Sarah Of The Moon Read Online Free PDF Page B

was the first time he had heard her speak, while awake, and he did not know at the time that her answer would come back to haunt him.
     
    The group quickly dispersed at the end of the meal. Some of the girls went back to the kitchen to begin the clean up, others adjourned to the front porch, followed by most of the guys, and the smoke of freshly lit joints soon filled the air. In the ensuing commotion, Alex lost track of Sarah, who it seemed had disappeared on him once again. After surveying the kitchen, he joined the gathering of smokers on the porch. Chick was holding court on the old wooden structure. All gathered were watching Chick, who had a joint in each hand comparing their virtues.
    “I’d have to say that Sandman’s ’pulco wins this round,” Chick said through the thick haze of smoke enveloping him. He took a long pull off one of the joints. “Though Benny’s stash has its virtues also.”
    While Sandman celebrated his victory by announcing that anyone interested could find his winning weed in his bedside backpack, Alex looked for Sarah.
    “She’s not here, champ,” Chick said. He had worked his way next to him. Chick held out his hand. In it was what was left of Sandman’s pride and joy.
    “You might want to take this with you. It’s storytelling time.”
    Alex politely refused Chick’s offering. He had forgotten about Sarah’s nightly story telling. For all he knew, she was, this very second mesmerizing her young audience with tales of mystery and adventure.
    He thanked Chick and hurried into the house. Alex remembered Cowboys limp as he hit the stairs to the second floor and reluctantly slowed his pace. He had barely stepped into the hallway when he heard her voice. It was coming from just beyond the beaded entrance of the room directly across from him. He moved stealthily across the corridor, as silently as he could among the creaking floorboards, until he was standing next to the room’s threshold. There, pressed flush against the wall, he considered his options. Sneaking around like a burglar was not one of them, but he did not dare try walking unannounced into the room. The beads would have made just enough of a racket to draw attention, and perhaps even stop the story. Who knew how the kids would react if that happened. He wondered why anyone in his right mind would replace a sensible door with noisy beads.
    Alex held his breath and snuck a glance into the room. Sarah sat cross-legged on the floor, her back to him. Two lit candles, one on each side of her, provided the room’s illumination. The three girls sat on one mattress across from her. He glimpsed two other women sitting in the shadows against the far wall. Sarah was talking softly and he could barely hear her, but this would have to do. He was certain that Chick had good intentions, but storytelling time was so far a bit of a bust. Then he heard Sarah clearly, for the first time, and he was spellbound.
    “And so it came to pass that the princess had to bid farewell to her prince as he prepared to journey to a faraway land. The princess was sad that her prince was leaving her for she felt she might never see him again. But the prince took her hand and told her she would see him every night in her dreams. He would always return at night and hide behind a star until she slept. Then they would be together once more.”
    Sarah stopped for a moment before she continued. Alex barely heard the softly spoken words. “He was true to his word. Every night he visited the princess in her dreams, and every morning she woke up smiling because he never really left her. The princess knew that her prince would always be with her because a far away land is as close as your next dream.”
     
    He once again dared to look into the room. Two of the girls were lying down, on the verge of sleep, but one of the girls was inquisitive.
    “Did she ever see the prince again?” she asked.
    “That’s a story for another night,” Sarah said as she spread a