Pamela looked back to the picture of her daughter that she had just pined to the board. She tried hard not to think of the other pictures of missing children that surrounded her daughter. The wall was full of hope, but the wall was also full of loss. Pamela knew that the wall of missing children was not just full of prayers. She knew it was also full of tears.
***
Sarah Guzman could no longer remember what the sun looked like. All she knew now was darkness and cold. Faint light streamed in from under the door and into the room where she was locked. It also streamed in through the keyhole of the door. This small amount of light illuminated the majority of what Sarah’s world had become.
She had lived in this place a very long time. It was her home now. It was also her prison. These words were strange together. It was strange that after a long enough time a prison could become home.
The walls of her prison were stone as too was the floor. The room was cold. In the cold of this place Sarah would often hum. She would hum a song that she had sung with her mother. She would close her eyes and hum the song I’m Just a Little Black Rain Cloud.
Sometimes when she closed her eyes and hummed for a few seconds she could imagine that she was still in her bedroom and that her mother was with her singing to her. In those moments she could imagine nothing in her world had changed. She could imagine that the man who had crept into her room had been a dream. He was a nightmare that never really existed. Sometimes as she sat with her eyes closed she prayed for this. She prayed that she was still in her bed and that all the time that had passed since that night had just been a dream.
However, she knew it was not a dream. The stone at her feet and the chill of the cold tasted too much like reality. She often wondered how different her life would be if she had just listened to her parents. They told her they would pick her up from her friend’s house after school. She told them not to. She told them she was old enough to walk home by herself. She remembered the concerned look on her mother’s face as she agreed to this. Now there was not a day that went by that Sarah did not regret not having listened to her parents.
Sarah had gone to her friend Deborah’s house after school. They had entered a project in the school science fair together and they were very excited about it. They worked on it for a few hours and then Sarah made her way home. Deborah lived only a few blocks away from where Sarah lived.
It was on the walk home that Sarah first saw the bald man. As she was walking home she had the distinctive feeling that she was being watched. She turned to look behind her and she saw a figure. He was standing some distance behind her. He acted casually as he strolled down the street. Though he was bald he looked young. Something about him made Sarah uncomfortable.
Sarah told herself she was being silly. She told herself that there was nothing to worry about. However, when she saw the man she could not help but think of the concern on her mother’s face when she agreed to let Sarah walk home alone.
Sarah pushed the thought from her mind. It was a just a man walking, she told herself. It was nothing more than that. She continued walking however, with each step Sarah could feel the fear inside herself building. She felt it build because as she continued walking the man stayed behind her.
Her mind began screaming that something was not right. She looked behind herself again and it seemed as if the man was getting closer. Suddenly panic overtook Sarah and she began to run.
Sarah knew the neighborhood well. She had lived in it her whole life. She knew where she could hide. She turned a corner by some houses and then turned another corner. There were some bushes on the right side of the house. She knew there was a space in them. It was a space large enough for her to fit in and be unnoticed. She discovered it years ago during games of hide and seek. No one ever found her in this spot. It was her little hidden spot. She quickly ran behind the bush careful not to touch any branches. She did not want their movement to indicate that she had passed this way. She crouched and peered through the branches. The man appeared moments later. He too was running. He stopped and looked at his surroundings.
He was looking for Sarah.
She had a clearer look at the man now. He was very pale. He had a large smile on his face. His eyes frightened Sarah. There was a strange look of excitement in them. They were the eyes of a mad clown. They were the eyes of a fool. She did not know how to define the look beyond that. How could she ever have known what thoughts were behind those eyes? She was naïve. She was a child. Not wanting to admit that she was a child is what had led her to her current circumstances.
The man continued to stand in the spot where he had stopped. His eyes scanned the street. He looked between the houses. He did not see Sarah in her hiding place. Sarah’s heart was pounding in her chest. It was pounding so hard that for a moment she became frightened that the man might hear it. Instead the man turned, and casually began walking away. Sarah stayed where she was and she counted. She counted seconds till she was sure at least ten minutes had passed. It was only then that she emerged from her sanctuary.
She did not see the man again on her walk home. As she moved further away from the event her mind began to wonder if maybe she had overreacted. Perhaps she had misread the situation. Maybe when she ran the man thought something was wrong.
By the time Sarah arrived home she was already second guessing what had occurred. Her mom was in living room when Sarah entered the house. Her mom seemed to sense that Sarah was somewhat apprehensive.
“What's wrong?” her mother asked. Sarah was faced with a decision. It was one decision that upon reflection could have changed everything. Should she tell her mother about the strange man with the wild eyes? Sarah had a moment to contemplate what would happen if she did. Her mother would start to panic. Sarah could already hear her say I told you so. Then what? Would her mother call the police over this man that Sarah was already wondering if she had overreacted in regards to? The worst part was that Sarah knew that if she said anything about what had occurred her mother would surely never let her out of the house again on her own.
With these thoughts on her mind a decision was made. The decision was to lie. She knew she had to give some explanation for the frazzled state of her demeanor.
“I saw a dog,” she told her mother. “I thought for a moment it might chase me but it didn't.”
An angry looked spread across her mother’s face. “Has the Henderson's dog gotten out again?”
Sarah nodded. “Yes. But I saw Mr. Henderson get it. It just startled me for a moment.”
“They need to get better control of that animal,” her mother said. She then looked at her daughter and smiled. “Look at you. You almost look as pale as a sheet. Go get ready for dinner.”
Sarah did as she was told. She then forgot. She was home and there was no safer place in the world. Her father arrived later that night and they all ate dinner together. Her father asked how Sarah’s science fair project was coming. As Sarah excitedly told her parents of her project it was easy to forget about the strange man. It was easy instead to think of the science fair that would be held next Thursday at school. It was easy to think of a future that unbeknownst to Sarah would never be.
The rest of the night was uneventful. Sarah watched her favorite shows on TV as her father sat in his recliner reading a magazine. Her mother busily worked at her quilting. It was a normal night in what was almost an otherwise normal day. However, it would turn into a night that would rip Sarah away from all normalcy and move her life into something that was strange and abnormal. It would move her life to a place that was cold with walls made of stone.
In many ways it all began with the cold. Sarah went to bed and awoke later that night to coldness. She awoke because it was very cold in her room and she didn’t know why. The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was that the bedroom window was open. The night breeze was blowing the curtains.
Sarah had a few moments to wonder why her window was wide open. A moment later everything in her world c
hanged. She realized to her horror that she was not alone in her room. There was someone in the room with her. She instantly recognized the man. Even in the dark she could see his wild eyes.
Those eyes were fixed upon Sarah. She felt a scream building in her throat. However, the man with the wild eyes was fast. He was upon her in an instant. He put his hand over her mouth. She screamed into his palm but no sound escaped. He was close enough to Sarah that now she could discern a horrible smell. It was the smell of one who doesn't bathe.
He picked Sarah up. She was small and he was strong. He was holding her close to him. She could feel his breath on the back of her neck. He began whispering in her ear.
“Shhhh. Shhhhhh. Shhhhh,” he said. There was no sense of urgency in his voice when he said, “shhhhh.” It was almost as if he enjoyed the sound coming out of his mouth. He seemed amused by this moment.
“You're so pretty,” he said. His words were slightly slurred. “Come with me. Come with me.”
Suddenly Sarah was enveloped in her blanket. The man wrapped her tightly in it. The blanket muffled any screams she made as she fought to free herself. She felt a rope tied around the blanket and felt the man put his arms around her. She then felt the sensation of movement. She began to hear noise and she realized she was outside. The noises she was hearing were the noises of the night.
Sarah lost all sense of time. She began to have trouble breathing because of the blanket she was wrapped in. She became frightened that she might suffocate and die. Eventually the movement stopped. Sarah did not know how much time had passed and she had no sense of how far she had traveled. After a few moments she realized that the rope around her blanket was no longer tied as tightly as it once was.
Sarah began to struggle to free herself and eventually the blanket she was wrapped in fell away. For the first time Sarah saw the prison that would become her home.
She was in a small dark room. She saw that the walls and floor were made of stone. Sarah was laying on a cot. In a corner of the room was a sink and toilet with a curtain that partially covered them.
Over the days, weeks, months, and years that would pass Sarah would know every crevice of this dark room. She would know the sounds her knuckles would make if she rapped against the stone walls. She would know the coldness of the floor against her bare feet. She would know the feel of the wood on the door to her prison as she pressed her cheek against it and prayed.
One day shortly after her abduction Sarah woke to find that she was again not alone. She was not sure how long she had been trapped in this place. Time was hard to measure in the dark. In low light from a lantern Sarah woke to find her abductor was in the room. He stared down at her and smiled. He was not alone. There was an old woman in the room with him. She wore thick spectacles and she moved with the aid of a cane. Her skin was wrinkled. She too was smiling.
“You have done well Joshua,” the old woman said in a coarse voice. In that moment Sarah learned the name of the man who had ripped her from her life. Her abductors name was Joshua.
It was the first time that Sarah saw the old woman but it was not the last.
After that night Sarah’s life became more surreal. Food was brought to her. She woke to find a plate near the door. The meal was ham and vegetables. There was also a pastry of some sort. Sarah did not eat for the first few days that she was in this place. The food was removed and then replaced as she slept.
Eventually Sarah could no longer fight her hunger. She stared at the plate by the door and slowly crept towards it. It was a meal composed of turkey with gravy. The smell was intoxicating to Sarah who had not eaten in some time. When she picked up the plate and smelled it she could no longer control herself. She devoured the food. Her body was grateful for the sustenance. After she finished the food she sat back against the door. She began to sob.
There was a strange echo to her sobbing as she sat by the door. Sarah stopped crying and listened. The sobbing continued. She realized that there was someone else crying outside the door.
Sarah got on her knees. She peered through the door’s key hole. She saw a hallway made of stone. There were other doors in this hallway. Sarah realized the sobbing that she still heard was coming from one of these other doors.
“Hello!” Sarah screamed. “Hello, can you hear me?”
The sobbing stopped. After a few moments she heard another voice. “Yes. Yes. I can hear you.” The voice was a girl’s voice. There was a pause for a few moments. Then Sarah heard, “Help…I’m trapped.”
“Me too,” Sarah screamed.
“Hey!” another voice screamed. “Help!”
Another voice was heard. Then another.
Suddenly there was a chorus of voices. “Hello! Hello! Help me!”
All the voices sounded like children. Tears were flowing down Sarah’s cheeks again. However, they were not tears of sadness. They were tears of joy. She was not alone. She was not alone in this place with the old woman and the man with the crazy eyes.
“Help me,” Sarah screamed. “Help me…my name is Sarah.”
After a moment Sarah heard a response. It was from the door across the hall from her. It was a boy.
“My name is Isiah,” the voice said. “I’m locked inside this room.”
“Me too. How long have you been here?”
“I’m not sure. Days…maybe weeks.”
Sarah heard more children announce themselves. Sarah heard other names from this hallway of children. She heard names like Steven, Catalina, and Allison.
Suddenly there was a loud noise like a door being slammed shut. All the children grew quiet. Sarah heard the sound of footsteps.
Through the keyhole Sarah saw Joshua and the old women appear. There was a third person with them this time. He was dressed in a black suit. He was tall and skinny and he had silver hair.
Joshua and the old woman approached the door across from Sarah’s room. The old woman took out a key. She unlocked the door to the room where Sarah had heard the boy named Isiah.
The door opened. Sarah suddenly saw a young black kid run out into the hallway. He pushed past the old woman. However, Joshua was quick. He grabbed the boy and pulled him back towards his room.
“No!” Isiah screamed. “No!” Sarah saw him fight and struggle but Joshua was too strong. He dragged Isiah back into the room. The skinny man stood patiently as Sarah watched. After a few moments his head turned. He stared directly at the keyhole Sarah was watching him through. It was as if he realized he had an audience. He looked at Sarah through the keyhole and smiled. His face was like that of a skeleton’s face. His smile was ghastly and horrific. He then turned back to Isiah’s room and a moment later the three of them disappeared into it. The door was slammed shut.
The sound of the struggle continued. Suddenly there was a gurgling noise. Then there was silence. Silence filled the world. It was a deafening silence. It was a silence that hurt the ears and the soul. The children did not speak again for some period.
Eventually Sarah heard Joshua, and the two others leave Isiah’s room. When they were gone Sarah called out to Isiah.
“Isiah…Isiah…are you there? Can you hear me?”
Sarah did not hear from Isiah for the rest of the day.
This began Sarah’s strange life of darkness and cold. One day Sarah was visited again by Joshua and the old woman. The moment the door opened Sarah too tried to make her escape. Just like Isiah, Sarah fought and she failed.
In Sarah’s room Joshua held her by her arms as the old woman approached Sarah. She had something in her hands. Sarah realized it was a cup. Sarah shook her head.
“No,” she said.
The old woman looked to Joshua. He grabbed Sarah and held her mouth open as the woman poured the contents of the cup down Sarah’s throat. The drink was cool and bitter. After that Sarah lost feeling in her body. Joshua laid her down on the cot in the room. The old woman sat behind Sarah at the base of the bed above Sarah’s head.
“She’s ready,” the old woma
n said.
Sarah saw movement. She looked towards the door. The tall skinny man appeared. He was again grinning that skull like grin. He stepped into the room and approached Sarah. As he neared her Sarah could hear a slight giggle coming from the man. She saw something shiny in his hand. A moment later Sarah realized what it was.
It was a knife.
Sarah would have been terrified under normal circumstance. However, the drink that the old woman had given her made her feel very far away. It removed her from this moment. It removed her from the fear she would have felt. Sarah began losing control of her eyelids. As the man with the knife crept closer Sarah’s world faded to black.
Some unknown time later Sarah awoke to see that her food was waiting for her by the door. She sat up and looked down at her cot. She saw blood where her head had been resting. She reached up and felt her scalp. She felt dried blood in her hair.
Sarah began to cry. She was not sure if she cried from sadness or fear. Perhaps she cried for memory. She cried for the memory of a life that she could never really get back to.
Each day she prayed for rescue. However, the more time that passed the more hopeless a prayer it became.
On Sarah’s wrist was a charm bracelet. Her mother had given it to her on her eighth birthday. Every few months Sarah and her mother would go buy a new charm for it. Sarah was wearing the bracelet when she was abducted. She had forgotten to take it off before falling asleep that night. Now in many ways the bracelet was her last true connection to home. It was her last connection to a life that was no more.
She looked at the bracelet often and let it tell her its story. The story of her bracelet was the story of each charm collected. It was a story of Sarah and her mother taking trips to the mall where they would find new charms to add to the bracelet. There were seven charms on the bracelet. They were seven moments that Sarah would relive in her mind that were from happier times.
The old woman and Joshua would come into Sarah’s room regularly. They would make her drink the bitter liquid. Then the skinny man in the black suit would appear as the world went dark. Sarah would always wake to find blood in her hair.
Prisons of Stolen Dreams Page 2