All Walks of Life

Authors Note: This is a sneak peek of an unedited version of this story. The remaining portions are still in the works. Posting this is strictly for feedback and editing purposes. The final version of the story may differ from what is provided here.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

The door shook from the blow before the entire frame cracked and it came down. She sat tucked in the corner of the room, her entire body trembling in fear. There was an ache spreading and pulsating down the side of her head. Heat radiated from around her ear as she cupped it gently with her hand. Tears were streaming down her bright red face, and she used her shirt sleeve to wipe her running nose. Her breathing hitched as she saw the stains left on her sleeve, little speckles of blood from her nose. She kept her legs tucked as close to her chest as possible and continued to sob as footsteps approached.

Squeezing her eyes shut she braced for the next blow when instead he spoke, “I don’t know why you make me do this, Sarah.” As soon as he was close enough, he crouched down next to her, “I have given you everything, without me you would be nothing,” he continued. She kept her face turned away from him, trying to avoid his icy blue eyes that bore into her. They were a constant reminder that her life was no longer hers.

Her whole body quivered, and she felt trapped in the corner of the room with no way to escape, and no way of knowing what would come next. His body was tense as he remained crouched next to her. It was like a predator watching its prey, waiting for the right moment to pounce. He was perched there, waiting for her to say something or make the wrong move. His eyes pierced her skin penetrating all the way to her heart. She continued to sob as the ache in her chest expanded and she silently wished for it all to end. There was no escaping him.

“Get up,” he demanded, then more kindly said, “please. I love you, Sarah. More than anything.” His hand gently took Sarah’s chin and gently brought her face closer to his, “I won’t hurt you again.”

Sarah shook her head, “you will though.” Her voice was a faint whisper, but still loud enough for him to hear.

A fire was ignited in his eyes when the words slipped from her mouth. “What did you just say?” He hissed.

Sarah’s voice grew in volume and strength as she slowly uncurled herself, “you will continue to hurt me, that is all you do,” She hissed back as she lunged forward knocking him back. He toppled onto the floor and in a swift movement she scrambled to her feet and rushed toward the doorway. It was the only way out. In less than a few seconds, he regained his balance and made it to his feet. Before she could make it out the door, he had her by the hair and was pulling her back into the room. Sarah flailed and screamed in pain, fighting with every bit of strength she had left to get away. He used his grip on her dark locks to swing her around and onto the floor. Her body hit the floor with a thud.

Sarah jolted upright in her seat, the side of her head aching from being pressed against the window. As the bus drove into the early morning other passengers started to wake up and squirm around. Gradually a small murmur of voices rose on the bus as it came to life. Sarah stayed slouched in her seat staring out the window and watching trees and other vehicles pass by on the highway. Her face was hot and a bit swollen, with every blink a sharp pain lingered from her brow bone down her jaw. Her hands were as cold as ice, and she placed them against her face to provide short term relief. The smell of stale sweat with a faint hint of cigarettes lingered in the air, making her nose itch.

A larger man sat in the seat next to her, his chin rested on his chest, and he snored loudly, unbothered by the other waking passengers. Perspiration glistened across his forehead and there was a stain from a leftover snack on his shirt. Sarah shifted closer to the window and snuggled deeper into her seat. The bus gently teetered side to side as it pulled off an exit and turned onto a busy side street. The bus station had now come into view and within seconds the bus erupted with noise. All the other passengers were now anxious to get off the bus and stretch their legs. Many started stuffing their smaller belongings back into the bags on their laps.

As the bus pulled into the station chaos broke out. Antsy people stood up and some pushed their way out to the aisle before the bus was able to park, trying their best to be the first off. Some people began to snap at each other, “watch your arms, will you?” Then another person, “Don’t push.”

The bus made a full stop at the station, Sarah stood up and slung her backpack over her shoulder, and pulled her hood up. Next to her the man still sat sound asleep. She nudged him a bit, “hey buddy,” she said.

His head rolled to the other side, and he continued snoring. Sarah groaned and rolled her eyes feeling just as anxious to get off the crowded bus. From the front of the bus, she could see heads gradually disappear as people made their way off. Some were huffing and puffing as they were pushed or had others cut in front of them. Growing impatient as she watched the line off the bus gradually get smaller, Sarah kicked the foot of the guy and his head shot up. He looked around in a daze at the emptying bus.

“Oh, sorry,” he said, “bit of a heavy sleeper.” Using the back of his hand he wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth.

Sarah didn’t bother to respond. She kept her eyes down and motioned toward the aisle, signaling for the man to get up. He grabbed his few belongings and stood up, pushing his way into the aisle. Sarah cut in front of one of the last few people on the bus and made her way into the crowd gathering outside. Families were together waiting for their luggage, some returning from and others beginning their vacation. She passed by one family and a little girl made eye contact with her. The little girl was no more than three years old with golden locks sprouting from her head. Sarah smiled at her and lightly waved. Instead of smiling back the girl continued to stare blankly until she turned and tugged on her mother’s shirt and pointed in Sarah’s direction.

The mother was tall and thin, she wore a loose white blouse with loose fitted high wasted jeans. Her sun hat was almost twice the size of her head. At first, she shooed her daughter’s hand away as she spoke to another person within their group. After a few more tugs she turned to her daughter, her eyes followed the direction of the small girl’s finger. When the mother’s sunglass covered glance fell on Sarah her demeanor changed. Sarah pulled her hood closer to her face and turned away just as the mother was kneeling next to the girl and saying something Sarah couldn’t make out. Part of her hoped she was whispering about it being rude to point and stare at others. In the distance was a strip of buildings lining each side of the street. People crowded the sidewalks and in front of one building was picnic tables equipped with large red umbrellas. Sarah thought it may have been a restaurant because of the tables and decided to head toward that area. A handful of people from the bus started walking in the same direction. There was one face that stuck out from the crowd and caused Sarah to do a double take. Impossible, she thought.

It was a busy street at the end of the road to the bus station. Traffic was going every which way; cars honked their horns at other drivers for their lack of attention to the road. She kept walking toward the strip of buildings until they were in view enough where the signs hanging from them could be seen. There were still a few groups of people following behind her from the bus station. Sarah kept occasionally glancing back and searching through the groups for proof that she truly saw him in the crowd. Instead of continuing straight ahead toward the restaurant she turned onto the street and waited for the few crowds of people to pass by. Her eyes scanned each passerby as they made their way toward the restaurant. When the last passerby made their way across the street Sarah let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. He wasn’t there. Relief washed over her, but it was short lived. As Sarah stood there on the corner, she couldn’t help but feel her eyes weren’t playing tricks; she had to have seen him. She watched as all the people from the bus station found seats at the picnic tables, and quickly decided it wasn’t safe. She had scanned every person that walked by and knew she didn’t see him. It was still hard to shake the feeling that maybe she hadn’t noticed him. She looked down the street at the rows of shops and restaurants that lined the street.

A green road sign read Main Street and Sarah decided to continue down the main strip until she found a place to stop and eat. Small alleyways with dumpsters piled high with trash were in between every third shop and some people were gathered smoking cigarettes. Sarah kept her head down as she weaved through the sidewalk navigating through crowds of people. The pain and heat radiating from her face were a constant reminder of her appearance; beaten and bruised on one side. It was enough to draw unwanted attention from strangers. After ten minutes of walking the street broke off in two different directions. A traffic light switched to green, and traffic began moving in the various directions. People stood on either side of the street waiting for their turn to go. Sarah waited on the corner as she looked in the different directions, wondering which way to go. Her stomach gurgled as she stood there, she winced from a sharp hunger pain.

The signal changed and foot traffic began making its way across the street. Sarah stood there watching as she contemplated which way to go. Someone pushing their way through the crowd stuck out to her. She watched closely for a moment to see what the rush was. When his face came into view, she felt herself go cold. Panic began to rise from deep within her, it was the same face from the bus station. There was no doubt in her mind she saw him. Without further hesitation, Sarah took off running. The direction she headed was all downhill. Her feet pounded the cement as she ran, and dodge broken pieces of sidewalk that threatened to slow her down. She kept glancing back to see if anyone was following her but was unable to turn far enough to see. A plaza stood at the bottom of the hill its parking lot full. Picking up her pace, Sarah barreled into the parking lot of the plaza into oncoming traffic. Cars honked at her and slammed on their breaks, some of the drivers even threatened to get out of the car because of her stupidity.

Her pace slowed as she approached one of the doors of the plaza. She took the time to turn around and search the parking lot for that familiar face. When she was sure he wasn’t there, she let out a sigh and started to laugh hysterically. People going in and coming out of the doors behind her stared at her as she fell into a fit of laughter. Sarah was aware of the eyes on her, and she thought about the stares she must have received when bolting down the street and away from an unseen follower. Her laughter continued until she stumbled backward over the curb and landed in front of a full cart.

“Watch where you’re going will you?” A woman on the other side of it snapped.

“Sorry,” Sarah said panting and trying to catch her breath from the running and the laughing. The woman’s cart was piled high with grocery bags as she passed further by a delicious scent caught Sarah’s attention. In the front of the cart was a bag with a rotisserie chicken inside. Her stomach gurgled and her mouth watered as she thought about how delicious the chicken would be. Behind her the plaza stood tall the bottom of the building a burnt orange and the top a cream color. Bright red letters were spread across the top of the building and read The Market. Sarah turned and did one more scan of the parking lot before going inside. The fluorescent lights reflected off the white tile floor and hurt her eyes. A line was formed at every register and cashiers worked quickly to scan and bag items. All the noise seemed to come in waves between the voices of the shoppers and the beep of the registers. Sarah adjusted her backpack and pulled at the strings of her sweatshirt tightening the hood around her face enough to hide most of the bruising.

As she passed people in the aisles, she kept her head down trying to avoid eye contact with others and drawing attention to herself. The store was busy for an early Wednesday morning. There were moms with small children wandering down aisles and filling their carts with their typical items, bread, milk, butter, and eggs. Elderly couples were trying to get their shopping done so they didn’t have to come back out for the evening or weekend rush. There were some premade sandwiches in the deli section. It was hard to pick just one between the variety of meat and bread types. Sarah grabbed a turkey and cheese and some salt and vinegar chips from a side panel. The feeling in her stomach was a mixture of hunger and uneasiness. She couldn’t shake the feeling that what she had seen was real, and she was potentially in danger. The swelling and pain on the side of her face were becoming noticeable again so she wandered into the frozen section.

With limited options, Sarah settled for a frozen bag of peas and headed toward the front of the store again. There were multiple registers open, and a small line left at each one. A group of young girls stood in front of Sarah. Each one of them dressed similarly in their shorts with their tanned midriff showing under their crop tops. All three of them had their hair braided and sunglasses resting on the top of their head. One of the girls glanced back at Sarah and caught sight of the mess on her face. She quickly turned toward the other girls and began whispering to them. Seconds later the other two girls glanced back at Sarah, their eyes grew wide. The three of them all faced away from Sarah, still whispering but no longer glancing back. Sarah wondered if they had noticed she had seen them look at her and knew they were whispering about her.

An older couple stood behind Sarah discussing the weather, “I told you it was a good thing we got here when we did, look outside,” the woman said, “it’s already getting dark out there.”

“A little rain isn’t going to hurt you, Suzanne.” The man said.

Large windows were along the front of the store, and the entire parking lot could be seen from where she stood in line. The sky had darkened noticeably since she had stepped off the bus and made her way through town. Small drops of rain were starting to streak the windows. As the three girls checked out Sarah grabbed a soda from one of the coolers. She noticed as the three girls took their few bags of items; they glanced back one last time while whispering among themselves. As she placed her items on the belt Sarah smiled and waved lightly at the girls. Their eyes widened as they scurried away, embarrassed from being caught.

“Hi, how are you today?” The cashier forced a high-pitched chipper voice. She glanced up just enough for the cashier to notice her face. A slight gasp escaped her mouth and Sarah felt her cheeks get hot. “Your total is nine seventy-five.” Without looking up, she handed the cashier a twenty. The cashier placed the change on the counter and handed the bag to Sarah, “Have a great day!” She said in the same forced voice, only this time it shook with the sound of nerves mixed with concern.

“Thanks.” Sarah said quickly taking her bag and heading toward the door, "shit," She muttered, as she stepped out onto the half damp sidewalk. The rain slapped against the pavement. People were running across the parking lot as fast as they could to get out of the pouring rain.

Sarah crouched in a corner where there was enough overhang on the building to keep her dry. She tucked the backpack underneath her as a cushion. As she tore into the items she was overcome with hunger. Her jaw began to ache horribly from her ravenous chewing. She ran a cool hand down the side of her swollen face and could feel heat radiating off it. People leaving the store were slowing their pace as they noticed Sarah sitting in the corner. The cashier must’ve been talking about the girl she saw with the beaten face. From the nerves and concern that could be heard in her voice, Sarah figured the cashier felt she should get her help but at the same time wasn’t sure what kind. By telling the people in the store there was a chance one of them would call someone, or stop and talk to Sarah, or even tell the cashier how she could help. No one showed up to help, no one stopped to talk to her, and the cashier didn’t even step outside.

She dropped her hood and the cool air hit her face. It provided a brief moment of relief, and as she sat the cool air made the ache and the warmth feel more noticeable. Sarah continued to eat her items through the pain. The sound of tires on wet pavement was intermittent with the sound of her chewing. The pain from chewing became unbearable and Sarah pulled out the bag of frozen peas. She placed the other items back in the bag and rested the peas against the side of her face. The frozen item numbed the pain and reduced the swelling. People’s eyes fell on her as they passed by, and their whispers were just as noticeable as their stares. Sarah focused on the feeling of the thawing peas dampening her hand and the bag gradually going limp. It helped ease the anxiety of everyone staring and whispering.

“Well, I sure hope the other guy is in worse shape than you are dear.” An older woman stepped out from behind a cart piled high with items. She was a small stout woman with a round face and dark downturned eyes. Some stray hairs fell messily around her face and the rest was pulled tightly into a long dark braid down her back. Sarah began to put the peas back in the bag when the woman limped toward her and held out her hand. They were small and decorated with wrinkles, scars, and callouses. They looked like they had been through many years of hard work and trauma. Rather than reaching for her hand, Sarah pulled her hood back up and pushed her hands into her pockets.

“Name’s Mary Lou.” She dropped her hand. Mary Lou stood there with her eyes on Sarah not moving. Sarah sat still for a short period staring ahead into the parking lot waiting for Mary Lou to walk away. When she didn’t, Sarah turned and gave Mary Lou a quick look over. Her expression must’ve been slightly offensive because Mary Lou pursed her lips and turned away from Sarah, "Well, sorry to have bothered you during your lunch.” Retrieving her cart, she began trekking across the damp parking lot leaving Sarah in her silence.

Mary Lou weaved her cart in between vehicles and around puddles. Sarah watched Mary Lou as she continued three rows down. There was a loud ding from her backpack and Sarah pulled it out from beneath her. Pulling out a hand sized rectangular track phone from the side pocket Sarah clicked the middle button on the keypad. The screen lit up and flashed the low battery symbol. Damn it, Sarah thought. She looked back across the parking lot and could see Mary Lou had reached her vehicle and was now loading it with the bags from her cart. Sarah pulled an envelope out from inside her backpack. There was a small wad of cash inside. She flipped through the pile of cash quickly. Shit, she thought, not enough. There wasn’t enough money for another bus ticket, and certainly not enough money for a hotel room. Sarah tried to fight off tears as she wondered what to do next.

Mary Lou could still be seen loading her car. A crazy idea came to Sarah, and she quickly shoved the bag of items into her backpack and slung it over her shoulder. She trudged across the wet parking lot weaving between parked cars. As she approached the vehicle, Mary Lou remained focused on the task of piling her rather large number of groceries into the back of her sedan.

"Is there something I can do for you, dear?" Mary Lou asked unamused.

Sarah hesitated as she looked back toward The Market. For a moment she wondered if it would be a better idea to go inside the store and call her parents for help. She knew she couldn’t make her parents aware of where she was and going home wasn’t an option. "Do you happen,” Sarah stammered still looking toward the store, “to have a phone I could use?"

Mary Lou looked Sarah over, clearly noticing the marks on her face. “Are you here with someone? You’re watching that store entrance like a hawk.” She said with concern.

Sarah quickly turned toward Mary Lou, “No,” she said, “I’m alone. But I really need a phone, mines almost dead.”

Mary Lou looked at her questioningly, then went back to piling her groceries into the car. Sarah began helping her, taking a couple bags at a time, and placing them in the trunk. Mary Lou gave her a side glance and said, “It’s a landline.”

Sarah sighed, unsure of if she should take the opportunity to leave with this woman to use her phone. The worst-case scenario would be Mary Lou, though older in age based on her appearance, was some sort of sadistic killer luring Sarah to her home to murder her. A couple people passed by the two women heading toward The Market, Sarah considered stopping them to see if they had a cell phone she could use. Her encounters with other people in the area hadn’t been the friendliest or the most welcoming and she was concerned someone would call for help due to her appearance, "Could I use it?" She asked.

Mary Lou tossed the remaining bags into her trunk and nodded, "I live maybe twenty minutes from here. Hop in."

Sarah slid into the passenger seat. She watched from the side mirror as Mary Lou returned her cart to the nearest receptacle. Her leg jiggled anxiously as she thought more about the decision she was making. There was something strangely comforting about Mary Lou’s demeanor, in a caring grandmother sort of way. It may have been her willingness to approach Sarah and offer her help or it could’ve been the fact Sarah was in a position where she had no other choice but to trust this woman. Mary Lou slid into the driver’s seat and Sarah was able to get a better look at her. Her skin was sun kissed and speckled, there were a few white hairs framing her face. Mary Lou looked at Sarah sympathetically before starting the vehicle, "You got a name sweetheart?"

"It's, uh," Sarah hesitated, "it's Jane," she said. Sarah was still struggling with the uncertainty of her circumstances, there was no way of telling if she was safe with Mary Lou. She was acting upon her gut instinct, and her gut told her this woman was going to help her. There was still the unknown of what awaited her at the end of the car ride, and the less information she provided the more in control she felt. Tucked away inside her backpack was her license which would provide identification if her gut had misled her and something awful were to happen.

The hesitation had caught Mary Lou’s attention and she side-eyed Sarah, “Okay, Jane.” Sarah’s heart sank to her stomach. She knew Mary Lou didn’t believe Jane was her real name and had caught on to her lie based on her hesitation. There was an overwhelming feeling of unease spreading through her. Sarah started to wonder if her lie would cost her. She tried to suppress those thoughts as she watched the world passing by in the window.

Mary Lou didn’t question her further, she just hummed to the faint sound of the radio, and her fingers tapped the steering wheel. They drove up the hill Sarah had sprinted down and into town. Sarah was in awe of the large brick buildings, with their mom-and-pop shops inside. The sidewalks were filled with people walking side by side and chatting. Patios of restaurants had filled every single table with hungry customers. Sarah had cracked her window and could smell a sweet smokey aroma coming from the restaurants. They turned onto the next street and the town disappeared into the background. Endless amounts of trees and distant mountain ranges became the new scenery. Sarah sat with her head rested against the seat watching out the window and listening to the faint sound of the radio. Her eyelids became heavy, and she started to doze off. Mary Lou turned onto a dirt road jostling the car gently and waking Sarah. Her heart dropped to her stomach when she saw they were headed down a narrow dirt road surrounded by trees. She was starting to second guess her choices.

“This looks like a place to bring victims and later bury them.” Sarah said jokingly while trying to hide the anxiousness she was feeling.

Mary Lou chuckled, "I'm too old to be doing crazy stuff like that. It’s meant to be more like a safe haven."

After multiple twists and turns, the narrow-wooded road opened into a large field with a house near the center. It was a grand white farmhouse with large wooden pillars that held up a black shingled roof that covered a farmer's porch wrapping around to the back of the house. Black shudders framed the large windows, and a porch swing was decorated with small light blue cushions. Sarah looked in awe taking in the view of the house and the surrounding fields that were met by woods along the edge. The house looked inviting, and Sarah thought about what life would be like if she owned a home like this one. Even on a gloomy day like that one it would brighten her day pulling up to a beautiful home she could call her own, one that could be, as Mary Lou put it, her safe haven.

She was mesmerized by the beauty of the home she hadn’t noticed Mary Lou get out of the car until she pulled open the passenger door. "If you're looking to use my phone, sure hope you plan on helping me bring some of this stuff inside."

Sarah slid out of the car and slipped her backpack on. Mary Lou handed multiple bags to her before loading herself up and leading Sarah into the house. Inside was just as beautiful and homey as the outside. Sarah stepped into a foyer that was lit by a sky light, the dull light of the day managed to reflect off the crystals that decorated the chandelier hanging from the ceiling. A staircase sat in the middle of two hallways, the wooden steps and floors shined as if they were freshly polished. Slowly, Sarah followed behind Mary Lou down the hallway. There was patterned furniture; rustic-style tables and accents around one of the rooms; built-in bookshelves were stacked with books. The hallway led to a kitchen with gray walls and a beautiful shade of blue on the cabinets. Bar stools lined one side of the island, and a large table sat off the side of the kitchen in front of French doors leading into the backyard. Sarah placed the shopping bags on the granite counter next to Mary Lou's.

Mary Lou pointed back to the hallway, "You just passed it when you walked in, the phone is on the wall."

Without waiting for a response Mary Lou got to work separating and putting the items in their rightful homes. While still looking around at the items hung on the walls and the furniture that decorated the house, Sarah slowly made her way back down the hallway. On the wall was a gray phone resting on its jack with a long twisty cord hanging below it. She chuckled trying to remember the last time she saw a phone like this one and wondered how many people still owned one. Sarah pulled the phone from the wall and started dialing number that was all too familiar. Please don't answer, please don't answer, she thought to herself as the line rang. There was too much to say and she wasn’t sure how to say it. From where she stood Sarah could see out the front door into the driveway and when she turned around, she could see Mary Lou still avidly at work putting away her groceries.

Sarah’s attention was drawn back to the phone as it stopped ringing, "You've reached the Miller's, we can't come to the phone right now. Leave your name and number, and we'll get back to you!" The voices were followed by a loud beep.

She smiled and sighed with relief at the sound of her parent's voices, "Hey mom, and dad. It's Sarah, I uh, I just wanted to give you a quick call. Listen, if you haven’t already talked to him, please don’t listen to anything Brian tells you. I know that may be hard for you two since it’s been a long time since you have trusted me. I’m just asking that you guys trust me this one time. I’m safe but can’t provide you any further details at this time. It's also best that you don't call this number back," Sarah glanced back toward the kitchen as Mary Lou had slowed her pace. Her ears seemed to perk up as if she were trying to hear what Sarah was saying. Cupping the bottom of the phone with her hand she continued, "I will explain everything to you, I just need some time. I love you both, I'll call again. I promise." As she hung the phone back on its jack tears had begun to form in her eyes. She wiped them with her sleeve and winced in pain from the pressure on her bruised and swollen eye.

Sarah looked back toward the kitchen. Mary Lou had picked up the pace again putting away her groceries. She stood in front of the phone a little longer trying to compose herself but struggled to contain the tears. “I’m just going to make sure we got all of the bags from the car,” Sarah called to Mary Lou as she headed for the front porch.

The screen door swung open with a creak and slammed shut behind her. The sky was gray, and the smell of rain lingered in the air. Sarah took a seat on the front steps and dropped her hood. The rain had cooled the summer air just enough to make the heat bearable. She wrapped her arms around her legs and the heaviness in the air became too much. The tears streamed down her face soaking her cheeks. She thought about what her parents would think when they listened to her voicemail. Brian had no doubt talked to them by now, trying to figure out if they knew where she was. Sarah figured during that conversation he would fill their head with lies about her, lies they would so easily believe. He probably had them worried sick, and her voicemail was going to add to that.

She thought about what she would say if they did call her back. If she didn’t answer they would have to leave a voicemail on a stranger’s answering machine. If she was there when they called and could answer she didn’t know what she would say. For so long, they sided with Brian. Brian was the man that saved their lost daughter, got her back on track, and had finally given her a good life. They would never believe the torture he put her through, and the fight she had to put up to get away. A dull ache started to form down her jaw and around her eye as the swelling became more noticeable. Searching through her backpack she found the bag of now thawed peas. It lay limp in her hand. Gently she laid it across her lap and as she stared at it, she continued to think about her parents and Brian. She punched the bag once, then twice as she became overcome with anger. Again, and again her fist connected with the bag sending waves of pain through her thighs. The anger was so intense she ignored the pain she was inflicting upon herself in hopes she would eventually feel some relief.

The screen door creaked open and slammed shut, but Sarah didn’t break focus until Mary Lou was by her side. As Mary Lou sat next to her, she gently took Sarah’s arms in her hands and pulled her into an embrace. Tears were flowing harder than before, and Sarah could hardly see through them. She melted into Mary Lou’s embrace feeling strangely comforted by the woman she had just met a couple of hours ago. Mary Lou smelt of hay and sweat, with a hint of maple syrup. It was a strange combination, but it seemed to suit her. They sat on the front step with Mary Lou’s arms wrapped around Sarah as she sobbed. Her whole body quivered in Mary Lou’s embrace. After several minutes Sarah caught her breath and the tears had stopped flowing leaving her cheeks a bright pink color. The swelling around her eye had increased and spread to the other eye.

"You know," Mary Lou said breaking the silence between them, "we come from all walks of life. We all have stories to tell, and secrets to hide. Some are worse than others, but no one should ever feel too ashamed to ask for help when they need it." She released Sarah from her embrace and continued, “Do you want to talk about?” she asked.

Sarah stared off silently. She did want to talk about it, more so, she wanted to scream about it. Part of her wanted to throw things and cause a scene until someone finally heard her and listened. No one ever listens, she thought to herself. She thought back on the previous years of her life. Several years of her life were a blur, lost somewhere in time and space to partying and addiction. There were multiple times she stole from her friends and family, got kicked out of her parent’s house, and was sent away to rehab. It was during recovery that she was introduced to Brian. He was charming and kind at first. There were so many things Sarah was working through, and he was so patient with her as she did it. She met milestones for recovery, got a new job, and was considering going back to school. Slowly, as their relationship developed, he became more controlling. The control became physical, and Sarah left her job and became isolated from the people she cared about. Brian told everyone it was Sarah’s choice to stay home, and they were going to work toward having a family.

Mary Lou sighed using Sarah’s silence as a queue she spoke again, "Look, I won't pretend like I know what it is you're going through or running from. One thing I won't do is ask questions, but if you need to talk, I'm here.”

Sarah turned her gaze to Mary Lou, “Thank you,” she said, “for bringing me into your home and letting me use your phone. You didn’t have to do that.”

A smile spread across Mary Lou’s face, “Darling, it’s what I do.” She motioned toward the house and said, “Do you think I need all those groceries just for myself? No, of course not. My home is a safe house for many people.”

“Safe house?” Sarah looked at her questioningly.

“Yes, a safe house. I open my home to people in need of help. I give them a place to stay, I feed them, and sometimes employ them too. There are strict rules and regulations when they stay, and anyone that cannot follow those rules and regulations is not allowed back on my property.” Mary Lou said in a matter-of-fact tone.

It made sense to Sarah at that moment as to why Mary Lou had approached her at The Market. The noticeable bruising on her face must’ve been a giant red flag to Mary Lou. Her continued kindness towards Sarah was genuine, as well as her willingness to help. Sarah smiled; her gut instinct had steered in the right direction for the first time in a long time. She looked out onto the field; the clouds had begun to part and beams of sun were beating through. Remnants of raindrops on the grass glistened in the light causing the field to sparkle. Everything from the home to the land was beautiful and provided this feeling of safety for Sarah. She understood why Mary Lou had chosen to use this space as a place for people to turn to in their time of need.

“Well,” Mary Lou said as she got to her feet, “is someone coming to pick you up? Or did no one answer when you called?”

Sarah shook her head, “No one is coming.”

“Do you have anywhere to go, or anyone to help you?”

Sara shook her head again.

“Alright then,” Mary Lou said, “come on. Up, up, up.” She motioned for Sarah to get to her feet and follow her into the house. Sarah did exactly that making sure to grab her backpack. She followed Mary Lou back into the house. "As I mentioned before, there are rules and regulations when staying here,” Mary Lou began. “I’m sure you’ve noticed there are no televisions or electronics out anywhere in the home. I keep anything of value locked away.” She led Sarah upstairs, “It's nothing against you, it just happens to be some of the circumstances given what I do here.” Stopping at a closet in the hallway, Mary Lou swung the door open. Inside were piles of neatly folded linens of various colors. Hanging on the inside of the door was a clipboard with a chart attached to it. Sarah looked at it more closely as Mary Lou perused through the variety of linens.

“Is this like an inventory list?” Sarah asked.

“Sure is,” Mary Lou said. “Helps me keep track of all of the items.” She pulled a pile of similar colored items from the closet. “It’s hit or miss usually with how many people come and go from here. Sometimes things go missing, other times I don’t have enough items to help everyone that is here.” She shut the closet door and started down a hallway. They passed by multiple shut doors before Mary Lou stopped at one. Using one hand, Mary Lou balanced the pile of linens and used her free hand to open the door. It slowly swung open revealing a quaint medium sized room. The walls were painted light gray with white paneling coming halfway up the wall. There was a closet to one side and a small dresser pressed against a wall on the other. A full-sized bed was placed neatly in between two large windows.

Mary Lou dropped the linens onto the bed and turned back to Sarah, “The closet and dresser are for you to use,” she pointed to the backpack, “not sure you will need them though.” Sarah walked into the room, her eyes scanning it from one side to the other. “It’s not much,” Mary Lou said, “but it should be comfortable for now.”

“It’s perfect,” Sarah said as she dropped her backpack on the bed.

“There are cameras on and around the property, as well as through the hallways and main living points of the house. The bedrooms and bathrooms are camera free. I don’t allow guests unless it has first been discussed. You may help yourself to any food or drinks, but if you finish anything, I do expect you to leave a note so I can restock those items.” Mary Lou had made her way back toward the hallway and now stood in the middle of the doorway. “If you need anything else, just ask.”

“Thank you, Mary Lou,” Sarah said.

"You are welcome, Jane.” Mary Lou said with a smile. The emphasis on the false name brought a smile to Sarah’s face.

As Mary Lou began to shut the door to the bedroom to give Sarah some time to get acclimated Sarah called to her, “It’s Sarah.”

“What was that?”

“My name,” Sarah said, “it’s not Jane. It’s Sarah.”

Mary Lou’s smile grew wider, “Nice to meet you, Sarah,” she said. “I’ll call you when dinner’s ready.” She shut the bedroom door behind her, and Sarah started fixing the bed. Once the bed was made Sarah lay across the bed. For a moment she lay there staring at the ceiling. She was overcome with an unfamiliar sense of calm. The day’s events had exhausted her, and as she lay there the exhaustion took over. Her eyelids shut and she fell into a peaceful sleep.