One and the same

A story of two teenagers that have far more in common than is first realized. Some romance, some horror, an anti-climax and a little twist. Tried to make it an easy read with an interesting story line that keeps you guessing.

 

“One and the Same”

 - by Daniella Karayiannis

 

 

Sarah couldn't help but stare from across the classroom, something about him intrigued her. She wondered if it was the profound scar that burdened his face. One would think so, she thought. The purple infliction ran down from the corner of his left eye diagonally over his lips where it ended just before his jaw line. Yet no, that wasn't it, there was something else about him, something mysterious, something... different.

 

Sarah wasn't one for making friends. Her dark make-up, black nail polish and purple streaks made that somewhat obvious. Her classmates would spread rumours about her performing satanic rituals that involved the sacrifice of cats and pins through dolls during full moon evenings. Sarah herself was amused by the accusations, even though she, personally, found the whole idea complete nonsense all together. Yet she kept up appearances, simply because it meant no-one would bother her at the best of times – she preferred it when people kept their distance.

 

Lunch time came around and Sarah made her way to her usual spot, the Led Zeppelin lyrics she carved into it told her lunch table apart from all the rest, her sanctuary, she told herself. As she sat down, she looked up to see him again, standing pointlessly across from her as if awaiting an invitation. Yet the crooked smile that he held firmly upon his face compelled her to do something that went against everything she stood proudly for...

“Would you like a seat?”

The shock on Sarah's face became immediately apparent once she realized what she had done, and his reply made sure there was no turning back...

“I'd love one, thanks!”

Sarah watched on in horror as the boy eagerly placed his tray down and took a seat across the table.

“I'm Jake.” Sarah mumbled a soft “Hello.”, too embarrassed to look up as she poked at her mashed potatoes.

“Good song.” Jake stated in an attempt to pull her attention away from the cafeteria food that lay in front of her.

“Huh?” Sarah raised her eyes ever so slightly, making sure she was still able to avoid eye contact.

“Stairway to Heaven, by Ned Zeppelin right? Good song, appropriate even.”

“You mean Led.” she mumbled under her breath.

“What was that?” Jake leaned over anxiously awaiting clear repetition.

“Led Zeppelin, not Ned.” she stated with a little more zest this time.

“Really? Wow, you mean I've had it wrong all this time? Guess I can't call them my favourite band any more hey?”

Sarah managed to crack a smile at that one, but quickly removed it once she realized it was there.

“Well, see you around Sarah.” Jake stated as he began climbing out of his seat.

“See ya.” She softly replied.

Yet as he turned his back to leave the hall, Sarah shouted toward him,

“Hold on!”

Interrupting his next step, he turned to look at her.

“Did I give you my name?” She said, clearly unsure and confused.

“Don't worry Sarah; we're one and the same, you and I.” He stated simply before turning his back and heading down the hall once again.

 

No matter how hard she tried she couldn't get those last few moments with Jake at lunch time out of her mind, she was so deep in thought about it that she didn't see Jake stopped outside the hallway just ahead of her on her way out of school, and almost tripped right over him. She stumbled backward.

“S-Sorry, I didn't see you there.” her face burning bright red.

Jake grinned sheepishly, “No worries, want to go for a walk?”

Sarah found it strange that he made so much effort to spend time with her despite her uninviting façade, and decided to use this opportunity to investigate - just research, she told herself.

 

For a while they walked on in complete silence, and then as they passed the news stand Jake noticed the bold headline stating “Tragedy Strikes”.

“Wonder what all the fuss is about?”

Sarah turned her head to read the headline and rolled her eyes in annoyance.

“Don't bother, nothing ever happens in this town that's newsworthy, it's probably someone’s cat that got run over or something pointless like that.” Jake gave a small laugh under his breath as if laughing was not something he was used to.

Now that the ice was broken Sarah decided it may be safe to attempt small talk.

“So, where are you from?”

Jake snickered and slowly moved his head left and right in a shaking motion.

“Everywhere and nowhere I guess.” he turned to Sarah who was obviously confused by the statement and could tell he'd have to elaborate.

“I once lived with my father in a town a couple of miles from here, but I managed to escape not too long ago.”

Sarah, still confused, felt compelled to ask him.

“What do you mean, escape?”

“Escape from my father, him and I, well, we didn't always get along. I had to leave before... well, before it killed me.”

Sarah couldn't understand why Jake seemed to find that somewhat amusing but figured it would be best to move the conversation away from personal matters.

 

They walked and chatted for what seemed like hours, Sarah was thoroughly enjoying the conversation, until eventually she realized she didn't know where they were, nor where they were headed.

“Where are we?”

“Just a couple of steps away from my favourite spot.” Jake clearly eager to get there.

Sarah began to feel reluctant, even though Jake and herself seemed to get along famously, he was still a stranger to her, and the fact that he never gave substantial answers to any questions about him and his past didn't help her nerves.

“There it is!”

She turned to see Jake pointing toward a large protruding rock off the side of the slope beside the road. By now Sarah's nerves were screaming.

“It's getting late, I should go... My mom will be waiting.”

Jake turned around to see her pale and frightened face.

“Sarah, it's okay, we're one and the same, you and I.”

Her nerves would soon transform into anger and lead her to shout out in frustration.

“What does that mean?”

Jake walked up to her slowly until he was close enough to look directly into her the eyes.

“It means, you're fine and nobody's going to hurt you. Now, please, let me show you this. If you like we can leave straight after. Promise!”

Sarah felt strangely reassured. It was his eyes...something about them told her it would be all right. She took his hand and began climbing up the slope toward the rock.

 

Once there, Sarah understood why he found it so special. It felt so... peaceful. You could say it was the view of the sunset rolling behind the hills at that moment, but something told her it was far deeper and more personal than that. They sat for what must've been hours without a single word being said. Sarah found herself leaning against Jake's shoulder, his right arm wrapped around her. Jake broke the silence with a simple wish.

“Let's stay like this forever.”

Sarah didn't know whether to be excited or startled by the arbitrary statement, but decided  not to ruin the moment.

 

Soon after Sarah decided it was time to head home. It was dark after all, and her mother was probably worried sick by now. Jake sighed at the notion but agreed to walk the long dark road back to civilization with her. Sarah was thinking about how the road seemed longer than she had remembered, but figured, she hadn't paid much attention previously and couldn't say for sure. There was something creepy about the dark road that led straight between forestry; the darkness didn't allow seeing much past the trees which left her feeling slightly uneasy.

 

“Not too much further now.” Jake said noticing Sarah's weariness. While walking, the glare of headlights suddenly approached from behind them. They could hear the car's motor slow down until it idled beside them. An elderly woman's voice asked “Would you kids like a ride to the nearest town? It's dark and cold out tonight.”

Sarah eagerly turned her head for a 'Yes please!' but before she could say anything the woman's eyes grew wide and her face bunched up with terror. A blood-curdling scream leapt from her throat followed by the screeching of tyres and the smell of burnt rubber.

Sarah immediately turned to Jake to ask if he knew what the problem was and caught a glimpse of what would spark a similar reaction. Staring directly at them were two glowing eyes  from between the trees.

 

Sarah became hysterical, so much so that Jake couldn't understand what she was trying to tell him. By the time Jake turned around to see what all the fuss was about, the eyes leapt from the trees and began moving rapidly toward them. Another blood-curdling scream could be heard as Sarah stood frozen with fear. As those eyes took their final leap, Sarah covered her face with her hands. She couldn't bear the thought of what might happen next. For a moment, silence...then suddenly cold hands gripped each of her arms; Sarah was kicking and screaming in retaliation until she heard Jake's voice.

“Sarah, it's okay. Sarah!” She stopped for a moment to find Jake holding her tightly, his gentle eyes glaring into hers.

“It's okay, it was just a wildcat. It just wanted to cross the road.”

They both had a good giggle at everyone’s hysteria over a harmless wildcat, but Sarah still insisted they get back to town as soon as humanly possible.

 

Sarah felt relieved once they finally reached their little town and could walk along lit side walks. She couldn't help but notice the street lamps acting very strangely. As they passed each street lamp it would switch off, only to switch on again once behind them.

“Have you noticed the street lamps Jake?”

He simply replied, “You get used to it.”

Another unsatisfactory answer, she thought to herself, but by now she had learned that probing wouldn't get her anywhere and so decided not to bother with this one.

“This is it.” She stated as they stopped at the end of the driveway of Sarah's humble home.

“That's strange, the lights are out… knowing my mom she'd be sitting on the porch with a firm scowl waiting for me. Seems they grew tired of waiting.”

“Or maybe they've nothing to wait for.” He replied half-heartedly.

“Right.” Sarah had the usual look of confusion upon her face.

“Well, thanks and goodnight.” She said with a somewhat sad and disappointed tone.

Jake squeezed her hand tightly, “Goodnight Sarah.”

She turned and started toward the front door but rapidly turned around to ask Jake when she would see him again. She found the road empty.

“Must've been in a hurry.” She whispered to herself. She was sure, if nothing else, she would see him at school the next day, and so she carried on toward the door. She sneaked in quietly, crawled into bed and fell asleep thinking about Jake and how she couldn't wait to see him the next day.

 

She woke up the next morning with the sun shining brightly into her bedroom; she rubbed her eyes to take a look at the small clock sitting beside her bed.

“Oh my gosh! I'm late!”

As she rushed to get her things together she wondered why her alarm hadn't gone off, and if she had forgotten to set it, why hadn't her mother come to check she was awake before leaving for work?

“Must've slept through it all” She told herself while running out of the empty house, but she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Jake standing quietly at the end of her driveway. She couldn't contain her excitement and ran up to him with her arms outstretched.

“Why aren't you in class?” She asked concerned.

“I thought we could skip school today, spend some time together maybe.”

Sarah couldn't help but like the idea and figured skipping one day couldn't do too much damage. The tests were still a month away anyway.

 

So once again they took the long walk to the protruding rock. Sarah didn't mind that the road was long; it meant she could hold Jake's hand for longer.
Once there, they spent some time snuggling in silence.

“I'm glad I found you.” Jake's odd statements again.

“Don't you mean, met me?” Sarah asked.

“No, I didn't mean that at all.” She looked up at him in wonder.

“Sarah, there's something I must tell you. Will you listen?”

“Of course.” She replied clearly concerned.

“Do you remember I told you that my dad and I didn't get along? Well, he would drink you see, and sometimes things would get a little out of control. One night he came home with the smell of alcohol on his breath again and this time I confronted him... he turned his belt on me, the buckle caught my face and that's where I got this scar.”

Sarah sat quietly, a look of compassion on her fair face.

“That night I knew I couldn't bear to be there any longer, I ran as fast as I could and as far as I could until I made it here. This is where my journey ended and began all at the same time.”

Sarah was confused once again, “What do you mean?”

“I was running across the top of the very hill you see behind us, it was dark, I lost my footing and tumbled down the hill, until, hitting this very rock that you and I are sitting on.”

Sarah concerned once again. “But you're okay now right?”

“Not in the physical sense, I wasn't. When I got up again I saw myself lying there, damaged and broken. For a while I couldn't understand it, but then it dawned on me. I was no longer physical, I was now only spirit. “

“You mean... dead?” Sarah asked non-convincingly.

“Yes Sarah.”

“That's not funny Jake” Just then she noticed something cold and wet underneath her palms, she lifted her hands to find crimson fluid seeping between her fingers. She looked up in horror to see blood running from a deep, gushing wound off the side of Jake's head.

Hysteria crept up again, she screamed and got up only to stumble down the slope and run towards town as fast as her legs could take her. She got back to her house and locked the doors behind her. Immediately she climbed the stairs to the bathroom to wash her hands of the blood, but when she placed her palms under the running water... nothing. Still in disbelief, she cupped her hands and threw some water on her face in an attempt to calm her nerves, but as she lifted her head back to glance into the mirror, staring back at her were black empty sockets where eyes should've been. Before she could move she realized that the hideous reflection looking back at her was, in fact, her own. She turned to run out again, but instead found Jake standing directly behind her.

“You don't understand Sarah, you and I are one and the same.”

A strained, scared voice shouted back “What does that mean?”

Jake explained, “Once I realized I was no longer amongst the living, I spent so much time just wandering around, not knowing what to do. I had no-one, Sarah, I spent my whole life alone, without friends and without family – I couldn't bear the idea of spending eternity the same way. That's how I found you.”

Sarah was still not sure “Why me?”

“This is why, Sarah.” He handed her a newspaper article, dated the day before, which read:

 

Tragedy Strikes

 

Tragedy struck our small and humble town yesterday as authorities explained to the Patter family that their only daughter, Sarah Patter, aged 15, was killed crossing the road while returning home from school.

The driver of the vehicle stated that while passing the school a soccer ball had hit his passenger window and distracted him from watching the road ahead, he states that it was within those two seconds that Sarah had allegedly crossed, clearly unaware. The autopsy revealed she died instantly due to a broken spinal column...etc.

 

Sarah couldn't believe what she was reading. How? When? Why couldn't she remember?

“It was too sudden Sarah, you couldn't have known.” Sarah grew angry again.

“No! I don't believe you; you're trying to trick me! I don't believe you!”

She pushed him out of her way and made her way out of the house and into the centre of town. She tried to get someone's attention, but no-one seemed to notice her.

“This is a bad dream, a nightmare!”

“Wake up Sarah” She chanted to herself as she placed her head between her knees and leaned against the traffic light of the nearest street corner. She opened her eyes again and next her read today's headline, “Tragedy Strikes Again” She picked up the newspaper to read:

 

Tragedy Strikes Again

 

Just one day ago we brought you the tragic news of Sarah Patter's death. Today, more tragedy. A shocking discovery was made by a local farmer yesterday who had allegedly been taking his dogs out for their weekly walk. Just three and half miles out on the main road, the man and his three Alsatians discovered the body of a young boy behind a large rock that stood off the side of the road. Authorities have no identification for the boy although the autopsy revealed he was most likely to have died one week ago from severe head trauma. Police are looking for anyone that may have information about the young man and state that the only feature that could be identified was a deep cut that ran across his face... etc

 

Sarah looked up, and finally she knew that what Jake told her was true. She stood up slowly to find Jake standing beside her. He looked at her in the same way that had comforted her before and embraced her tightly.

“At least we have each other” he spoke gently.

She replied softly “We are one and the same, you and I.”

 

End

 

Author's Note

Your input is welcome. Should you wish to critisize, please do so constructively.