Sarah stared at the creature before her that was doubled over and groaning in pain.  She had never known him to be hurt or wounded when she had seen him over the course of her life, and she really didnâ€™t have much of an idea of why he was in so much pain.  Looking at him now, Sarah thought back over the years, the times she had seen him after school, in parks, and even at the group home she had stayed atâ€¦nobody else had ever seen him, and he had never seemed to follow any other child.  She remembered the clothes she had seen in the tunnel and wondered what had happened to those kids.  If he had followed them the way he had followed her and something had happened to them.<br/><br/>When his voice rasped inside her head for the first time, she took an involuntary step back.  It was like the shock someone gets when they hear a sudden noise.  In all this time, Sarah had been under the impression he was unable to talk, or had long ago lost the ability to do so.  And yet, standing before this creature that she knew could do her so much harm, Sarah felt no fear.  She only felt sad for him, for his pain, and for what might be the loss of her only friend.  â€œWhatâ€™s happening to you?â€ She asked him quietly.