Darkened Heart

Chapter Eleven

Charlotte approached the mirror slowly, rubbing her eyes just to make sure she wasn't dreaming. Her mind was racing as the reflection of her real father stared back at her with a wide-eyed expression. He looked tired, as if he hadn't slept in years. Not only that, but he looked to be shivering. The area around him was cold and white, fogging up the mirror. Charlotte watched as he struggled to keep himself visible by rubbing the freezing glass with his hands. He hugged himself tightly, as if to warm himself. "Dad? Where are you?" Charlotte asked, pressing her own hand on the glass. Her father looked at her, inaudible from behind the barrier. He merely shook his head, no. The gesture confused her. "Dad! What are you trying to tell me?!! Where are you?" She asked again, a little louder. He looked her in the eyes. She could see tiny flecks of snow caught on his mustache and his hair as he did the same thing. He shook his head rapidly, as if to say, "no, no, no." Over and over again frantically. Charlotte's heart ached and pounced. "Where are you?! What do you mean no? No what? ANSWER ME!!!" She pounded on the glass. His teeth chattered as he came closer. Dragging his finger against the cold glass, he began to spell backwards writing. "!KOOL TNOD," It read. "Don't look? I don't understand... he's taken you! You have to tell me where you are!" She shouted. Her father shook his head, again, and again. He approached the glass and pressed his hand to it. In an act of desperation, she pressed her hand against the same spot, as if trying to touch it. Tears came to her eyes again, "God... I'm so sorry, dad. This is all my fault!" She cried. "I'll find a way to get you back, I promise!" As soon as the words left her mouth, the mirror fogged up with so much snow the last thing she saw was her father being engulfed by the white air.

"No... No wait!" She called out as the he faded from view. The mirror reversed itself back to normal as if nothing had happened. For a few moments it showed nothing but her reflection, but then... a new face appeared, along with a deep, familiar, taunting voice.

"Good evening darling. I apologize for having to stop you right there, but that was getting a little too emotional don't you think?" The other father said with a smile. Her eyes narrowed as the mirror shifted to reveal him, standing in what looked to be a red room of some sort. The more she looked she realized that it was the other version of her father's bedroom. As for the other father, he looked the same as when she last saw him. He was still his taller, inhuman self with that same smirk she remembered. He kept his polka dotted trench coat along with the red collared shirt and tie underneath. She could see his upper body and face, but the mirror seemed to fade the area around him as if he too, was in some sort of fog. "Y-You monster!!!" She shouted at him. He chuckled, placing a hand on his heart as if to be hurt. "Monster? Such a strong word for such a lovely lady." He replied. "You stole him! Bring him back! Let him go, he has nothing to do with this! This is between you and me!" She said pleadingly. The other father sighed, "You're lucky I love you. As for your father, he's fine. Now, I didn't come here to gloat as much fun as that is." He chuckled. "Then why are you here?!" She asked, getting impatient. "My, my, my, aren't we getting antsy... I came, simply because I wanted to offer you a deal." Charlotte thought for a moment, and then shook her head, "I want nothing from you. I said I would come back once I found a way to set you free, but- but I haven't found that answer yet." She said truthfully. "Why, my dear? If I'm such a monster, why not let me die?" He asked, now a little curious. Charlotte paused. He was right. Even if she felt anger towards him at the moment, she still had a twinge of forgiveness in her heart. "Because I will choose compassion and kindness over selfishness, unlike you." She said. He gave a sarcastic grin, "Thank you for the flattery."

He held something in his hands. It took a moment for her to notice that it was the doll! The doll that looked like her! Twirling its ginger yarn hair in between his fingers he continued, "As I was saying, as much as I enjoy this little game of cat and mouse, I believe it should come to an end. If you come back to me willingly, I will see to it that your father is safe and sound. You have my word." He said. Now she was interested. For a moment she looked away from the mirror to think. Even though he wasn't really there, she could still feel his eyes on the side of her head. The pink palace seemed to darken in that moment, as if to freeze somehow. She glanced down the opposite end of the hall to see that the rain had slowed enough to where she could no longer hear it. Turning her head back to him she asked, "How do I know you won't hurt him no matter what?" Her question seemed to amuse him. "You don't. You'll just have to trust in me." He said. "Besides, your father won't know about any of this when I let him free. He won't remember a thing!" She watched him in complete shock as he twisted the doll around. The ginger yarn on its head faded to brown as the clothes shriveled into that of her father's. Once it was fully transformed, he did something unexpected. He tossed it in front of him, where it flashed and appeared at her feet like magic. "Erase his memory?!" She repeated, picking up the doll with a worried expression. He lightly shrugged, "Well, if he knew he'd try to take you away from me. We can't have that, can we?" Charlotte threw the doll back against the mirror, hard. It bounced off the glass and landed back on the wooden floor. "NO! If I agree, you have to let him keep his memories!" She argued, raising her voice again. "Ugh... you really are stubborn sometimes."