Background Story for Sarah

         The large, aristocratic home loomed over the white city as the morning sun rose with a twinkling brightness. The calm blue shingles glittered as the light danced off their surface. A woman, Adele Kelts, pushed them out of the window space gently and easily with thin fingers and placed an aromatic blueberry pie on the sill. The woman’s dark brown hair was pinned in an expert bun, tight from being recently pinned. She wore a soft pink gown, pearl necklace and earrings. She took a delicate breath of the airy, early morning and smiled to herself.

         As she backed away from the pastry, thudding steps raced down the stairs. Two kids tumbled into the kitchen. The oldest, a thirteen year old boy, gave his mother a shy smile, while the younger, a girl, smiled proudly.

         “Where is Daddy?” the girl asked happily. She had just turned ten the weekend before and was full of energy knowing her Father was due to return that very day.

           The mother laughed softly. “He won’t be here until later, Sarah. And where’s that dress I bought you for your birthday?”

         Sarah stiffened, shrugging nervously. She had promised to wear the dark blue silk with white lace and waist bow, but she stood there wearing her brother’s old pair of dress pants and a worn blue blouse.

         “Well missy?” Her mother prodded.

         “I’m a big girl now,” Sarah pointed out, clasping her hands together and swaying slightly. “And I wanted to show Daddy that I could be big like Jackson is. Jackson doesn’t have to wear puffy dresses….”

         Jackson narrowed his eyes at her, and then protested to his mom, “I didn’t give her that idea!”

Sarah bit her lip. “I just wanted to be like Jackson.”

Her mother rolled her eyes. “Honey, big girls wear dresses because it’s respectful and proper to do so. You want to show Daddy show respect, don’t you?” Sarah stood thoughtfully, trying to grasp what her mother was saying. “I want your Father to come home, look at you, and think ‘That’s my beautiful, wonderful, grown-up daughter’.”

Sarah’s eyes widened curiously. “Is that a good thing?”

Jackson crossed his arms, rolled his eyes, and opened his mouth to say something when he caught his mother’s stern expression.

The mother took a few steps toward her children and crouched before Sarah. Touching the streak of neon blue, a unique trait Sarah had been born with, lovingly, she said, “You are beautiful, and he will always see that, no matter what you wear.”

“Then why wear it?” asked a confused Sarah.

Her mother chuckled. “Because it’s a special occasion, and I asked you to.”

“Oh.” Sarah frowned for a moment before her face lit up like the morning sky. “I’m gonna get all pretty for Daddy! I’m gonna make this the best homecoming ever!” And with that, she disappeared into the hallway, her retreating steps echoing with excitement.

Jackson gave his mother a welcoming hug and asked, “Is breakfast ready? I’m hungry.”



Sarah hid away in her room for the better part of the day. She refused anyone entrance into her room with a cherry, “You’ll just have to wait and see what I’ve done!”

By early afternoon, Amelia Wilt arrived with her two daughters Maria and Crystal, and her only son James. She was a young widow of forty whose husband died in a skirmish several years before. Her dark brown hair, a trait she shared with her sister, was pulled in a net of pearls. She wore a light green gown with laced sleeves and green flats.

“Sister dear,” Amelia greeted as Adele, entered the parlor, “is he here yet?”

Adele shook her head, carefully not to upset her hair. “No, but I suspected that. He’ll probably arrive this evening.” Amelia nodded understandingly.

“Mother, where is Uncle James?” the young James asked. He was twelve and adored his namesake. His dream was to walk in the footsteps of his Uncle and become the General over the King’s army.

Amelia shushed him. “Be polite James. He has not arrived yet. Why don’t you and Jackson go off and play?” Maria scrunched up her petite nose distastefully. James shrugged and zoomed up the stairs. “Maria, why don’t you go find dear Sarah?”

“Oh, Sarah’s up in her bedroom getting ready for tonight,” Adele announced. “I haven’t managed to get her out of there yet. Maybe you’ll have better luck.”

Maria nodded daintily to her aunt and took poised steps up the staircase. Crystal, the youngest of the trio at only eight, was grasping her mother’s dress. Amelia smiled at her sister and led her youngest daughter to the kitchen where Adele was fixing supper.



At the sound of the knocking on her door, Sarah immediately replied, “Please do not enter! I am in the middle of getting ready for my Daddy’s return! I shall be beautiful and wonderful and perfect!”

But as she said this, Sarah felt her heart drop as she stared into the vanity with a frown. She felt like a silly mess. Before her were cosmetics supplies she had often seem her mother use in the mornings, when she got ready for the day, or in the evenings, when she was getting dressed up for a party or when we had guests.

Sarah’s thin lips were bright red and smudged against her pale, icy skin. A quick dash of stark black hit under her left eye when she tried applying black goop to her short lashes. Her cheeks were a bright pink like a china doll’s. She’d even spilled a light peach powder over the front of her new dress. And her long black hair was starting to frizz out. The blue streak, an inch wide on the front left side, was flat and dull.

Maria quietly opened the door. Sarah froze in the mirror, her blues eyes locked on her cousin who made her way into the room.

The girls both gasped in unison. “What did you do!?” Maria exclaimed in surprise. Sarah covered her face and started crying quietly.

Maria quickly closed the door and hurried over to her little cousin. “Sarah… were you trying to put on your mother’s make up?” Sarah nodded. “Well… its certainly… interesting….”

Sarah choked on a sob. “I’ve ruined it! I’ll never look pretty for Daddy now!”

At fifteen, Maria was already well rehearsed in the ways of a young woman. She shook her head and sighed. She reached out to handle the soft brush that lay near the blush. Gently, she began to stroke Sarah’s thick locks.

“You are very pretty, Sarah. I wish I was as pretty as you,” Maria admitted with a smile.

Sarah’s hands fell away from her face, and she looked at her cousin through the mirror with surprise. “Me? Prettier than you?” Maria had inherited the long, wavy dark hair of her mother. Today, it was pinned in a high coil. Her eyes were a deep, mysterious blue that captivated the hearts of all. She wore the finest dress of pearl pink that hugged her soft curves and cascaded into a full skirt.

“You are so lovely, Sarah,” Maria restated. Ice drifted through Maria’s fingertips as she fingered through the young girl’s crown. As she worked, Sarah sat and stared into the glossy mirror. And image of her father appeared in her mind, and she smiled.

Maria efficiently worked on smoothing and lifting Sarah’s hair into an elegant twist, and then washing the mess off her soft face and reapplying only the barest of colors. When Sarah asked why, Maria only replied that she was young and was beautiful without the extra rouge.

“There….” Maria concluded, standing and smoothing out her dress. “Now you’re ready.”

Sarah’s smile widened when she was allowed to look in the mirror. “Maria… this is so….”

Maria clasped her cousin’s petite hand and led her toward the hallway. “Just wait till everyone sees you. You’re so grown up now.”

Sarah made a noise of agreement. Grown up. Daddy would be so pleased to see his little girl all grown up.



The female adults adored Sarah, dressed up in her lady-like dress, her hair done up, and even a little powder applied. A natural flush appeared on the young girl’s cheeks, making the view only richer. James and Jackson snickered a little, used to the Sarah who played in the dirt with them and search for bugs in mother’s garden. But Sarah ignored them, glowing in the femininity.

Someone rapped on the door.

Everyone froze expect for Adele, who quickly went for the door. Sarah’s little heart beat with anticipation.

“Oh! James!” came the sweet sigh of Sarah’s elated mother. Sarah couldn’t see them due to the doorway separating the family room from the front door, but her parents soon appeared, and Sarah jumped with glee.

“Daddy!”

James caught his enthusiastic daughter in both arms and whirled her about in a full circle. He placed a kiss on her cheek before setting her down. “Baby girl. How beautiful you look this day!” Her blush deepened.

James Kelts was a well-built man with glossy black hair and an upper lip mustache. His eyes were a tranquil blue that set anyone at ease. His voice as he spoke was smooth and peace-inducing. He moved toward his son and nephew with a confident gait and ruffled their black heads with thick hands.

“How’s my boy and nephew been?” he asked with a smile. “Have you taken good care of your mother and sister Jackson?”

When Amelia walked up to him, he gave her a brotherly hug and a quick peck on the cheek. “Dear Amelia; it’s wonderful to see you again.” Then he went and pecked the cheeks of Maria and Crystal.

Finally he ended standing beside his wife, his arm tucked around her waist. Sarah wrapped her arms around his legs and smiled at him happily. He was finally home. And though she knew he’d have to leave again, it was worth the time she had now.

There was sickening crash.

A glass bottle filled with an angry flame flew almost in slow motion in Sarah’s eyes until it collided into the carpet.

         Seven more bottles soared through the air. One smacked Maria in the forehead and sent to her the ground, where the flames escaped eagerly from the shattered glass and began licking at her dress.

         The room was suddenly ablaze. Sarah’s head started spinning. She had let go of her father and stumbled in her dizzy spell. All she could see was the enraged fire as it engulfed the floor, the walls, her home.

         She felt someone grab her hand and pull her away towards the back of the house. She looked for a face and found the familiar look of determination locked on her father. Sarah tumbled and tripped but someone was able to be led out the back door, where the cool air snapped her to awareness. She fell into the snow with a crunch.

         “Daddy!” she squealed in alarm. She struggled to upright herself. All she saw was a glimpse of her father’s retreating figure as he ran back into the house.

         “Sarah, are you okay?” the high voice of James asked. The twelve year old latched onto his cousin desperately. “Your house is on fire.”

         Sarah pulled away and stared at her home, now several yards away. Vaguely in the dark, she saw a small figure stumbling in the snow. “Look! I think it’s Crystal!” Sarah immediately got to her feet and started running toward her little cousin, toward the roaring fire.

         Crystal was crying as she staggered through the snow. “I’m scared,” she whined. “Mommy fell down. Mommy can’t get up.” Sarah embraced her quickly.

         “They’ll be out; don’t worry.”

         James joined their hugging a moment later. They waited.

         And waited.

         Crystal wiggled away from Sarah and her brother, asking, “Where are they?”

         James bit his lip as the fire danced in his eyes. “I lost Jackson when it happened. We were trying to get out. But I lost him.”

         “Daddy got me out,” Sarah said with confidence. “He’s gonna get out too. With everyone. He’s gonna save them.”

         “Uncle James got me too,” Crystal agreed.

         The fire began consuming the roof, and the kids gasped at the sickening lurched the house made in response.

         Suddenly, a figure dived out of the back door and somersaulted. Sarah jumped and screamed, “Daddy! Daddy!”

         The man crawled towards his daughter’s voice. Sarah kneeled before him and tried to raise his bent head. He rolled onto his back with a groan. Sarah squeaked in alarm. He was molted in various shades of red, his uniform ashy and ruined. His face was pinched in pain. His breathing labored, slowed.

         “Sa…rah….” he breathed, opening his eyes.

         “Daddy….” Tears trickled.

         Her father raised his hand to touch her cheek and sighed.

         His hand fell.

         “Daddy?!” exclaimed Sarah. “Daddy! Wake up! Come on; you have to wake up!” Her wails echoed through the starless sky like a banshee. “Daddy! You need to save us! Daddy! Please wake up!”

         Sarah shook his limp body until a sob heaved its way through her throat. She looked up to the burning house just as the roof collapsed within itself.

         “Mommy! Auntie! Jack! Maria?” She paused in her screams for any response. Then she looked down at her limp father. His eyes were gently closed, his mouth relaxed like a child’s. She picked up his hand and let it drop with a thud in the numb snow.

         James slowly approached her and touched her shoulder. “Sarah… look….” He turned her to the overview of the city. She wailed again.

         And the city was ablaze.