~
The pain flared up again as soon as she put her feet on the sidewalk. The wound was unimaginable. She couldn’t imagine any worse pain in the world. Surely even having a baby wasn’t this terrible. What could possibly be this terrible? She screamed and dropped the duffel bag.
She wanted to cry. But eventually the pain eased away, and she kept going down the sidewalk. Eventually, after turning down several dark roads, the lights of the bus station glowed through the trees.
Sirens blared and she stopped. Flashing police lights blinded her. The patrol car screeched to a halt and sprayed water in her face. She turned around.
“Sara Moon.” The officer had his windows rolled down. The driver was Bill Monaghan, an old friend of her dad. The people of Grayson used to joke about how little he worked, how he spent all his time eating Danishes while parked at the Save-N-Go. But it looked like Bill was worried. His pudgy face had wrinkles in it, and all the color had left his usually healthy complexion. “I hear you were there for the disturbance at Bubba’s Chik’n. We really need you to come down to the station.”
“Mr. Monaghan.” There was a lump in Sara’s throat. “I—I can’t.” Back-talking to Lauren was one thing, but a police officer was another, even an old friend of her dad’s. “I’ve got to go, Mr. Monaghan.”
“Please call me Bill.” He gave the same warm smile she remembered, and in an instant—despite the darkness and pelting rain—she felt safe. “Are you heading on the bus?”
“Yes. I’m going on… vacation.”
“Well, I can take you right back. It will only be a few minutes.”
Sara couldn’t help but smile in return. “All right, Bill. I’ll do that.”