Mirror Mirror

Lena Crosby lingered in her usual spot on her way to work--same as she had done every morning--for weeks. She liked to stand directly in front of the antique shop's large glass display window. Her eyes glued to a small silver framed mirror.

     The shop had just appeared one day, it seemed. "They must have moved in over a weekend," Lena remembered thinking. For the longest time, she had walked past an empty storefront every Monday through Friday, on her way to the small plumbing supply company where she worked as a receptionist. 

     Then, one bright sunny Monday morning, there it was. A clear clean wide window, and behind it a wide shelf filled with all kinds of antiques and unusual objects, interesting and colorful. A shiny gold and black sign hung above the large display case front window. 

     "Something For Everyone," the sign proclaimed proudly, in tall black letters on a shiny gold background. 

    Lena loved the antique mirror hanging on the sidewall, in the window display. She stopped to admire the mirror on her way to work every morning. At 7:15 there was very little foot traffic, so she was free to stop and admire without being bumped or jostled or frowned at, if she stopped moving. 

    The mirror's frame was a beautiful scrolled silver engraved with flowers and birds and trees, and polished until it gleamed. "How magnificent!" she thought. "I really should stop just admiring it. I should just outright buy it. I have the perfect spot for it, and I can afford it, and I should just do it." 

   She glanced at her watch and realized she would be late, so she hurried along telling herself she would stop on her way home. The mirror was not very big. She could easily carry it. And her apartment was close by. ' I will, she thought. "Yes, I will.' 

     Work was the same as always. Being the receptionist for a plumbing supplies warehouse was not the height of excitement, at any time. But it paid the bills, and Mr. Blakesley was a kind and decent man who was easy to work for. The day dragged on with orders...invoices...receipts...phone calls and appointments. 

     Four o'Clock finally came, and Lena straightened up her desk, said goodbye to Mr. Blakesley, and grabbed her purse. It had been cloudy all day and now it was just starting to sprinkle. Great--Lena thought. I 'm stopping anyway. 

     As she pushed open the door to the antiques shop, a small bell rang. Lena peered into the gloom looking for a clerk, an employee....the proprietor? No one there. 

      "A light wouldn't hurt this place," she thought. "How can you even see anything?" she half whispered to herself. Taking a few steps forward, she stopped when she heard someone say,        "Can I help you Miss?"

    Lena spun around and standing next to the cash register was a tall thin man, with a rather large nose and a full head of long white hair, brushing at his shoulders.  

    Lena sucked in a breath and said, "The silver mirror in the window. May I see it?" 

     "Of course," said the man sliding in front of her. "Follow me and we will rescue it together." 

      Lena stared at the back of his head. "Whatever that means?" she thought. Wordlessly, she followed him toward the back of the window display. He reached inside and unhooked the mirror from the wall. He held it out toward Lena, and she noticed even in the shadowy interior of the store, the mirror shone and light seemed to dance along it's frame. She touched one of the silver birds, and gasped as she felt a small jab. She quickly handed the mirror back to the tall man, who had yet to introduce himself, and he took it, and quickly laid it down on a small end table to his left. She held up her finger and she could see a small bloodied scratch. 

     "My, my," said the man shaking his long white mane. "My name is George Stevens, and I own the shop. Pleased to meet you. And let me get you a bandaid and a tissue."

     "Thank you," said Lena holding her finger upright before her. The owner headed for the back, disappearing through a darkly patterned curtain. Seconds later, he pushed the curtain aside, and walked over to Lena holding a bandaid in one hand and a tissue in the other. Lena reached for the tissue and held it against the scratch. George peeled the paper from the bandaid, and smiling faintly he wrapped the bandaid around Lena's finger. 

"Thank you," said Lena for the second time. 

     "You are alright then?" inquired George....raising one eyebrow.

      "Oh I would think so," said Lena. "Just a scratch."

      "Well... so,"..said the shop owner "I"--

     "Excuse me," said Lena interrupting. "I would like to purchase this mirror." And she pointed to the mirror still lying on the end table. 

     "Why yes," said George Stevens. And he laid his right hand flat against his upper chest just for a second, before he picked up the mirror. 

     "Follow me," he said leading the way back toward the cash register. Lena followed him, looking around at the lamps and tables and bric-a-brac. Long tapestries hanging on the walls, embroidered in crimsons and blacks and greens and dark blues. "Caustrophobic," thought Lena.

     But still, there was an eclectic beauty in all of it. Everything simply all jumbled together. Yet, after a closer perusal, everything fit...perfectly. 

     Lena dug about in her purse for her debit card, hoping to God he had a card reader. She exhaled in relief when he pulled one out from under the counter. He reached for her card, and a small zap of static electricity sparked and stung the tip of Lena's bandaided finger. 'Not my day," she smiled and laughed a bit nervously. 

      "I can see that," said George Stevens ignoring both her finger and the spark. "Let me wrap this for you." 

      I appreciate that," said Lena. She glanced toward the door but given the darkness inside the shop, and the rain outside, it was impossible to tell whether the walk to her apartment would be wet or dry. I either case....

     George turned around and pulled a sheet of brown wrapping paper from under the back counter. With a seemingly minimal amount of movement, he wrapped the mirror expertly, taping everything down very neatly. He tightly packaged her purchase. 

     "It's a short walk and the mirror is not very big," said Lena. 

     "No, it's not very big," agreed George handing her back her card and then picking up the deftly wrapped mirror and holding it out to her. 

     Lena grasped the package and tipped her head toward the door. "Id better get going," she said. 

     "Yes," responded the proprietor. "You had best."

      Clutching her purchase to her chest, Lena headed for the door. The rain had slowed to a moody drizzle and Lena, walking briskly, reached her apartment without delay. 

     Unlocking the door, she flicked the light switch, carefully laid the mirror on the kitchen table, and put on the kettle for a cup of tea. While the water heated, she sat down at the table and unwrapped her treasure. She lifted the mirror and gazed at her reflection. She smiled, showing even white teeth. Dark eyes with a slightly upward slant, and dark hair shoulder length. She had a small regular nose, and a slightly pointed chin, that she had decided years ago, was an actual plus. 

    Satisfied, she dropped a teabag into her cup and poured the water. 

     While her tea steeped, she walked through her living room into her small bedroom. 

    She had a blank wall, and many times she had stood in front of that wall wondering what she should do with that blank space? The mirror would be perfect there. 

     She walked back into the kitchen and looked down at her tea. She tossed the teabag into the trash, and carried her cup over to the table. She turned back to the sink, reached underneath and brought out a hammer and a small box of nails, carrying both over to the table. She eyed the hammer as she sipped her tea. "Not that I have a lot of handyman skills, but how hard can this be?" 

     Lena put down her empty cup and carried the mirror into her bedroom. She carefully laid the mirror on her bed, then went back into the kitchen for the hammer and nails. She gauged the height for the mirror, and hammered a nail into the wall. 

     Stepping back, she admired her handiwork, then picked up the mirror and hooked it onto the nail. She stepped back again. It was perfectly placed. The frame glowed with small sparkles. The perfect placement, and the mirror looked great there. 

     The mirror was directly across from her small silvertone and glass dressing table and chair. Her queen sized bed, with a white chenille bed spread glowed softly in the low illumination coming from the kitchen. Next to the bed, a glass and white night stand. A tall white clothes chest on the opposite wall completed the decor.The mirror was perfect. It matched everything. The bedroom was complete. 

     Smiling, Lena walked back into the kitchen and slid a frozen pizza into the oven. She set the timer and headed for the living room. She aimed the remote at the TV and stretched out on the couch. She felt a little chilled, so she walked through into her bedroom for a sweater. As she reached for her dresser drawer, something sparkled off to the side. 

     The mirror was back on the bed. On--the--bed. She looked from the wall, with a nail sticking out of it, to the mirror. She was certain she had hung the mirror. She knew she had. She remembered doing it. What the hell? 

     Taking a deep breath, squaring her shoulders, she walked over to the mirror, reaching for it with both hands. Inches from the frame, sparks snapped and cracked, stinging her hands. The bandaid caught on fire. Lena screamed and tore the bandaid off, throwing it on the floor and stamping on it with both feet. She ran the few steps toward the bed and froze. The mirror was gone. Out of the corner of her eye, there was a flash. 

    Lena's mouth formed a perfect "O." The mirror was hanging on the wall. 

Lena held her head in her hands. "Am I having a stroke?" she moaned. She staggered back into the living room and collapsed on the couch. 

    Closing her eyes, she heard three sharp knocks on the door. Stifling a sob, Lena stood up and walked several feet to the front door of her apartment. She opened the door to find Mrs. Grimsby, one of her neighbors frowning at her. 

    "Everything alright, Lena?" asked her neighbor peering anxiously past Lena and into her apartment. 

     "Yes, I'm fine," replied Lena-thinkng the last thing she needed right now was her nosy neighbor. "I wasn't feeling well and I almost dropped my cup."

     " I see," said Mrs. Grimsby looking in no hurry to move. 

    "Well, I'm going to lie down again, if you'll excuse me," Lena said, gently closing the door on Mrs Grimsby.  

    The smell of warming cheese and tomato sauce caught her attention. She moved slowly toward the stove. After turning off the oven, she turned around to head back into the living room, when she froze. 

    The mirror was on the kitchen table. Just a few inches from her hand. A scream froze in her throat. Lena was gasping, tears streaming. She backed away from the mirror all the way into the living room, bumping the backs of both legs against the couch. She sat down heavily, breath exploding from her mouth. "Wha--wha- how--it," she stumbled over each word, gasping. She leaned forward gagging. Dry heaves. Nothing......

     A blinding flash of light caused her to raise her head. Something bone-white towered over her. Tall, white as snow, long white arms, longer white legs. Huge skull, silver glowing eyes looking directly down at her. Incredibly, horribly, the skull opened in a wide black, empty grin. Lena forgot how to scream. She forgot how to breathe. One of the creature's arms shot out and grabbed her by the throat. 

    Lena was dragged over the coffee table, by the neck and into her bedroom. Still holding her, the creature stepped directly in front of the mirror, which inexplicably was once again hanging on the bedroom wall. 

     Her vision growing dim, Lena's eyes focused slowly on the surface of the mirror. The scream building in her throat never made it to her mouth. In the reflective surface of the mirror, Lena saw her own face framed by long white hair reaching to her shoulders, and a too large nose.

    And in the background she could see the antiques shop. A bright flash of blinding light, the bedroom was empty. A small mirror hung on the wall directly across from a silvertone and glass vanity. The frame was silver and beautifully scrolled with birds, trees, and flowers. Polished to a sparkling shine. The mirror fit the decor perfectly.  

    There came a small tapping sound, coming from the kitchen.

     Lena's front door opened. Alice Grimsby stuck her head through the opening. "Are you alright, Lena," she called. "I thought I heard something like a scream?" 

    A low ambient light began to pulse in the bedroom. Alice Grimsby frowned, and walked through the living room and stepped tentatively into the bedroom, eyes darting about. 

   The antiques store proprietor in the mirror grinned. Alice Grimsby walked over to stand directly in front of the mirror.