drawer of her bedside table. "S-sure." She responded. Tristan entered and found Sarah sitting on her bed cross-legged in her pajamas.
"Are you alright? Why aren't you outside enjoying the rest of the party? Wait a minute…" Tristan said pausing. "...are you still in shock about what happened with that intruder Jim Hawkins? Well, have no fear; he will not be entering this house as long as he values his life." Sarah knew Jim meant absolutely no harm and responded, "I'm perfectly fine! Please don't be hard on him. I-I was just feeling tired and in need of rest." Sarah was staring down at her bare feet, thinking deeply about what she would do about Jim Hawkins. Tristan looked at her expression and felt she was at a loss.
He put a comforting arm around her shoulder and said, "Sleep well and anything that is troubling you will disappear." "Thank you, Tristan." She replied not looking up from her feet. Tristan saw that his words had not gotten through to her and pulled his arm from her shoulder saying, "The party is ending, I must go bid our guests good bye." Just before he left the room he bid her good night and she did the same.
The door shut and his foot steps echoed down the hall, and as soon as Sarah could no longer hear him her hands raced for the handle to open the door to her hidden treasures. She withdrew the locket from its place and dove under the thick down feather covers. In the darkness of her room the locket was not nearly as bright as in the sunlight but never the less it still had a glow to it. Her fingers again grasped the locket clasp and when it clicked open a small light emitted from inside.
Sarah heard laughter from a pair of voices that were distant and echoing yet familiar and affectionate. She opened the cover of the locket as far as it would go and saw images that she could not remember but that made her feel as if she should. There was a boy that looked very much like the Josh she knew; the Josh that had red fins for hair and worked down in the mechanics garage. Then she saw herself, with long flowing hair, sitting with her friends and looking happier than she had any day in the past 2 months.
Finally, the images focused on the very boy that had been clouding her mind since she met him in the street. He was hard at work on a solar surfer and instead of looking exhausted or annoyed with the tedious work he looked elated and joyful to be doing what he was and being where they were. This joy that she had forgotten herself was forming a gaping whole in her heart.
Sarah began to focus on what was being said by the three beings trapped in the locket. The one holding the locket, whom she assumed what herself, was stumbling around an open area free of the trees that normally surrounded them. "This looks like a good place to make camp. Don't you think, guys?" said the voice Sarah knew to be hers. Josh crossed in front of the screen followed by the infamous Jim Hawkins at his side. "This is perfect, Sarah." Josh stated. "It's only fair that the world's best navigator would find the best spot to build our temporary home." Jim said turning to Sarah with a smile full of care.
Suddenly, the image froze. It froze on the warm and loving smile of the boy with dramatic sapphire eyes. Sarah was fixated on his face for a time that she knew was keeping her awake for an extended time. By the time she came to her senses, the entire layer of sheets surrounding her face had been stained with salty tears. She saw no reason why she should be weeping as she was, but something told her that it was a longing to rejoin these two boys. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew that they were her true friends and that they had been right al along.
~Next Day~
Jim and Josh were milling around the inn, trying to make themselves useful by helping Joshua with clearing tables. It reminded Jim of his time working at the Benbow with his mother. Their plan was to wait for Sarah to come to the market like she did every 3 days and catch her like they did on the first day. It was almost time for them to go out to meet her, when they heard the bell on the inn's door ring. The two cadets turned to greet the customer saw that it was not who they had expected.
Sarah stood in front of the closed door panting basket in hand, making them assume that she had run here. "Jim Hawkins!" Sarah yelled furiously. Jim and Josh both had expressions of dread on their faces. What was she going to do? She could have them reported to Tristan and have them taken in for harassment, or she could be merciful and throw the locket in their faces and tell them never to see her again. Sarah did neither of the two.
She dropped the basket clumsily on one of thee tables and ran straight for Jim. Jim put his arms up to guard his face from any more attacks from her open hand. Instead of feeling a stinging pain in his skin he felt the fixed embrace of her arms ad her fingers digging into the leather back of his jacket. Sarah was sobbing, her tears staining his shirt. Josh watched this heartfelt scene and saw it as a possible sign of her regained memories.
Jim hated seeing her in such a state; trembling against him. He lowered his arms and but her in a comforting hold. Jim gasped inaudibly; he could feel her heart breaking against his chest and held her tighter and fought back tears trying to be strong for her. "I'm sorry." Sarah said through her tears. "I don't remember. I don't remember any of it! I wish I could but all I have is what's in the locket." "I see." Josh said dismally. "I guess it was a little too much to hope for your memories back."
Sarah departed from Jim's side and walked over to embrace Josh in a similar fashion. He hugged her back and gave her a playful toss of the hair to light her spirits. It helped considerably and she asked if he used to do that to her before she lost her memories. They discussed at length everything that had happened since Jim met Sarah and to the point where they were given their mission to find her.
Sarah was in disbelief about most things but came to agree with them one every topic…except one. "I don't believe that Tristan is like that. He has been so kind to me." "Sarah, he is a brute who is totally reliant on his social standing. He has threatened all three of us more than once." Josh explained. "Maybe this Tristan is different!" Sarah said standing from her seat. "You've seen how he treated us even when all we wanted to do is talk to you." Jim stated. Sarah put thought into what he said and sat back down.
"We will be able to leave in 2 days when Joshua is finished tuning the long boat so it can handle going back through the worm hole safely." Jim explained. "We'll be home free." Josh said. Sarah grabbed up her basket and said, "I'm going to tell Tristan I'm leaving with you." The town boys stood up and Josh exclaimed, "You can't! If you do he may not let you go. And if it gets any worse he'll come after us!" "Josh, I have to. Even if the Tristan from your world was as cruel as you say this one may not. Please he's been kind to me and I told want to leave him thinking that I betrayed him." Sarah pleaded.
They saw the sincerity in her eyes and heard the determination in her voice. They knew that even if they opposed her she would go run to tell him. Sarah left the inn and started to head back to the mansion. She ran through the entire house gathering everything she owned, including a handful of the dresses that Tristan had gotten her, into a large suitcase. She found Tristan in his office signing thank you cards to all of the guests that attended the party the previous night. Sarah knocked on the door and Tristan turned his attention to her with a smile. Tristan saw the heavy suitcase in her hand and a serious expression on her face. This caused him to question her as to what was happening.
"Tristan…I'm going to go back with Jim and Josh; to my home world." She said bluntly. "Sarah, you know you can't trust them." Tristan said trying to sway her. Sarah held up the locket on her palm and opened it displaying to him the footage stored inside. "They're not lying, Tristan. All the evidence is in this locket." She said this then closed the locket hiding it beneath the loose fitting shirt she had been informed of borrowing from Jim. "I'm going. I simply wanted to express how thankful I am to you. We will never meet again, I'm sorry and good-bye."
Sarah was making her way to the ornate door to take her leave of this dimension but was stopped buy a strong hand on her shoulder. She turned and saw Tristan's stern and demanding face. "I can't let you go with them. Your not part of that world any more and I will not let you, the person I love most in the world, humiliate me by running away with a boy who is nothing but trash from Montressor!" Tristan gripped her tighter as Sarah began to struggle. "They were right! No matter which world I choose, Tristan Falling will always be cruel and unfeeling!" Sarah screamed and the next thing she knew she was on the marble floor.
Tristan was starring down at her with an expression of sorrow and frustration. "Take her to her room and lock her in. Don't under any circumstance let her out." Tristan gave these orders to the butler by the door and turned back to his office so Sarah wouldn't see the look on his face that would have told her that he was breaking down.