Sarah Finds a Different Place

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Sarah Kathleen had big blue eyes and long dark hair that hung over 4

her shoulders and far down her back.5


Most of the time there was a happy smile on her face or one just 6

about to be. When she smiled and laughed, her eyes sparkled and her 7

whole body seemed to smile too. She would jump and skip and turn 8

circles as she walked or ran and her hands would flutter like a 9

butterfly’s wings, here, there and everywhere.10


Sarah was not smiling on this day. She was walking, putting one 11

foot slowly in front of the other, head down; her arms quiet at her 12

sides.13


“What’sa matter, Sarah…? Are you okay? You aren’t sick today are you? What’s wrong?”14


“Nuthin…” she said, not looking up.15


Sarah’s little sister, Penny, looked at her and sighed. Something 16

must be wrong, she was thinking, usually they would run or skip, 17

hand in hand to the school bus stop, laughing and giggling all the 18

way.19


“Are you sure nothin’s wrong?” asked Penny again.20


Sarah just kept walking.21


It was a pretty day, the sun was coming up fast; the air was chilly but not cold.22


Sarah had just celebrated her ninth birthday a couple weeks before; 23

she was two years older than her little sister.24


It was Spring; the middle of April, but Sarah didn’t hear the birds 25

singing; didn’t see the orange breasted Robin hurry into the sky as 26

a squirrel ran up the tree, didn’t look at the golden Daffodils or 27

the Morning Glory’s bright in the sunshine.28


When she first woke that morning the house was quiet, no one else 29

was awake yet. She padded across the cold floor to her closet for 30

the Jean skirt she had decided to wear; it wasn’t there. The soiled 31

laundry was still in a plastic ribbed basket next to the washing 32

machine.33


She chose instead a pair of faded blue jeans and a matching blouse 34

and went into the bathroom to brush her hair. As she looked into 35

the mirror she saw a frown on her face and quickly looked away.36


As she went down the hall; her two little brothers, Ben and Tommy, 37

tumbled out of their room fighting over a toy truck.38


“You guys cut it out! Right now!” She tried to keep her voice down. 39

Benjamin was four and Thomas was two.40


“I had it first!” Screamed Ben.41


“Did not; did not! I did!” Shouted Tommy.42


“Keep those kids quiet!” Sarah’s mother called out from her bedroom. “Go fix them some breakfast!”43


“Okay, mom...” Sarah quietly answered. “C’mon you guys, let’s find 44

something to eat.”45


In the kitchen, Sarah’s older brother Nathan was munching on a bowl 46

of cereal. “Nyah, nyah, nyah…!” He teased as she herded the boys 47

into the room. “That’s the last of the good cereal; you have to 48

have the yucky healthy stuff! Hahah!”49


Sarah’s older sister, Elizabeth, stuck her head in the door: “Where 50

are my pink socks? Are they in your room? Have you been wearing my 51

stuff again?”52


“Nobody did the laundry.” Said Sarah. “They’re like probably still 53

dirty, I don’t have them!”54


“Sure! Fine!” hissed Elizabeth. “I gotta have those socks!”55

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Elizabeth was fourteen and thought her little sister Sarah was a 57

copycat twirp; Nathan, twelve, treated her the same way.58


Just yesterday, Sarah’s favorite girlfriend, Molly, had invited a bunch of her friends to a birthday party, but she didn’t ask Sarah. Then Sarah learned that Molly had asked Kevin and he was going.59


Kevin was Sarah’s best boy friend and he rode the same school bus. 60


Sarah did not want to see him.61


When they got on the bus, Penny ran to sit with a friend. Sarah 62

walked slowly to the back of the bus and sat down in an empty seat. 63

She looked out the window but saw nothing; she just did not want to 64

look inside the bus at the others.65


The big yellow bus jerked into motion. “All you kids sit down and be quiet!” Shouted the bus driver. “No talking and no changing seats!”66


Sarah kept looking out the window, not seeing the blossoms on the 67

trees or the mass of yellow flowers in the field alongside the 68

road.69


‘All I do is take care of Benji and Tommy.’ She thought silently. 70

’Penny doesn’t help and Liz and Nathan just pick on me all the 71

time.’ She frowned again and closed her eyes as a bright flash of 72

sunshine swept through the window of the bus. She kept her eyes 73

closed, trying not to hear the whispers of the other children 74

up and down the aisle.75


‘I wish I could go somewhere else.’ She thought. ‘Somewhere really nice with no hassles.’76


The school bus ran over a bump in the road and bounced her almost 77

off the seat. She was startled and her eyes flashed open.78


It was completely dark and quiet; there was no sound at all, even 79

the air was still. Sarah could not see a single thing.80


“Whoa! That’s really weird!” she said out loud.She became 81

frightened as she took a deep breath. 82


She looked in several directions, straining to see into 83

or through the darkness. There was nothing. She wrapped 84

her arms around herself, “Where am I?”85


Sarah jumped and shivered as a calm voice seemed to speak from 86

inside her head. “You are here.”87


“What..?” She gasped. “Who are you?” Where am I?”88


“I am…” Said the voice. “And you are here.”89


Sarah’s eyes were wide open but unseeing and she was shaking. “But 90

where is here? I don’t understand!”91


“Here is where you want it to be.” said the voice.92


“Why is it so d-dark?”93


“Because it is...”94


“Can you make it light?” asked Sarah?95


“Yes.” Answered the voice, softly.96


“Well, do it then! Please.”97


Even as she spoke the words, a soft globe of light appeared before 98

her and grew; larger and larger in all directions. Sarah held her 99

breath as the light passed through her body and kept on expanding.100


It was light now, dim, but in all directions; but there was nothing 101

to see. She looked every which way. 102


Nothing at all...103


She spun around on her heels and looked each way again. Nothing, 104

nothing, nothing….105


“But there is nothing here!” She said, almost in tears.106


“But, there is everything here.” Said the voice.107


“Where…?” She cried out. “Where?”108


There was no answer.109


Sarah sat straight down, crossing her legs as she did; putting her 110

chin in her hands and her elbows on her knees. “Huh? What…?” Her 111

eyes and mouth were wide open.112


When she sat, she sank up to her waist. She looked in amazement and 113

put her hand into the misty, swirling floor; it went down to her 114

elbow. She jerked her arm back. “What is this place” Where am I?” 115

she said again, loudly.116


“This is here.” Said the voice. “And you are here…”117


Sarah sat, or floated, quiet for a long moment.118


‘I know!’ She thought. ‘It’s a dream, I’m having a dream; a really 119

weird dream!’120


She looked all around her again and up and down. Every direction 121

looked a little foggy, or misty, like it was there and wasn’t there 122

at the same time.123


After a moment she stood and began walking in a straight line as 124

much as she could; nothing changed.125


“Why is there nothing here?” she asked out loud.126


The voice in her head answered. “Everything is here.”127


“Where…?”128


“Anywhere… Everywhere....” Came the quiet answer.129


“Do you always answer my questions?” Asked Sarah.130


“Yes, always.”131


“Why am I here?”132


“Because you wished it...”133


“Who are you?”134


“I am you and…something more…”135


Sarah stopped walking and stood thinking. She sat down again on the 136

floor that was not at floor and watched it gather around her waist.137


“Can I go back?”138


“Yes.”139


She looked all around again. “If everything is here, then why can’t 140

I see anything?”141


“Thus far you have only asked for light.” Said the voice.142


“You mean all I have to do is ask?”143


“Yes…but there is more…”144


Sarah smiled with a mischievous grin. “I wanna see grass and 145

flowers and some trees and the sky and the sun and I want to see a 146

big white Unicorn, right here! 147


There! Betcha can’t do all that!”148


She had not completed the breath she took after speaking when she 149

felt and smelled the warm fragrant air of summer. The sky was deep 150

blue and the sun was high and bright. She was sitting in sweet 151

smelling tall seeded grass and birds were calling and swooping and 152

landing in trees all around her.153


“Oh my gosh!” she gasped as she turned to a sound and saw a 154

magnificent white Unicorn pawing the ground with a front hoof, his 155

single twisted horn glistening in the sun. “Oh my goodness gosh 156

almighty!”157


“Wow! He’s beautiful! Everything is beautiful!” She looked all around. “Can I ride him?”158


“If you wish…” Answered the voice.159


“O’boy, O’boy, Oh,boy! Wowsers!” Squealed Sarah as she ran to the 160

Unicorn. As she came close, it lowered to both front knees and 161

shook its head so that the long mane hung down on one side. Sarah 162

grabbed hold of the coarse hair and pulled herself up on his back.163


The large animal raised up on all four’s again as Sarah hung on to 164

the mane, surprised at how far off the ground she was. After a 165

moment, she sat up straight, with her legs hanging down on each 166

side of the broad warm back and said: “Giddyup! Let’s go!”167


The Unicorn did not move.168


Sarah said again: “Giddyup, C’mon, Let’s go!”169


The Unicorn turned his head and fixed one large brown eye upon her. “I must have a name before I can do as you wish.”170


Sarah gasped in amazement. “You can talk?”171


“Without a name, I am just a thing without identity. I need to know 172

who I am to you, so that I may become that to all who see me.” The 173

Unicorn spoke in a deep but comforting voice, different from the 174

voice in her head.175


“This is crazy!” Said Sarah. “Animals don’t talk! How can I talk to an animal?”176


The Unicorn tossed its head and made a snuffling sound and looked 177

back over his shoulder again. “You asked for me even though you 178

know there are no Unicorns in your world. So here I am! But I must 179

have a name before I can do your bidding. It is so!”180


Sarah shook her head back and forth several times. “Am I really 181

here? I mean really? I can’t think...What kind of a name? What name 182

would you like to have?”183


“You must choose.” Said the Unicorn. "The name you give me must 184

match that which you expect me to be. I can not be more or less 185

than that which you name me.”186


“But a name is just a name!” Said Sarah. “You are what you are!”187


“Since you called me forth, I can only be what you think I am.” 188

Said the Unicorn. “Therefore, my name must tell me what I am to be, 189

what you think I am, what you believe me to be.”190


Sarah tilted her head to one side and then back to the other. “You are a boy Unicorn, right? Not a girl?”191


“Yes, that is correct.”192


“Then you must have a strong name!” said Sarah. 193


“I will name you… I will call you, ‘Gallant Heart!’, so 194

that you may be brave and courageous but still caring 195

about others! There!”196


“As you wish, Sarah… I shall, from this day forward, be known as 197

‘Gallant Heart’ and I shall do as you command.”198


Sarah listened and nodded and thought for a moment. “Gallant Heart, are there other Unicorns like you in this place?”199


“There are none but I.”200


Sarah smiled and raised her right arm above the Unicorn’s neck. 201

“Then let there be hundreds of Unicorns! Let them be of all sizes 202

and colors and ages and boys and girls and let them be of great 203

courage and kindness like Gallant Heart!”204


The voice inside Sarah’s head said gently: 205


“It is so.”206


Sarah and Gallant Heart moved slowly through the beautiful valley 207

she had seen in her mind, passing trees and flowering bushes, 208

crossing bubbling clear streams and climbing gently rolling hills 209

of flowing grass.210


“Whoa, Gallant Heart!” she suddenly said. 211


“There are no people here! There should be people! Let there be 212

villages with friendly people and children and dogs and cats and 213

cows and goats and pigs and chickens and farms and barns and all 214

the things that people have to live a good life! I wish it to be!”215


The voice in Sarah’s head spoke quietly again: “It is so.”216


Sarah sat easily on Gallant Hearts back and watched as roads and 217

trails and fences popped into view. Farm houses and barns followed, 218

emerging from a shimmering light that surround her and the Unicorn.219


As Sarah looked in all directions, swinging her head and uttering small squeals of surprise and joy, Gallant Heart turned his head and fixed the same single eye upon her. “Is it as you wished, Sarah?”220


Sarah was surprised that the Unicorn had started a conversation, 221

but she quickly answered. “Oh, yes! It is beautiful! Just like I 222

thought it would be before there were cars and trucks and all the 223

modern stuff.” 224


She looked off to one side. “Let’s go over there!” she pointed down a side road, nudging the Unicorn’s sides with her knees.225


The trail twisted around trees and bushes and rose and fell through 226

low hills as Sarah and Gallant Heart traveled slowly along, looking 227

at each and every thing that came into view. Rabbits and squirrels 228

and deer and birds of all colors and sizes seemed to pause just 229

long enough to be seen and then scurry or flit away. 230


Sarah smiled and smiled and smiled again.231


“Whoa, Gallant Heart, Whoa!” she said suddenly and turned her head this way and that. “I hear something!" 232


"Shhh…There it is again! It sounds like a baby crying! That way! Over there…” Sarah pointed to a narrow side trail.233


They moved slowly around bushes and under low hanging branches, she 234

ducked down low on Gallant Heart's back and pushed branches away as 235

they made their way toward the sound.236


The undergrowth thinned out and opened into a clearing with a 237

single tall, heavily branched tree standing next to a sparkling 238

stream that gurgled and burbled in the silence. At the base of the 239

tree was a woven wicker basket. The sound of an unhappy baby was 240

clearly coming from the basket.241


Sarah slipped down from Gallant Hearts back, and held onto his mane 242

as her feet touched the ground. She ran to the basket and bent over 243

and looked inside. Her hands flew up, fingers wide apart, palms out 244

as she stumbled back a full step and tried to squelch a small 245

scream.246


Inside the woven basket lay a perfectly formed infant about three 247

months of age, mouth open wide crying furiously, kicking and waving 248

its arms wildly back and forth.249


The baby’s eyes were wide open and colored a clear yellow that 250

blended nicely with the unripe banana green colored skin and the 251

sharply pointed green ears.252


Sarah put both hands to her mouth and turned to look at Gallant 253

Heart who just happened to be looking in the opposite direction.254


The baby cried even louder after being startled by Sarah. She 255

hesitated a moment, then kneeled and reached into the basket and 256

took the child into her arms. As she did, a bottle rolled down the 257

side of the basket; Sarah picked it up and pressed the nippled end 258

to the baby’s mouth.259


The infant made a final whimper as the nipple disappeared and both 260

tiny hands rose up to grasp the bottle. Sarah noticed there were 261

only three fingers and a thumb on each hand. It became quiet in the 262

meadow as she held the baby, rocking it slowly back and forth in 263

her arms and cooing softly as the baby nursed and stared up into 264

her blue eyes.265


So quickly that Sarah still had her arms out as if she were holding 266

the child, she was alone again in an empty space with only dim 267

light showing in all directions. Sarah dropped her arms and looked 268

all around her; there was nothing to be seen.269


She blinked her eyes rapidly and then closed her eyes and lowered her head. “It is just a dream. I should wake up now.”270


“It is not a dream, Sarah.” said the voice inside her head.271


“Then what…? I don’t understand?”272


“You have done well. You may return whenever you wish; but for 273

now…you must leave.”274