Into the Phantasm Part 1: The Silver Mirror

Through the Mirror Part 3: The Hiding Place

Sarah was not okay.
    Maya had to get off at her regular bus stop so couldn't accompany Sarah home. She had to fend for herself on the journey back. What was once a short, brisk stroll became an agonising venture through her quiet little town. She was on the verge of passing out from the pain alone. She felt ill.
Sarah's Dad always told her that when she was in a difficult situation, she should try and only visualise the end result rather than focusing on how far she still had to go. Sarah always found it difficult to tune out her pain or fatigue by simply thinking about something else. The pounding soreness in her stomach was borderline impossible to just ignore, but the thought of being home at least kept her feet moving. One little step at a time.
As Sarah walked, the occasional resident of Sixton would ramble on by, not giving her so much as a side glance. They all had places to be. They couldn't take five minutes out of their dull little lives to help a girl, one they probably recognised, who was clearly suffering. Sixton had never been the friendliest of neighbourhoods...
    Eventually, Sarah made it back to her home. She used the last few ounces of her strength to force the door open and collapsed through it, falling to the floor and staying there. She felt dizzy, sick and useless, the pain in her stomach somehow feeling worse than ever.
Luckily, Sarah's Dad heard the door open and hurried into the hallway. As always, he was excited to see his daughter and ask about how her day went. He did not expect her to be lying face down on the floor in a vaguely human shaped heap. "Oh my goodness!" he exclaimed. "Are you okay, what happened?"
    "I'll explain later..." Sarah groaned. "I need to sleep... I just need... sleep." She started trying to walk but her legs buckled and she fell against the wall.
    "Hey, don't push yourself," Sarah's Dad said. "I'll help you get upstairs if it's sleep you need." He helped Sarah up from the floor and let her lean against him, taking her carefully up the stairs to her bedroom.

~~~

Sarah awoke hours later, safely snuggled in her soft bed. Some of her pain had subsided, but she could feel that she hadn't fully recovered. She couldn't believe she'd been incapacitated to such an extent with a single punch. The trolls must have had a really high strength stat...
"Kora made it out fine, and that's all that matters." Sarah looked up at the ceiling. "It's been a long time since I made a new friend..."
    All of a sudden, Sarah's Dad came into the room and smiled when he saw she was awake. "Thank goodness you're finally okay. I thought for a minute that you might not wake up."
"Hey, you know me." Sarah's voice was hoarse. "I'm more resilient than I look."
    "What even happened to you? I was worried you got hit by a car, do I need to take you to the hospital?"
    "No no, I don't expect so. I just... uh..." What the heck could she say? Not the truth, that's for sure. If she said she got hit by a troll, her Dad might think she had brain damage, then she'd definitely be going to a hospital! It was time for some advanced critical thinking on Sarah's part. WHAT GENIUS RESPONSE WILL SHE COME UP WITH!?
"I got hit... by a football!" Sarah blurted out. "Right in the stomach."
    "Ooo, yeah, that'll do it."
    Sarah silently celebrated the fact that somehow worked.
"So, now that you're feeling better, shall I make you something to eat? Could even throw in a cup of my world famous hot chocolate too if you're in the mood."
Sarah nodded eagerly.
"Had a feeling you'd like that idea," her Dad chuckled. "Oh, before I go, Lillian called earlier. Maybe call her back if you feel up to it."
"Oh, ok. Will do."
Sarah's Dad smiled and left the room as Sarah reached over to her desk to grab her phone. She dialled in the number and a fraction of a second later, Lillian answered. "Sarah! I heard about everything that happened! Are you good? Do you need me to come over?"
"Loud..."
"Ah shoot, sorry. Sound sensitivity. Duh!"
Sarah heard a slap from the other end of the phone line, which she interpreted as Lillian facepalming.
"You okay though?"
"Yeah, I'm fine now. Mostly unharmed."
"That's a relief. I knew my brave girl wouldn't be phased by some random bonehead."
Sarah smiled. She always liked when Lillian called her that. Lillian was probably the strongest person she or Maya knew. She always looked out for them and in a way, protected them. Sarah would never forget when Lillian helped her deal with some bullies a few years before... Hearing Lillian call her brave always made her feel a little stronger.
"Has Maya contacted you this evening by the way?" Lillian asked. "I haven't heard from her since she explained what happened."
"Hmm. She hasn't messaged or tried to call. The only missed calls I had are from you."
"Huh. That's unusual... I hope nothing happened to her as well."
"I wouldn't have thought so. She went home on the bus with me and she seemed fine then. Unless something happened when she got home."
"We'll see her tomorrow. Even then, it's probably nothing."
"Yeah... I'll message later to see if she says anything."
    "Good idea..."