I See You

Epilogue

Sara entered her apartment and dropped the bag on the threadbare ottoman next to the door. She turned and locked the four locks on her door quickly. With a heavy sigh she walked toward her small kitchen and ran a glass of water and sipped it. She looked at her bag, knowing that inside it was the white invitation to Cody and Emma's wedding.

Part of her was dying to go and watch the ceremony, knowing that as a woman it was a prerequisite that she love and sigh and be all envious of the blushing bride. She could watch them exchange vows and then share their first kiss, and then head off for their perfect happily ever after. While Sara would head home to...surprise, no one.

Now, the other part of her, the smarter part of her, knew that she really shouldn't go.

He would be there. Bane of her existence, the destroyer of her peace of mind. Tony Breaux. She growled and walked over and grabbed her bag heading toward her small stained couch. She sat and dug out the envelope. Sara gently opened the flap and pulled out the lovely yet simple card.

"You should totally go."

She rolled her eyes at the beloved but annoying voice in her head putting in its two cents worth of insight.

Sara shook her head. "Nope, I'm not going. I can't afford to see him again. He's trouble. You know that."

"Don't be such a prude! He's hot and sexy as all get out. And you don't know, he could be a good thing for you for a change."

Sara flopped back onto the couch and stared up at the water stained ceiling. Exhibit A as to why she could date anyone! She was freaking nuts! "Listen to me, I can't pursue Tony okay. I have entire conversations with myself, or that's how it appears. No one wants to date a woman who appears to be at the very least delusional."

"I am not you Sara! You just tell him that I'm the soul of your twin sister, Kate stuck here with you after a violent death that took both of our parents as well." The snarky teenage gasp of frustration made Sara smile. "The guy hunts ghosts! I'd say he can handle weird things well, wouldn't you? And you are that sister dear, mega weird!"

Sara sighed and looked at the card again. "I bet they'd have food there at the reception."

"For sure. Weddings always have primo foodstuffs."

Her stomach growled softly. The promise of food alone was enough to tempt her greatly. It'd been at least a week since she'd had a full meal. Rent and utilities had been due and she didn't want to be homeless again. The last stint had caused one of the worst experiences since the last foster home.

Sara shoved that memory down into a deep dark hole in her mind. No, she wouldn't go back on the streets, especially when her car no longer started anymore. No running car meant no heat in the winter. It also meant no locks or safety to sleep in. Nope.
Homelessness was not an option. Her stomach clenched in hunger, she stood and walked to the kitchen sink and turned on the hot water. If only she had a ketchup packet on hand, a bowl of street tomato soup sounded good right about now.

The hot water would have to do. It was an old trick to make the hunger pains stop. A small glass of warm water tricked her stomach into believing it was having sustenance. Many nights this trick had helped to ease her hunger.

Sara frowned thoughtfully as she sipped her warm water. "You think they'd care if I brought a plate home? Maybe I could take my bigger purse?" Her mouth actually watered at the idea of having cake again "It's been so long since I've had cake."

"Yummy! Purse cake again! But remember to line it with tinfoil this time. Lint is so gross! You ruined it for me when you kept gagging."

Sara laughed and looked at the card again tracing the gilded curling letters. "Of course I'll need to find some tinfoil in the breakroom at the library."

Yep, it looked like she'd go, even though it meant she'd have to face Tony. If there was some crawfish it might actually be worth it. And of course cake. She absolutely loved cake.

The smile fell away as she felt the sucking sensation that always preceded one of her blackouts. "Katie, go," she whimpered trying to spare her sister what was coming, her hands clutching at the card in her hands.

The wrenching pain filled her as she lost control of her body, she saw the vicious attack on the other woman she had know idea the identity of. She watched as the lady wrestled with the stocking capped men who broke into her home, ransacking the well ordered home. She could hear the older woman's grunt of pain when the killing blow landed on the side of her head, the sharp agony as she fell, hitting the floor, her breathing fractured as well as her hip from the impact with the fireplace. Her careworn face looked at Sara as life slowly faded away. Sara shuddered at the sight of the lady passing from this life into the next.

Sara shook free of the darkness and climbed upward catching her breath as she looked down at the invitation she'd used to draw out the latest vision. The scalding feel of the blood running from her nose spurred her into action, she pulled the hanky she'd gotten from Cody earlier out and held it to her nose as she stumbled to the bathroom, nausea threatened as she flicked on the lights that hung over the sink.

"So. Gross! Ugh, why can't we skip this part?"

Sara rolled her eyes. "Kate, you know I have no control over this."

"Have you ever tried? I mean, can't you just not?"

Sara tilted her head back and growled at her little sister, by five minutes. "Go to sleep and then you can be spared." She moaned and held her nose tighter, hating the coppery taste on her tongue. "Besides, no one told you that you have to watch."

"You don't own a tv, it's my only form of entertainment. Especially when you refuse to chase that hottie Tony."

"Kate! Go to sleep. Now."

"So not fun! I'm out of here, night sister!"

She felt her sister 'sleep' and sighed in relief. It wasn't that she wasn't grateful that she still had one family member who had survived the deadly crash that had taken their parents. No, it was the fact that she was never alone, and having a snarky teenager in her head all day long made it really hard to concentrate. Dating was a huge no go, which was one of the reasons she had to stay far away from Tony Breaux. Even if it was the last thing she wanted to do.

After making sure she wasn't going to bleed all over her dress again Sara went into the living room, draping her sweater over the back of the couch. With a sigh she wondered if she should call Cody. He was a cop, wasn't it his job to find these things?

After a moment of indecision she nodded to herself and dug out his card from her bag then pulled on her sweater. She didn't own a cell, but she did have a phone. She headed out to the landing of her apartment building. An ancient phone booth sat, dusty and looming in the darkness. She found the quarter left there on top for just emergency and dropped it, dialing the number from the card Cody Phillips had given her before.

"Detective Phillips."

Sara swallowed hard at the lump in her throat. "Cody? This is Sara Bryant." She took a deep breath, closing her eyes against the feeling she was about to put things in motion that might change her life forever. "I think I have something you need to see as soon as possible."

                                                                To Be continued
                                                                                         in
                                                           You Found Me