The Snake that Bit Sara / Julia Stasiowski

Sarafina Sarsaparilla wasn’t sure why she was here. Sitting in the sheriff’s office, staring at the scratched-up desk made of ebony wood. This, she knew for sure, was the end. She twiddled her thumbs, staring down at them, her wooden chair becoming more and more uncomfortable. The sheriff, with his long white mustache and giant hat covered in dust and silt, stared down at her. “Sara, I just don’t know what I did wrong when I raised ya.” 

Sara suddenly got up from her chair and screamed, “I swear Daddy it was them outlaws that did it, I had nothin’ to do with it!” 

The sheriff shook his head and took a flask of whiskey he always had on that desk and took a big gulp of the stuff. “I seen the evidence Sara, you were caught robbin’ that bank, and that’s that.” Sara sat back down and wept into her hands; How on earth did it come to this.  

*** 

Now let’s start from the beginning. Sara was born to a sheriff in 1856 in the western state of Utah. She was always the model student at her one-room schoolhouse; granted there weren’t many students to compete with. And when she wasn’t acing her tests, she was always the best singer in the pews at church. She was the goodest of goodie two shoes, but that all changed one fateful day.  

“How’d ya like to get away from this town?” he asked, propped up against a light pole outside the small schoolhouse. He looked to be around sixteen. He was dressed in a brown sweater vest with a white long sleeve shirt under it, the whole thing covered in dirt and grime as if he’d been dragged by a horse drawn carriage for three miles. He stared at Sarafina with a certain fire in his eyes, as if he were planning something dangerous. 

 “Garret, whatever it is I ain’t interested!” she said matter of factly in her long dress with a button up top and long tight sleeves. Her hair was ornately styled with a braid looping around the rest of her long hair. She carried books in her hands that she planned to read for the upcoming exam. She started to walk off, “You ain’t even gonna hear what I was gonna say?” He said with a fake sort of sadness, one that Sara always fell for. 

 She sighed and turned around. “Fine, what is it?”  

“I was just wonderin’ if you could hang out with me and mah friend, thas all…”  

Sara knew that wasn’t all, he always ended up roping her into some sort of scheme “No!” She said firmly. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna be late for dinner, and mah pa don’t take too kindly to being late.”  

She resumed walking away, but Garret slithered up like a rattlesnake behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She tried to bat the hand away but he just put it back on her shoulder and kept walking beside her “C’mon think about it” he said with a snake-like air “You never have any fun, won’t it be nice to take a load off just for one day, thas all I’m sayin’.” 

 She scowled, then thought, if I just give in just this once, he’d finally be off my back and I wouldn’t have to deal with him anymore. “Okay, fine! But just this once, but you gotta promise to get off mah back afterwards”  

“I promise.” What she heard was genuine, but what she didn’t know, was that his fingers were crossed behind his back. 

“Now this ain’t mah idea of fun!” She said after she realized where Garrett was taking her.  

“C’mon, why don’t ya live a little, Stick-in-the-mud!”  

She looked at the saloon sign nervously, and then at him, then sighed. He wasn’t quitting “Alright let’s go in.”  

He nearly threw her through those swinging doors. It was as noisy as a pack of roosters in the early morning. There were folks at the bar screaming about their ex-wives, a person playing speedy ragtime on the piano in the corner, and the whole place was utterly buzzing with conversation. “I go to this place all the time to get ‘way from it all.” He said, “I’ll have a whiskey on the rocks, thanks much.”  

The bartender finished cleaning a glass and poured a glass of whiskey, put ice in it, and slid it across the counter to Garret, who promptly took a swig. Sara started backing away. This isn’t what her father would want her doing, especially before dinner. She was a good kid, she couldn’t be around this awful establishment, it was wrong. Unfortunately, Garret saw her out of the corner of his eye and reeled her back in like a fisherman with fresh bait. “Now ya ain’t leavin’ so soon, are ya?” He said with calculated sadness “you haven’t even seen mah friend yet.” 

 She panicked, stuttering and struggling to speak, then the thought came back, just to get him off my back. “Fine, but I ain’t stayin’ longer than I need to.” She grabbed a seat next to him at the bar. He tried to put his arm around her, but she promptly swatted it away, hard. 

*** 

“C’mon Sara! Why won’t ya have just one *hic* drink?” 

“No thank you.” It had been about forty-five minutes since she’d gotten to the bar, and not a single kid had opened those swinging doors. Where was that so-called friend? This was a huge mistake, but as she was about to get up to leave, the door swung open and a kid walked in. She looked to be about twelve and had long vibrant red hair and freckles all over her face. she had a boy’s outfit on with a paperboy cap on her head, her outfit covered in about as much dust as Garret’s. She sauntered up to the bar and hopped up on the seat on the other side of Garret. 

Garret drunkenly looked over to the freckled girl and then at Sara “oh hey, Sara! This is mah *hic* friend Rosie!” Sara looked at the kid and waved. 

The girl sighed and turned back to Garret “Hey, ya sure this is the girl ya wanted to invite, she seems like a bit of a square if ya ask me.”  

That made Sara madder than a pack of rabid coyotes starved for days. She spent all this time waiting in this bar with its loud noises and its annoying music and its drunk touchy patrons, and for what? For a child to call her a square! She was not having it. “I’ll have you know I am not a square! What were y’all plannin’ to do anyway? Make friendship bracelets for a lil’ toddler like you?”  

Rosie furrowed her brows “I am not a todd-”  

Garrett sat up slowly “now, now, ladies let’s not *hic* dampen the mood, we’ve gotta be ready for what we’re doin’ tonight.” Sara straightened up. “I’ve been meanin’ to ask, what exactly are we doin’?”  

The three of them stood outside the general store in town. The beautiful purple and pink light of the fading sunset made the dimly lit store seem less and less inviting. Rosie and Garret started walking in, so she followed them on instinct. The bell rang as they entered the shop. The store didn’t have too many visitors around this time. The man at the register had a pinstripe jacket with white sleeves underneath, a curly graying mustache, and a bowler hat atop his head. He looked at Garret and Rosie with disdain, but when he saw Sara, his distain turned to confusion. Why was she, of all people, with them? Rosie and Garret looked around the store with excitement, going down the aisles with wooden shelves. But Sara just followed quietly, holding her arm uncomfortably. 

Rosie picked up a can of tomatoes “Whadda ya reckon we get some of these?” Rosie said jokingly. 

Garret laughed, “C’mon silly, ya know that ain’t what we’re after.” They continued walking down the aisle until he saw what they were after, a box of cigars on one of the shelves. “Here we go!” Garret said grabbing three off the top. He turned to Sara “put these in yer sleeves so we can get outta here!”  

She couldn’t believe it; not only was he asking her to get cigars, but to leave without paying! She wasn’t having this. “No! No way am I doin’ that!”  

Garret looked at her with pleading eyes “C’mon Stick-in-the-mud, it’s just this once!” 

“Yeah, Stick-in-the-mud! Why don’t ya live a little!”  

Time seemed to slow down as she thought.  They were telling her to do what she never thought she would, steal. Stealing was always wrong, always, so why were they so insistent on it? I mean they aren’t asking for much, just three cigars at just five cents each. And it’s not like she had any cash to pay for them. She breathed out.  

Just as Rosie was saying to Garret “see? I told ya she wouldn’t do I-”  

She butted in “Alright, gimmie them cigars.” She took them from Garret’s hands to the surprise of both him and Rosie. She pushed them up her long white sleeves; they stuck tightly to her skin. 

Garret smiled “Good choice” 

*** 

“Whoa what a rush that was!” Sara said on top of a nearby building with Garret and Rosie on either side of her. The sky was dark and twinkling with stars as they all put their feet over the side. 

 “I told ya!” Garret said with a smile. “Now, where are them goods?” Sara unbuttoned her sleeve and took out the three cigars and gave them to Garret. He took out a box of matches he kept in his pocket. He lit up one and gave it to Rosie who took a big puff, then he lit his and did the same. As he was going to light Sara’s, she almost stopped him. She thought to herself, what they were doing was fun and the rush of doing something she wasn’t supposed to do was exhilarating. 

 She let him light it and took the cigar. She took a puff then coughed. “Wow this stuff’s the bees’ knees!” 

“Couldn’t’ve said it better mahself, Stick-in-the-mud.” He raised his cigar up in the air “to Sara!” 

Rosie raised hers “to Sara!”  

Sara blushed “aww guys, y’all ain’t as bad as I thought.”  

Rosie turned to her “And you ain’t as much of a square as I thought, the way ya walked outta there sure was somethin’” 

Sara took another puff of the cigar “Man, this stuff is good!” 

“Sure is” Rosie and Garret said in unison.  

*** 

“Alright, can ya reach the window?”  

“Almost, Garret.” Sara was standing on top of the shoulders of Rosie and Garret trying to reach her bedroom window. She didn’t wanna walk straight in the house after it being so late. Sara grasped the open window ledge. “Alright, got it, gimmie a lil push.” Garret and Rosie pushed up, and she finally reached into the house. She climbed into the window. “thank y’all!” She called down to them  

“Yer welcome” called up Garret and Rosie simultaneously. 

“Will I expect to see ya tomorra?” Garret asked 

“Sure, why not.” Sara didn’t even think of the fact that she had just stolen and smoked a cigar; she just thought she had made a friend. As they ran off she waved happily goodbye, but when she turned around, she had to face a different beast. His face wrinkled from worry; he was wearing a long nightshirt that went down to his ankles. Her father, the sheriff. 

“Where have ya been Sara? I thought ya ran into a coyote on the way home, thank God yer safe!” He rushed in to hug her, but stepped back once he smelled the smoke on her breath. His worry then turned into anger. “Have ya been smokin’ Sara?”  

 “No! ‘course not!” She lied instantly, she knew his rage, while rare, could tear a hole through anything. “I just walked past a smoker is all.” 

He breathed a sigh of relief, then the concern grew on his face yet again. “But why were ya out so late?” 

Sara’s heart sank, she almost considered telling him everything, but she cared about her newfound friends, so she lied again, “I got lost on the way back, sorry ‘bout that” She looked down at the ground.  

“It’s okay sweetheart, ya still wanna have dinner? It may be a little cold, but I made yer favorite.”  

“Sure Pa!” He never suspected that was the first time she ever lied to him. 

*** 

Days and weeks and months went by. Everyday Sara would hang out with Rosie and Garret. As they passed people on the street, they would stare at Sara with confusion, but over time they got used to her presence with them. Every night after school she was out a little later, she came up with new lies every time her dad asked where she was. “I was doin’ a school project” or “I was visitin’ church late to pray to the Lord” or even “I was almost home then I realized my bonnet was back at school.” What she was really doing was stealing, drinking, and smoking. She justified it to herself, she was just having fun, she wasn’t hurting anyone. Then the day came when everything came to light. 

“Alright, so here’s the plan” Sara, Garret, and Rosie were sitting on top of the same building they smoked cigars on, on the first night. It was around midday, the bright blue sky was littered with small clouds. “Sara goes to the front desk and asks to take out some money from her pa’s account.” He looks over to Sara “Make sure to stall ‘em as long as possible.” Sara nodded her head in agreement. He then turned his head to Rosie “You crack the lock to the back door and help me with the vault” Rosie nods. Garret stood up “Alright, let’s get this show on the road!” 

*** 

“Alright, I’d like to take two, nah, thrae, no wait, uhhhh.” Sara was at the bank, the white marble floors shone with the light from the outside windows, she was following the plan to a tee. The teller had a long gray beard and mustache, he had on some small spectacles, wore a long top hat and a black suit. She looked behind the teller to see if Rosie and Garret were done picking the locks. Once they were done and grabbed the bags stuffed with bills and walked out while giving her the thumbs up, did she say, “Ya know what? Maybe I’ll get some money some other day…” As she started walking out, the teller looked behind him and noticed the vault was completely empty.  

The man whirled around and screamed, “Thieves! After her!” The guards at the front of the building tried blocking her path, but Sara slid under them between their legs and continued running, kicking up dust in the street. She caught up with Rosie and Garret who were carrying big sacks of money on their backs.  

“Alright, that’s some cash y’all got!” Sara said between breaths.  

“I know right?!” Garret said with a smile.

“Yeah! This is ‘nough to last us years!” Rosie agreed, but as they looked ahead, they noticed the road was blocked with several police officers. Garret and Rosie turned down a side street, but Sara didn’t realize until it was too late. As she stopped in front of the cops, she knew there was nowhere to run. So she held up her hands and let them slap the handcuffs on her and take her away.  

*** 

This is how we got here, sitting in the sheriff’s office, Sara crying into her hands in that uncomfortable chair.  

“Sara, ya know cryin’ ain’t gonna do nothin’.” That only made her cry more. She just realized what she’d been doing all this time, she’d been lying to her own Pa. 

She wiped her tears with her sleeves and shakily breathed in. “I’ve been lyin’ to ya, Pa. Whenever I came back late, I’ve been *sniffles* I’ve been smokin’, I’ve been drinkin’, and I’ve been stealin’. And, I’m so sorry!” She continues crying as the sheriff shook his head.

“Ya realize thas a confession, sweetheart.”  

“I know, take me ‘way” then she held out her hands again. 

*** 

There she was in that jail cell. The dark gray concrete walls were devoid of any texture to break up the monotony. It was hours later, and the moon shone through the small window in the cell. She was sitting on a small bed attached to the wall, she looked absolutely miserable. All of a sudden, she heard a voice from outside, it was Garret, “Psst hey Sara!” He whispered. She walked to the window and saw him standing there. “Ya wanna get outta this joint, Rosie gave me some dynamite to bust ya out!” She looked at him, then turned away. She was getting what she deserved, but him and Rosie would never change. They would break out of every prison they were trapped in, it didn’t matter to them, but she needed this. “No!” She said firmly.  

“Aw c’mon Stick-in-the-mud, it’s just a lil dy-”  

She whirled around and looked straight into his eyes. “No means no, Garret! Now leave me alone!” That was the first time Sara ever saw him that shocked, he looked like a bison about to be shot. 

He nodded wordlessly, put the dynamite back in his pocket and walked away. She went back onto her bed and started quietly sobbing. Throwing away her friendship with them was going to be hard on her, but it was better than giving in to peer pressure. The snake that bit Sara was dead on the floor. 

The End

 

***