The Wonderful Wood

The Maiden in the Mirror

Ethan suddenly awoke. He looked out of the window. For a moment, Ethan was confused. Then he remembered it all and wondered what his mother would say if she knew. "She wouldn't believe it even if I told her." he thought as he stood up in his bunk. There was that noise again. He listened.

"Can you hear me?" said a voice that made Ethan nearly jump off his skin.  He looked around. It wasn't the voice of Drizzlemister or Diana. "But who else could be in the room? Drizzlemister must have locked it. How could there be anyone else in the room?" Ethan wondered as sweat poured down from his forehead. He felt a cold shiver run down his spine. He looked at the window and saw that the panes were all misted over.

He felt goosebumps as he rubbed his shoulder to keep warm. "That's odd. It wasn't cold before, and it looked like it was in the middle of summer when I came to this place," said Ethan, remembering all the green trees and flowers he had seen in the gardens and by the roads. He listened hard and heard soft snoring. He giggled.

"I probably heard Drizzlemister snoring and thought someone spoke," he said, lying down again. He felt cold and pulled up the blanket to cover himself. Just as he turned to face the wall, there came the voice again.

"Psst...wake up. You didn't imagine me speaking. I spoke to you, and we need to talk. Get down from your bunk," said a voice that made Ethan nearly jump out of his skin.

He got up and looked around, and squeezed himself. He was shivering. He managed to find his voice and ask, Who...who...is there?"

"Don't panic. I know you have probably not spoken to a ghost before," said a voice. Ethan slowly climbed down his bunk and stepped on to the floor.

Ethan looked everywhere, but he couldn't see anything. His eye caught the clock, and it was midnight. Everything was quiet. Far away, he heard an owl hoot. He listened while hugging himself with both his hands. He felt like he had stepped out into a cold winter morning without a muff, scarf or mittens. He shivered. He thought if he should wake up Drizzlemiester or Diana. He could still hear the soft snoring. He looked at the bunks. The moonlight streamed in through the window and fell inside the room. He could see the dimly light faces of Drizzlemister. He was fast asleep. Ethan turned to look at Diana, who was also sleeping.

"Don't wake them up. I want to speak to you," said the voice and Ethan looked about. His eyes fell on the mirror. In it was a figure of a woman outlined in silvery white. Ethan gulped.

"Don't be afraid. I have no intention of hurting you," said the voice. Ethan plucked up his courage and walked towards the mirror. "Who are you?" he managed to ask as he stood shivering by the mirror.

"Please, call me Rose. I'm the woman the innkeeper mentioned. The one that breathed her last in this room."

"What is it?" asked Ethan going closer to the mirror, half curious to see the ghost. When he went closer, he saw that it was a young woman. Her face was pale. She had long wavy hair that ripples down from her forehead.

"Well, It's about a wizard in this town, the most popular and self-proclaimed greatest," said the woman lowering her voice to a faint whisper.

"You mean the one whom they put up a statue for?" asked Ethan, remembering the statue that he had seen earlier in the middle of the village.

"Yes. That's right," said the woman and quickly added, "he is not what he seems on the surface."

"What do you mean?" said Ethan, unable to understand the woman.

"Well, he is evil. He isn't the one that got rid of the wraiths. It was me. I managed to chase them away with a powerful spell I put together after reading many ancient scrolls in the library," said the woman and tears rolled down her eyes.

"How did he get all the credit?" asked Ethan as he looked at the crying ghost.

"Well, he came to my home and promised to teach me magic if I allowed him to take credit for dispelling the wraiths. I'm self-taught, you see, women aren't allowed to learn or practice magic in our village."

"So, how did you end up, you know..."

"How did I die?" asked the woman in the mirror, wiping her tears away. "I died from a curse."

"The evil magician put it on you?" asked Ethan as he remembered what Drizzlemister had said about having a bad feeling about the new magician in Honeycomb village.

"Yes. Deathanor did. I was staying at my aunt's place. I'm not from this village," said the woman, and then she said quickly, "Dawn is nearly here. I have something to tell you."

"What is it?" Ethan asked, looking out of the window and saw that the sky was turning blue in the distance.

"There is a locket I hid under the mattress of the bunk you were on. I want you to take it. It has a mirror in it. That way, I can always speak to you and guide you."

"Why me," asked Ethan, looking at her in surprise.

"That is a story for another time," said the figure in the mirror.

"I won't, I will get it now," he climbed on to his bunk and realised the mattress, and sure enough, underneath it was a silver locket. He took it out and opened it. Inside it was a mirror. "Do you mean this?" he said, looking at the mirror. To his surprise, the figure in the mirror had disappeared.

 "Whom are you talking to, Ethan? Did you sleepwalk?" asked Diana as she sat up on her bunk.

"No. I didn't. I was talking to a woman," said Ethan, as he looked at the locket. "Should he tell Diana and Drizzlemister about it?" he thought as he looked at it and quickly pocketed it, deciding that he would tell them later.

"What do you mean?" said Diana getting off her bunk and looking up at Ethan. "You must have been dreaming, child. The door is still locked, and we are on the third floor."

"I know, it was a ghost," said Ethan, hoping that he didn't sound silly.

"A ghost? But that is highly unlikely. But ghost..."

"By those with magical blood in them," said Drizzlemister sitting up on his bunk.

"Yes," said Diana looking at Ethan as if she was looking at a rare creature she hadn't seen before.

"Me?" said Ethan, "then maybe I imagined it," he said, but he felt in his pocket, and he could still feel the locket inside.

"I suspected as much," said Drizzlemister, smiling.

"Well, this is a surprise and a delightful one," said Diana as she got up and adjusted her hair. "We should get some supplies today if we are going into the woods."

"I hope they aren't worried sick at home," said Ethan, remembering how those back at home might be looking for him.

"Well, time goes much faster in this world, so even if you stay for a year in this world. So, no one is going to miss you, don't worry about it."

"That's good," said Ethan feeling relieved. At least, he wouldn't have to explain where he had been.

"We better start early," said Drizzlemister looking out of the window.

"Time to set off," he said and opened the door. They went down the passage and the staircase back to where they had had dinner the previous night. Everything was quiet now. The innkeeper was at the counter arranging bottles, jars, cups and saucers on the shelves.

"Up early now, are we?" asked the innkeeper as he heard them approaching. "I hope you had a peaceful night?" he said, looking at them closely.

"Yes. We did," said Drizzlemister, and added, "do you know where a traveller might buy supplies?"

"You did?" said the innkeeper and added quickly, "I'm glad to hear," said the innkeeper, as he put down a glass.

"Could you tell us where a traveller might purchase his goods?" asked Drizzlemister, drawing closer to the counter.

"Well, at the marketplace, of course, by the clock tower, you won't miss it, just ho straight down until the road, and you will see it and turn right to go to the marketplace," said the innkeeper. "I hope you have a safe journey!"

"Thank you," said Drizzlemister, bowing. They walked out of the inn out into the street.