Sarah's Plan.
858 Words
Chapter 3.
“No, Jack. You can’t leave,” I pleaded, tears streaming down my face. I had been crying for what felt like forever, but his heart seemed colder than ever.
“No, Hailey. I don’t want you anymore. Let go.” He pushed me away and walked toward the other woman standing at the end of the road.
I couldn’t see her face, but my heart raced wildly. My breath became erratic, and I screamed in agony.
“Wake up, drama queen,” Emilia’s voice cut through the panic as she shook me. My eyes flew open. Everything that had just happened—it was only a dream... no, a nightmare. I took a deep breath, praying it would never come true.
“What happened?” I asked, trying to sit up. The bed beneath me wasn’t mine, nor did it belong to my household.
"You fainted. You don’t remember anything?” Emilia asked, gently rubbing my back. She pulled me against her, though I could sit up on my own. Her sudden shift in behavior made me wonder what was going on. Why the change?
In the corner of the room, I noticed my dad talking to the medicine woman. I could tell they were discussing me.
“I don’t remember,” I said.
“How could you? Poor thing, you need to eat and regain your strength. Today’s a big day for you,” Emilia said with a soft smile.
“Today? Why not tomorrow?”
Emilia laughed. “The girl must have hit her head when she fainted,” she teased, cupping my face in her hands. “You fainted yesterday on the way to the eve. You slept through the night and the whole morning. It’s already afternoon, so no chores for you today... just focus on the shape-shifting.”
Oh, that was her real concern… the fact that I hadn’t done any chores today. It must’ve been hard for her and Sarah to manage without me. I almost wished I’d been awake to witness it. What a sight that would’ve been.
“How are you, my child?” my father asked, approaching where I sat. He was a short, aging man who had married later in life. His long black hair, neatly tied back, was the only thing we shared in common. The rest of my looks came from my mother. “Are you feeling any better?”
“Yes, Father,” I answered, trying to free myself from Emilia’s grip.
“Did you eat anything unusual yesterday?” he asked, his face creased with concern.
I thought back to the apple. Could that have caused my sudden illness? No, Jack would never poison me—I was sure of that. Sarah, on the other hand… maybe. But not him.
“No, Father. I only ate what was given to me here at home,” I replied, careful not to mention Sarah. It wouldn’t matter anyway—her mother would just deny it on her behalf. If Sarah refused to give me the apple, I’d be the one in trouble.
“Alright then. Rest up and get well soon,” he said before leaving the room.
The moment he was gone, Emilia pushed me away. “Get up from that bed, you lazy fool, and get ready for tonight. You’d better not disgrace this family… make sure you shape-shift without screaming.”
“Yes, ma.”
**
Sarah’s POV:
I couldn’t help but laugh as I watched Hailey devour the apple. She hadn’t eaten all day, and I knew she’d fall for my trick. This scheme was actually planned by my partner, Jack, whom I’ve been with for six months.
I loved him deeply, and I would do anything to be with him. He loved me too, but there was a complication: before we became involved, Hailey and Jack had been dating.
I noticed the way he cared for her, and jealousy consumed me. At first, I only intended to ruin their relationship and walk away, but Jack was too irresistible to ignore.
In Midnight Village, marriages are arranged between families. Hailey’s father had already arranged for her to marry Jack as soon as she turned eighteen and shape-shifted. Jack’s father agreed to this arrangement, provided that Hailey became a true wolf.
On the eve of her birthday, I hatched a devious plan. Poor Jack wrote Hailey a letter, alongside an apple. Unbeknownst to him, I had poisoned it. The poison wouldn’t kill her, but it would prevent her from shape-shifting. Tomorrow, she would face the humiliation of failing to transform. In Midnight, failure to shape-shift results in being marked.
Once marked, one is treated like a pariah and cast out. No one, not even family, will look at you with any semblance of love.
I smiled, confident in my plan. I was far cleverer than my mother. She failed to eliminate Hailey’s mother in time, and as a result, Hailey was born. But I will end this once and for all. Hailey would come to wish for death, and when I was done with her, she would leave Midnight forever.
- Writer
