Mirror, Mirror

Chapter 7

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I hope the dialog in the scene with the professor isn't too hard to read, as I was trying to emphasize a heavy German accent through spelling.  When in doubt, a "z" should be a "th" sound, and a "v" should be a "w" sound.

Sometimes having three rows of seats in a car comes in handy. Like when you try to squeeze in nine people and a mirror. The Monkees and Kockatoos couldn't leave Sharon behind where Shawn might try to kidnap her again, even if he didn't seem to want to harm her, so they took her along to the professor's house. Mike, Michelle, and Peter took the front seat, with Peter being forced to place both legs off to the side of the gearshift and the mirror standing up in the floorboard, giving directions. Davy, Petra, and Devona shared the middle seat, while Micky, Sharon, and Gina squeezed themselves into the back.

"Are we almost there?" Peter whined. He was in the most uncomfortable position of all of them.

"Turn left up ahead," the mirror directed. "Just another mile or so, Peter."

"What do you think the professor will do?" asked Davy.

"I honestly have no clue," the mirror answered. "Turn right at the next stoplight, Mike. The professor doesn't have a mirror, himself, so I have no idea what he's been working on. But he's found just about all the magic mirrors in the world, so he's thoroughly familiar with how we're made and the history behind many of us. If anyone knows anything about how to seal the doors between the two worlds, he should."

"Wait a minute," Micky said. "Seal the doors between the worlds? But if we seal the doors between our world and Looking Glass Land, that means... that means none of us will ever see each other again." He and Sharon exchanged a look.

The mirror sounded surprisingly compassionate as she replied, "I'm afraid so."

Petra's eyes grew wide. "And... And The Monkees and The Kockatoos- we won't get to see each other again, either?"

"But... that's not fair!" exclaimed Peter. "I like having another little sister!"

"And I've enjoyed having a big brother," Gina said.

"Oh, come on, guys, quit complaining," Mike growled. "We only jest met this mornin', y'know."

"Mike," Devona said, "your accent."

"It does that when he doesn't want to admit he's upset," Micky said. His own voice was almost a monotone.

"Michelle's does the same thing," Gina said, also in a monotone. "Doesn't it, Michelle?"

Michelle grunted something unintelligible as she stared at the buildings they passed as they drove, her chin resting on the heel of her right hand.

Davy shrugged. "It's no big deal, though, is it fellas? I mean, me, Micky, Peter- we all grew up with brothers and sisters, didn't we?"

Murmurs of confirmation came from all the Monkees and Kockatoos, except for Mike and Michelle. Mike just said, so softly the others almost couldn't hear him, "I didn't."

The rest of the ride was silent, except for the mirror's giving directions as needed, very quickly and matter-of-factly.

* * *

Professor Otto Bon lived in a small but neat little apartment on the edge of the city. Micky knocked on the door, and then the whole crowd waited. Very shortly, the door opened to reveal a stooped, old man with gray hair, a bushy, brushy moustache, and round-rimmed glasses that perched on his nose. In a heavy German accent, he asked, "Yes, vaht can I do you for you young ladies?"