Sara

PROLOGUE

There was a time when Sara would have been considered a witch. In our time, some would say she was possessed, others would simply make the vague accusation that she was evil. It does not matter how we define her, those - nobody knows exactly how many "those" were - who have been unlucky enough to hear her predictions regarding friends or family knew this petite, sweet faced young girl for what she was.
  Read on and you will see. Keep in mind, to date there has never been anyone who claimed to know her or even to have seen her. Nobody knew her full name. Nobody has ever claimed she was family or knew anything at all about her. Her age, date and place of birth, unknown. The only people who knew her at all, if you can call it that, only knew that she called herself Sara, that she was young and pretty with a soft voice and aura of innocence about her. She would suddenly appear, say what she had to say to those unfortunate few, and disappear just as quickly. Who was she? This will remain a question in the minds of those whose lives she touched from now on.
  
  ONE
  
I am Jenny. I never knew Sara, which makes this story and the others so much more frightening. Neither did my best friend Darlene, but neither of us ever forgot her after our one brief encounter, up until Darlene died and me up until right now.
  It was a sunny afternoon in June in 1967. Darlene and I were with a couple guys at a bowling alley that afternoon. We were both 17 years old that summer and experiencing our first loves with members of the opposite sex. We were in the snack bar area at a table waiting to order soft drinks. Seemingly from out of nowhere a pretty blonde appeared and cheerily said to us, "Hi, I'm Sara. May I take your order?" Casually and before we had time to respond, she looked at Darlene and added, "Enjoy moments like these, Darlene. You will die in a few years just before Nixon resigns as president." Then she walked away. Well, we all looked at each other, stunned, and looked back over to see her walking towards the counter area, except she was nowhere to be seen. We asked the snack bar manager about her, but he had no idea who Darlene was.
  Darlene died of leukemia in early August 1974, just a couple of days before President Nixon resigned in disgrace because of Watergate. This has haunted me ever since.
  
  TWO
  
It was February 1973. Jack, my husband, and I lived in a nice apartment, typical for the times, and doing pretty well when it happened again. It was a cold Friday evening, and I was anxious to get inside after visiting the mailboxes near our apartment. From a few feet away, I saw a young woman, smallish but pretty, crying close to my doorstep. I stopped and asked her what the trouble was and if I could help. Addressing me by name, She replied, "Jenny, I'm Sara, maybe you remember me, but there is nothing you can do. You need to be thinking about your family now. Jack will be gone by Christmas, and you will be with child."
  I took a good look at her and remembered. I was at once both angry and frightened. I looked down to clear my throat and compose myself and when I looked up, she was gone. I looked all over the spacious area around us, but she was nowhere to be seen.
  This really bothered me but did not allow it to ruin my life. I was pleased to tell Jack I was pregnant that summer and we had a very nice Thanksgiving and holiday season, until Jack was killed in an automobile accident the week before Christmas.
  I was not the same after that. Twice a mysterious person named Sara showed up and warned me about the future death of a loved one, and twice those warnings came true, several years apart. After Jack died, I was always on the lookout for Sara. If there was a next time I would do my best to respond better.
  Next time . . .
  
  THREE
  
Many years passed before I saw her again. I had grown to believe, because I wanted to, that she was gone forever. Unfortunately, however, 15 years is not forever.
   In the spring of 1988, I was in early middle age, and my life was hectic but very rewarding. I had experienced a nice professional success, had remarried and had another child. Life was good. I had almost forgotten about Sara.
   Almost.
   One morning in early April, I was busy at my desk, juggling phone calls, office memos, and the occasional office worker. It was especially hectic that day, and I have to admit to being frazzled when the pretty young girl appeared in front of my desk. At first, I did not recognize that it was Sara, but quickly recognized her when she said, "Jenny, it's me, Sara. Your boss will have a massive heart attack tonight. Tomorrow you will be asked to fill in for him while he recovers, if he does recover. Say nothing to him."
   As was the case the two other times I had encountered her, she caught me at a vulnerable time, so I hesitated with my response. I nervously blinked my eyes and that was enough time for her to disappear.
   I did not bother to ask anyone in the office if they had seen her, I knew what the answer would be. I also realized after she left that she had not aged at all since first seeing her over 20 years previously.
   I followed her directions and said nothing to Hank, my boss. That night, he did have that massive heart attack as predicted. I was asked to fill in for him while he recovered, but six weeks later he died, just as it seemed he was out of danger.
   After he passed, I was promoted.
   
   FOUR
   
Middle age and greater responsibility both at work and home also brought a greater fear and dread of a probable fourth visit from Sara. In my heart I knew it was coming, but when?
   This time, the wait was a dozen years. July of 2000 was a long time to anticipate something I dreaded and knew would last only a few short moments. What would Sara say to me when I saw her again? She had already taken a dear friend, a husband, and a boss who was almost like family. Fear did not ruin my life, but it did cast a dark and unhappy shadow over it.
   But, that moment in mid-summer of 2000 came as the others did - suddenly and with no warning. I was home that day and was busy working outside in the garden on that unexpectedly cool day. I had just gotten off my knees and was wiping dirt off of my gloved hands when I saw her standing beside me, barely two feet away.
   "Jenny, it's me, Sara. This time the future is not clear, you have a choice. Do not travel over Labor Day weekend. All will be well for you and (husband) Paul if you stay home."
   This time, my eyes locked in on hers, perhaps that is the reason she disappeared just a wee bit slower than the times before. She was still the same sad and petite blond girl, frozen in time physically. However, I was now a mature woman who had known her own sadness and despair, in large part because of her. I feel like I knew her well, in reality I only knew her through three, now four, very short and bizarre encounters. For some odd reason, I felt like I had "won" this encounter, if you could call it that. Perhaps it was because I was given a decision to make and not a simple announcement of impending doom.
   I had never told anyone about Sara, not even Paul. Sara had been such big part of my adult life, but the circumstances of our "relationship" were so bizarre that I felt like telling anyone would make a negative impression. So, I bore the burden quietly alone all these many years. It is why I had to get very creative about why I did not wish to travel to see Stephanie, our oldest child over that holiday weekend. When I told Paul there was a huge project at work due completion shortly after the long weekend, I could see that he doubted me, but he did not push it. I stated to him that, "I simply could not be away."
   Labor Day came and went. Our weekend was boring and Stephanie was miffed at me, sensing as her dad did that I was being less than truthful. Otherwise, things were as Sara promised, all was well.
   This was very much on my mind Tuesday morning before returning to work after the three-day weekend. Lingering at the breakfast table, I thumbed through the morning newspaper and saw that, on the main road into town yesterday evening, there was a fatal automobile accident about 40 miles away. A car heading towards our way collided in a fatal crash with a semi-truck. The truck driver was shaken but not injured, but a man and his wife had died returning from a Labor Day visit to their daughter's home.
   At that moment, I knew that couple could have, perhaps should have been, Paul and I.
   This caused me to fear Sara even more than I had before. In my heart, I knew I would see her one more time. But, when? Time would tell.
   
   FIVE
   
   Whatever "victory" I thought I had won was proven depressingly wrong over the next 24 years. 24 long years. Over this time, I lived through late middle age and into older age, knowing that Sara could appear at any time and with news I did not wish to hear. This preyed on my mind and emotions. I had been fighting this demon for over 50 years in silence and hate to admit it, but Sara had worn me down. After only seeing her four times in 53 years for maybe 10 minutes total, she had won whatever game she was playing with me. Why? That was a question I asked myself so many times that it was burned permanently into my mind and emotions.
   I had come to see that the seemingly kind warning she offered on her last visit was just a teaser, perhaps she wanted to be certain I would be around for her next and last visit.
   But, the end of it all came quickly, as I knew it would. It was late October 2024. I was retired and Paul and I were living the good life of retirement with no responsibilities. Our kids and grandchildren were doing fine, as were we. We had ample funds in our IRAs to live as well as we wished, no matter how long we lived. We were happy, life was good.
   Sara had taken the edge off my happiness and contentment for so long that I no longer noticed it day to day. She was just there in my mind, waiting to strike for a final time. I knew she was coming and I realized, as Halloween approached, that was when I would see her. I have always believed she was not happy with my being able to live a full life even though her bizarre presence in it was a dark cloud over me.
   But, the day came. When the doorbell rang, I knew it was not just a child there to say, trick or treat. A chill ran down my back as I instinctively realized who my visitor was. As much as you could ever be when preparing to meet a demon, this time I was ready.
   I did not answer the door right away. I knew Sara would wait while I prepared to meet her.
   I opened that door and before she could say anything, I said, almost shouting, "I've been waiting for you." This surprised her and I sensed that she was not pleased with my lack of intimidation. I was frightened but not intimidated.
   She needed no Halloween costume, her presence was frightening enough. But, I knew she picked this night to rattle me even more than she normally did. I tried hard not to show it.
   She hesitated just for a quick moment before saying, "It's your turn." Before she had a chance to disappear quickly I shouted, "maybe," before she finished her reply.
   Angrily, she asked, "What gives you such confidence?" I answered, "You are a bully. Now you can leave. It's not my turn for anything."
   Had she left right then, she would have won, but with all the courage I could muster I touched her face with a hot knife I was holding out of her view. The long kitchen knife I held was dabbed with red costume paint, symbolizing blood. Although I know it broke the skin I saw no blood of hers or burn mark, just a bit of the paint I had added to the knife for effect, but there was a terrible smell such as I had never experienced, and she let out a bloodcurdling howl. I was horrified when she aged noticeably in those few moments. Finally she said, "I have little power over those who are not frightened."
   "I know, I am frightened but am doing what needs to be done. Now, Leave."
   "This is not over."
   "Maybe not but go and don't come back."
   For the last time in Jenny's lifetime, Sara disappeared. When she was gone, Jenny sighed deeply and said to herself, in a shaky voice, "Happy Halloween."
   That was the last I saw of her. Life was calm after that, and my peace of mind was greater than it ever been since our first meeting all those many years ago.
   
   EPILOGUE
   
Jenny died at age 86, peacefully in bed. But, Sara was resentful and vindictive. In the coming years, there was an unusual amount of mental illness and physical infirmity in Jenny's descendants, until one of her great-grandchildren wrote a bestselling book detailing her experiences with the demon Sara, another member of Jenny's family to defeat her and making Sara well known to readers around the world, plus the relatively new settlement on the moon. It was only then that Sara left Jenny's family alone, never to bother any of them again.