I stared at Zion like he didn't know what he was saying, trying to analyze everything that was happening.
"Why are all these things happening? Who exactly is Alex? What were those strange things he told me? What does he mean that I'm not human? Why is he missing now that I have so many questions?"
These thoughts flooded my head all at once.
"But I was with Alex…" I found myself whispering almost immediately.
"What did you sa—"
"Give her breathing space," my mom said, cutting Zion off.
"Sarah, thanks for stopping by regularly. You can see your friend has woken up, go home and get some rest," my mom added.
"Thanks for having me, ma'am," Sarah said as she waved me goodbye and left.
A doctor and a nurse walked in, and the doctor checked my vitals.
"This is strange," the doctor whispered.
"What is wrong?" my mom asked.
"Her body doesn't respond like someone who has just come out of a coma," the doctor said.
"What do you mean?" Zion asked.
"Usually, when coma patients wake up, most have muscle loss and feel weak. But she's fine—there's no muscle loss, her heartbeat is steady, and her reflexes are strong. She'll be discharged soon," the doctor explained before leaving with the nurse.
I was discharged the next day.
***********************************************
"It is time to accept reality—my reality," I thought to myself as I stood surrounded by people dressed in black. They were all mourning, crying, weeping… and my mom—the most broken among them.
She had lost her husband, and she was probably losing her mind, just like I was. Zion stood beside her, looking more dejected than I had ever seen him. As annoying as he could be, he was always a happy kid… but not today.
Dad's funeral took a toll on everyone.
It was held in the small garden behind our house, with family and relatives gathered to watch him being laid to rest. When his coffin arrived, it was transparent, allowing anyone to see what was inside—and his body was severely disfigured, almost as if it hadn't been a natural death.
The air felt tense, like it could be cut with a knife. My heart felt unbearably heavy. Tears couldn't fully express what I felt, yet they flowed silently down my face. When I couldn't bear the sight any longer, I left.
I went to my room and sat on my bed as memories of my dad began to find their way back to me.
I remembered him when he was happy… when he was sad… when he was moody… when he was confused. I remembered how he faked being annoyed even when he was actually angry—but never stayed angry for long. I remembered how he praised Zion and me whenever we did something right. How he called me his princess… and my mom his queen.
But now, those were the only things left of him.
I was lost in my thoughts, trying to process everything that had happened, when I heard a voice. It was faint at first… but it became clearer with time.
"Help… anyone, please," I heard.
"Please, is anyone there?" the voice came again, clearer this time.
I got to my feet and stepped out of my room, but saw no one.
I returned to my room and noticed something strange as I passed the mirror hanging in the corner. I stepped back and looked at it again.
This time, something was different.
I could see myself… but the background wasn't my room.
Shock washed over me as I stared. Slowly, I reached out and touched the mirror—
—and everything changed.
The mirror was gone.
My room was gone.
I looked around and realized I wasn't in my room anymore. I stood in an almost empty space. The only structure in sight was a gigantic school, with students moving in and out.
But something felt off.
None of them looked human.
They looked… strange. And they felt strange too.
Then I felt it—an energy I couldn't explain. It was cold, yet powerful… mysterious and unsettling.
"Excuse me…"
The voice echoed as I felt a slight touch.
I turned around—but no one was there.
Everything shifted again.
The school was gone. The students were gone. The air grew darker, heavier… emptier and there were no buildings in sight.
I was about to question where I was when I heard the voice again—the same voice from before.
"Is anybody there? Please, help…"
I turned—
—and froze.
Possessed with shock at the sight before me.
It was Alex.