Warped Within | Stephen Strange

1 - Reflection

She sighed, disappointed that she appeared unable to preoccupy her mind with something else for long.

As she turned, she threw her hand over her mouth, yelping in horror at the sight in the mirror as she dropped her dress and stumbled back toward the door but the second she blinked, it was gone. Panting, she pushed herself away from the door, peering at the mirror cautiously but, clear as day, was her normal reflection.

The knocking at the door startled her once more, "Tess? Tessa? You okay?"

Gulping a mouthful of air, she tried to slow her breathing, "Yeah - yeah! Just thought I saw a moth!" She said, her eyes still fixed on her plain reflection.

"Tessa Hyde, scared of moths?" She could hear Sura's muffled chuckle, "Didn't see that one coming."

"Neither did I." She scoffed breathily.

Moving gingerly to the sink, she peered into the mirror. Again, only her normal reflection showed but she could've sworn she had seen...something...something horrifically like her but not her. Reasoning with herself that what she had seen may simply have been a drastic trick of the light, she continued to get ready.

A few minutes later, once she had slipped on her dress and washed her face, she peered at her complexion in the mirror once more. Smiling, she looked at both sides of her cheeks, then bared her teeth and smoothed her eyebrows over then, quietly laughed.

"Stop fussing, you look fine..." She muttered to herself hopelessly.

At hearing the sound of a drop of water falling in the sink, she briefly glanced down before looking up again.

Gasping sharply as she was faced with the nightmare version of herself once more, she backed away instantly. Those eyes were neither her's nor the Entity's for the iris was an alarming shade of crimson, and the veins around her eyes were web-like and coloured a harsh black, creating the most menacing look she had seen when paired with the sinister smirk upon its lips.

Her reflection's lips did not move, but a breathy whisper sounded by her left ear, "Patience."

Tessa jolted away, looking beside her, alarmed eyes as wide as could be even though there was nothing there. When she whipped her head back to the mirror there was nothing but her normal self once more.

The hybrid's brow bunched together. Wiping her hands across her face, she shook her head. Was she going mad? Or was that Tee?

"Tee? Tee, are you there?"

She waited.

But no reply came.

*  *  *  *  *  *

In Italy, the mystical pair enjoyed their long awaited evening meal under a dark blanket embroidered with diamonds. It was a comfortably warm night with a nice, cooling breeze running past them every so often.

At their table, once their plates had been removed, Stephen hummed an upbeat tune with a cheeky smirk as he awaited her answer. The sorceress bit her lip as she contemplated what the name of the song was.

"I heard it through the grapevine!" She exclaimed suddenly.

"Yeah!" Stephen grinned enthusiastically, "See, you're not that bad at guessing songs."

"Well...I don't know the artist..."

"You don't - " Stephen shook his head, mortified, "H - how? No wait, no: guess."

"You're going to laugh at me if I guess."

The sorcerer shrugged, "I need to know now."

Sighing, she pursed her lips as she considered this, "Martin...Gray?"