2024


Sarah gasped loudly as she awoke abruptly from dreams of Jarrel and...a fire?


Where am I? She thought to herself as the hospital room started coming into view.


"Oh, yes, I'm in the hospital, I'm--I'm..." she whispered scratchily to herself. "Wait, what?" she touched her throat and looked around.


"Somebody! Somebody!!" She called, her voice cracking as the volume increased.


A nurse rushed into the room. "What is it Miss Christianson?"


"I can talk! I can speak!" Sarah smiled, tapping at her throat. "I can talk again! Where's Jarrel? I have to tell him!"


"Jarrel? I don't know of a Jarrel, but we can call your parents. I need to let the doctor know too," the nurse poked her head out the door and called out. "Somebody get the doctor in here stat! She can speak again!"


"Is everything else okay? How are you feeling?" The nurse patted Sarah on the arm. She did not flinch.


"I--I am not sure," suddenly Sarah was feeling very woozy. "I don't know what...happened," she said right before she fainted.


I am floating above my body...


There are nurses everywhere.


They think I might be dying.


No, I am not dying - I have just come here to remember.


I have to remember what my life was like before...before Jarrel and...Tzarinah. And all the babies...


My babies...


What is that bright light? Is that an angel? I know her! She comes to see me all the time! I remember!


"Sarah, take my hand," the angel says. I take her hand. "You must remember now. Remember who you were and forget what has been..." The angel kisses me on the forehead. "I will watch over the babies, you can go now." Her smile fills me with peace. I don't want to leave her...


"Go, now. Go back to your life, come on, sweetheart. Come now..."


The angel slowly fades out of view and turns into a smiling face on the nurse's scrubtop.


"Come on, sweetheart!" Another nurse prompts, urging me to wake back up.


I open my mouth to speak.


"Can you call my mama? Daddy too?"


"They're already on their way, Sarah. They'll be here before you know it."


"Okay," I smile. "I have a lot to tell them."


My smile fades.