The Mirror: England

Chapter 2

I just finished making lasagna for us three and about two hours have passed. I was still questioning everything I was told by my mother. The witches destroyed all of the gold framed mirrors for protection. No, they didn't mum. You own one. It's rumoured that there's more but I doubt it. How do you doubt it if you have one in your attic?

I shook my head, attempting to rid my head of these thoughts. I started to cut the lasagna so I could give the girls their plates. I heard a shuffle of feet so I turned around and these girls are already sitting at the table waiting for their food. They're children, I swear. I'm the mother and father of this friendship. I shook my head, lightly chuckling, and grabbed forks and our plates. I was able to balance everything because of my job as a waiter. They saw the food and they had the biggest smiles. I gave them their plates and placed mine where I was gonna sit and went back to the kitchen.

I poured Nat a cup of water and two cups of orange juice for Lex and I. I went over and started to eat. Lex loves to over exaggerate things so all I hear from her is moans and her saying "this is heaven". Nat's just giggling and then she noticed the look on my face.

"What's wrong Kay?" I sighed. I put my fork down and sat back.

"Yeah, you've had this weird vibe since we found that weird-looking mirror in your attic. After you said they're real you didn't seem the same. What's going on?" Alexa stopped eating and focused her attention on me. I looked back and forth at the girls before I spoke.

"My mum used to tell me stories about these gold-framed mirrors. They look exactly like that. I used to think that they were all fairy tales. Apparently, they lead to an alternate universe where everyone and everything was reversed; all good was bad and all bad was good. She said the witches cast the spell that did that and then destroyed these mirrors to save us all from the horrors they caused on the other side," I scoffed. "She even said there were no more in the world. Why couldn't she just tell me the truth? That all of that was true? Is it that hard? I'm not the only one who felt some kind of pull towards that mirror, right?"

Nat looked slightly uncomfortable in her seat. "Now that you mention it when I saw the mirror I had the sudden urge to go to it and touch it. That's why I seemed kinda in a trance when I was walking towards it. I didn't wanna mention it because I thought it was just my curiosity spiking. But as soon as you took the sheet off of the mirror I felt really inclined to touch it. Then you walked in front of me and I didn't feel the pull anymore. I didn't think it was important at the time but now it's obviously important," Nat explained, motioning to the conversation. I nodded slowly, processing everything she just said.

I looked at Alexa and she looked she was gonna say something but was hesitant about it.

"Lex? You good over there?"

"Babe?" Nat was about to get up and go over to her to see if she was okay but I gave her a look to tell her not to.

"I didn't think this was real... Kay, you know the story I told you about what happened to my Aunt Cheryl right?" Alexa started off.

I nodded. "Yeah, didn't she get kidnapped years before you were born? When she was like seventeen?" Horrible, I know.

"Yeah. That's what I was told but then I heard my parents talking about her like last month saying things like, 'Australia was a bad choice. She knew about the mirror and its ways. I don't know why she disregarded everything out of curiosity' and I was confused as to what she meant by the mirror but it's all starting to make more sense." Her voice was cracking and a lone tear fell down her face. Nat was instantly at her side.

"Okay but like, am I the only one who has never heard of the mirrors before today? I mean, I felt the pull but never have I heard of those before." Nat just looked at me confused.

I shrugged. "Most parents tell their kids about it as a fairytale, my parents, and others just don't tell their kids about it at all. Guess you got the latter." She nodded.

Alexa sniffled and looked at me. "Should we talk to your parents about this? See why they didn't tell you the truth?"

"I'd rather not. I mean we could go investigate ourselves, see what this whole 'alternate universe' thing is. From what I remember, seven and a half days here is about a day there so just about an hour and a half here is one day over there. Plus my parents are gonna be home soon anyway so let's go up there until they get back," I suggested.

They nodded and we picked up our food and drinks and put them on the island in the kitchen. I grabbed my phone and we all headed into the attic. We gave each other wary looks before turning on the light and automatically feeling the strong pull from the mirror. We walked towards the mirror. Staring at the glass of the mirror, I could've sworn I saw a twinkle flow from the top of the mirror to the bottom but it was probably a trick of the eye so I ignored it.

I didn't even hear Nat and Lex telling me to stop walking until it was too late. Suddenly, my foot got wrapped in the cloth from the mirror and then I couldn't stop myself from falling forward. My arms flailing everywhere, attempting to grab onto something. I noticed how close I was getting to the mirror and out of instinct, I closed my eyes and braced for an impact that never came.

I didn't hear any glass break nor did I feel myself hit something. All I felt was tingles throughout my whole body. I opened my eyes to see myself floating to the ground ever so slowly. I looked around and I immediately lost all words. I looked up and saw the mirror I just went through.

You've got to be kidding me. I went through the damned mirror...