A Stitch in Time Read Online Free PDF Page B

Simms breezed in. She taught drama and was the personification of her subject. She was larger than life, both physically and metaphorically, and today was dressed in a flamboyant African-print maxi dress. Her flame-red hair clashed with the pink of her lipstick and her beady black eyes narrowed as they danced across Sarah’s face.
    ‘Now, what’s up, tell your Auntie Janet.’ She pinched Sarah’s cheek ‘My mission for this morning is to turn that frown, upside down!’
    ‘Nothing, Janet, I’m OK.’ Sarah managed a watery smile and put her lipstick away in her bag.
    ‘Nonsense! If you’re OK, then I’m a Dutchman!’
    Immediately a picture of Janet wearing clogs, a Dutch hat and standing next to a windmill, popped into Sarah’s mind. She shook it away and was about to close her bag when she noticed an envelope tucked down the side of her pencil case. Pulling it out, she saw that it had her name written in the top left-hand corner.
    ‘Well, I’m popping for a little wee; when I come out I want the truth, kid!’ Janet bellowed, stomping into a cubicle.
    Frowning, Sarah opened the envelope, slid out a letter and tried not to listen to the thunder of Niagara Falls, which passed for Janet’s ‘little wee’. After reading the first sentence, the thump of her heart drowned out Janet’s efforts and a troop of cartwheeling elephants showed up in her belly.
    Hi Sarah, John here – hope you have recovered from the shock of meeting me last night.
    Leaning on the sink with her left hand, she managed to control the shake in her right, just enough to read the rest.
    There are one or two points I forgot to mention. When you have found the person you are supposed to save, you may get a sign. It could be itchy feet, tingling in your back, or perhaps hiccups. These are some of the things Stitches have reported.
    Mind you, having said that, sometimes there is no physical sign. Sometimes there is just a feeling, you know?
    Oh yes, and if you mention something we have in the present to someone in the past by mistake, you should get a warning. Ringing in the ears, belching uncontrollably or possibly a fit of the giggles have been known.
    Sorry this all sounds a bit vague, but every Stitch is different. Anyway, just do your best, Sarah.
    See you soon,
    John :-)
    ‘I feel better for that; nothing worse than needing a pee in the middle of a class, is there?’
    Janet’s attempt at hand washing was unceremoniously interrupted by Sarah, frantically waving a piece of paper in front of her face. ‘Can you see this?’ Sarah yelled.
    Janet took a step back to avoid a paper cut to the nose. ‘Well, of course, you’re waving it inches from my face. What on earth …’
    ‘Yes, but what is it, what can you actually SEE?’ Sarah held it up with both hands, wild eyes intently watching Janet’s face.
    Janet’s normally confident, unruffled expression started to slip. She looked decidedly unsure, perhaps a little scared, and backed towards the hand dryer. ‘It appears to be a letter, Sarah.’
    ‘Appears to be, what do you mean, is it or isn’t it?’
    ‘Err … it is,’ Janet said in a small voice.
    Sarah tossed her head back. ‘Ha! I’m not crazy then. Here, take it, read it, tell me what it says!’ She thrust the letter at Janet’s ample bosom.
    Janet, bewildered, eyed Sarah warily, took the letter and said soothingly, ‘OK, calm down.’ Janet read it and shrugged. ‘Itchy feet, hiccups, it doesn’t make much sense to me … is it supposed to?’
    ‘No, Janet, but incredibly … it means this whole thing is real!’ Sarah snatched the letter and squeezed Janet’s shoulder.
    Janet stepped back again and screamed, ‘
Eeee!
What the hell …’
    The hand dryer blew fiercely down Janet’s back.
    ‘It’s OK,’ muttered Sarah, grabbing her bag and rushing for the door. ‘It’s only a bloody hand dryer, God
knows
what state you’d be in if you had
my
life at the moment.’
    Sarah ran across the playground as