part two of mirror/rorrim
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Mary stands slightly uncomfortably onstage next to Sarah and Erica. They've been rehearsing for the past week, and Mary was feeling the most anxious she's ever been. Not to mention, her nightmares have been nonstop.
"Now, Rainbeam and Hazelthistle need to help Sundrop believe in loving herself, so she could apply for the job of Mother Nature. Can you put that in your hearts?" Miss. LOL asks the girls.
Mary looks over at Sarah who politely smiles, "I think we got it."
Miss. LOL nods, "Okay, alright where's our star?" She looks around the stage for Sunday, "We have to get cracking." The girls also look around for the lead, until they all hear her voice across the stage near the curtains.
"The sun drops down..." Sunday has a sinister smirk across her face, suddenly a sand bag falls onto the stage. Sunday continues to cut the ropes, "So the grasses can grow..."
One sand bag falls into Sarah's hands, she catches it with ease, momentarily forgetting how heavy those bags actually are and that her strength was abnormal. "Uh, ouch. My hands." Sarah realizes, throwing the bag to the ground.
Mary looks around in a panic as more bags fell around them, she dodges one coming to her feet.
"That is why the sun drops down!" Sunday shouts, just as she cuts the remaining ropes. The sandbags above her start to fall in her direction, she lets out a piercing scream causing everyone to look over.
The sandbags land on the young girl and she collapses. Ethan hurries over with the teacher just as Benny appears next to him, "Sunday?"
Mary decides to run over and check on the girl too. "I'm okay," Sunday says with strain in her voice, "No worries."
"We need a doctor!" Ethan shouts.
Mary glances over, just in time to catch Erica's slight smirk. "And an understudy."
...
The five head down the hall towards class. They were all questioning the events that just occurred, Ethan was accusing Erica of being a part of it somehow.
"Wait, can't vampires go all puppet master with the weak minded? You could've convinced her to hurt herself."
Sarah scoffs, "Glamouring is only something that old and powerful vampires can do." Sarah pauses to shoot Erica a look, "So what did you do?"
Erica sighs, "Nothing, that Aussie punk is as mad as a cut snake. She freaked out on me earlier, told me to say out of her mirror; if I was gonna break her legs, I'd had done it then."
The others besides Sarah shoot her puzzled and questionable looks. Sarah sighs, "I think she's telling the truth."
"I am. Now, your star has lines to learn. We open tomorrow, no time to yapper like a dil." Erica boasts. Mary couldn't help but chuckle at Erica's new dialect after hanging out with Sunday so much.
"I think you're spending a little too much time as Sunday's understudy." Sarah says, as if reading Mary's mind.
Erica shrugs, "Nah, she's ables'. Now on your boing' before I got egro' on ye beco'."
...
Just before school ends, Benny finds Mary at her locker. "Hey." He gives her a soft smile and plants a kiss on her cheek, she smiles back at the action but keeps her eyes down.
"You okay?" He asks. "You seem off."
Mary sighs. "Yeah, I'm fine, kinda. I'm just really nervous about the play tomorrow, not to mention I still haven't gotten any sleep in the past week."
"The dream is that bad, huh?" He asks, leaning against the locker next to hers, worry written all over his face.
She nods, "Yeah, it is. But it's like different variations of the same thing. I don't know what to do."
Benny grabs her hand softly, rubbing his thumb across her knuckles. "It'll be okay, I'm sure they'll stop soon. They did before, right?"
"Yeah, you're right they did. I guess I just have to get through the worst part of it in order for them to stop." Mary agrees. Benny smiles, "That's the way to look at it. And as for the play, don't you worry; you're gonna be amazing." He plants a soft kiss atop of her head, making her blush slightly.
"You always know just what to say." Mary grins.
"It's a gift." Benny shrugs, then chuckles. "Come on, I gotta go research some stuff for the play, and you have a rehearsal to get to." He wraps an arm around her shoulders and she leans into him, feeling her tension slip away. It was almost like magic, how easy it was for him to calm her.
...
"It's morning for my feelings. Rainbeam, where are you?"
Mary stood beside Sarah while the two and Erica rehears their lines in the drama room. Although Mary was still nervous, she felt a bit better with the presence of her friends.
Sarah starts to float up while she says her lines, "Look to the sky, Sundrop, where happiness spreads her wings." Mary let's out a chuckle at Sarah's joke, and Sarah giggles, "Get it?"
"Nice." Mary laughs whole heartily, but Erica was shooting daggers at the other vampire. "Don't upstage me, ever. Or else." She sneers before walking away to the dressing room.
Mary scrunches her eyebrows at the blonde as Sarah floats back down with a frown on her face. "What's her deal?"
"I don't know, but I'm not gonna stand here and wait for her to tell me. Come on." Sarah states, taking Mary by the hand and dragging her to the dressing room.
The two push the door open and Sarah storms in. Erica sat at her vanity, and Mary let's out a quiet gasp when she notices something that shouldn't even be possible; Erica had a reflection in the mirror.
"Or else what? What's wrong with you, I was just playing." Sarah snaps at the blonde.
"Sarah-" Mary starts, but was cut off by Erica. "This is my show," she snaps, "Mine! No one else can have it!"
"Your show?" Sarah scoffs.
"Sarah-"
"You're sounding just as bad as Sunday, look at yourself!" Sarah shouts, continuing to ignore Mary.
"She can look at herself, Sarah, that's what I'm trying to tell you. Look, she has a reflection." Mary says through her teeth. Sarah gasps when she finally notices it, "Whoa. How is that even possible?"
Erica stands abruptly from her chair, and hisses at the two girls. She speeds up to them, inches from their faces. "Stay out of my mirror, stay out of my way." She sneers, then speeds off again, causing the two girls to jump.
"Should we be worried about that?" Mary asks once the blonde was gone.
"I think we need Ethan."
...
"Hey, how safe do you think it would be to have a flame thrower on stage? On a scale of pretty safe to completely safe?" Benny asks Ethan while they sat in the lounge room.
Ethan keeps his eyes on his laptop, "Pretty safe I guess."
Benny furrows his eyebrows at his friend. "You never think my ideas are safe-are you even listening to me?" He asks. Benny moves his head over to look at Ethan's screen. He lets out an annoyed sigh, "You're searching theatre curses on the web? Dude, relent."
Ethan shakes his head, "Look, twenty five years ago, the star of The Rainbow Factory, Olivia Frye, was the victim of a horrible accident; in our theatre, on opening night. And now, our star of the same play is flattened by sandbags."
"Yeah, but not horribly." Benny replies, "We're cool, right?"
Ethan doesn't respond since Rory was coming over to interrupt. "Dudes! You've got to see this." He states with a grin, plopping down between the boys and taking Ethan's laptop. "I'm sick of people not knowing I'm Pranksy. So I went all truth crazy and posted this before school."
He clicks on a video and the other two lean in to check it out. On the screen was nothing but a large floating paint brush with orange paint on it. Rory's voice comes out of the computer, "Hey, I'm Pranksy and now that name has a face! Recognize."
Ethan lets out a chuckle at his not very smart friend. "You don't show up on camera, bud." Rory sighs, "I know I don't, but I thought Pranksy would." He pouts with an innocent look in his eyes.
Benny laughs, "Dude, Pranksy is the subversive voice of our time. No one instantly paints faces like he does." His smile forms into a frown, "How dare you try and take credit for his genius?"
Rory scoffs. "But I'm Pranksy! Ethan," he turns to the other brunette, "I need your help."
Ethan goes to answer, but is cut off by Sarah and Mary running in. "Ethan, we need your help." Sarah states. Ethan takes one look at Sarah and instantly nods like a love sick puppy dog. "Yeah, okay."
Sarah takes him by the hand while Rory scoffs at Ethan ditching him for the girl. Mary turns to the other boys with a shrug, "Sorry guys. It's kinda important." Benny nods while Sarah comes back to drag Mary away.
"Love you!" Mary calls, then lets the vampire pull her along. "Come on!"
"Awe, Mary said she loved me. Well we are besties now." Rory smiles.
Benny gives him a look then lets out a laugh. "Dude, I think she was talking to me. You know, her boyfriend?"
"So? She could've been talking to both of us. Anyway, you gonna help me or not?" Rory asks.
"Benny doesn't help posers." Benny replies with a smirk, then turns back to his comic. Rory shoots him a glare then gets up with a huff and storms off. "How dare you defy the great Pranksy."
Benny shakes his head and chuckles. After a minute, he felt a wind and something thick like paint being thrown on his face. Benny scrunches his eyebrows in question, then puts his hand to his cheek to wipe it off, revealing a smudge of orange on his fingers. "Hey!"
"Pranksy strikes again!"
...
"Erica attacked us," Sarah cries to Ethan as the three walk down the hall. "She was acting like we'd done something to her."
"Yeah, and we know this is gonna sound nuts, but we saw her reflection in the mirror." Mary adds. Ethan's face lights up, it wasn't exactly the reaction the girls were expecting. "I knew it! I told Benny this play was cursed. Maybe I'm right."
"Yeah, let's hope." Mary says sarcastically. "Look, we need to go see that mirror."
Ethan nods, "I'll go. Maybe you two should avoid Erica."
The girls exchange smirks and cross their arms at the boy. "So, you don't think either of us could take her?" Sarah asks.
Ethan grins and gasps, "Actually, I do." He moves to open his locker and pulls out a large poster. Mary furrows her eyebrows at the object. "What is that?"
"Benny and I made a chart, that kinda turned into a weird ven diagram when we added Mary." Ethan replies, holding up a large paper. There were three figures of what looked like Mary, Sarah and Erica in boxing clothes. "It's like what they do for cage fighters, see, Sarah is quicker, but Erica's got the reach and she's a little stronger. But, Mary has the skill and well, the fire balls that come out of her hands, also she's not afraid to get hit, just like Sarah. That's why I think you two could take Erica." Ethan explains with a goofy grin.
The girls exchange looks, trying hard to not burst out laughing. Sarah rolls her eyes playfully and pushes Ethan off, "Just go."
Mary continues to study the poster once Ethan left, "I'm not sure if I should be weirded out or flattered, or both."
"I think both."
...
The girls didn't hear from Ethan for a while, they had hoped he had figured out what's going on.
Mary sat next to Benny, reading over her script again just to be sure she had memorized everything correctly. He was fumbling with a light fixture with a goofy grin on his face. "This is gonna be sick, babe." He states.
Mary turns and giggles, "Just promise me you'll be careful." He nods, "Of course."
Suddenly, Erica appears in front of the two. "Geek and his gizmos, you seem happy." She says. Benny nods and grins widely.
"That'll change."
Benny seemed to not hear that last comment, same as Mary. "Check it out, bitey; magic plus buttons equals star power." Mary takes this moment to look up at him while he gushes over his combination, "Like actual bright as a star power. Kind of the best, right?" He says with the biggest grin on his face.
Mary feels a warmth swelling in her chest, she loved when Benny got excited about things, it was adorable to her. She looks up at her boyfriend with heart eyes. "What?" He chuckles. She shrugs, a soft pink erupts on her cheek, "You're just cute. I love you."
Benny giggles in response like a kid who just got told he's getting candy, and his face turns a light shade of red. "Right back at ya."
Mary giggles back and shakes her head, turning back to her script. "Oh, wait, babe I think your leaf crown is crooked." Benny says, coming up to her and adjusting the headpiece, when really he just wanted to get a closer look at his girlfriend's costume to admire her.
She smiles, "Thanks."
As the two were gushing over each other, Erica rolls her eyes. "Well, all these techno toys seem fragile to me." She moves her hand to knock down a light, which falls to the ground with a loud crash. Benny screeches as it does, and Mary looks up at her friend in disbelief. "Erica! What the hell?"
"Benny! Mary!" Miss. LOL shouts from the stage.
"Sorry, it won't happen again. I hope." Benny replies, glaring at the blonde vampire.
Sarah appears in front of the three after witnessing the event. "Erica, what's wrong with you!" Erica shakes her head and storms off, knocking Sarah back in the process, "Just leave me alone!"
Mary helps Sarah steady herself, "Okay that is not the Erica we know."
"Yeah well that's kinda the Erica I know." Benny replies with a sad pout. Mary looks at him with sympathy, while Sarah questions him, "Did Ethan say if anything weird was going on with that mirror?"
Benny shakes his head, "No, I haven't seen him all day." Mary and Sarah exchange wide eyes and worry on their faces, thinking the worst may have happened.
"Should I be as worried as you two look?"
...
Sarah, Mary and Benny head to the dressing room. Mary was secretly hoping Erica wasn't there, she wasn't exactly happy with her right now.
The three stop in their tracks when they notice the mirror, which looked ominous for some reason. "Okay, vampires don't have a reflection because their curse blocks the soul's inner light. So, if Erica saw herself, that means there's a soul inside this mirror." Benny states, taking out a stick from his bag.
He lifts and points up towards the mirror, the end of it lights up. "Hey, I'm getting pretty good with this stick, huh, babe?" He asks his girlfriend with a playful smirk. Despite how long they've been together, he still tries to impress her whenever he got the chance; Mary shakes her head playfully and nudges him. "Not now, babe."
He chuckles then turns back around to walk towards the mirror. "Okay, there is someone inside, but, I can't tell if it's Ethan."
Sarah nods, "There's only one way to find out, then." She moves past Mary and Benny to lean over the chair and look in the mirror. After a moment, her reflection appears.
Mary gasps at the sight, while Sarah tries her best to keep it together, but she could see the sullen look in her eyes. The longing Sarah had to be normal again, to be able to do something as simple as look in a mirror, it was written all over her face. Mary wants to put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her, but she knew now wasn't a good time.
"They deserve to hurt." Sarah says out of the blue, in a tone of voice that didn't match her usual one. "All of them."
Suddenly, it changes again. "Benny! It's Ethan!" Sarah shouts, "Get me outta here. Touch the mirror and pull me through!"
"Dude, I'm on it! Sarah, you have to touch the mirror; Ethan needs a supernatural connection." Benny states.
Sarah nods and brings her slightly shaky hand to the mirror. Suddenly the lights start to flicker. "Hold on, I know a spell that can unleash-"
"Benny just do it!" Mary shouts. "Email him the explanation."
Benny sighs, "Right, okay. Here we go." He holds out his hand and focuses on the mirror, "Sacarath, mas-nag-arath!"
A flash appears in front of them, Sarah's hand was now grasping onto Ethan's and pulling him through the mirror. The three hurry over to Ethan who fell onto the floor, not noticing the large crack that had appeared in the glass.
Benny reaches his hand out to help Ethan up. "Teamwork for the win."
Ethan nods, "Thanks, guys."
"Get away from my mirror!" Erica snarls, storming into the room and shooing her friends away with her hand. Her expression grows soft and sullen when she notices the crack in the mirror. "You cracked it." She gasps.
What they didn't notice was a small purple light escaping from the glass and going into Erica's eyes. "Erica, watch out." Ethan says, taking the end of a broom and smashing it into the mirror. It shatters into pieces, falling all around the vanity.
"What are you doing, that's seven years bad luck." Benny interjects. Ethan shrugs, "Well, guess I'll just have to shower with your grandma's special soap again."
"Again?" Mary questions.
But the three weren't paying attention, they were too busy studying the weird look across the blonde vampire's face. "Erica? Are you okay?" Ethan asks.
She smiles, "Of course I'm okay, I'm finally free...and stronger than ever." She lets out an excited gasp, "I think I'll start the show, with the finale." She lets out a slightly creepy and ominous giggle then hurries out of the room.
"Should we be terrified by that?" Mary asks.
"No time to explain, there was a ghost girl trapped in the mirror, now she's inside Erica, we gotta stop her before she gets revenge on everyone." Ethan states in a panic.
"For someone with no time to explain, you did a good job."
...
The four set up a plan to be rid of the ghost girl inside of Erica for good. All they had to do now was play it out without anyone dying or getting seriously hurt, or possibly possessed.
Benny stood with his magic light gadget, while Mary and Sarah waited backstage to strike. The spot light turned on and everyone could see Erica on stage, floating with a large rainbow flag in her hand.
"Haha, you tried to stop me, but the show must go on!" Erica taunts, her eyes glowing the familiar haunting yellow and her fangs were out.
Sarah hurries to the side of the stage, "Heads up, hippie." She growls. Erica's happy face turns sour when she notices Sarah, she floats back down to the stage, throwing the flag to the ground.
Mary stayed behind for backup, in case something happened to Sarah. She speeds up to the blonde and knocks her down. The two fumble a bit before they both stand in front of each other, Erica had a frightening look on her face.
Suddenly, Benny's magic gadget turned on, and a bright light hits Erica directly. She groans and struggles, just as Sarah kicks her down.
Mary was hoping that would work, but Erica stood back up with ease. "Get. Off. My. Stage." She snaps. She goes to lunge towards Sarah, but Mary hurries in and throws a light ball at her. "I don't think so."
Erica stumbles back, growling at Mary, when Ethan appears behind the blonde. "Olivia, over here!" He shouts, holding up a mirror. The vampire pauses, gazing into the mirror in a trance. "Now Benny!"
"Ge-boore-haglam!" Benny mutters a spell and turns the light on again, aiming at Erica. A trail of purple escapes the blonde, eventually finding its way into the mirror Ethan was holding.
Erica falls to the ground, while Ethan presses the mirror to the ground face down. The stage grows dark, and the crowd erupts in claps and cheers, thinking it was all a part of the play.
...
Later, the group was back in the dressing room and Ethan was painting black over the mirror. "No! I'll get you for this!" Olivia's spirit shouts from the mirror, before growing silent once Ethan was done.
"This should hold her, until we can release her for good and let her move on." Ethan states.
"Catch and release, huh? Very eco friendly." Benny jokes. Mary chuckles at his joke, nudging him in the side playfully.
"Oh well," Erica shrugs, "It was nice to have a reflection while it lasted."
"Yeah, it was nice for you. The rest of us nearly died." Sarah replies with a small glare.
"Ah, come on, we had a pretty great opening." Erica states. "Yeah, nothing says a play about love and peace than watching a soul being sucked out of someone's body." Mary replies sarcastically, earning a chuckle from Benny beside her.
"Is Miss. LOL still apologizing to everyone?"
>>>>
"Children are creative," Miss. LOL laughs, "But, um, like a car license, a creative license can sometimes lead to a stupendous crash....stupendous, but, beautiful. Especially since no one was hurt."
What the teacher doesn't notice as she continues on her long apology to the crowd, is Rory creeping up with a paint brush. "I'm reminded of Persephone's famous parting words to Prince Lukein in the play-"
She's cut off by Rory moving the paint brush with orange on it across her face. "Pranksy is revealed!" Rory cheers, the crowd following in his cheer and clapping.
"Pranksy? I love him!" Miss. LOL states with a smile, but it turns into a glare within a second, "Rory you've got three weeks detention."
...
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