The doorbell rings. “God damn it!” I yell in frustration, I would normally yell for Sarah but I haven’t seen her all day or even seen her moving since Monday. I know she won’t get up. I have no idea what’s been up with her but for weeks now she has been locked inside her room, not even coming out for food. The only times I usually see her is for weekly trips to the bathroom right next to her bedroom and late every night when I go to check her pulse and leave her some food for the next day. If I didn’t give her food at night, I know she wouldn’t eat. And if I didn’t see an empty plate every day I wouldn’t know for sure that she is alive. I don’t have a lot of practice at checking her pulse.
I know most moms would freak out at this, but I had my own phases when I was a kid. I’m just waiting for her to come out one of these days and talk to me. But until then, I’ll just wait. I pause my cooking, make sure to turn off the stove so I don’t burn down the house and head to the door. And it was a ding dong ditcher. Even during Christmas this neighborhood is full of punks. Oh well, I head back to my cooking. I miss the days that Sarah would cook with me. I know it actually wasn’t that long ago, but it feels like an eternity since then. We would spend the whole Christmas season making cookies to stock up for Christmas day. But hopefully those days will return soon.
She used to be so full of life, she can’t stay stuck in this rut forever. I’ll just make her some more food like I always do, give her a kiss, tell her I love her. CREAK! Wait, what was that? It sounded like the door opening. I definitely locked it up. I go to check and there it is, wide open just letting the snow in. What the hell? I look back and see that Sarah’s door is still closed. Could she have left without me noticing? No way, but I better check just to be safe.
I walk over to her door, and since I know she won’t respond if I call, I just try and turn the door knob. Wow, it actually opened. That hasn’t happened yet. I quietly open up the door and there she is. I see the outline of her body just laying I bed, and I see her chest slightly rise with each breath. I slowly walk in and give her a kiss on the forehead. She’s really cold, why the hell is her door open? I go close it as quick as I can. That should help. I'll go to the store later tonight though to get her a bigger blanket and some medication in case she’s getting a cold.
The night goes by just like that, I bring her dinner once I finish it and then I head to the mall. I’m driving to the store and I see an abandoned house by the mall that they have been trying to tear down for years. People have claimed that it’s not abandoned and it serves as some kind of historical landmark. Those weirdos are always going in with food and candles. They never say why, but you can just tell that it’s something weird.
As I’m pulling into the mall I see a group of them going in now. And with them is a girl wearing the same hoodie that Sarah always wears. And then she turns around to almost stare me in the face. Holy shit, is that Sarah? I immediately make a u-turn toward the house. Right as they're entering, I get another good look at the girl. That is definitely not Sarah. I am so confused. I swore it was her. I better head home right now though just to be safe.
I manage to get home without getting into a wreck, and inside and go to her door, but it's locked. Normally I would just take that to mean that she’s here and leave it at that, but it's already been a weird enough day. I need to see her. I decide to use the key to her room I usually save just to bring her food. Right now I don’t care if she gets pissed at me. I put the key into the knob and open the door. All the lights are off and the room is still crazy cold. But the window is definitely closed. I’ll have to go tomorrow to get her medicine because there is no way that she is still healthy in this room.
I want to see her. I go up to her side and gently roll her over….wait. This can’t be right. It’s the face of the girl I thought was Sarah. Am I going crazy? I turn around to try and get ahold of myself. I’m starting to lose it. I turn to face the open door to the hall when I see her. There is Sarah…and she’s holding a knife. I slowly turn back around and the girl that was in the bed is still there but she jolts up with the most broken smile I have ever seen. Like a window that’s had several rocks thrown through it. Before I can think Sarah and this new girl both lunge at me and I feel the knife plunge into my shoulder…then my side…then my stomach. With each blow I’m going deeper and deeper into darkness. Why Sarah? What did I do? What can I do? Please just… don’t stay this way…
“I then woke up in a hospital bed under bright florescent lights. My body hurts from the stab wound but I’m not dead. At least I don’t think I am. Then I came to this room and you asked me to tell what happened. Now can I ask you a question?”
A man looks back at me in a dark suit from across the steel table. “Actually, I’m afraid you cannot.” The man then pulls a gun out from under the table and without a second though, pulls the trigger.
The man leaves the room without even glancing at the woman he just ended. He pulls out the notebook he had been documenting the interview in and hands it to the man in a military uniform outside the interview room. “So, another case of the followers?”
“It seems like it.”
