The Haunting of Jenny Barrow

   The Haunting of Jenny Barrow

Suzanne Marsh

April 14, 1912

Captain Edward J. Smith stood quietly as the mighty ship Titanic began to sink. He walked slowly into his cabin, locking the door. He was going down with his ship, that was the way of the sea. As Titanic began to flounder, he thought about his wife and daughter. He had promised his wife he would retire after this voyage, now he would retire permanently at the bottom of the Atlantic. This was every captain’s worse nightmare unfolding before his eyes. When word arrived in England that Titanic had sunk, Captain Smith’s wife told their housekeeper to take something as a memory of the captain, she chose a silver rimmed mirror, that sat on his dresser. The maid after she passed away willed it to her niece who promptly put it up for sale, not understanding why the piece should remain in the family.

November 10, 2023

Jenny Barrow, her mother Sarah and her sister Gwen, walked into the musty antique shop, hoping to find a mirror for Jenny’s dresser. The owner of The Emporium tottered over to the women:

“What may I help you with today ladies?”

“We are looking for an inexpensive mirror.”

“Oh, I see, I have several, one of which belonged to a sea captain, however his name escapes

me.”

He motioned the women over to a small oak table with all types of mirrors. Jenny’s eyes lit up when she noticed the silver rimmed mirror:

“Oh, mother I must have it, that would be perfect on my dresser.”

Sarah Barrow purchased the mirror for her daughter Jenny, they left The Emporium and headed home after a long day of antique shopping. They hoped to be home before darkness fell. Jenny could hardly wait to place the mirror on her dresser, she enjoyed antiquing with her mother and sister, and this trip had bore fruit for her.

Jenny promptly placed the silver edged mirror on her dresser, then stood back to admire it, adjusted it a little more to left and sighed. Before she time to change and bathe, her mother called her downstairs for dinner. Dinner was always Jenny’s favorite meal; tonight was Shepherd's Pie. Dinner followed by two hours of television, then time for bed. It sometimes became boring to do the same thing every day.

Jenny undressed and began to run her bath water. She washed her hair, then took the blow dryer to dry her hair in the mirror, suddenly, the mirror seemed murky. Jenny thought, ‘strange, maybe I am standing to close’. She moved further away, once again the mirror was a murky gray.

“Mother, mother come quickly!”

Sarah hit the stairs at a run, she burst into Jenny’s room:

“What is it Jenny?”

“Mother, look in the mirror, what do you see?”

Sarah looked into the mirror, saw her reflection:

“What do you think you saw Jenny?”

“The mirror was murky with gray waves.”

Sarah turned to leave:

“Jenny, you have a great imagination, now get ready for bed.”

Jenny turned off the light, settled down, she awakened with a strange sense of drowning. She thought perhaps it was because she had watching Titanic with Leonardo Di Caprio and Kate Winslet, surely that was the reason.. Jenny arose the following morning, feeling rather out of sorts, she had not slept well. Sarah noted that her daughter looked tired:

“Jenny, you look as if you had a bad night.”

“Mother, I dreamed that I was drowning.

“Jenny, what is with you?”

“Mother if I knew I would tell you, but I don’t.”

Jenny, went to school feeling as if she could sleep for ten years, she thought about how the silver edged mirror had been murky, made that had triggered that dream. She went through classes then went home to her mother.

That night Jenny went to sleep she thought she heard the roar of the ocean; this was getting worse. She tossed and turned, then got up. The mirror seemed as if it had moved, that was strange indeed. It moved about an inch; Jenny put it back where it had been. Went back to bed, the ocean began to roar, a cold breeze came into her bedroom. Something was not right, she wondered now who the captain who owned the mirror was. Maybe, he was trying to come through the mirror or rectify some wrong he might have done. Jenny decided to return to The Emporium, and question that odd little man.

Jenny went upstairs to do her homework, once again the mirror moved, this time when she looked in the mirror there was a face with a beard. The face smiled, making Jenny feel as if she knew who he was. She thought: ‘maybe he is greeting me.’ She had hoped the face had a voice, who was this man, rather this being? Jenny stared closely as the image began to develop of a white-haired man with a beard in a captain’s uniform, finally a voice spoke:

“Please don’t be afraid, my name is Captain Edward J. Smith, I was captain on Titanic, you

must tell press that I did not kill myself as some people believe. I went down with Titanic.

The water was so cold, as I stood at the wheel, she went down by the bow. I died from the

cold.”

Jenny, thought her mind had left the building:

“Sir, Captain, how can I be sure you are Captain Smith?”

“That child is easy; I am the only one who knows what happened to Titanic after she began

her plunge. I went onto the bridge; the water was rising it began to cover the floor of the

bridge, then it was to my waist, Titanic plunged beneath the sea, I went with her as

any sea captain should. I knew we did not have enough life boats for all those souls.

on board, there were over a thousand people, men women and children who went with her.

I am trapped inside this mirror, it was mine. It sat on my dresser at home for years. I

shall remain here for eternity. I wish there were more I could have done but once the

ship hit the iceberg, there was nothing anyone could do. Child, I won’t continue to haunt

you, but I ask that you keep this mirror safe. One day perhaps I will find peace.”

Jenny, had so many thoughts, she had actually spoken to a mirror, the mirror was Captain Edward J. Smith’s personal mirror that sat on his dresser. She had heard all he had said then she thought he must have frozen to death, since the waters of the Atlantic are so bitterly cold. She hoped the captain would someday find peace. She could not tell anyone they would think she was crazy, but in her heart of hearts she knew the truth.