Mirrors

Jacob stood at the open door frozen and unable to verbalize anything. Mostly because he really didn’t totally comprehend the answers to Jasmine’s questions and partly because her demeanor was anything but soft and kind. She resembled more the lawyer than the loving wife of his friend.

“I…she’s in my bedroom with Cheri. Down the hall second door on the right.” Jacob stepped back as Jasmine rushed back to find her wife.

“Oh my gawd Tracy!” she gasped in disbelief as she looked down at Tracy.

“NOOOOOOOO!” Tracy screamed at the top of her lungs as she stared at Jasmine in shocked horror. “You can’t be here! It’s all my fault.” Her voice started to trail off and the uncontrollable sobbing began. “It’s all my fault. You all will burn in hell and it’s all my fault. He showed me everything. Every time I ever sinned, broken a commandment, and all the people I’ve drugged down into the depth of hell with me.”

“You’re not going to hell my love,” Jasmine laid down on the bed and gathered Tracy’s trembling body into her arms. “Our God is a loving a forgiving God and you have such a good kind heart there is no way he wouldn’t let you into the Kingdom of Heaven.”

Tracy sat up and away from Jasmine. For a minute she looked like her old self, but then she turned and stared into the mirror before she started talking.

“Commandment one was broken in Jamica. Jasmine and I went down there about three years ago. It was such a great time. On day four we found ourselves in the forest with a group of locals who were celebrating some holiday with a solstice ritual. I can’t remember all the details of that, but they invited us to join in and learn. I wanted to do it so badly. It was like I was being called to an experience. Jasmine wanted to back out. She said that she felt like she was intruding, and I called her a sissy fraidy cat. Reluctantly participated. We helped them call upon their gods and goddesses for blessings of the night. Both of us will be going to hell for that, and it’s my fault.”

“Oh, my sweet love, I participated by my own free will. But that doesn’t matter. We didn’t put their gods before our God. We were simply learning the local culture.”

Tracy’s demeanor didn’t change. She sat straight up on the bed and stared at her own reflection as she continued.

“He made me relive all those moments with the knowledge I was selling my soul to the devil during that moment. Commandment two was broken the day Katie told me she was an atheist. I accepted it and loved her regardless. I told her she needed to live her life the way she felt authentic. I didn’t bring her back to the church so she could have her faith revived. I should have encouraged her towards our Lord God. I failed both her and I and now we both will burn in hell. It's all my fault. She reached out for help and I failed her, and her soul is now condemned.”

“Katie’s beliefs are her own. You carry no responsibility for them, or for her.”

Still no comforting reaction from Tracy. Only cold steel of her resilience to convince Jasmine of her sinful deeds.

“Commandment three…”

“Stop!” Jasmine grabbed Tracy by her shoulders and shock her, almost violently. “There is nothing you have done that will condemn you to hell. Whatever was said, by whomever you saw, lied to you. He twisted your words, your feelings, he made you think thing backwards.”

“I…I committed murder…” Tracy began to sob uncontrollably and fell against Jasmine’s chest. “I killed an unborn child.”

“You were fifteen years old and raped! And you’ve repented and already asked for forgiveness for that transgression.”

“I’ve lied, taken God’s name in vain more times than I can count, and I’ve envied other’s for what they had. I’ve broken them all.”

“Stop, who the hell was spewing this crap into your head?”

“Alexander Blackwell, and he did more then just talk to me. He showed me my past. All of my transgressions in vivid color. In the mirror.”

“What?” Jasmine puzzled, looked over to Jacob and Cheri for answers.

“Tracy, you should lay down and sleep. You’ve had a couple of difficult days. We’re gonna go check on Katie and get a few things worked out.” Jacob didn’t want to discuss what he had seen in front of Tracy. She had already experienced enough. He gestured Jasmine to follow him out of the room as Tracy settled back into the bed.

Quietly closing the door behind them Jacob took a deep sobering breath; he knew Jasmine was going to have a hard time believing what he was about to tell her. Hell, he didn’t even want to believe it.

“This is what we know.”

Jacob went on to describe the scene they had witnessed at Katie’s house. He also included the fact that Alexander was the name Katie had muttered in her vegetative state when he had placed the mirror on Katie’s nightstand in the hospital. After Jacob had finished the story Jasmine’s expression seemed to be a mix of horror, disbelief and worry.

“I… I’m not sure what to think about all this. What I do know is Tracy hasn’t eaten or hydrated in several days and is experiencing a tremendous amount of shock. What I can fix is the food and water portion, the shock will take time. As for the multi-dimensional mirror of horror I have no clue as what to do about that. IF this really is some kind of cursed object or black magic we will need a lot more information and help then we have.”

“I haven’t even considered what to do or who to call, I just needed to get everyone here safely.”

“I have a friend who owns an IV hydration business. They come to the home and provide nonprescription fluids. Mostly to rich pricks needing to get over hangovers before work or to help them get over the common cold faster. I’m going to call her and have her come for Tracy, would you like me to have her set one up for Katie?”

“What’s in them?”

“Just fluids with vitamins and minerals. Nothing needing a prescription, just a quick fix.”

“I guess it couldn’t hurt for Katie to have one since she’s coming anyways. I’ll make some a cheese omelet and toast for Tracy. It’ll be easy for her to eat and easy on the stomach.”

Jasmine slipped back into the bedroom to make her call and Jacob started to head towards the kitchen but was stopped by a short cubby girl with multi colored hair.

“Mr. Mantles,” she called out. “Hi, I’m the night nurse Matilda, Matty. Y’all were busy when I got here so I didn’t want to bother you.” She smiled and stuck out her hand for a shake.

“Well, I’m glad you’re here. Did Hazel fill you in on everything?" He plastered a soft fake smile on his face, only because that was what was expected in these situations. “Is there anything that you’ll need?”

“Oh, she gave me a good orientation. But…” Jacob could tell she wanted to say something else but wasn’t sure it was her place, so he just waited. “I wasn’t ease dropping, but sound does travel.”

“Feel free to speak your mind, after the days I’ve had nothing is gonna scare or shock or upset me more.”

“There is a sort of legend that has been told in my family over the decades. I don’t remember all the details, but the story is about an evil witch hunter. Back in the 1800’s there was a man who hunted witches, which really wasn’t abnormal for the time. But he was truly evil. He would kill any woman he even suspected was a witch and any female children she had. It is even said that once he threw two baby girls into a water well and forced their mother to watch them drown before he slit her throat.”

“That is an awful story, but what does it have to do with anything.”

“His name was Alexander Blackwell. He lived up on Well’s Peak. It used to be called Blackwell Peak. A coven of witches were able to trap his soul into a mirror, ending his rein of terror. Over the years the mirror was lost. This is all I know.”

Evil witches, a coven of witches, trapped souls, and a cursed mirror. Jacob was suddenly hit with the urge to vomit. Out of sheer willpower he kept anything in his stomach down. This could very well be what they were dealing with, but he needed more information.

“Do you know anyone who would be willing to talk to me and give me more information?”

“Maybe, let me make a call and see what I can find for you.”

“Ok,” Jacob turned to continue his quest to retrieve food for Tracy. “Just let me know.”

Twenty minutes later Jacob emerged with a plate covered in food. He had prepared a fluffy two three egg cheese omelets made with sharp cheddar, thinly sliced green bell peppers and onions, all topped with shredded Swiss cheese. Along with the omelet he had sliced some strawberries and bananas into a bowl and drizzled them with Carmel syrup and toasted and buttered an English muffin. Proudly Jacob placed the plates on a tray, along with silverware, and carried them into the room for Tracy and Jasmine.

“Breakfast, or dinner, or whatever, is served,” he grinned like a fool.

“It smells delicious,” Jasmine tried to smile but her worry was clear.

“Just eat and try and relax. I might have a lead on what this is all about. I’ll let you know when I know more.”

“Becky should be here any minute to administer the IV’s.”

“Alright, I’ll let Katie’s nurse know. If you need anything help yourself. There are some sweets in the third drawer or t shirts in the second if you need something to sleep in. I’m gonna crash out in my office, Cheri is in the guest bedroom. Otherwise, I’ll see you in the morning.”

Jacob slipped quietly out of the door and headed down the hall to the guest bedroom. Cheri had left the door ajar but was already dead to the world. It had been a long hard day for all of them. He turned to head to Katie’s room.

“Just to let you know,” he addressed Matilda “a nurse will be coming by to administer an IV vitamin infusion for Katie. Please make note of what all is in it for me. If it feels beneficial, I’m gonna have her come regularly.”

“No problem, and here,” she handed him a sheet of paper with a name and address on it. “This is my grandmother, she’s willing to tell you what she knows. But just you alone. My grandmother is agoraphobic and extremely shy. I would go as far as to say unknown people scare the shit out of her. Anytime after 11:00 am.”

“I’ll do my best to be as non-threatening as possible. Thank you for this. If you need anything I’ll be sleeping in my office, the double doors off the living room. Try not to bother the girls, they have had a difficult day.”

“Good night beautiful,” he kissed Katie on the forehead and gave Mister a couple of scritches behind his ears. The mut of a cat had taken up residency curled up against Katies side, almost protective like.

With that Jacob was gone and ten minutes later sawing logs on his office couch.