Gateway To Worlds

• Gayle O'Leary, Grade 9
• Short Story
• 2008

Sarah removed the blue cap from the bottle of water she had purchased and gulped some of it’s contents down. It was now warm but it would have to do for a few days. Her gaze fell on a man; some of his long, dark hair tucked on the inside of the black coat he was wearing.

Sarah almost choked, scrambling to conceal herself as much as possible. Vincent’s crimson eyes seemed to flash from the reflection of the streetlights, making him still recognizable despite the change of clothes. He was looking at something along the streets, left from the alleyway. Sarah began to back away, crawling towards the fence, her head still turned forward to watch him. Unwittingly, her foot came into contact with an empty beer bottle and it fell down with a smash.

Vincent turned sharply in Sarah’s direction whilst the girl remained frozen still, praying the shadows would be dark enough to hide her. The dark stalker began to stride into the passage, getting nearer and nearer. Sarah couldn’t stop herself from her breathing intensely, her heart pounding as if it was going to explode. Very soon it would all be over… “Vincent, I think I’ve found something!” It was the voice of a girl just a few years older than Sarah, Yuffie Kisaragi’s voice. Vincent Valentine turned around to look back into the street, but not before turning with a suspicious look near Sarah. Finally- to the everlasting relief of the 14yr old- the nightmare walked away and faded from eyesight.

Sarah remained in her hiding position for a few moments, breathing deeply to clam her aggressive pulse. She stood up, still watching the street. For how long was uncertain. Even though Yuffie was definitely on Vincent Valentine’s side –hadn’t the things she just said proved she was looking for Sarah aswell? -the young girl couldn’t help thanking the heavens for allowing the ninja-teenager to ever have been born. Sarah took one last look at the street. Then: carefully positioning herself, climbed over the wooden fence [which was only a little smaller than Sarah’s full height] and dropped from the other side, and walked into the private garden.




*

Dreams all came in a flash, some of it too difficult to understand. Memories that were not all her own, things that seemed untrue. Visions of people who looked like her yet she had never seen before. Sounds of children laughing, sounds of people screaming. There was an almost constant image of a woman whose facial features and textures were similar but unfamiliar to her. She had slightly curly –or wavy- flowing hair and it’s colour was bronze, beautiful in sunlight. She could feel the woman’s hand on her elbow, smiling as she smoothed her fingers over the girl’s arm.

Sarah opened her eyes. There was no woman there; let alone her warm, comforting touch. Only the soft caress of the gentle rain that seemed to silently weep from the early, mournful sky. Sarah looked up at the slowly creeping sunlight that peered from amongst the clouds; casting the surroundings in a pale, luminous glow.

It was still slightly dark but clear enough to see. Sarah looked at her arm; the touch she experienced had felt so real. It certainly felt a lot more real than the things that had occurred the night before. How could this be real? How could this be happening to her? “Nothing like this ever happens to me”, Sarah whispered. “Why does this have to happen to me now?”

Sarah got up –despite the stiffness that had set into her spines and shoulders- from the brick wall that she had been leaning against for hours. It was cold, a light breeze accompanied with the lightness of the falling rain. “Who am I kidding? It’s Vincent Valentine I’m running from, I don’t stand a chance!” No Sarah, that’s the exact kind of thinking which will end up getting you killed. Save panicking for another time, at least when you’ve had food and feel reasonable again! The soft sound of Sarah’s conscience echoing in her mind felt reassuring. At least it was enough for now. The teen took a deep breath to calm herself and surveyed the area.

The building that the garden was owned by was apparently a hotel or perhaps a business block that enjoyed leisure. There was a large swimming pool –covered with a pool blanket- with a number of reclining chairs, umbrella shades and European pot plants lining the pathways and walls. But sadly, there was no time to relax.

Sarah picked up her gym bag from the floor and climbed over the low fence once again. The bottled water that she had been drinking had now lost more than half it’s contents and it’s cap was nowhere to be found. Sarah scowled. No food, no drink. Not a good start. Some of the street lamps were still lit, giving some ideas to where the dark streets were headed. Most of the civilians who were travelling somewhere seemed half-asleep. In sleepy old Perth.