Don't Play with Mirrors

I didn't know what the mirror was capable of. Something so beautifully mysterious as that mirror, able to turn my life into something I never wanted. Now everyone's gone. This will be my last segment of my story. But why do I write it first? Am I doing it out of fear? Or out of the fact that I know life will never be the same? The sirens are getting closer. But I'm leaving soon. Maybe I'll tell you the whole story.

Sunday August 30th 2009

Thunder Bay, Ontario

I was on a walk, enjoying the late summer air. If I recall correctly, I had left home at 5:32, having just finished supper. Mom told me to take old Cassie for a walk, but at 12 years old, walking the old shepherd in this heat is bad for her. So I walked alone that night, enjoying the quiet Ontario afternoon. That was, until I turned down Woodcrest Road. There were several cars lined up and down the street, and many more drove down Spencer Street. The warm sun beat down on my face, just as the night breeze began to set in, I had to squint to read a sign ahead of me.

"Garage Sale at 1904 Spencer Street" I was interested, losing the feeling of uneasiness that had settled within me at the sight of all these cars. I walked down the street, quickly, I needed to be home soon. I reached the crosswalk at the end of the street. I turned left and crossed onto Spencer Street. The first house on the corner was house 1900. I could see all the people standing in the driveway two houses down, surrounding  what I assumed was the family in front of the house. There was a swarm of people around them, all giving money and taking household goods.

I walked closer, and came to a table with stuff on it. There was a box with a label that read: "Emily's Stuff". I looked at the top and saw stuffed animals, a whale and penguin, and below it was a sheet of paper. I reached deep into the box and pulled the paper out. It had a picture of a crying girl on it, poorly drawn however, and she was sitting on a stool. There was a gold mirror in her hands.

Then, as if on cue, the sun shone into the box, and a bright reflection gleamed out of it. It caught my eye, and I moved the stuffies out of the way, and saw the mirror. The same golden edges as in the picture. I reached for the handle, and pulled it out. It had a peculiar design, two snakes crossed at the top, and what looked like a dogs head was at the bottom, connecting the snakes. I admired it, and thought that I would like to put it in my bedroom at home. I took one look at the table, and I saw the picture again.

Only this time, the mirror was gone from her hands. I blinked twie hoping for the image I saw bwfore to retturn, but it didn't. I flipped the page over, and saw the previous picture with the mirror in it. Feeling relieved, I took the mirror to a woman with long black hair. How much for this mirror?" I asked her, she just looked at me, and I knew something was wrong. "Is there something wrong? Is this mirror not for sale?" She put her head down and tears started to form in her dark blue eyes.

"No sir. Take it, free of charge. I just want to be rid of that mirror. I have no use for it anymore" she said to me. I gripped it tighter in my hands. I quickly thanked her and left the area. I walked quickly down the street, and turned onto Woodcrest Road again. 'That was strange' I thought to myself, something wasn't right to me, and I slowly made my way home, at the end of Oliver street, just off of Woodcrest.

I had no idea what was about to happen.

Tuesday September 1st 2009

Thunder Bay, Ontario

Nothing had really happened for the first night. The mirror just sat in my room. Yesterday all I had really done was cleaned it, then made it shine with some polish. It was a beautiful mirror, and I enjoyed leaving it on the empty space atop my dresser. The brass really stood out against my dark brown wall. I went to sleep after setting it up. Like I said nothing happened that night.

However today was something totally different. I went downstairs after getting dressed and out of bed. My little sister Tammy was sitting at the table, my mom dishing out scambled eggs to Tammy and my dad. They all looked up at me, Tammy had a frown on her face.

"Good morning son!" My father said, as I took my seat at the table. The smell of bacon and eggs filled my nose, making me feel good. I sat down and watched as my mom brought my plate to the table. "How'd did you sleep?" my father asked me.

"Great! I feel really good right now." I said through a mouthful of eggs. Everyone smiled at me. I was happy. This was the last time I'd been happy in the weekw to come. I looked at my mother who was standing over my fathers chair.

"Good. Then you'll be in a great mood for when your father an I run out for a few days. We'll be visiting family out in Winnipeg. Your Aunt Mary passed in a car accident the other day." My mother explained. It should've affected me more, but I never met Aunt Mary. Mom said she wasn't a nice woman to be around.

"Of course ma. I'll watch over Tammy." I murmured, still wolfing down bacon and eggs. "When do you guys leave?"

"If we are gonna make it to Winnipeg before the rain starts, we'll be leaving within the hour. We're only gonna be gone for a few days. Your father needs to go finish packing." Mom explained. I nodded and finished off the last of my food. I stood up and put my plate in the sink. Tammy asked if we could go play on the Wii. I smiled and said yes.

An hour passed, and we all met up at the front door to say our goodbyes. Cassie, our German Shepherd whined at the door as the parents left. Tammy stood in the doorway and watched the car pull out of the driveway.

"Wanna go back and play some more games?" Tammy asked hopefully. I shook my head and started to walk upstairs.

"Michael?" Tammy called my name up the stairs.

"Yes?"

"Who was that girl in your room last night?" I froze on the stairs. My skin began to crawl.

"What girl? What are you talking about?" I asked, starting to walk back down the stairs. "Tammy, don't be playing those stupid tricks on me."

"It's not a trick. The girl that was sitting on the stool. The girl in the mirror. She had a bruise on her neck." I felt fear, but I also had the feeling that I was getting played. I didn't bring the picture home, so how did Tammy know about the stool.

"You're just making things up Tammy. Probably sleepwalking again." I muttered. She looked at me with worry in her eyes. I looked away and continued up to my room.

Something couldn't let me stop thinking about it.

Friday September 4th 2009

Thunder Bay, Ontario

Three days before something strange had happened. Tammy was out at a friends, so I had the house to myself. I decided I needed to take a shower, and so I did. I loved having nice hot showers in the afternoon. Something about it was so relaxing I could almost fall asleep in the shower. The calm, refreshing around of water running was truly amazing. As I got out of the shower, I saw all the steam in the air, fogging up the bathroom mirror. I picked up a towel and began to dry off. Towel drying my hair, and finishing with opening the door and walking out, stepping into the hallway, I walked into my room and started looking for some clothes.

I walked over to my dresser, but something was missing. The mirror was not in it's spot. I looked around, beginning to panic. Where the hell did it go? I pulled on a pair of boxer shorts that was sitting on my dresser. I walked out of my room and into the hallway. One door down was the bathroom.

I walked into the bathroom, half expecting to see Cassie laying on the floor. However she wasn't there. The mirror was laying facedown on the bathroom floor. The bathroom light flickered once, and the foggy mirror made me freeze in place. There was writing on the mirror.

"Hello Michael".

I wiped away the message seconds later, my gut filled with fear. I grabbed the brass mirror and ran out of the bathroom. I slammed my door shut and placed the mirror on top of my dresser. I ran to my window and opened the curtain.

"Calm down Michael. It's a figment of your imagination." I assured myself as I breathed through my window. The fresh air was something I needed, it helped clear my head. I stood back up tall. I turned around to look in the mirror.

I gasped in terror, at the sight of a rope in the mirror. The rope hung from the ceiling, directly behind me. I bolted across the room, and slammed the mirror down on my dresser. I grabbed the mirrors handle and ran towards my door. when I tried to turn the knob it fell right off the door. It opened and I ran out into the hall. I didn't look into the mirror as I ran down the stairs. The front door was right in front of me.

I jerked it open, and threw it as far as I could. I watched as it flew into the ditch in front of my house. I slammed the door hard, and sat against it. My heart was beating faster than ever before. There was something wrong with that mirror, and I needed to find out what.

Saturday September 5th 2009

Thunder Bay, Ontario

Spencer Street, House 1904. Thats where I found myself the next day. I stood on the front porch of the house where I got the mirror. I hesitated before knocking, the house just felt dark and mysterious.

I knocked, and heard footsteps almost immediately. I waited as the door was unlocked and pulled open. The woman who sold me the mirror stood in the doorway. She looked me up and down and didn't seem to recognize me.

'Hello. My name is Michael." I introduced myself awkwardly.

"I'm Helen. What do you want?" She asked, a faint harshness in her voice.

"I want to talk to you about something." I whispered, I could barely get it out.

"What?" She asked, sounding irritated now.

"You sold me a mirror several days ago. You told me to just take it." As I said this, her facial expression changed. She didn't look like the same person.

"Come in quickly. Waste no time. Tell me what happened." She said allowing me into her home. I explained what had been happening to me, and what I had been through. When I finished, the woman locked her front door and led me into her living room.

"Michael, was it? Have you heard of the myth, that mirrors can trap energy based on what people feel?" She asked me, looking in a different direction.

"Yes." I answered.

"Well, that mirror belonged to my youngest daughter. She was 16 years old. The reason these strange things have happened, was because my daughter gave off a negative feeling, and that mirror held on to it. I feel like it may have trapped a part of her within it." Helen murmured. I listened, taking all this information in.

"Could I speak to your daughter?" I asked, hoping I could go see her.

"She was suffering from depression. A lot of bad things happened in this house. Her father Alan got kicked out by the police years ago. He did bad things to little Emily. He beat her and took all his anger out on her, I thunk he may even have..."

"What? What did he do?" I asked, I needed to know everything. I needed to know what I was dealing with with the mirror.

"He raped little Emily. He used her.." Her voice cracked, "I d-don't want to..."

"It's okay. You can stop. Can I go speak to Emily?" I asked once again. She looked up at me, her gaze began to instil a deep fear in my heart. I had a sinking feeling as I realized why I wasn't given an answer yet.

"Emily committed suicide three months ago..." She trailed off. I stood up from my chair. She looked up at me. "Where are you going?"

"I must go home, I whispered. I felt like something was wrong. Or like something was going to be wrong. I walked towards the front door, hoping to get out of there as quick as possible.

"Be careful with that mirror." Helen called out. "And do not break it." I nodded, and unlocked the front door.

I never went back to House 1904.

Sunday September 6th 2009

Thunder Bay, Ontario

I sat alone in my living room when there was a knock on the door. I was expecting the parents, who were later then usual. But when I went to answer the door, two officers stood there. At first I felt fear, but then I began to feel strange.

"Hello. Are you Michael Hally?" They asked. I nodded and leaned against the doorframe. They looked down at their shoes. I stood still afraid.

"Michael, I'm sorry. Your parents got into an accident on the drive home. We are here to inform you that we'll be taking you kids to your Uncle Boron in two days. For now, We need you kids to pack your suitcases." I nodded, and felt tears burn in the back of my eyes. Tammy was all I had left. I watched as the officers walked through the grass. They pulled out of the driveway.

I walked slowly up the stairs. I needed to tell Tammy. I just didn't know how. Tammy walked past the top of the stairs, she looked sad. I ran up the stairs to catch her.

"Tammy, I have to tel-" I was cut off by what I saw. In Tammy's hands, the brass mirror, was held firmly.

"Tammy, what are you doing with that?!" I shouted, reaching out for it. I felt angry, more than I ever have felt before. Could it be the negative energy? Tammy pulled it back and ran past me, towards the stairs.

"Michael calm down! I'm only talking to Emily. She got hurt by someone who acted like you're acting now!" Tammy screeched. Something snapped within me. The parents dead, messages on the mirror. The rope, the ghost in my room. I just stood still. I whipped around and slapped Tammy's face. I knew I had done something wrong. The mirror fell to the ground as Tammy rolled down the stairs. I yelled as the mirror smashed on the floor, a shard of glass slid past me. A rotten face was on the mirror pieces, smiling sinisterly. It was an inhuman smile.

"Tammy I'm sorry! I didn't mean that! A lot of things have happened recently! I didn't mean to hurt you!" I apologized as I ran downstairs, I heard Tammy's voice in the kitchen. I walked in slowly, and saw Tammy put the phone down.

"Tammy. Who did you just call?" I asked, feeling the rage coming back again. The mirror flashed through my head again. When it broke, the negative energy was released. That much I know. Tammy backed up.

"I just called the police Michael. Something isn't right. Emily warned me about you. She said something about Alan." Tammy stammered, trying to buy time.

"Emily isn't real. She's dead! She killed herself, because Alan did bad things ti her. I'm gonna do them to you if you don't pick up that phone and tell them to not come." I snarled angrily, taking a knife from the kitchen table. My head was starting to spin. I felt so much rage, but a deep sadness as well.

"I can't Michael. They're gonna be here any minute. Mike, are you okay? You dont look goo-"

"I'm fine!!" I shouted, then I stumbled towards her... From that point on, I blacked out. Or so thats what it felt like.

When I came to, I couldn't believe what I saw. I was leaned against the bathroom wall, there was blood everywhere. On the floor, in the water, on the walls. I looked into the red water, and saw her. Tammy's throat was torn to shreds, chunks of glass was stuck in her neck, and there were clean, oozing cuts on her arms. Tears formed in my eyes. Burning as they surfaced.

"Why'd you do it? You're just like him you fool." I stood up and looked around.

"Who said that where are you?" I asked as I looked around. A shard of glass sat on the floor, from the mirror. In it was a gorgeous girl, standing with bruises on her arms. I fell to my knees, blood surrounding me.

"My father was just like you. Except he never got this far." She said, fading away.

I ran out of the bathroom, looking for a white towel to dry the blood, my head started to swim, I tumbled into the stairwell.

'What do you even plan on doing? The police will be here any second." I ran around frantically. I couldn't bear it anymore. I grabbed my ears, the voice never stopped in my head.

"'Leave me alone?' Is that what you want Michael? A monster like you doesn't deserve it. You took all that you had left and what did you do to it? You left it in a bathtub." I fell to my knees. The house began to feel dark. I stood up, the voice kept agitating. I felt a deep regret, as well as sadness. It was almost over. I knew that much.

I walked back up the stairs and into the bathroom. I whispered to Tammy that it would all be okay. I lifted her body out of the water, and I walked into her room. I positioned her in her bed so that she looked like she was sleeping. I walked out of her room and stood in front of the bathroom mirror.

"You were right Emily. I am like your father. But you should know this cycle doesn't end here. Someone will come to this house eventually, and they will look into this mirror, and the same thing that happened to me will happen to them." I said evilly. I knew what had to be done. I turned out the light and said goodbye to the house.

So now you know my full story. I still roam the country, looking for young girls to take. My name is Michael Hally. This is my story, and warning to you.

Don't play with mirrors.