3. Sadie

Sadie

A persistent knock on the door resounded in Sadie's skull. She rolled over, only to find herself alone in bed. Though she'd pushed Lucien away, she truly didn't think he'd leave her.

The knock sounded again, forcing her to rise. She found a silk robe hanging in the generous closet and quickly slipped it on. Her body ached with every move, despite how soft her mattress had been. Pain reminds us we're alive , she thought.

Her jaw dropped when she opened the door.

"Hilde?"

Sadie didn't blink as she took in the lithe young woman before her. With hair as blonde as a field of wheat and blue eyes that reflected a clear sky, there was no mistaking her for the best friend shed known since birth.

The woman looked at Sadie with a bewildered expression.

"Hilde," Sadie repeated.

"I'm sorry. I don't know who that is," she said with a small smile. "My name's Chloe. I live next door."

Chloe leaned back from the doorway and pointed her apartment out to Sadie.

"The landlord couldn't reach you, and he asked me to let you know the hot water will be out because they're replacing the hot water heater today. They're opting for a tankless unit which will benefit the entire building. No more cold showers because the woman downstairs enjoys temperatures hot enough to burn your skin off."

Sadie made a face wondering why anyone would purposefully endure such torture.

"It sounds painful," she said.

"Oh, it is! Believe me," Chloe, laughed.

Despite her size, her laugh was robust and surprisingly loud, just like her old friend. Sadie thought of her last conversation with Hilde.

Chloe cleared her throat awkwardly.

"If you'd like to hang out at my place, you're more than welcome."

Sadie didn't like the idea of returning to bed alone, so she quickly agreed.

"Give me a minute to throw something on."

"No rush. Just come over as soon as you're ready."

She gave a half wave and a wide smile before turning around and heading home. Sadie watched her walk into her apartment before shutting the door to her own.

The bedroom closet was large enough to step inside. To her surprise, it was well stocked with clothing and shoes.

The underwear was quite revealing. There were several lacy garments which puzzled her. Why would someone want a simple string to wedge itself between their butt cheeks? In the end, she chose a bra and forewent the undergarments. She found several frocks, dresses, and even pants. She picked up black stretchy pants unlike anything she'd worn before and paired it with a simple white frock.

She walked into the bathroom and was shocked at how bright the bulbs were. When she looked in the mirror, she didn't recognize herself. Her brows were expertly arched, and her long dark hair was glossy, though tangled from sleep.

Déjà vu overwhelmed Sadie as she realized Tallulah was on the other side of the looking glass. Her memories and experiences were within reach. If Tallulah could survive in such a modern, scary world, so could Sadie.

She brushed the knots out of her hair and searched the drawers until she found something to put her hair up. Her hands moved on their own as she gathered the loose strands and secured it with the pink clawed clip.

Sadie opened the medicine cabinet and found a toothbrush and toothpaste. The minty freshness on her tongue caused her eyes to roll in pleasure. It was a far cry from the days she would rub herbs across her teeth with her finger and cup her hand to scoop water from the washbasin to swish around her mouth.

When she walked into the kitchen, the digital display read 10:15. She didn't understand the modern concept of time. In her village, her day started when the cocc crowed and lit a candle at dusk. Usually the candle burnt out long before she fell asleep. She opened the window and glanced at the location of the sun in the sky and was able to tell from its position that it was before midday.

Sadie raised her fist to knock on the door listed as 2B. She shifted her weight from foot to foot suddenly feeling nervous. Chloe opened the door a moment with a wide smile.

"Hi Sadie!" she exclaimed as she stepped aside. "Welcome to my humble abode. Please don't mind the mess. I was babysitting for the woman in 1A, and the kids are a bit rambunctious."

The mention of children was a barb in Sadie's heart. Her smile faltered, but if there was one thing she'd learned was how to adopt a mask to eclipse her pain. There was nothing in the world to take away the pain of losing her child. Lucien had said their baby went to a place he couldn't reach. After so much time had passed, was it even worth hoping they would be reunited?

Sadie glanced around the room. The layout matched hers exactly save for the furnishings. Chloe invited Sadie to make herself comfortable and went to the kitchen to get refreshments.

The open layout allowed the women to chat while Chloe moved about the kitchen. Modern apartments differed vastly from the tiny hut she grew up in.

"Have you met anyone else in the building?"

Sadie shook her head.

"The Robertsons live in 1A. They have 3 kids: Jeremy, Isaiah, and Maisy. She's a stay at home mom, but some mornings I watch the kids so she can run errands.

"The slut in 1B is Kim. I'm all for women owning their sexuality, but you can hear her going at it as though she's running a business out of her home. She's the reason we never have hot water.

"Brady lives in 1C. He is hawt! Added bonus, he seems to be impervious to Kim's charms. We really don't know much about him because he keeps to himself. I think he works the night shift because he's always coming and going at odd hours.

"You're in 2A. I'm in 2B. A newly married couple lives in 2C. They have a cat named Checkers. She's adorable. I hope you aren't allergic because she's a modern Houdini and often wanders the halls. If she meows outside your door, don't feed her."

"Why?" Sadie asked.

There were plenty of wild animals wandering the village, including kittens. Sadie often fed them and even used fabric scraps to make them bedding. Sitting with Chloe made her realize how much she missed companionship.

"While Checkers is an adorable chunkster, she's on a diet."

Chloe entered the living room with a tray laden with two glasses and an assortment of crackers and cheese. She gently placed it on the coffee table and sat opposite Sadie on the sofa.

"I hope you like lemonade. And please help yourself to snacks. I'm afraid I don't have much. But if you tell me what you like, I can make sure to stock up for next time."

"Next time," Sadie echoed softly.

Sadie had to remind herself that Chloe wasn't Hilde. The women weren't just similar in looks. But she could tell she embodied a wonderful spirit.

"Okay, tell me your story, Sadie."

Sadie had been prepared for questions about herself, but what would she say? Her lover was the son of Satan. Her sister stole her baby. She'd been to Hell and back, literally.

"There's not much to tell." She shrugged.

"Where are you from?"

"I grew up in a little European village."

"Oh, okay. I was trying to place your accent. It's beautiful. You sound like one of those actresses at the Renaissance faire."

"Thank you," Sadie murmured. "How about you?"

"I'm from here originally. After college, I decided to travel for a while. So I purchased a van and my brother helped me renovate it. I traveled the country for a little while. I picked up some odd jobs, but mostly worked online with my wireless hotspot. It was beautiful. When my dog, Brutus, died, I decided it was time to return home. After all, home is where the heart is."

She picked up a small framed picture.

"I called my van Rita . It seemed fitting to call her something beginning with R because of the red paint."

In the stunning photo, Chloe posed with Brutus against the vibrant red van. Behind them, a breathtaking landscape unfolded. Majestic mountains rose proudly, their peaks adorned with a lush green forest that stretched as far as the eye could see. The sky above was an expanse of perfect blue, devoid of a single cloud.

"That's beautiful. Does it snow in the mountains here? Back home, our village was built at the base of the mountain. The snow would melt and form a fresh spring that trickled into the river. The men would scale the mountain to hunt, cut wood, or even fish. We would fetch water in pails and bring it to the hearth where we would boil it."

"Wow! I thought living van life was roughing it."

"You said you have a brother? Are you close?"

"Absolutely! I actually have 3 brothers and 1 sister. My baby brother is the black sheep of the family. Otherwise, the rest of us are pretty close. How about you?"

"I have a twin sister."

"Are you close?"

Sadie shook her head with a sad smile. Constance was the perfect child in their mother's eyes. She was older by mere minutes which might've been years. Constance was taught to be a proper lady, while Sadie took the role of her handmaiden.

It seemed like fate when Lucien saved her from Cain in the town square. When he named her as the Winter Maiden and gave her a child, it was as though she could never want for anything. But it turned out to be a death sentence.

Though her belly bore no scars from the brutal attack, she vividly remembered the fire she felt as the knife sliced through her body. The tears froze on her cheeks as she begged her sister not to harm her child since it was already too late for her.

Constance had stolen Sadie's life, child, and even her future.

"My sister is dead," Sadie said flatly.

"I'm sorry," Chloe said with a frown.

She held out a tissue to Sadie. The young woman hadn't felt the tears on her cheeks. One day, her tears would dry up. She'd been through so much. This was her chance to reclaim her life and be the person she wanted to be, not who people made her.