Free Sarah Tries to Save the World by Noah Porter Page B

dizzy.
     
    “I won,” I say.
     
    “Nope, it’s a tie.”
     
    I sigh, “Come on!”
     
    When my bout of dizziness ends, I stand up straight and we both go back into the water, splashing and playing and having a good time. I swear I saw a tiger practically rolling his or her eyes, until Arcya growls at it and it grumpily growls back at her before it gets out of the water.
     
    We splash and play in the water until Arcya finally interrupts.
     
    “We better get back in time for dinner,” says Arcya, and I gasp when I realize a couple hours have passed.
     
    I nod, hopping out of the water. We walk through the gate, jogging all the way back to the village.
     

Chapter 6
     
    Dinner’s an unimportant, trivial affair, except for when Ben and his brunette mentor sit down at a different table, away from everyone else. He’s actually smiling (which I only rarely get him to do), and they’re chitchatting animatedly. I sigh and look away, finishing my meal quickly. My appetite strangely disappears.
     
    After dinner, I line up for the race outside of the village, pretty close to the Ricomuz. Ladies go first, which despite nobody actually verifying my suspicions, I know is just because they want to see increasingly better competition and has nothing to do with ‘ladies first’. Apparently we’re supposed to be weaker or something.
     
    Arcya whispers into my ear that the eldest elder’s name is Elder Manoiv, and he’d be the judge. Anyways, Elder Manoiv comes to the front, nearest to the track.
     
    “First one to reach the end wins, and if she so chooses, may compete in the men’s race at her own risk. The others may not participate under any circumstances. The race begins when I say so. Last place has to pick up any obstacles before the next race. Now… You may begin!” Elder Manoiv calls, and we’re off.
     
    It’s a fairly difficult track, twisting and turning just when I least expect it. There are at least ten broken branches that I know last place will have to pick up. Regardless of the irritating branches, I’m in the lead, with Lily and Aria closely behind me. The other non-superhumans don’t stand a chance, poor things.
     
    I’m sprinting harder and faster with Lily and Aria keeping pace, but they both trip over branches in the last stretch before the end of the race and I win.
     
    “Congratulations, Miss…” says Elder Manoiv.
     
    “Sarah Sindile,” I say.
     
    “Sarah Sindile!” finishes Manoiv. “Would you like to try your hand at the men’s race?”
     
    I nod, noticing Ben looking at me with a mixture of pride and determination while everyone else cheers. He mouths at me ‘I’ll win’ and I mouth back ‘Yeah, right’. It’s on.
    The race begins, and this time it’s even more tough and competitive. Ben, some strange brawny dude, and I are neck and neck, with the rest barely lagging behind.
     
    I barely notice the branches I nearly trip on or the other people, instead concentrating on sprinting as fast as I can. The other brawny man is panting heavily, but manages to keep up with Ben and I. When I see the finish line is only a few yards away, I put on an extra burst of speed, somehow managing to find the extra strength to beat the brawny man.
     
    Unfortunately, so does Ben, and we cross the finish line at the same time, tying for first place. The brawny man who kept up with us for quite some time is panting, looking at us, stunned.
     
    “This is most strange, but may I present the two winners… Sarah Sindile and Ben Clorcay!” says Manoiv before continuing. “The strangers that outran Ociri, who was undefeated and the fastest runner in the whole village!”
     
    I eye Ociri, who looks back at me with a sort of grudging admiration while the crowd cheers. He mumbles, “Good job.”
     
    I nod before yawning and managing to dodge through the crowd, all the way back to my hut, where I enjoy the silence. When I shut the door behind me and sit down on the bed, I’m suddenly