Enlightening of Sarah

She glanced into the rearview mirror like she was taught.Nope, nobody driving too close to the car… as they sped into Indiana from the Ohio Turnpike. She glanced over at her passenger, The Professor, and saw that his eyes were closed. Though Sarah knew that doesn’t mean he was asleep.The Snake’s Eyes could be closed but that doesn’t mean they aren’t waiting for their next meal. She sighed softly and looked back onto the road in front of her. The yellow strips skipping under her headlights. She pushed the tape of Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here into the tape deck and glanced back at The Professor, hoping he was asleep and wouldn’t hear the music being played. She hummed along softly, looking at the signs as they passed – wondering why they were traveling into Indiana. However, she learned not to question The Prof – learned to follow his word and the word of the Great Lord Set. She frowned softly once more,why did he find me? Why was I Chosen? Blessed? I wonder what made him choose me to worship the Holy One… Sarah’s thoughts begin to drift to her past. She didn’t see the slim hand of her passenger slide over and gently with a soft click turn off the radio and slide back into his jacket; never once opening his eyes.

Sarah Thomas never had an easy life. It began on a cold November morning 1954 in New York City. Her parents, Edna & John Thomas lived in the Bronx. They already had two other children, both boys, which they adored so by the time Sarah came along – well, she was more of a burden than a blessing. Sarah was a pretty little girl though – her mother gave her that much and also tried dolling her up much to Sarah’s dismay. Sarah had thick auburn/brown hair streaked by the sunlight, peaches n’ cream skin with a dab of freckles and blue eyes that would change light to dark depending on her mood. As she grew up she got ignored by her parents and beaten up by her brothers until she learned how and where to kick/punch a boy, they stopped hurting her after a couple incidents. The only time Sarah ever felt safe and happy was when she went to Sunday Mass. Looking up at all the beautiful stained glass, hearing the Priest speak of the Lord with such Love and Devotion. She knew even then, at the small age of eight as she sat in the pews that she would be a nun, missionary or something as the servant of God. Sarah begged her parents to send her to Catholic School as well as for her to become a full-fledged member of the Catholic Church by gaining her first Communion. Edna and John just wanted her to shut up so they finally relented and sent her to Catholic School. She dove right into the education, learning everything about the Catholic religion and the Lord. The day she found out she couldn’t become a priest or even an altar boy, she screamed and sobbed as she knelt at the altar asking God why?

She jerked her head up slightly, remembering the crying – smirking to herself at her childish stupidity. She glanced at the road sign – still a ways to go until they reached South Bend. She frowned as she realized the car was quiet – like a tomb quiet. She smirks and looks down at the radio seeing it WAS turned off by probably the Professor. She yawned softly, not really tired – just bored. She hits the accelerator and picks up speed, reaching over cautiously to turn the music on before noticing a slit of a golden eye watching her – observing her. She suddenly frowned, stopping her movement and moves back to her thoughts and seat… nevermind the music; she didn’t want to make him angry – not now – not on the road of deserted farms. She sighed gently, thinking once more about the past…

Around age fifteen is when Sarah began to lose alittle of her faith in God. Her father, the drunk he had become, would come home after work and beat her mother OR Sarah with the belt if something wasn’t done correctly. Her mother mostly tried to shift the blame onto Sarah in some way. Sarah learned to take a beating with loud crying, with tears. Her brothers weren’t much help either, leering at her in a not so Christian way, but really there wasn’t much she could say to them without getting the backside of her father’s hand Sarah began to wonder why God would allow something like this to happen? To her, his faithful servant? Was this God’s Will? If so he could shove it. She began to grow tired of the Lord, skipping classes and even Mass. The Sisters, The Priests and of course now the angry words and painful beatings from her parents were the way of convincing her to go back. However, she didn’t step foot again in her old church. Finally, right before her sixteenth birthday she had enough of it all, the beatings, the anger; all of it. Late at night, she packed a small bag of her clothing and snuck out – running away from what she thought was unhealthy and would probably kill her in the long run. Her parents wouldn’t report her missing, they didn’t care – one less mouth to feed. November 1969, Sarah was on her own for real. She went down into Central Park on the next couple of nights – moving around the groups of hippies who seemed to welcome her with open arms. At first she was afraid, but a motherly lady came along and pulled her into a tunnel shelter, hugging her, as it started to rain. The lady explained that they weren’t sinners like everyone thought – far from it. They believed highly in God Almighty and that Sarah should forgive God about what had happened… not all of God’s followers were kind. Sarah liked the lady, named Star, from that instant and stayed on with the hippie commune. At first she helped them panhandle or she would spend her days in a small church, praying to God for a sign… then things started to happen. Sarah would snuggle against Star when it was time to bed down for the night but noticed strange people showing up. They take the hand of a male or female hippie and walk with them into the dim lit park. The hippie, maybe twenty minutes late would stumble back with a bag of pot or a couple hits of LSD. Sarah began to wonder who these strange people were…

Sarah shivered gently, remembering those cool nights with the Hippie Commune. Those strange people and now she knew who and what they were. She reached over, turning down the heating in the car – not that it would affect her now but she didn’t need the windows streaming up – not at this time. She glanced over at the clock, 1:46 am blinking softly in the dark interior of the car. She needed air, needed a bite to eat. Sarah clicked on the turn signal, easing the car over into the rest area – spotting semi’s…Perfect… She pulled the car up slowly, putting it into park and turning off the engine. Sarah looked over at her companion, frowning, “ I need a bite to eat…” Silence only answered her back. She sighed and unbuckled her seatbelt, slid out of the car and shut the door. She pretended to move into the ladies bathroom. As she stepped out – she moved not to her car but around to the semi’s quietly. She sighed, thinking most of the men were asleep by now until she heard, “Psst…” She jerked her head; a dark smile slides upon her face.Remember the last time you heard that Sarah? She smirked and moved slowly into the darkened park area.

Many nights she wondered what was going on in the darkened areas of the park. Sarah questioned Star about it and only got a smile and a You’ll See When You’re Ready speech. Sarah began to love the hippie life – praying to God, fulfilling her mind with his glory. This one hippie friend of Star’s finally got Sarah to drop acid while she sat and prayed. Sarah thought, as she tripped, that God was talking to her, through her. She began to use LSD and pot to enhance her prayer mediations. She enjoyed the sensation she was getting along with the feeling she was reaching and moving onto a higher plain. As days turned into nights and nights into days – Sarah began to wonder who was God really? The strange people kept returning, sometimes speaking of God. And a couple times the hippies they went with never returned. Star started telling Sarah about this great place, this temple where they were all going to go as soon as Sarah was willing. God was there and he would show Sarah the way. Sarah smiled happily, knowing Star wouldn’t let anything happen to her. That night finally came a month later – Star took Sarah by the hand and led her through the alleys to this backdoor area where men and women alike were all standing and moving inside. Once inside they started to remove their clothing as people dressed in robes gently took them. The servants informed them that all of the people would need to take off all their clothing, bathed, scented, adorned and fed until they were full, then the ceremony would begin. Sarah frowned gently, whimpering to Star. Star only smiled and slid a hit of acid onto Sarah’s tongue, telling her it was now time she became a woman of The God. Sarah felt the drug take over her body, a soft careless smile came across Sarah’s face as a servant came to them, helped them both undress and led them to the bathing room. Sarah’s whole body and hair was cleaned as she thought of what Star said of God. The servants spoke a strange language or maybe that was just the drug making her trip. As the servant had said before – Sarah was cleaned, scented, adorned with jewels and fed as much food as she wanted. Star patted and comforted Sarah as she drifted in and out of her drug hazed world. Sarah looked to Star, trying to find the right words to ask who was this God she spoke about. Star pushed her fingers against Sarah’s lips – The Bell Tolled – calling them onto the ceremony of the Great God. Sarah stood up, dizzy – something must have been in the wine. She walked slowly behind Star, looking up at the stone room. The designs of weird men, designs of snakes, and the word “Set” spray-painted on the archway. Sarah frowned gently and stopped following. In the dark hallway she heard someone calling her name, golden orbs watched her PSST… She glances over at the two golden balls and followed them into the darkness.

The man struggled under Sarah, but that didn’t matter anymore. Sarah was no longer the tiny girl she appeared to be. She gripped him tighter and suckled at the wound until she got her fill of him. She smirked and licked it gently, the now sleeping man pressed to her frame. Sarah pushed him onto a bench; propping him up and licking her lips clean quickly.Mustn’t keep the Professor waiting… She sighs gently, moving back to the car with a shiver of memories flooding her about that special night. She smiles softly, remembering now with relish – how she wished she could relive that glorious night again and again. She sees that the Professor is still slid down in the front seat, eyes closed. She shakes her head and gently opens the door, sliding in, buckling up and starting the car. She grins darkly, licking up the last of the blood on her lips and speeds to the exit, sliding right back onto what is called The Indiana Toll Road. Sarah gently lets her mind drift back to that night once more…

She felt the heat upon her skin before she entered the ceremonial chambers, blushing she glanced around and saw all these people standing around. The ones, standing at what looked like a stone altar, were all dressed in beige and black colored robes-carrying staffs or daggers. She looked around her now and realized that all of the people before the altar, including her were still all naked Sarah frowned, looking around at all the people as the gong sounded as they surged forward, sliding down on their knees. Sarah trembled moving to her knees, not understanding. A man in a red robe stood forward on the altar, smiling strangely down upon them. He began to speak of the One Mighty God – the one true God that would remove them from their pitiful lives and lead them onto the path of enlightenment. Sarah’s eyes lit up – enlightenment- that she what she wanted from her God. She starts to cry, bending her head down in prayer as the man speaks in the strange language again. The others in the robes start to make their way around the naked people – giving them hits of acid, pushing couples, three’s and four’s of people together – encouraging them to make love while the man prays. Sarah watches around her – her eyes wide and shocked. The man continues to pray loudly, the acid washing through her. She shudders and stands – looking around her, finding Star with two other men. The Priest upon the altar spotted her, smiling darkly and beckons Sarah to him, a knife behind his back. She shivered, smiling and moving forward slowly. Suddenly, a hand clasped around her wrist gently, tugging her. Sarah jerks her head back to see who it was. A man, mideastern looking, just stood there, staring back into her eyes softly in almost an understanding. Sarah shivered gently, frowning, telling him she needed to go to her God. He only smiled; telling her all that would meet her tonight would be death unless she came with him. Her drug befuddled mind didn’t understand him completely but as he tugged her wrist again, she slowly complied – following the dark eyed one into one of the back chambers – barely hearing the amid cries of pleasure and screams of pain coming from behind her. The man smiled and gently shut the chamber door – cutting out all the horrors he didn’t want her to see just yet.

Sarah chuckled to herself, grinning as she remembered meeting the Professor. He did tell her his name, but alas, she barely could pronounce it. She preferred calling him Professor anyway. Her laugh brought him out of his slumber as she sensed him shifting. A dark yet soothing voice spoke up. “Why don’t you at least put on The Cure? I can stomach them….”. A dark chuckle from the other side of the car. She grinned, looking at him and shaking her head, “Can’t you at least try some of the music I listen to?” He only gave her a smile and looked silently out the window. She sighed happily, knowing him and he knowing her all too well. She stares ahead of her as another sign passed.South Bend …. 24 She smirked softly, going back into her memories.

He took her hand gently as she saw they were only in another hallway. She frowned up at him gently, shivering, as his eyes seemed unearthly as they flashed golden. He picked her up with ease, holding her tight in his arms. He quickly moved into another area, moving down further and further until she realized from the dank and humid breath upon her they had traveled underground. She whimpered gently and pressed closer to him, closing her eyes and slowly falling into a drug hazed sleep nestled in his arms. He moved swiftly to his private chambers, making sure no one was following them.

She frowned softly, never understanding why he did that.Why did he take me? Of course I love him… I need him… She gripped the wheel tighter – shoving in a tape of The Cure and turning it up for them. At some point I need to ask him… I need the truth… She bobs her head to the music, wondering and once again letting her mind drift.

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She suddenly frowned darkly. No! No, I can’t think about this stuff right now. We have things to do… he is counting on me. You can nightdream when you get to the temple you stupid child…Nodding at that last thought she gripped the wheel and began to sing, not realizing her Mentor’s eyes were on her. He watched her for some time, wondering what was going on in her head. A dark smile slides across his lips, knowing full well she will eventually tell him; She always did…