Chapter 11: Food Poisoning

The drive home was considerably slower and more cautious than her journey to the daycare that morning. Sofia tried waiting in her car for a few minutes before leaving, just in case the strangeness afflicting her subsided, but to no avail. In the end, she decided it was better to leave before it got any worse.

Things did get better once she got out of the forest and left its glowing insects and human-faced trees behind, but even in Mistlewood she noticed quite a number of people with rainbow skin tones and distinctly inhuman features. She did her best to ignore them. She had to focus on getting home in one piece.

Luckily, the trip passed without incident. Her car chugged to a halt in the garage and Sofia headed inside, taking each step with extra caution. Although she'd been lucky not to run into any issues with the terrain, she couldn't shake the fear that the floor below her would suddenly turn into a cavernous pit without warning or a protruding lip would “disappear” and trip her.

"Sofie!" Her mom greeted her pleasantly. She sat on the couch, her feet tucked beneath her as she read a thick book. "You're home early, dear. Is something wrong?"

"Yeah… I think I'm sick." Sofia rubbed at her eyes again and looked around. There were a few errant glows and some shifting knicknacks, but nothing close to how things had been at the daycare. Were the effects finally subsiding?

"Oh, goodness." Her mother snapped her book shut and glided to her feet. She was in front of Sofia in a moment, holding her hand to her forehead. "No fever… Do you have a headache? Chills?"

Sofia shook her head. "No? I'm just… seeing things. Hearing things, too. I think I might've gotten food poisoning or something."

Her mom's brow furrowed for a moment. Then, she nodded sharply. "Right. Well, I know just the thing. You run along and rest while I make you some soup."

"It's fine, mom. Really. You don't have to—"

The woman put a hand on her hip and arched an eyebrow. "Sofie, dear. I know that you're all grown up and independent now, and I do my best to respect that. But if you think that I'm going to stand idly by when you're sick in my house? Well…"

Sofia tried to object, but it was a halfhearted attempt at best. What was the point of being stubborn? Plus, if she were being honest, one of her mom's soups sounded amazing right now. She hadn't ended up eating seconds of that pasta, after all.

"Go." Sensing that she'd won, her mother shooed her up the stairs. "Rest. I'll be up in a moment."

Sofia obliged, turning back before she'd made it to the top. "Thanks, mom. Really."

"Thank me by lying down for a bit!" Her mom called back, already on her way to the kitchen.

Sofia smiled and headed to her room. Once inside, she collapsed onto her bed with a soft whumph, closing her eyes to shut out any lingering strangeness.

What in the world is wrong with me?

She took inventory of herself. No headaches, muscle pains, shakiness, or nausea. Her mom had claimed she didn't have a fever, though she would take her temperature just to confirm that. Really, the only symptom she'd noticed so far was the hallucinations. Which made things even more confusing.

Why in the world did I just start seeing things like that? Was there something wrong with the food? No way I got drugged, right?

The food was the most likely explanation. The hallucinations had only started after she ate that pasta, after all. Still, the complete lack of other symptoms made her think that it wasn’t exactly food poisoning. Not to mention none of the kids seemed to display any issues before she left.

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If the kids did get affected, then it's way more likely to be the food. I'll have to ask when I go back.

She really hoped that wasn't the case. Even though it would shed some light on her own situation, the thought of the class of three-year-olds inadvertently tripping out over expired food wasn't a pleasant one.

The other plausible option was that she'd had some sort of allergic reaction, though that was also reaching. She didn't have any allergies she was aware of. Unless she’d somehow developed one? And what kind of allergy caused hallucinations, anyway?

Sofia sighed, throwing an arm over her face. One thing was certain—she was tired. The whole debacle had left her exhausted and confused. All she could hope was that the effects would wear off soon. And considering that her room had appeared normal, perhaps they already had.

A knock sounded at Sofia's door, rousing her. She'd apparently dozed off at some point. Raising her head, she called out in answer. "Come in."

Her mother elbowed the door open with a soft creak and carried a tray inside. Two bowls sat atop it, one filled with sliced bread while the scent of rich chicken broth wafted off the other.

"Here you are." Her mom set the tray on her desk. "One bowl of hearty chicken noodle soup. There's also some plain toast if you just need to settle your stomach. Holler if I can get you anything else, ok Sofie?"

She nodded, thanking her. Evidently, she hadn't completely recovered from her malady yet, as the door seemed to glow and swing shut of its own accord. Then again, maybe her mom had used her foot to close it or something.

After orienting herself briefly, she shook off the post-sleep fogginess and stood, crossing toward the tray of piping-hot food. Little chunks of shredded chicken and cubed vegetables floated alongside bowtie noodles in the soup. It smelled absolutely tantalizing. But…

…Do I really want to eat more chicken and noodles? I mean, they didn't exactly seem to treat me well earlier today…

While she didn't have confirmation that the chicken alfredo was the cause of her current issues, she did have a strong suspicion. And given that, the thought of eating anything remotely similar should have made her sick to her stomach. But this was her mom's cooking. And if anyone could revitalize her flagging appetite, it was her.

Just a few bites. Then, if I'm not feeling it, I'll just eat the bread.

She ate the whole bowl.

***

Sofia woke up when it was still dark out. What exactly had woken her up, she wasn't sure. Maybe she'd just gotten her fill of sleep. Or maybe there was some sound that had only registered in her subconscious. Whatever it was, she was awake now.

She shook her head. First staying up too late, then going to bed too early… Her internal clock would have a field day figuring itself out if she kept this up.

She lay in bed for a long while, simply letting her mind wander until a low rumbling in her stomach spurred her to action. Flinging aside the covers, she stood and headed for the door. Maybe there was more of that soup in the fridge.

Sofia padded softly down the stairs, rubbing at her eyes. She was pleased to see that the house had returned to normal while she slept. The strange glows and movement of the knicknacks had subsided, leaving behind a far more familiar scene. The only thing shifting on the shelves now was the shadows.

She couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. At this time of night, hallucinations like the ones she'd been having would be easy nightmare fuel. It would be just her luck to have her brain conjure a demented clown at the window or a vengeful ghost at the end of the hall.

Sofia paused at the bottom of the staircase. There was a light in the living room, casting its glow across the walls. But not one of the strange ones from her hallucinations. This was the yellow-orange of flickering firelight.

Frowning, she edged forward. Peering around the corner, a soft voice reached her ears.

"...It was such a beautiful day out, dear. Perfect weather for gardening. Oh, and your roses are in full bloom! They're looking even more beautiful this year…"

A few candles flickered before her father's shrine, bathing his picture in an amber glow. Silhouetted before it was the outline of her mother, sitting cross-legged on the ground. Her quiet words were filled with fondness.

"...Sofia? Oh, you would be so proud of her! She seems like she's really taking to the daycare like a fish to water. Though she did come home sick today…"

Sofia watched for a brief moment, then turned around and quietly tiptoed back up the stairs. She could wait to eat until the morning.