The Mirror

Miriam looked over the snow covered lawn, a sense of peace falling over her. The cold seeped into the small screened in room slowly, making it a comfortable temperature as it battled the heater sitting by her leg. The room smelt of cinnamon and Christmas days. She sighed with contentment as she slipped her hot beverage. It was her favorite recipe. She made a coffee, then poured a package of hot-coco and some pumpkin pie coffee creamer to make a yummy fall-themed experience. Her mother used to make it for her when she was younger, back when their whole family was still together. She was alone today, which was rather pleasant. She didn't usually like being alone with her thoughts, but her mind was calm today, muted like the sounds outside. It was much like the days when she was a young adult, hopping from couch to couch so she could attend college. She'd had many mornings like this, where she got up before everyone else, and spent time alone. She was pulled away from her reflection by the sound of a truck coming down the road. She looked up to see the familiar Ford F150 pull into her drive-way. Her brother had came to visit it seemed. There was a tarp over the back of his truck, and she could see something rectangular poking out. She set down her coffee and ran outside to greet him, forgetting to put on shoes until she'd made it to the truck. She shivered as the cold snow seeped into her socks. Her brother got out. He was a rather burly mad, with curly brown hair and a short beard. His brown eyes sparkled with amusement as he noticed her lack of shoes. His smile reminded her of all the times she'd stayed up late talking to him, the nights when their parents would scold them and tell them to sleep, but they couldn't stop the stream of words pouring into their mouths. "Good morning Mir" he said, hugging her gently. His warm embrace distracted her briefly from her foot situation. "Mornin Leo" she pressed her face into his chest. He smelled like pine-cones. "I brought you something" He said, chuckling. She pulled away, smiling brightly, excitement bubbling inside her. Leo often brought her things. He was a collector, and traveled all over the states looking for antiques. He led her to the back of his truck. She watched as he worked the tarp off of the truck, bouncing excitedly despite the numbness in her toes. The tarp was slightly frozen to the sides, not wanting to let go. He tugged on it hard, and fell back into the snow as it finally came free to reveal a mirror. The mirror was made of a dark, chocolate-looking wood. It was in brilliant shape, clean and shiny despite how obviously old it was. It had dragons carved into it, all along the frame, and the top said "1852". "Wow!" Miriam exclaimed, staring at it wide eyed. Leo got up, brushing himself off. "It's a pretty one, isn't it?" She nodded. "Go get some shoes on and help me pull it out."

Once they had managed to pull the mirror inside they leaned it against her living room wall. She examined it, taking in the beauty of it. It was almost as tall as she was, and seemed to blend with the cabin look of her house. She ran her fingers along the frame, feeling the smooth, dark wood under her finger-tips. "Where'd you get it?" She asked. Leo shrugged. "It was just sitting in Pete's Antiques. He said no one wanted it" Miriam was surprised to hear this. Any sane person who saw this mirror would surely buy it immediately. Unless... "How much did it cost?" She turned her eyes on him, searching him for any sign of him lying as he replied. He smirked a little, putting his hands in his pockets. "Only like thirty" He said. "Thirty what?" She prompted, knowing his answer was going to be much more than she felt comfortable with. She hated when people spent a lot of money on her, it made her feel guilty. "About thirty-thousand" Her jaw dropped, staring at him wide eyes. He wouldn't meet her eyes, but she could see the hidden smile on his lips. "You know I can't accept this!" She exclaimed, stepping away from it. "No take backs!" He said, locking eyes with her for a moment. It was the look of worry that made her change her mind. She knew if she rejected it he'd take it personally. She sighed. "Fine.."

Miriam got up around midnight that night. Her dad still had the kids, and she couldn't sleep. She was too stressed. She walked into the living room, glancing at the mirror for a moment. It seemed to be.. glowing? She walked over, confusion filling her brain. It seemed like a normal mirror. She waved at herself, then jumped back, startled. She wasn't alone in the mirror. Standing next to her was her mother. Her mother, who had died five years ago. She stared at it, wide eyes, heart racing in her chest. There was no way this was real. She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them. Her mother was still in the mirror. "M-Mom..?" She murmured, feeling choked as the words left her mouth. Her mom just waved silently, smiling gently. She took a step forward, legs shaky. "I-I don't understand..." She hesitated, then walked up to the mirror, placing her hand against the glass. Nothing happened. She'd expected something to happen, like in the movies. Her mind was anticipating herself to fall in, for the mirror to be some kind of doorway. The idea felt a bit silly now. She put her hand behind the mirror, feeling around for any kind of camera or latch. Maybe it was a prank. Maybe the mirror was just a prop, a scary joke. She felt something attracted to the mirror. She pulled on it, and it came off. It was a peace of paper. She looked at it, confused. The paper was yellow and crinkly, like it was extremely old. It was folded cleanly, with a word that she didn't recognize on the front. She unfolded it to reveal writing the read; "The Mirror of Desire" She sat in front of the mirror, confused. The image of her mother was still there staring at her. She gasped as she saw someone else there too. It was Joe.

"This isn't working" Joe looked into Miriam's eyes, his dark and unreadable. Tears streamed down her face. "You can't be serious.." she murmured. He shook his head. "I am." She placed her hand on her swollen stomach, the thought of the two little children inside her having no father crushed her soul. "You promised to stay" She cried. "I know, but.. I just can't." He explained, pulling the straps of his backpack over his shoulders. She grabbed his hand, desperate to make him stay. "I can't do this without you!" She exclaimed. He pulled away, shaking his head. "I'm sorry"

A tear rolled down her face, the memory surfacing in her mind after years of being pushed away. She didn't understand why this was happening to her. She must be going crazy.. She looked at the paper again, blinking away tears. The Mirror of Desire. Maybe it was magic.. maybe.. maybe it was cursed. It would make sense. After all, she wanted them both back so much. And the way his reflection look at her with love.. it was like nothing had happened. She leaned her head against the cold glass, crying softly. Her heart felt as cold as the snow outside. As the night passed she drifted into sleep, her fears and pain melting away like the how the ice over a lake turns back to water under the sun.