loving, compassionate girl inside was on the verge of being lost completely. Nicholas’s choice now was critical.Should he back off from his promise to the home’s head administrator and work at lifting young Sarah’s spirits, or should he take a hard line and hope it would force Sarah to make her own choice? Her decision could ultimately lead her further into a shell or out into the light of love and compassion. To compound matters, Nicholas’s time was short, and he had an even greater task ahead of him. His choice was critical, and it was now.
“No…I believe this is best. She knows where we’ll be,” he said.
SARAH kicked at the front seat, slammed her hands on her own seat, and began to cry and pout as if someone might see her discomfort and come to her aid. When she looked up with tears staining her cheeks, she realized that Nicholas and Stevens were already in the house and that they weren’t coming back. She sobbed for several seconds and then stiffened. She wiped the tears away.
“I’ll show them!” she mumbled angrily.
She grabbed her umbrella before sliding from the car. She glanced at the house, at the sound of wild cheering emanating from within. She then turned and looked across the weed-splotched dirt front grounds and finally down the potholeddriveway. Although her emotions surged from anger to fear to strength and uncertainty, she again looked to the house and then turned and strode down the driveway. Midway to the brick sentinels and the sidewalk beyond, she realized her hand was in the pocket clutching the Nativity globe Nicholas had given her the night before. As a final act of defiance, she withdrew the beautiful gift and dropped it in the dirt by the driveway. With a new determination, she walked past the sentinels, turned left on the broken sidewalk, and marched away.
Within seconds, Sarah began to change her mind. With every step, the gray, decaying suffering of the poor of the Sink became more apparent to her. The bright, freshly painted colors of Penford Heights’ homes and the rich smell of moist soil and grass after a cleansing rain were nowhere in evidence. To compound matters, as she tried to avoid tripping over the uneven surfaces, she glanced up to see four hooded figures approaching her. She slowed her pace; her eyes darted furtively in search of an escape route. When one of the figures stepped ahead of the other three and turned toward her, Sarah stopped.
“Hey, rich girl,” the figure shouted and strutted up to her. “What’re you doing in the badlands?”
Sarah immediately recognized the boy as one of the young toughs she’d seen out of the car window a short time before.
Burner stepped out in front of Jared and M.J. to join Hammer in mocking Sarah.
“Leave me alone,” Sarah whispered.
“Whatsa’ matter, rich girl? Too good for us?” Burner rejoined before pushing her on the shoulder and laughing at her growing fear.
“Back off, guys,” ordered Jared. He glared at Hammer and Burner before he turned to Sarah. “What’re you doin’ here?”
Sarah stared back at him, trying to act indignant but clearly unsure of herself in the face of such overwhelming odds.
“Don’t give me your high-and-mighty look,” Jared said. “You’re on my turf now, and your money don’t mean nothin’ on these streets, girl. Your fancy clothes won’t get you nothin’ down here…except maybe dead.”
Sarah backed away, trying hard not to fall into complete panic. The other boys moved closer and surrounded her with leering smiles.
“Go home to your daddy’s money before you get hurt,” Jared spoke again. “Or don’t he want you?”
The boys again laughed and jeered at her. She dropped her head slowly. Jared recognized her discomfort and realized he had struck a chord.
“Maybe he don’t care, huh?” Jared chuckled. “Well, neither do we.”
Sarah stood transfixed, head down submissively. Her mind worked feverishly between panic and fear, until she
“No…I believe this is best. She knows where we’ll be,” he said.
SARAH kicked at the front seat, slammed her hands on her own seat, and began to cry and pout as if someone might see her discomfort and come to her aid. When she looked up with tears staining her cheeks, she realized that Nicholas and Stevens were already in the house and that they weren’t coming back. She sobbed for several seconds and then stiffened. She wiped the tears away.
“I’ll show them!” she mumbled angrily.
She grabbed her umbrella before sliding from the car. She glanced at the house, at the sound of wild cheering emanating from within. She then turned and looked across the weed-splotched dirt front grounds and finally down the potholeddriveway. Although her emotions surged from anger to fear to strength and uncertainty, she again looked to the house and then turned and strode down the driveway. Midway to the brick sentinels and the sidewalk beyond, she realized her hand was in the pocket clutching the Nativity globe Nicholas had given her the night before. As a final act of defiance, she withdrew the beautiful gift and dropped it in the dirt by the driveway. With a new determination, she walked past the sentinels, turned left on the broken sidewalk, and marched away.
Within seconds, Sarah began to change her mind. With every step, the gray, decaying suffering of the poor of the Sink became more apparent to her. The bright, freshly painted colors of Penford Heights’ homes and the rich smell of moist soil and grass after a cleansing rain were nowhere in evidence. To compound matters, as she tried to avoid tripping over the uneven surfaces, she glanced up to see four hooded figures approaching her. She slowed her pace; her eyes darted furtively in search of an escape route. When one of the figures stepped ahead of the other three and turned toward her, Sarah stopped.
“Hey, rich girl,” the figure shouted and strutted up to her. “What’re you doing in the badlands?”
Sarah immediately recognized the boy as one of the young toughs she’d seen out of the car window a short time before.
Burner stepped out in front of Jared and M.J. to join Hammer in mocking Sarah.
“Leave me alone,” Sarah whispered.
“Whatsa’ matter, rich girl? Too good for us?” Burner rejoined before pushing her on the shoulder and laughing at her growing fear.
“Back off, guys,” ordered Jared. He glared at Hammer and Burner before he turned to Sarah. “What’re you doin’ here?”
Sarah stared back at him, trying to act indignant but clearly unsure of herself in the face of such overwhelming odds.
“Don’t give me your high-and-mighty look,” Jared said. “You’re on my turf now, and your money don’t mean nothin’ on these streets, girl. Your fancy clothes won’t get you nothin’ down here…except maybe dead.”
Sarah backed away, trying hard not to fall into complete panic. The other boys moved closer and surrounded her with leering smiles.
“Go home to your daddy’s money before you get hurt,” Jared spoke again. “Or don’t he want you?”
The boys again laughed and jeered at her. She dropped her head slowly. Jared recognized her discomfort and realized he had struck a chord.
“Maybe he don’t care, huh?” Jared chuckled. “Well, neither do we.”
Sarah stood transfixed, head down submissively. Her mind worked feverishly between panic and fear, until she
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