Sarah's Shadow
^{A Story}
Chapter 14 - Ashes
by Saless
 

Tiffany ran back to her car and sped home. She was home in record time. Once inside she pulled the throwing knife out and took a close look at it. She still couldn't find any trace of blood on it. She thought back to how easily she had thrown the knife and hit John so easily. Thoughtfully she looked around her apartment until she remembered the package of boxes she'd never used when she moved in. She set it up against the wall and drew a bulls eye on it. She walked across to the other side of the room, aimed, and threw the knife. It hit dead center.

How is this possible? she thought. I've never tried to throw a knife before, but even I know it takes a lot of skill to do it right. After all, I could just as easily hit the target with the handle as the blade. She started across the room to retrieve the knife and felt that same connection between her and it. She pulled on the thread of shadow connecting them and it was suddenly back in her hand. She didn't see it fly across the room, it just reappeared in her hand. Tiffany set it down on the table and went to the kitchen. There she pulled on that shadowy connection again, and it was back in her hand as before.

I wonder, is it the blade, or me? Tiffany wondered. She opened a drawer and pulled a sharp knife from it and returned to the living room. There she threw the magical knife again, and it embedded itself in the bulls eye again. She returned it to her hand and tried with the other knife. It flew a lot more erratically and hit flat, the entire length of the knife hitting the boxes at the same time. It fell to the floor with a soft thud. Tiffany couldn't see any connection from it to her, but she tried to bring it back to her hand as she had the other. Nothing happened.

I guess that answers that question. Now I know what the magic of this knife is. I wonder if the other knives are the same? she thought. She retrieved the other knives from under her bed and repeated her tests. All four hit the center or near it every time, and returned to her hand the same way. I guess that means I'll never really be unarmed again. I wonder if there's a limit to their range? Probably can't get to me when I go through a portal, so I'll still have to carry them for that. But I guess I could call on them before going through the portal, so I still don't have to carry them most of the time. With that she put all four knives back under her bed, covering them with the cloak.

All of this activity had allowed her to forget what had happened, but while she was eating her dinner it all came back. I killed him, didn't I? she thought. It's not like he didn't deserve it, I guess… But what about Sarah? How badly was she hurt? I should have gone over to the hospital! No, if she saw me she'd wonder why I was there. She continued to debate the issue while she ate and then washed her dishes.

I don't work tomorrow. I'll go over to the hospital first thing in the morning. I can say I heard about it from someone at work if I'm spotted. she finally decided. She whiled away the rest of the evening by going online to eBay to see how it worked. She was considering selling some of the things she'd found there, but wasn't sure if they would stand out or not. After seeing some of the prices for jewelry sold at the site she decided they would fit in okay, but she'd have to do more research to figure out what to ask for it. I won't try to get too much, just enough to pay off some bills. Somebody else will probably make a fortune reselling it, but that's okay. she thought.

She went to bed thinking about what she'd need to do to sell them, but it was worries of Sarah that dogged her dreams.

Tiffany's alarm clock woke her early in the morning and she got ready for the day. She left all her magical gear, and her gun, behind except for the bracers, ring, and amulet. She wore them, just in case. The only way I'm going to figure out how these work is to use them, and they shouldn't attract too much attention. Especially since the bracers are covered by my clothes. she thought as she grabbed her purse and headed out.

At the hospital she let the shadows cloak her and went looking for Sarah. By the time she found her the others had already arrived. She managed to find a hiding place where she could overhear their conversation. She was surprised to learn the others thought John would live. Just as she was getting her hopes up about that, though, she learned he'd died, after all. Poisoned? My knives are poisoned? I'd better be careful with them. she thought.

Once they were getting ready to leave Tiffany made her way back to her car. She drove to Sarah's apartment and settled in to wait. She was in her now usual position just inside the door when she heard a noise in Sarah's bedroom. That's strange, I wonder if they left Vash behind? she thought. A few minutes later Mike came in. As soon as the door was closed Vash became visible on his shoulder, so that eliminated that possibility. Tiffany followed them curiously and was horrified to see Sarah lying in a pool of blood on her bathroom floor!

Mike very nearly ran into Tiffany as he was rushing out of the room but Tiffany reacted just in time and dodged to the side. Why is he leaving? she wondered, but was answered when he returned with a sports bottle and fed some of the water inside to Sarah and then sprayed some onto her slashed wrists. To her shock the wounds closed right up. Mike then carried Sarah into the living room and laid her down on the couch. Tiffany looked on worriedly. A few minutes later Erica and Jill arrived.

Tiffany nearly gasped in surprise when she saw the painting Jill was carrying, as it depicted what looked like Sean as a child being strangled while wearing a dress! What's that about? she wondered. She found out soon after when Sarah woke up and Jill said that it was a memory that Sarah had suppressed. Does that mean Sarah really did want to be a girl? she wondered.

That possibility was forgotten as she listened to the revelations about Sarah's childhood. It's no wonder John had such an easy time pushing her around! Maybe it's for the best that jerk is dead… she thought angrily.

When they decided to go for pizza Tiffany decided to go home. It's going to be difficult to talk to Sarah on Monday without revealing what I know. she mused as she drove home. After dinner she was heading to her bedroom to go to bed when she noticed the pack of boxes she'd used for target practice. Or, what should have been a pack of boxes. Suddenly what the policeman had said about poison took on a whole new dimension when she saw that what had been a pack of boxes was just a pile of black ash.

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