Sarah

It was a dark stormy night in Winterz. Sarah Liam couldn’t help but feel bored, after all she was all alone in the huge old house. Her friends couldn’t come over because, well, it was raining. As she sat down by the fireplace with a cup of hot tea in her hand to warm her up, she found herself thinking about the supposedly cursed marsh land that they were talking about with her friends Tina, Nana and Bree. Apparently most of the people who visited the marsh land near the only forest in Winterz never came back and those that did, had an undeniably unnatural series of negative encounters.

Bell was a very nosy neighbor of Sarah’s and everyone who visited Winterz had to have known or been known by Bell in one way or another. The story had been told and retold for centuries. One day Bell was going about her usual business of nosing around in anyone’s and everyone’s business when she heard her name whispered in the direction of the forest or, was she imagining things? “Oh dear I might have slept too late, I rather feel tired” she muttered to herself in an attempt to shrug off what she thought she’d heard but she couldn’t ignore the scream that confirmed it. Someone needed her help. Bell may have been nosy but she certainly was not one to ignore a cry for help.

She rushed in the direction of the sound, yes, you guessed right. To the forest Bell dashed not caring that on her own she may not be strong enough to fight ‘the adversary’. As she made her way to the sound of the cry, she didn’t bother to leave a trail or a mark that would help her find her way back. Now this is the interesting part as soon as she was deep in the forest, the screaming stopped. Confused, she looked around and screamed ‘WHERE ARE YOU?’ No response. It was then that she thought to look around and it hit her, she was lost and alone!!!! Panic setting in, she noticed the tall trees and the shadows they cast on the ground and  all of it creeped her out. She raced through the woods not caring about direction thinking that things couldn’t get any worse. At least that was the case until she stepped into the marsh and got stuck! “GREAT!” she muttered. She struggled to get out but the more she tried the more she got sucked into the marsh.

She heard the sound of breaking twigs. She was not alone. She stopped struggling and whispered ‘God help me’. Before she knew it, she heard someone’s voice gentle and kind calling “miss? You look like you need help” and when she turned around she heard the voice gasp “Bell is that you?” I would love to say it was a pleasant surprise but it wasn’t for either party. Why you ask? Years ago, back in high school Bell was best friends with Lisa, well, that was until Bell’s nosiness led her to a little secret and Bell spiced it up and spread it and for the longest time Lisa was stigmatized. I however cannot tell Lisa’s secret for obvious reasons. That being the back story you can understand why their meeting was not a pleasant surprise. Years later the two meet at the ‘cursed’ marsh.  Bell knew she was not getting any help from her.

With slumping shoulders she gave up on ever getting out of there. Bell bowed her head in shame and waited with no hope. To her surprise Lisa stretched out her hand and offered to help her out. Bell slowly held out her hand and accepted aid from Lisa. Once Bell was free she meekly muttered ‘thank you’. She then politely asked Lisa, “What are you doing here?” Lisa responded with a sad smile that she was looking for a plant for her study since she wanted to be a doctor but got lost while searching. Lisa had never been one to believe in things like curses so she was not afraid of the forest. She said that she saw shadows in the forest and they seemed to be haunting her. It was then that Bell realized that she was the one whose scream she’d heard. Question is who whispered her name? Or was she dreaming?

“Are you alright Bell?” Lisa’s voice cut through her thoughts.

“Sarah! Sarah! Sarah. What’s up with her!!?” Bree’s voice woke Sarah from her slumber. Sarah put her hand on her forehead since her head was spinning. Her friends! They were with her! Sarah had fallen asleep after drinking tea to her fill and when sleep got the best of her, the cup fell from her hand spilling the remaining content on the floor. By the time she was woken by Bree, the rain had stopped. Tina and Nana were busy chatting and giggling over what dresses to wear to some upcoming school event. Ah yes prom. Bree was cleaning up the tea that had spilled from the cup when it fell to the floor while looking at Sarah with a worried expression on her face and Sarah could barely withhold her urge to laugh. “Do I have something on my face?” Sarah asked jokingly.

Bree frowned slightly and replied, ”no” and then she took a seat on one of the other couches opposite Tina and Nana. Sarah who had just woken up to find the place tidied up and spotless, massaged her temples and got up to get her diary so that she could write down her dream which had felt so real. Bree relit the fireplace which had died down while Sarah was sleeping and joined the conversation between Tina and Nana. Sarah came back with her diary and smacked a high five on all three of her friends’ heads and they looked up, grinned at her and with the seat pillows swung at Sarah’s head in response to her greeting.

It was getting dark outside and the cold was seeping through to their bones so after a whole thirty minutes of pillow fighting and pointless giggling, they went upstairs to Sarah’s room all four of them and on her bed cuddled up for warmth. The day ended with four friends asleep with angelic looks on their faces and unending piece.