The air left her lungs painfully, as the blow aimed at her stomach hit its mark with devilish precision. Sarah sputtered, blood trickling down the corners of her mouth, white lights blinding her vision and sending her thoughts into a hazy blur. The brutish arms keeping her on her feet slackened and she fell to the ground with a loud thud, body aching and tears stinging down from her marbled eyes.

"Happy Halloween little Miss Hocus Pocus!" A raspy voice snorted down at her, as a heavy boot pressed menacingly into the small of her back.

"Y-You're all sick bastards," Sarah barked through gritted teeth, face twisted in a pained grimace. "You'll all p-pay for this!"

"No, my little twitchy-witchy girl," A cold voice rang out like funeral bells on a gloomy evening, "You're the sick one. What with you running around with this wicked little spell book?" Sarah squeezed her eyes closed, tears spilling over and dripping onto the white cobbled-stone of the park bridge.

A sharp ripping noise pierced her ears, and the cold voice sang out, "You don't need this page, do you my sweet little witch? 'A spell to bring love into your life', hmm?" Sarah bit back an anguished scream as her beloved book was violated by her high-school bullies' grubby, vile hands.

"Get off her Travis!" A familiar voiced hollered from a short distance away, "Or I'm gonna tell your mama that you're bothering Sarah again!" Her six year old brother could be such a hero sometimes, at least when he wasn't hiding in the bushes hunting for the faeries.

She felt the foot lift from her back and she lifted up slightly onto her elbows, to see Toby standing there with Travis' little sister to his left and Bryan's little brother to his right. Toby and his little faerie finder club, three of the sweetest 1st graders she'd ever met, and the unfortunate unspoken reason Bryan and Travis liked to target her above all the other outsiders at Everglade High.

"Tch." Travis snatched the book from Bryan and threw it in Sarah's face, turning on his heels with his lackey sulking after him, "You're getting off easy this time bitch. Saved by your little twerp brother once again? What a loser."

Sarah sat up slowly, wiping the blood from her mouth, her eyes wandering after her two assailants until they were out of sight.

"Sarah," Lisa's little voice chirped, "did my bro' hit ya' again?"

"Ah," Sarah forced a gentle smile and shook her head, "I'm alright, thanks to you sweethearts." She stood up, somewhat wobbly from the blows to her head. "Toby, you're such a little knight."

The childrens' voices rang with an innocent laughter and Sarah felt her heart lift at their unadulterated purity. It was times like this that gave her hope in life, that gave her faith to keep living.

"Oh," Sarah looked on over the fields of the park, the setting sun layering the scenery in a warm glow, "We best be getting home soon, or all of your mother's will have a fit." Lisa took Ivan's hand in her's and tugged him toward her.

"Me an' Ivan are gonna walk together." Lisa twittered aloud, causing Ivan to reluctantly concede to walk his little friend home.

"I'll walk you home, princess Sarah." Toby offered up his arm, and she bent low to accept it, a charming smile capturing her bruised lips.

"Thank you, prince Toby."