The Mirror Mage | ONC2022

39. The Shotgun

"Ms Wentworth? Melissa? I'm Ben Lucas, Luke's friend. We met once before, a few months ago." Ben kept his voice as steady as he could, under the circumstances. As an actor, Ben had faced many guns, but this one wasn't a prop. The black hole at the end of the barrel seemed alarmingly large.

Luke's mother studied him more closely, her brows rising. "The actor?"

"That's right."

"The one who disappeared and caused all that trouble?" Now her voice was getting shrill, and her grip on the gun tightened even further.

"I'm sorry about that, but I didn't exactly have any choice," Ben apologized.

"Where the hell did you go? We had the police here. Luke was distraught."

"I'm sorry," Ben repeated. Although he couldn't help thinking that for someone supposedly distraught, Luke had been quick enough to find someone else. "I know this is going to sound crazy, but I fell through the mirror. This one here in the attic." He pointed.

"What?"

"It's not just a mirror. It's a gateway to other worlds. Didn't Luke tell you?"

"He said something like that, but I didn't believe him. I thought he'd been drinking," Melissa Wentworth confessed. "After all, that's crazy talk, isn't it? There's no such thing as magic mirrors. Not in the real world."

Ben gave a wry smile. "That's what I used to think, too. But that's how I got back here, into this attic. If you put the gun down, I can show you."

"Go on then," Melissa nodded in the direction of the mirror, disbelief radiating off her face. "But I think I'll keep the gun right where it is," she added with a grim smile.

Ben swallowed, then turned cautiously toward the mirror, careful not to make any sudden moves.

"I'll just put my arm through. Will that convince you?"

"We'll see... Who the hell is that?"

Ben spun around to see Melissa staring at the Rider, still unconscious on the floor. The gun was now swinging between the two of them.

"He won't hurt you! He's unconscious." Ben hastened to explain. "He's with me."

"But where did he come from?"

"Rhillion. One of the other worlds I was talking about."

Rather than appearing reassured, Melissa was now staring at him in horror. "You brought an alien here? Into my attic?"

"He's injured. His leg has a wound that's become infected. I-I want to take him to hospital," Ben stuttered.

Melissa moved a fraction closer to get a better look, curiosity overcoming trepidation.

She glared accusingly at Ben. "This is no alien! He's human!" Then she had a second look. The garments he was wearing were unusual to say the least. "Isn't he? Or is his blood green?" she added sarcastically.

"No, his blood is red, I've seen it," Ben answered absently, his mind ticking over. He had never really thought about that aspect. Was the Rider human? He certainly looked as if he was, but looks weren't proof. What if he got him to hospital and they discovered his blood type was unknown to modern medicine or his DNA was wildly different?

"You know, your reaction is beginning to worry me. What if you're telling the truth and he's from another world? He could be carrying alien germs! Viruses that we don't have immunity to here on Earth."

Ben gulped. He'd forgotten all about quarantine issues. How could he have been such an idiot?

"You're right. I wasn't thinking. Although, I've been in contact with him, and others on Rhillion, and I haven't come down with anything strange yet."

"But viruses don't just infect humans, do they? You called him the Rider. Does he come in contact with horses? There are all sorts of diseases and parasites which affect animals."

Ben was starting to feel sick. He really hadn't thought this through. He should have known better, especially coming from Australia where quarantine and bio-security was so important.

He was going to have to take the Rider back to Rhillion, immediately, without any treatment.

Melissa lowered the gun. "How about you show me your trick with the mirror, first? I'm still not convinced this man is from anywhere other than some weird cult."

She stood aside so that Ben could approach the mirror unimpeded. Close to tears at the disastrous outcome to his efforts, Ben let his arm fall through the glass half-heartedly, then brought it back. What was the point? It scarcely mattered now whether Melissa believed him or not. He had no real choice. He and the Rider had to return to Rhillion as soon as possible.

"Do that again!" Melissa's voice was hoarse. "It has to be some sort of trick."

Ben shrugged and this time he stepped through the mirror into the space beyond. He waited while he counted to ten, and then stepped back into the attic.

Melissa was staring open-mouthed. "I don't believe it!" Tentatively she touched the glass with a fingertip. Then, when nothing happened, laid her hand flat against the glass.

"Why doesn't it work for me?" She sounded disappointed.

"I have no idea how it works, but I do know that only certain people can use the glass. Not everyone is a glasswalker on Rhillion, either."

"'Glasswalker'?"

Now that she believed him, Ben could see that Melissa was practically bursting with questions.

A groan came from the floor and their attention swung back to the Rider.

"He's coming round," declared Ben, anxiously. "We'll have to go. I'll need your help to get him up on my back again."

"Wait." Melissa was studying the Rider's prone figure. "Let me have a look at him first. I used to work for the Ambulance service and I've assisted with a lot of injuries in my time. I might be able to help."

"Help? But-"

"I've already been in close contact. If I was going to catch anything, I've already caught it! Let's have a look. His leg, you said?"

Before Ben could protest further, Melissa was kneeling on the floor, carefully drawing back the edges of the Rider's torn trouser leg. The discarded gun lay beside her.

She studied the wound in silence for a moment, then turned a puzzled face to Ben. "I thought you said it was infected?"