Only Sarah is privy to the truth that while others believe the devil has been vanquished, she alone bears the burden of knowing it has seamlessly slipped into a new vessel, ready to wreak havoc once more.
Sarah carries a burden so heavy that not ev...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Our darkest secrets remain hidden inside our hearts, filling them with darkness. It never allows it to glow, and in the end, blinds it for a lifetime. Even if we try to pull that darkness away, the traces of it remain.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
As the car stopped at the red traffic signal, the same feeling of anxiety and desperation started creeping slowly into Sarah's mind.
"How much time, Ali?" She asked in her shaky voice to her driver.
"It's still 90 seconds, mam," he replied, looking at her pale face through the mirror and almost regretting not calling Ayaan when he still had time. Now, Sarah was around, and he couldn't call Ayaan in front of her. That's what Ayaan had strictly asked him not to do apart from not getting caught while keeping an eye on where she went.
Sarah tried to hold herself together but was unable to handle her state of mind. The sounds of horns started piercing through her eardrums. She couldn't listen to all that noise discretely, and it was difficult for her to concentrate on anything else. And then she could hear that voice again, this time more precisely.
Her throat started drying up, and her temple and hands were covered in sweat. It felt like the voice was reaching directly into her brain and controlling her nerves.
Sarah stepped out of her car and ran through the traffic, not knowing where she was headed. She heard the faint voice of Ali from behind, but the signal went green, and the vehicles rushed in between from all sides. The horns and curses flew her way as she stumbled and bumped through vehicles while crossing to the other side of the road.
***
Ayaan was working on his new story when his mind captured the pieces of memories he had forgotten. In all those personal problems, he forgot about Alexandra. He had forgotten about his best friend and the only other person apart from Fred who truly cared for him.
He remembered how many times she saved him from Mr. Ayer's scolding (their mathematics teacher) back in the first year of High school for not doing his assignments. He felt the same helplessness and needed her help once again. He was stuck again with the most important assignment of his life and was unable to help himself.
He looked at the watch and the hairs on the back of his neck prickled. It was late enough, and he almost forgot about Sarah.
Why didn't she call? She should have been back by now. As the thoughts started surfacing, he decided to call Ali. But before he could, the doorbell rang, and he rushed downstairs in desperation.
He opened the door to find a frightened and anxious-looking Ali in front of him. The look on Ali's face terrified the hell out of him. Deep down- he wished everything would be fine.
"I tried to stop Mam, but she didn't." Ali struggled to speak clearly, but the panicked breaths made him sound confused.
"Where is Sarah?" Ayaan asked, looking straight into his eyes. There was fear in them.
"I don't know where she went." He said. "I looked for her everywhere but couldn't find her. I'm so sorry, Sir."
Ayaan didn't know what to ask or do next. His heart sank with the thought of her hurting herself again. And this time, it was more than that.
"You had one fucking job," he snatched the car keys from Ali and left at once, not knowing where he would search her.
***
Sarah didn't know how far she had come or where she was. All she could feel was the silence of the deserted road and the cold of the night. She could still hear the same voice following her and had come that far with her.
"Sarah!"
The hair at the back of her neck rose, and she touched her wet forehead with her palm. Drops of sweat fell from the side of her eyes, along with the tears of helpless fear.
"It's not him, idiot," she whispered as the voice inside her head screamed.
"I know you can hear me." The voice came again, and this time it was inside her head.
"No, I can't. I don't want to." She closed her ears with both hands and sat on her knees. Her entire body felt numb, and she could feel the pain in her heart. It was the same voice that gave her peace. Now it gave her the feeling that something worse was going to happen. She wanted to run from that voice, but it wouldn't leave her.
It never left her.
The chilling wind blew her hair from the back, and a wave of dark memories made her blood rush violently.
Before she could get over the flashes from her past, it turned into a mix of voices. She could hear different voices, and all of them sounded known. She felt the same old fear.
They would not leave her, she knew. How stupid she was to think they would leave her if she ran away. The fear filled her veins, and her stomach started churning. Pressing her palms over her ears tight enough to block the voices, she fell to the ground. But they didn't stop. They reached her mind and kept torturing her till she couldn't feel herself any longer.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
what are these voices trying to tell Sarah?
i'm back on the schedule and hopefully will be updating on a regular basis. do not give up on me yet, guys. also, this story is not to be viewed with rose colored glasses. so, i hope you're prepared for what's coming next!!
