"Do you have the phone number for the Charter Academy?"

Sara was running late to an appointment to a small school. Thank God for cell phones.  Sara realized that this was her last hope of contacting the school in any way that would be considered timely. She was definitely going to be late to her appointment with Emmy, and unfortunately she hadn't had the foresight to get the number from her office before she had left.

"Oh my God," the operator nearly squealed into the phone. "My daughter is going to school there this coming fall. Do you think it is going to be a good school?"

Sara couldn't help but smile as this woman's enthusiasm resounded in her ear. The Charter Academy was a new charter school opening for the very first time in just a few weeks.  There was a lot of “talk” in the community about this school since it was the first one being founded by the business community.  Sara had worked with a lot of new schools during their start up phase; she knew the Charter Academy had the potential to be one of the best in the state, maybe even the country. She told the other woman as much and then requested the phone number once again.

"Forgive me, I was momentarily lost in my excitement," the operator said.  "Let me get the phone number for you."

Sara's day had not started off well. She had woken up late and had been scrambling all morning to catch up. On her way out the door she had snapped at her kids. She had silently cussed several other drivers and even the train engineer, as she ran into one delay after another. Thank goodness for Operators and Information.

"I can't believe the number is not in here," the woman said. "Let me check one other database."

Sara sighed; this was just not her day.

"I know," the woman exclaimed, "I have this number at home. Let me call my daughter. She can get us the number. Can you hold the line for another moment?"

Amazed that this woman was willing to go through so much trouble to help her, Sara simply nodded. And then she started to laugh as she said "Yes, of course, I can hold," into the phone.

Sara could hear the phone ringing at the home of the operator. A sleepy voice answered.

"Hello"

"Mishka, honey, can you wake up please?  I need you do something for me." the operator said to her daughter in her mom voice.

"Okay Mom"

"Are you still there Miss,” the operator asked Sara, "I think she is still sleeping," she added after a brief pause.

"That's okay," Sara said, feeling guilty for putting this mother and daughter through all of this, and knowing that she certainly didn't deserve this kindness after the way she had treated her own children that very same morning. "Let her sleep, really, its okay."

The operator laughed lightly into the phone. "Just wait one more minute. I am sure we can get it."

And sure enough, Mishka came back to the phone and rattled off a phone number to her mom. Sara listened as the two talked for a few seconds.

"Mom," Sara heard Mishka addressing her mother, "Happy Birthday. I love you. I'll see you when you get home."

Sara heard the click as Mishka hung up.

"Let me try to connect you," the operator said. "I hope we have the right number."

Sure enough, the phone rang and on the other end, Sara heard a woman say, "Charter Academy."

"Please stay on the line, I have a call for this number," the operator told the receptionist. "There you go, Miss. We have a connection."

"Thank you and Happy Birthday," Sara said, realizing that the phone connection was only a small part of the connection she had made that day.

Submitted by Serenity

The child looked out the window overlooking the courtyard. The kids down there were being too loud. Their voices carried. They shouldn't laugh so loud, they were being very bad making all that noise. He returned to where he had been sitting on the floor, his bowl of cereal next to him. He didn't have a spoon, but it didn't matter. He was too hungry to care. He looked over at his mom asleep on the couch while he put another handful of cereal in his mouth.

She couldn't sleep. She had to watch her baby, he was three, but he was still her baby. She hadn't slept in days. The nightmares consumed her. Every time the peace of sleep started to surround her, it was interrupted by reality. Or was it the nightmare that interrupted her sleep. She didn’t know the difference anymore. He could show up at any moment. He was always there in the nightmares. No restraining order was going to stop him. She knew the police were wrong. She knew how his mind worked.

The little boy watched as his mom rolled over. He took a handful of his cereal and laid it on the couch in front of her. Moms get hungry too. He was going to be extra quiet, extra good, he didn't want his mom to wake up crying again. He had to be sure to be extra good or mom would cry. He petted her arm.

Tears rolled down her cheeks. This was not the life her child deserved. There was no money. There was no food. He had spent all their money on his junk needs. She could barely recall the days when they’d had fun partying together. Maybe they’d had had too much fun. He didn't want to waste any of his “days of fun” by having children. That had always been very clear. Children were trouble. Women who had children were trouble, and she’d suffered for the trouble she caused him. She knew the rules. She had lived the rules. Or at least she had always tried to.

Mommy was crying. He retreated. Sitting on the floor in the corner, he took another handful of cereal. He always made his mommy sad. He didn't mean to, but he was always bad. Daddy told him so and then Daddy had left. If he was a really good boy maybe Daddy would come back. He needed to be really good.

The kids outside were laughing too loud again.

Suddenly she woke up. It was dark. Someone was in the house. She could hear him. She quietly crept out of her room. It was so dark. The hall light was burnt out. She walked downstairs slowly. She could hear his breathing. Where had all the furniture was gone? It was just space, and walls. She couldn't see. She asked who was there and then held her breath. The only response was the sound of his breathing.

And then she saw the shadow. Tall. Moving. It had to be him. The breathing was closer. She backed up, but the wall was right behind her. He was getting closer. She reached out to stop him. Her body shook with fear. He was just a few feet away. She wanted to stop him from getting closer. Her hands touched him. He was so cold. Ice cold. She withdrew her hands. She had to escape.

She tried the door. It wouldn't open. It was so dark. She started for the phone on the wall. She knew where it was even though she couldn't see it. She had to get help. It was gone. The wall was flat. Nothing on it. No phone. She ran up the stairs. There was a phone in her room. She had to get help.

Again there was nothing. The room was empty. She screamed but there was no sound. She could hear him. He was moving around downstairs, walking slowly, breathing. She looked down the stairs. There was something on the floor. Her eyes were adjusting. It was on the floor by the window. She started down the stairs.

It was something dark but she could not tell what it was. She got closer. Blood. All over the floor in front of the window.  She screamed. She screamed again.

Mommy was crying again. He petted her arm telling her he was sorry. He was so sorry. The kids outside were laughing again.