Eternal Love

Chapter 1

The rain pinged against the window, running across the steamed glass as city lights flashed by. A steady ache forming in her chest Sarah watched the droplets pool on the window sill. The bus was packed, with standing room only. The older man beside her was nodding off in his seat .

Pitapat, pitapat. Almost like a heartbeat the rain continued to fall. After a moment Sarah pressed her forehead against the glass. Just as began to relax she felt someone tentatively touch her shoulder. Jerking away from the window Sarah looked at the old man who smiled at her gently.

The old man looked at her with concern and asked her a question to which she shook her head, not understanding the language. "Are you feeling unwell?" He said after a moment in broken English.

"No, sir. I am fine. Thank you." Turning back to the window Sarah looked again at her new home. Japan...who would have thought Sarah Rivers would be pushed clear across the globe, an ocean away from her home in America.

Who am I kidding though? I wasn't pushed, I ran away....away from him. Turning once more away from the window she tried to focus on the blinking sign at the front of the bus as whispers tugged at her memory. "Come on Sarah, it's just a little swim. Don't you like me?" He'd said as he drug her into the water and shoved her under the surface.

Nate Bradstone had been her best friend since birth. It had been everything a childhood romance was supposed to be, a long friendship that blossomed into a hesitant confession. It had been long walks through the corn fields at sunset, laughing at nothing, simply basking in one another's presence. Absently she laid her head against the glass, tracing the lines on her hand, wishing she could still feel the warm palm he had pressed against hers, remember the pure love in his blue eyes, instead of the chills she felt now.

Closing her eyes, she sighed. Just once more, to turn back the hands of time and be there again. Just...once...more....

It was raining, but off in the distance the thunderheads were clearing and Sarah could see the sun as it fell behind the mountains that surrounded her home. Leaning backwards over the porch rail she looked up at the sky, letting the fat drops hit her face.

"Sarah, come inside. It's raining."

"One minute. I like it when it rains."

Without warning hands gripped her shoulders, pulling her backwards. Startled she reached out for the railing only to have her hands close on thin air.

"Sarah, come in."

"No! I don't want to!" Tears began to well in her eyes as her heart raced, "I don't want to! Let me go!" Gripping the hands that held her captive she tried to pry them from her shoulders only to find them immobile. Bereft, she felt her legs give out as the hands pulled her further over the edge, when a single hand appeared from the darkness that surrounded them.

Sarah clung to the hand, as a gentle voice surrounded her, chasing away the darkness. The words were unintelligible, but they were soft, quiet. Her heart slowing she closed her eyes. "I don't know what you are saying, but thank you. Thank you." The hand left hers to cup her cheek before the voice came again.

"Wake up!"

Hands once again seized her shoulders as her eyes flew open to stare into the curious faces of the rest of the passengers, more importantly into the flashing red eyes of the young man before her. "This is not the hotel, sleep at home, not on the bus." Another boy spoke and the boy with red eyes looked at him. Brushing his hand off her shoulder she pressed the heel of her hand against her forehead to halt the slow throb that was beginning there.