The Broken Mirror

The reflection that looked her square in the face wasn’t what she’d expected to see. The blood was splattered across her like a Pollock explosion. On the floor, the writhing body wriggled and pulsated. There was so much blood. So much blood. She felt her stomach churn. It had all started so innocently. She was trying to think about how in the name of God she’d got here. 

***

Millie and Jeff Edwards were newlyweds. They’d been lovers from teenagers and had spent many an hour in each other’s company. When they were in their late teens, Jeff had planned a special picnic down by the river to propose to her. He’d spent hours working to afford the diamond ring she’d liked in the shop window. The scene was like something out of a movie - well, a comedy movie, but nevertheless, it was perfect. 

Jeff got down on one knee and nearly fell into the river, thanks to the uneven ground. As he stumbled, he grabbed hold of Millie who tumbled after him. With her lying on top of him, she felt the ring box dig in. She slapped him across the face, but he kissed her and popped the question. In a mess of skirts, tears and curls, Millie mustered up her response. 

“Of course I will, you sentimental…”

Her response was lost in the kiss that Jeff planted on her. 

Now in their early twenties, they’d finally married. Millie’s father had bought them a beautiful country cottage in Somerset, just on the outskirts of Bristol. As they drove along the Fosse way, Millie found herself taking photographs of the scenery, and mentally logging any good places for picnics, or rendezvouses with her new beau Jeff. 

“Isn’t this idyllic?” she sighed.

“It’s gorgeous” Jeff exclaimed “I can see why your old man bought us a house out here”.

“Do you think the house will be big enough?” 

“I’m sure it will darling” Jeff smiled, taking one hand off the wheel to give her knee a squeeze. She felt a shiver go all through her body. She hadn’t felt a sensation like that since they’d made love the night he proposed. It was a flash of bodies entwined and lips locked with the ecstasy of reaching orgasm. She put her hand on his and squeezed it, so his hand squeezed her knee tighter. “You want to pull over?” a cheeky tone had entered his voice. 

“Only if you think we should, hubby” she purred. Within seconds, Jeff had found a lay-by and the car stopped. “Let’s get away from cruel eyes”.

“Good thinking” Jeff replied. He turned the car off, and pocketed the keys. They clambered out and, after locking the car, made for the nearest meadow. 

As they frolicked, Millie soon realised how inappropriately they had dressed. She was in a white floral dress, and he was in a white shirt with faded blue jeans. Still, they could wash them when they got to the cottage. They soon happened upon an abandoned farm building with dead oaks around it. Millie smiled a seductive smile, and began to undo the strings at the front of her dress. Jeff, almost drooling at the sight, began to undo his shirt buttons. They grasped at each other and fell into a heap just inside the door. With his foot, Jeff closed it and they got down to business. 

Just as Millie got to her underwear, she felt a presence in the room. Something that didn’t feel friendly. Eyes that were harsh and unkind. She stopped mid-strip. Her pink lace panties hovering just above her knees. 

“We shouldn’t be in here” she whispered “I’ve got a bad feeling…”

“Will you shut up and get over here!” Jeff barked “You wanted to shag, let’s get on with it!”

She ignored the feeling, and instead focused on Jeff. Jeff was everything to her. As she straddled him with her thighs, she felt all warm and tingly. They locked lips and began their labours. 

***

Some time later, lying on the straw covered floor, they were smoking. Jeff always had cigarettes. As the blueish grey clouds rose through the roof, Millie felt at peace. She turned to look at her rugged husband. She realised that it wasn’t just his Adonis looks, his rakish charm, or even his massive penis that had attracted her to him, but his warm, loving nature. She kissed him gently on the cheek.

“I needed that” she spoke breathlessly “Jesus, did I need that”.

“Me too” he replied, pulling her closer. He flicked ash from his cigarette towards the door of the farm building. “Now what was putting you off earlier?” 

“What do you mean babe?” she asked nervously.

“You said that we shouldn’t fuck in here” he replied “What was all that about? We’ve done it before?” 

“Yeah I know” she was starting to feel the pressure. Her mind was racing. He must’ve sensed this.

“Is there something you’re not telling me?” he asked.

“It was something to do with my Dad” she replied. His face was a comedic picture. A grotesque scowl. “Not like that, idiot. I meant that I saw my Dad doing it in a farm building, when I was a little girl”.

“Ouch!” Jeff exclaimed “I’ve walked in on my parents doing it before, but never out in the open”.

“Sorry babe” Millie’s face flushed with embarrassment “I should’ve told you”.

“It’s fine Mills” he held her closer, she felt the hairs on his chest like a soft blanket against her cheek “These things happen. I can understand why it made you feel uncomfortable”. 

He checked his watch. She was stunned how a man like him could still wear his watch regardless of the activity. They gathered their clothes and dressed before heading back to the car. As they opened the door, Millie screamed at a figure on the other side. 

“Having fun are we?” the broad Somerset accent was like a sucker punch to the ears.

“Sorry fella” Jeff replied quickly “We got lost and…”

“Just count yourselves lucky I’m open minded” the speaker smiled. Millie was still dressing at this point. The speaker soon poked their head around the door and stopped. “Newlyweds are ye?” 

“Yeah” Jeff said confidently “We were…feeling a bit…amorous”.

“Say no more” the speaker replied. Millie finally got a good look at this person. 

It was a man in his middle fifties, she guessed. He was heavy set with a paunch that was trying to burst out of the front of his floral shirt. The hair was a greying scraggly mess with the odd yellowing strand from lack of cleanliness. The clothes were tattered, and the face was rouged and pock-marked. He was either a professional drunk or a tramp, she surmised. 

“My name’s Pat Lang” he replied, holding out a blister covered hand “I’m a local”.

“I’m Jeff Edwards” Jeff spoke “And this is my wife, Millie”.

“Pleased to meet you both” Pat replied. He took a particular interest in Millie. She was now fully dressed. “Haven’t I seen you somewhere before?” 

“Me?” Millie asked nervously “Can’t think where”.

“Yeah, about five years ago” Pat’s brain was ticking away like an old machine “You used to live in Bristol. You worked in a nightclub”.

“I’m afraid you’re mistaken” Jeff intervened “Millie is only just twenty five, and she’s lived in Coventry from birth”. 

“If you say so governor” Pat Lang sighed. He reached into his trouser pocket and produced a cigarette packet. “Couldn’t trouble you for a light, could I?”

“Sure” Jeff smiled. He offered the plastic lighter, which Pat gladly accepted. The perfume from his cigarette was pungent, but faintly recognisable as oriental. 

“You staying in the area?” Pat asked.

“Just stopped by” Millie spoke quickly.

“We’ve got a cottage not too far from here” Jeff smiled, in a friendly way “You’ll have to pay us a visit, when we’re fully settled”.

“I’d appreciate that” Pat Lang smiled a yellowing smile and then turned to walk up the field. 

“You alright darling?” Jeff asked.

“Why tell him we’re living around here?” Millie sounded frustrated “He could be a lunatic”.

“I didn’t give him our exact address” Jeff sighed in annoyance “Honestly, what’s got into you?” 

“Shall we get to our home?” she asked. 

They walked back to the car and barely spoke a word to each other for the rest of the journey. Millie’s mind was racing. Pat Lang’s voice was familiar to her, but she couldn’t quite connect the reason as to why. He’d mentioned a nightclub in Bristol, but as Jeff had said, she’d always been a Cov girl. 

After half an hour, the cottage came into view. It was a beautiful old-world cottage with thatched roofing and hand-crafted wooden window frames. 

“It’s perfect!” Millie exclaimed.

“It is idyllic” Jeff replied. She’s back to her old self, he mused, maybe things will be better now we’re here. 

As they unloaded the car, Jeff noticed that in the distance, there was a black Mercedes parked up. Two people were sat on the hood, one with binoculars, and the other with what looked like a lunchbox. He was about to investigate when Millie called him from inside. He shrugged and went in. Millie was stood in the sitting room, which was lovingly furnished with quaint objet-d’art and beautiful furniture. She was smiling. Her face looked almost angelic. 

“Everything alright Mills?” he asked.

“Oh, perfect!” she sighed blissfully “This is just what Daddy said it would be!”

“I’m so happy that you’re happy” he smiled, pulling her in for a kiss. At that point, there was a knock on the door. 

“I’ll go” Millie replied, clacking her heels across the stone floors towards the front door. 

“Mrs Edwards?” 

“Who’s calling please?” she asked.

“My name is Saxby” the speaker replied “Will Saxby. I’m the estate agent”.

“Of course, Mr Saxby, please come in”. 

Will Saxby looked to be about forty-two with perfectly styled black hair, a dazzlingly white smile and a sharp grey suit. He was your stereotypical real estate agent. 

“You’re settling in alright?” 

“This is perfect!” Millie was almost giddy with excitement “Thank you so much for your help”.

“Not at all Mrs Edwards” Saxby smiled “Is your husband at home?” 

“He’s unpacking in the kitchen”.

“Then I won’t detain him” Saxby seemed a bit too familiar “Just to let you know that I’m only a cottage away. You’ve got my contact number?” 

“It’s in my mobile” she smiled “Thank you”.

“My pleasure Ellie” he replied.

“My name is Millie” she corrected. Will Saxby didn’t seem convinced. 

“Your old man told me it was Ellie”.

“No, no, no” she was started to feel uncomfortable “My name is Millie!” 

“If you say so” Saxby smiled awkwardly and exited the cottage. 

***

Later that evening, Jeff was reclining on the sofa in the living room. Millie was preparing a cocktail at the drinks cabinet. This was to be the first of many cocktails shared in this cottage. She was pleased to have remembered her mother’s instructions for the perfect martini. As she poured the contents of the mixer into the glasses, she suddenly felt a cold chill.

“Is there still lit darling?” she asked.

“I’ll check” Jeff replied, rising from his seat and poking the logs with the poker “All seems fine”.

“I’ve just felt a chill”.

“That’s a problem with these cottages” Jeff sighed, taking his seat again “No bloody heating”. 

She finished making the drinks and brought them over. They toasted and she too collapsed next to him. They kissed and watched the flames flickering in the grate. She soon became aware that Jeff was looking at her. 

“I haven’t put enough vermouth in have I?” 

“It’s not the cocktail” he replied, throwing the contents of the glass down his throat “It’s you”.

“What have I done?” she asked, growing defensive.

“Well, you tell me Millie” he responded, dropping the glass to the stone floor. It shattered into a million tiny pieces “Why do people seem to know you?” 

“I must look familiar” she defended “I’m a blonde. We all look familiar”.

“I don’t just think it’s that” he replied, rising to his feet. He walked towards the window and threw it open. “Can you see that out there?” 

“See what?” she asked.

Jeff was pointing at a black Mercedes parked up on a verge in the distance, with its lights on. She froze. Shit. 

“Well darling?” he asked, knowingly “What are you not telling me?” 

“I have not idea what you’re talking about” she replied, starting to feel her hands tremble. 

“Saxby, the estate agent called you Ellie” he stated “Said your old man called you that”.

“Ellie was my sister” Millie thought quickly “And besides, you know my father’s memory isn’t what it used to be”. 

They were backing towards the fireplace. She felt the warmth of the flames against the backs of her legs. 

“You don’t expect me to buy that phoney line!” he snapped “Who the fuck is Ellie?”

“My sister!”

“And how does a scumbag like Lang recognise you?” Jeff was incensed “He said you were a stripper or some kind of nightclub performer. What was that about?”

“He’s insane!” she snapped “Will you ignore those bastards and listen to me?”

“Not until you can explain away why that fucking Mercedes is parked near our house!” he barked. 

There was a brief silence. Millie put her hands behind her back, and felt the poker fall into her fingers. She sighed. 

“You really want to know the truth?” she asked.

“I think I’m entitled” Jeff demanded, holding up his left hand, allowing the silver wedding band to flash in the light. “I am your husband after all”.

“Well…by law, yes” she sighed, feeling the poker now firmly in her hand “But in reality, no”. 

Jeff was confused. Here was the love of his life denying their union.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“All these fucking questions” she sighed, now producing the poker and holding it aloft “Why didn’t you ask me these before you proposed?” 

“Because I believed you were…”

“You believed I was Millicent Dandridge” she snapped “You believed I was the perfect girl!” 

“Wait” he paused in fear “You’re not Millie?” 

She laughed, and flashed him a seductive smile.

“I am now” she laughed “But my real name is Eleanor Dandridge. Millie was my devoted younger sister, who is currently lying stone cold in a coma in some hospital, following her trying to save my life”.

“What?” Jeff couldn’t believe his ears “You’re Ellie? The trollop?” 

Her eyes flashed red. She hated that word. 

“Don’t. Call. Me. A. Fucking. Trollop!” 

With every word, she brought the poker down hard on Jeff. He collapsed to the floor, battered, but still conscious. 

“Why did you take Millie’s place?” 

“It wasn’t my idea” she sighed “It was Lang’s. He was the one who gave me work”.

“He was your pimp?” 

“No” Ellie sighed again “He was an associate of a pimp. Every time there was a job that needed a beautiful girl, I got roped in”. 

“So, how did Millie get into a coma?” 

“She crashed her car into Lang’s nightclub while trying to protect me from the two men in the car outside” she spoke quickly “So, when father found out that she was comatose, we swapped lives. Ellie was in a coma due to her own mistakes, and Millie was fresh-faced and in love with the handsomely hung Jeff Edwards”. 

Jeff was dazed. He’d been duped. 

“You don’t have to kill me Ellie” he panted “I’ll love you. I’ll even protect you”.

She laughed again. 

“You don’t get it, do you?” she spat her words out like venom “You married a lie. And like all lies, they have to die”. 

Before he could defend himself, she brought the poker down. And again. And again. 

The blood spattered itself across the walls, and across her face. The Pollock-like explosion decorated her alabaster skin. Jeff lay lifeless on the floor. His head was caved in, and there was so much blood. She returned the poker over to the fireplace and then reached for her mobile. 

“This is Ellie D” she replied “The husband is dead. Get me the fuck out of here”.