Simply Sarah

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2009-09-19 14:06:37

Last author: Nioniel
Owner: Nioniel

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Simply Sarah

_{The first short story by [Nioniel]}

Sarah imagined that her morning walk through the wooded trails of her small town’s local park would have been more than enjoyable under different circumstances. Lila had unabashedly invited herself along despite Sarah’s subtle suggestions otherwise and Sarah now found herself making mental notes concerning the cons of delicacy and self-restraint. She hoped that Lila was considering the pros of shutting the hell up, though how Lila could do that when she was yammering so rapidly and animatedly was beyond her.
“What?” Sarah asked, her tone a bit too indifferent to escape Lila’s notice.
“Touchy much?" her non-friend mused, "I asked 'why are you still here?' I thought you were moving on?”
“Here?” Sarah answered with mild surprise. “Well, this is where I do my walking, as I’m sure you’ve noticed by this point.” She waved at a wooden mile marker a few feet ahead of them, just off the winding trail they followed. “See, we’ve made it more than halfway now.”
Lila’s laugh was dry and a bit too sardonic for Sarah’s liking. “I meant in this town, silly. Why haven’t you taken the leap, moved on to bigger and better things?”
“I like it here!” defended Sarah, in a slightly more than annoyed tone. “I’m comfortable here; I’ve got everything I need.”
“Everything you want?”
“Sure.”
“Liar.” Lila’s tone was disconcerting and Sarah ran a hand nervously through her long dark hair.
“Why do you care, Lila? Why can’t you ever just let me be?”
Sarah’s legs began to ache, though not as much as her head was going to after this conversation.
“You’re stagnant, Sarah, and therefore unhappy. Why wouldn’t I care?”
“Leave me alone Lila, I don't like you getting inside of my head.”
“As though I’d rather be any other place right now! You’re interesting, you know.” It was a statement, not a question. Sarah merely raised a shapely eyebrow in response.
“Oh yes, Sarah, you are indeed interesting. Look at how you hold yourself together and so alone all the while!”
“Not as alone as I’d like to be,” Sarah said pointedly. “Besides, I’m doing alright here. I’ve got my job, my house, my…house,” she finished lamely.
“Oh, your house! Well, that’s just peachy keen, now isn’t it?! Yes, your tiny shit-hole of an apartment does give you grounds for joy.”
"Sarcastic much, Lila? It’s my home, and I’m proud of it.”
“Oh, no, I understand you earned it, Sarah; you deserve a place like that.”
Sarah bit her tongue to hold back the angry words that waited there.
“Motivate yourself, woman! Look at your life and its accomplishments, or in your case, lack thereof. So you have a place to sleep and bathe between shifts at your crummy job. So what? Do you know why you walk either by yourself, or else with me?”
Sarah shrugged delicately. It was best to let Lila finish her rant without interruptions, excuses or interjections of logic.
“Friends, Sarah,” Lila stressed, “You have none.”
“Well – “ Sarah began.
Lila’s tinkling laugh cut her off. “As though WE were friends? You know better than that, darling. I’m simply along for the ride.”
“The ride to where?”
“To wherever your sorry life leads you, of course. How could I possibly know in which direction you could be headed in next? I merely observe.”
“And critique.”
“Yes, and critique. You have become nothing Sarah, and more than that, you are satisfied with being such. How is this so?”
“Urgh, Lila, I’m not nothing. I’m just confused, sorting things out, taking a timeout from my life for a bit.”
“Darling,” Lila interjected, “timeouts are brief, and this period of your life has been anything but that. You need to figure out who you are, what you want, and how you will achieve those goals which you will so adamantly set for yourself.”
Sarah’s breath left her momentarily as she considered her companion’s words. The walk was nearly ended now, one or two more minutes and Sarah would reach her front door. She began to answer slowly, thoughtfully, “I don’t really know who I am, Lila, but I do know what I want. I want to be happy.”
“Well now, that’s not nearly vague enough an exclamation! You can’t simply leave it at that, Sarah!”
“Too damn bad, that’s all I have right now. And just because I’m not much for the self-analysis thing doesn’t mean I don’t know how to figure out others, to understand who they are.”
“As if that matters, Sarah! Who are you?! That’s the question.”
Sarah shrugged and made her way up the sidewalk that lead to her door.
"I'm me. I’m just…I’m Sarah. And now I’m about to be late for work.”
The smirk in Lila's voice was obvious. “Well then, Ms. Perspective, Ms. Insightful Sarah, who am I?”
Reaching for the doorknob, Sarah hesitated, “you’re Lila.”
“And…? Am I nothing more?”
“You’re a voice in my head.”
Soft scoffing filled her ears as Sarah entered her lonely apartment, closed the door behind her, and determined that she needed to stop going for walks by herself.

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Short Stories...
[Nioniel]

2009-07-24 [sequeena_rae]: Aaah! Why has she got my name?!
Nice :D

2009-07-24 [Nioniel]: :) Thanks!

2009-07-25 [Captain Rachel Black]: (haunts) I will have to come back and read this :)

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