by Saless
Chapter 22
"Sarah, look out behind you!" Mike yelled out. As usually happens in such situations, though, she turned to look at Mike, who was running towards her. She was caught completely by surprise when Kyle swung a brick at the back of her head. She was blinded by the pain and fell forward onto the asphalt.
"Freak!" Kyle snarled. "You got John fired, and now Tiffany's going over everything! She'll find the shortages that John covered up for me and I'll be fired, or worse! All because you wanted to wear a skirt!" Kyle was shouting by the end of his rant, kicking Sarah the whole time. He was so focused on the target of his tirade that he didn't even notice Mike until it was too late. Kyle's first awareness of Mike came with the introduction of Mike's fist to his face.
"Stay away from her!" Mike growled, putting himself between Kyle and Sarah. Kyle had staggered back from the blow but recovered quickly. He still had the brick in his hand and he threw it at Mike. Mike easily sidestepped the projectile and caught Kyle's subsequent charge with a kick to the stomach.
Kyle doubled over in pain and straightened slowly. "Why are you protecting that freak?" he growled.
"She's no freak, she's my friend!" Mike growled back.
Sarah was still conscious, but dazed from the blow to her head. She tried to stand, but became dizzy and laid back down. "Mike…what's going on?" she called out weakly.
"Just relax Sarah, you're safe now." Mike replied. Kyle thought to take advantage of the distraction and charged at Mike. Unfortunately for him, Mike wasn't distracted.
Mike easily dodged Kyle's fist and caught his arm. Letting Kyle do most of the work, he twisted and threw him onto his back. Kyle scrambled back to his feet and took another swing at Mike, only to end up on his back again.
A siren could be heard approaching, but Kyle was oblivious. He landed on his back three more times before a police officer arrived and arrested him. While Mike told the officer what had happened an ambulance arrived and a paramedic took a look at Sarah.
Sarah was still disoriented and didn't know what was happening. When the paramedics tried to put her on a gurney she struggled with them. "Mike! Mike, where are you?!" she screamed. Mike hurried over and calmed her. Once she was calmed down the paramedics were able to get her on the gurney and into the ambulance. Mike climbed in with her.
Mike called Jill on the drive to the hospital and she met him there. "What happened?" Jill asked anxiously as the paramedics took Sarah in.
"Kyle hit Sarah in the head with a brick and started ranting at her and kicking her. I think he was stealing from the store or something. Anyway, I got in between them and hit him a couple of times and threw him around a bit until the police got there. Sarah doesn't seem to know where she is, she was struggling with the paramedics until I talked to her." Mike explained worriedly.
"Is she going to be alright?" Jill asked with tears in her eyes.
Mike nodded. "I think so. The paramedics didn't seem concerned about her confusion, they said she probably had a concussion."
Jill sighed in relief and they walked into the hospital to find out how Sarah was doing. She was still being examined, so they were directed to a waiting room. Some time later, after several enquiries from Jill, they finally found out how she was doing. "She has a mild concussion and some scrapes and bruises, but that's about it." A doctor told them.
"When can she go home?" Jill asked.
"Probably tomorrow." The doctor replied, before leaving to see to his other patients.
They were allowed in to see Sarah briefly. "How are you feeling?" Jill asked when they entered the room. There was a bandage on the back of Sarah's head.
"My head hurts, but I'm okay." Sarah replied.
"I'm sorry Sarah." Mike said with his head bowed.
"For what?" Sarah asked, bewildered.
"If I'd been there on time he never would have gotten close to you." Mike replied sadly.
"It's not your fault." Sarah said. "You couldn't have known this was going to happen."
Jill wrapped an arm around Mike. "Yeah, you can't control traffic!" she chided.
"Traffic?" Sarah said.
"Yeah, he called me to tell me he had been held up by traffic. We would have called you, but you don't have a cell phone. We should really do something about that." Jill replied.
They chatted a little while longer; then Mike and Jill left so Sarah could get some sleep.
Jill returned to the hospital the next day. She brought Sarah some clothes and talked until she was released. She was warned to take it easy for a couple of days. Before Sarah could stop her Jill called her boss and told him she'd be out for two days. "Why'd you do that?" asked Sarah petulantly.
"You're taking a couple of days off to rest as your doctor ordered, and that's final!" Jill replied firmly. Sarah sighed in defeat, she knew better than to argue with Jill when she was like this.
Jill drove them both to Sarah's apartment and followed her in. "Before you get any ideas," Jill began as soon as the door was closed, "you're not opening any portals for a couple of days, either."
"Why not?!" Sarah exclaimed.
"You're supposed to be taking it easy. Besides the fact that those trips are often stressful and sometimes dangerous, we don't know how your ability works. Opening a portal could put a strain on your brain or something. So no portals, and no changing anyone's gender, got it?" Jill replied.
"What am I supposed to do for two days if I can't go to work or work on getting back to myself?" Sarah whined.
Jill shrugged. "Read more stories to find another world to visit, or just play your video games. Relax!"
Reluctantly, Sarah did just that. She decided against reading any more stories for now, she'd be too eager to visit them if she found something promising. So she spent several hours playing one of her favorite games. Jill had left once she was satisfied that Sarah was going to relax, but returned with Mike when he got back from work. Jill insisted on making dinner. "You're supposed to be relaxing, so do it!" she admonished when Sarah tried to help her. She grumbled as she returned to the living room to watch TV with Mike.
They had a nice night in, just talking and watching television for a few hours. "Remember, no portals!" Jill admonished before hugging Sarah goodbye. Once they'd left Sarah got online to talk to Erica.
SeanDreamer is logged on
Erica378 is logged on
<SeanDreamer>: Hi Erica, sorry I missed you!
<Erica378>: I've been worried about you, what happened?
<SeanDreamer>: We lost track of time Sunday after a run in with John Green from work.
<Erica378>: Ugh, that jerk? But what about last night?
<SeanDreamer>: I was in the hospital so I didn't have internet access.
<Erica378>: WHAT?!! Why were you in the hospital?! Are you alright?
<SeanDreamer>: John and Bob got fired at work yesterday. Kyle was mad about that and hit me with a brick. I don't remember it, but that's what Mike said happened.
<Erica378>: Are you alright? Why did he care about John and Bob getting fired?
<SeanDreamer>: Mike said that Kyle was ranting about getting caught by the new supervisor. I guess he was stealing or something. I'm fine, just a bump on the head.
<Erica378>: Wow, busy day, huh? You didn't work today, did you?
<SeanDreamer>: No, Jill wouldn't let me! I had to stay home and play video games. She's soo cruel! ;)
<Erica378>: LOL! Good for her! You need to take care of yourself.
<SeanDreamer>: Yes mother!
<Erica378>: ;P
<SeanDreamer>: They still keeping you busy?
<Erica378>: Ugh, are they ever!
<SeanDreamer>: I love you, even if you did leave me alone out here!
<Erica378>: I love you too, even if you do exaggerate! ;)
<SeanDreamer>: What, me? ;)
<Erica378>: Go to bed, silly, I'll talk to you tomorrow. ;p
<SeanDreamer>: Goodnight!
<Erica378>: Goodnight!
Erica378 has logged off
SeanDreamer has logged off
Sarah sighed as she shut down her computer. She missed Erica so much, but she couldn't see her again until she'd solved her problem. She thought about looking up more stories, but decided against it. Yawning, she changed for bed and crawled under the covers.
To Be Continued…
Comments
Okay, I do understand. A little, but
I think it's time Sean/Sarah comes clean with Erica. Sean/Sarah may, or may not, be stuck for the rest of her life, but not telling this _major_ event is beginning to be plain wrong.
I mean, I certainly wouldn't take it lightly if my boyfriend, after being turned into a girl, would keep secret about this not so little thing. It simply will not go away, and I don't refer to the possibility of returning to hir former state, but to the total of what has transpired. Keeping Erica in oblivion is simply not done.
I would feel betrayed when nothing would be mentioned for days on end about something this big. And even if s/he could return to being male, the events would come out. Imagine the feelings of betrayal and mistrust that would evoke.
So I gather it's time to tell Erica.
Jo-Anne
In Sarah's defense, it has
In Sarah's defense, it has been said that Erica isn't the kind to believe in anything supernatural. She believes in what she can see and feel and that's about it. So telling her over IM, she wouldn't take it seriously.
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
Well that's easily solved
Establish a video link and switch Mikes' gender to and fro´.. That'd make a believer out of her.
But I'm not into the technical solutions or all that, I'm talking about the emotions involved. Issues like trust, and honesty, communicating with one and other. Never mind Erica would've a hard time believing it, Sean/Sarah is living it. A partnership is about sharing all. Keeping one party out in the dark is not helping.
Blimey, I am actually getting involved. :) Thanks Saless.
Jo-Anne
You're right that this isn't
You're right that this isn't a healthy situation for their relationship. But this is the correct action for Sarah (Not correct as in morally correct, but as in fitting with her character's personality and experiences). We'll just have to wait and see what happens with the relationship. ;)
Sounds like I might be doing something right! Thanks Jo-Anne!
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
I have to agree with Jo-Anne
Even if Erica doesn't believe Sarah, the fact that she tried to come clean will make a big difference. Also, she can preface the big confession with something like "I know you won't believe this, but..."
After that, a phone call between the four people involved will go a long way. Is Erica going to refuse to believe after that? Maybe, but at least Sarah told her.
Ray Drouillard
I think its safe to assume based on what we know thus far
That Erica would just be another member of the gang and wouldn't be likely to add much to what they are already attempting. If that IS the case, then distracting her while she is getting her Law Degree could derail her possibly for life. At best they could tell her there is stuff happening that would be too hard to explain over the phone, but that Mike and Jill are working out out with him...
My 2 cents..
Frank
This is also a very good
This is also a very good point. We do know that Erica is being kept very busy with her law degree, so this kind of distraction could be quite detrimental to her education. Sarah wouldn't want to be responsible for that!
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
You and Jo-Anne both have
You and Jo-Anne both have good points. I know if I were Erica I would rather Sarah told me about this right away rather than hide it. On the other hand, I can also understand Sarah's position of wanting to fix it and sweep it under the carpet without Erica ever knowing about it. But then, I know a bit more about Sarah then everyone else does at this point. ;)
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
One of the problems with abuse.
A little background first: it takes significant experience or a life-changing event to go from an action to a descriptor. What I mean by this, is that low level harrasment, verbal or emotion abuse surrounds most people every day, and even though these people have been abused, that abuse does not come to define their personalities.
Sarah, however, like several of the other "abused people" I know and work with, has major trust issues. Intellectually, she knows that Jill and Mike are her friends, and that Erica loves him (and would likely her, as well), but emotionally, it's always her fault, and she can't trust anyone because they will always hurt her. To the abused personality, everyone is a threat until proven otherwise, and during emotional reactions, even that past goes unheeded—everyone will hurt me if they can, she thinks. It gets even more threatening becuase emotional intimacy, that closeness means, opens one up, and increases the potential for further abuse.
From that analysis, I think Sarah wants to tell Erica, but doesn't dare to, knowing that the inevitable (in her mind) rejection will crush her.
I'm not saying it's right, but sometimes the only option is to take what's least wrong.
If Jill and Mike are Sean/Sarah's friend ...
they will get her and Erica together face to face one way or another and soon.
Maybe Erica will love Sarah as much or more that Sean. Maybe she knows what happened, subconsciously. She may not believe in magic but may hold the key to why all has happened and maybe even the solution.
Um, notice how Sean was gender neutral and Erica is Eric with just an *a* added? Something is rotten in the state of Denmark and it ain't Hamlet.
Okay, evil, twisted, perverse ... Um, kind, loving, saintly, omniscient author person ... what is going on?
Loving it.
John in Wauwatosa
John in Wauwatosa
Dear John:
Actually, it hadn't escaped me, the whole zappy+gender neutrality, but I was trying to deliver (not the best word, I'm thinking of soemthing with a 'p') a present perspective. This is what I think Sarah thinks now.
BTW, thanks for having such a great user name.
Believe it or not...
when I originally chose the names for the main characters a few years ago I never imagined that the name Sean was gender neutral. I really thought Sean was a guys name only. It's only very recently that I've learned otherwise. Frankly, it still feels more like a guys name to me. As for Erica, it really feels like a feminine name to me, so I never thought of that, either. Then again, when I looked back at my original notes the other day I discovered that Erica was originally going to be Mike's girlfriend, and Sean's was Tina! Oops! ;) I'm not sure why I was so sure that Mike's girlfriend's name started with a J, but I was. Jill just felt right when I went through J names, so that's how they got their names. I completely forgot Tina until I looked up my notes. Poor girl, she got cut before she could even make an appearance! ;)
Thanks John!
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
It's weird...
Reading this comment and thinking about it I find myself tearing up and I'm not really sure why. I do know that it is rather disturbing to me, because your description of an "abused person" sounds an awful lot like me. Especially when I was growing up. Which is weird, because I certainly would never have described myself that way. I guess I'm just a paranoid wuss! ;)
As for Sarah, well, we'll eventually see what's going on in her head.
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
i wonder if
Sarah will be able to resist opening another portal now that she has time on her hands Left to her own devices for two days will the temptation prove to be too much?
Not having too much knowledge about Greek / Roman gods, I'm not too sure if my next suggestion would work....but the thought struck me that Venus is by no means the most powerful god, So with that in mind has Sarah thought about trying her luck with Zeus/Jupiter.... Or is the safer option to leave the king of the gods well alone?
Kirri
I think I'd say leave the
I think I'd say leave the king of the gods alone. Not just because he's likely to be as unpredictable and dangerous as the other gods, but because he's a womanizer to the nth degree and he's not likely to care too much that Sarah used to be male (Or that she wouldn't want anything to do with him).
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
Hallmark
One of the great hallmark of the Greek Gods were that they were so human and flawed. Zeus the womanizer and bully. Hera the goddess of the homemaker, but also jealous and peckish. Aphrodite, beautiful and fickle. I honestly can't think of a one I would dare as Sean go to with the possible exception of Apollo the god of music and healing. However he too had his human flaws. Plus remember Tiresias? He told the truth about which sex experienced the greatest pleasure. Hera struck him blind for it. Zeus the King of the Gods and presumably more powerful was unable to undo that curse. Zeus gave him foresight to make up for his blindness but could not reverse the blindness.
If Sean is going to get back to being him, She is going to have to go back to Venus. Two things might work here. Find a story in that the goddess of Love is a nicer person or write your own story of a kinder more forgiving Venus whom you can appeal to.
If another method would have worked I'm sure Amy, and friends could have taught her how to change herself since her spirit has been awakened. Elminister and Mystar would have been able to do it if all that was needed was brute power so I'm afraid it is back to Venus.
On another note, about rather or not Sean is TG deep into denial. The question arises because so many people have an easier time seeing him as Her. Even more confusion arises because it could be because of Venus's curse since we have yet to find out just what the full effect of it is.
My own personal experience suggests that Sean could well be deep into denial. I know I was. I brutally cut myself off from anything and everything feminine or even suggestive of feminine. Many have gone that super-macho route. Currently that is my best guess about what is happening to Sean. As for the sex-changing she can do and for Mike's linkage with her, I don't know. It could be a side effect of the reality hopping. At first I thought it was because Sean and Mike were such good friends it was like brothers/sister kind of thing. However the 'Spirit enlightened' girls said no. That it was something else. Okay I'm baffled. :)
Great and fun stuff Saless!
hugs!
grover
Baffled?
Good! That means I'm doing it right! ;) Thanks grover!
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
Repressed TG?
Or maybe not that repressed.
(from chapter twenty)
Sarah doesn't seem to think there's any point in changing back because the harassment is pretty much assured. Only the prospect of losing Erica pushed her to the next attempt.
An idea
I´ve got an idea, that Sean/Sarah should try - to open portal not to other world, but to other place in his/her world. So visiting Erica, or going to work or friends would take only seconds...
Trouble Is...
...it'd be hard to prove that it's the real version of their real world. It could just be Sean's mental picture of his world -- or even someone else's, if he uses a newspaper or documentary or blog report or something similar to open that window. If he visited Erica or went to work that way, he could come home and discover that the real Erica or Tiffany never actually saw him; he'd been dealing all day with an imaginary (by his own world's standards) copy.
(It might be relevant that Sean may realize or surmise that there are worlds out there, including one that they've visited, where he and his friends are fictional characters themselves. I suppose one attempt at a solution to their situation would be to visit the author of their story in one such world. But, as in the case above, there'd be no assurance that any fix they got from that author would carry over to their real existence.)
Eric
This is a lot like the time
This is a lot like the time travel debate. If you go back and change something and then return to the present, are you really in your own world/timeline, or did you just create a new one? And what are you doing trying to give Sarah and friends the idea of visiting me?! Then again, an angry Sarah might use her gender changing power on me and save me the money for surgery... ;)
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
That would be
That would be handy!
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
A list
Hey Saless! If she does show up, can we give you a list of folks for her to visit? Put me on it! :)
Hugs!
grover
PS: Is this what they mean when they say, breaking the fourth barrier? :)
If I did it within the
If I did it within the story, it would definitely be breaking the fourth wall! I'll sign you up in case Sarah pays me a visit grover!
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
Alll That I Know Is That Sarah Can Be Cured
By riding MY TransBike. I know that it will work! It is My story.
May Your Light Forever Shine
May Your Light Forever Shine
Ah, well, just change Erica into Eric. :)
It will be good for Eric being a guy and a Lawyer and all that. Women still have an uphill battle in the business world. Sarah can stay herself; probably suits her better anyhow.
Khadija
I think Sarah might argue
I think Sarah might argue with both of those ideas Khadija! ;)
Saless
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America