The Clockmaker's Shadow | ONC 2021 | LGBT

13. Mirrors

(Author's Note: this chapter is dedicated to Shreya_VA and her hellishly entertaining paranormal story, Chasing Death )

The creature which had been Jaxon, slid slowly along the corridor of mirrors, trying to re-establish his sense of self. Who was he? What was he doing here?

The horrific experience he had just endured stood like a solid shiny wall in his memory, restraining him from trying to look beyond it. Although the pain had receded now, his thoughts felt dull and sluggish.

He couldn't think straight. Perhaps he needed to rest, to recover from... His mind shied away.

He was tired, that was all. He'd have a nap, and when he woke up, his head would be clear and focused once more.

~~~

When he woke, his mind was still foggy but at least he'd remembered why he was here. These mirrors were doorways, portals to other worlds, and he was here searching for someone. He couldn't quite remember who, exactly, but he knew it was another traveller. He hadn't seen a single soul since he arrived here, which meant that his quarry must be inside one of these mirror worlds.

But which one? They all seemed the same. How could he tell which was the right one?

He continued slowly down the corridor, peering into each mirror, but could see nothing except for the reflections of other mirrors and a patch of blackness. Once he turned back and went in the other direction, but all too soon he began to feel sick and anxious. It seemed this journey was only comfortable moving forward. The knowledge stopped him in his tracks. What if he had gone past the right mirror? Perhaps he should just pick one and-

His mind shut down instantly, leaving him semi-catatonic on the floor. He couldn't face that pain again, no matter what the incentive!

He had no idea how long he lay there, there was no real concept of time in this place between the worlds, but eventually he steadied. He couldn't stay here on the floor forever. He pulled himself up, unaware that he was standing upright for the first time.

He looked around but nothing had changed, the mirrors continued in an unending line.

But there... a flash of green lit the corridor then disappeared into one of the mirrors. That one, right there. He knew immediately that he'd just seen his quarry.

He hurried forward and looked into the mirror but saw only a black silhouette reflected back.

He hesitated, fearful again. What if there was more pain waiting for him on the other side? But he had watched the other person enter that mirror, apparently without hesitating. Surely that meant it was safe?

He stretched out a hand and tentatively touched the mirror with his fingertips, ready to jump back at the slightest trouble. His fingers disappeared inside the glass and instinctively he jerked back his hand. He felt a twinge of unease when he saw that his hand looked different than he had expected. It was a black shape instead of... He pushed the thought aside to worry about later, after all it was probably simply a side effect of being here.

The important thing was, that he had felt no pain. He tried the experiment again, leaving his hand there for longer this time, and then his whole arm. Still no pain.

He waited, in case the pain came later, then, when nothing happened, the creature eased ever so slowly into the mirror.

He came out into a bright world filled with blinding sunshine. Flinging up an arm to cover his eyes, he hurried toward the nearest shade but it was still unbearably bright. He could see nothing beyond the dazzling light. This was impossible, he couldn't stay here.

He closed his eyes and sought the mirror world. To his relief, it appeared instantly inside his head and in a flash he was back in the corridor. Shaky with reaction, but feeling a growing sense of achievement, he waited a little and then tried again. This time the world was dark, except for a lamp at the end of the street. He turned away from the light, blinking, and found he could see quite clearly without it.

And once again, there had been no pain. He grinned. That had been so easy! He could slip in and out of worlds at his leisure, as long as he waited until nightfall. He began to walk, it was time to search for his quarry, the other traveller. He half-closed his eyes, trying to discover if he could identify a flash of green somewhere in the city, but then opened them quickly as a stranger came toward him, striding briskly along the footpath.

He pressed back against the wall, hoping the man would pass by without acknowledging him. He felt too raw to interact with other people yet, he wanted to get his bearings first, and besides, what if the people here spoke another language? But he needn't have worried. The man continued on his way without even turning his head.

The creature resumed walking, his feet making no sound on the pavement. He turned a corner and saw a building at the end of the street, filled with bright lights and people coming and going. Some stood in small groups on the footpath, glasses in their hands and a few puffed on cigarettes. He licked his lips, realizing that he had not drunk or eaten anything since... he couldn't remember. Hardly surprising, he told himself, considering... Perhaps he'd grab something to eat later, but at the moment he wasn't hungry, or thirsty.

He hung back, not wanting to approach any closer, just watching. They looked like they were having fun, relaxing after a hard day's work. He crept a little closer, then flattened himself again as a couple headed in his direction. The man had his arm around the woman's shoulders, and they were laughing together. Once again, they passed by without acknowledging him by even a glance.

It wasn't until a rowdy group of three men stumbled into him, without pausing to apologise or even seeming to be aware of the incident, that the creature felt the first prickles of unease.

When the next man approached, he stepped out directly into his path.

"Excuse me, sir, but I think I'm lost. Could you tell me the name of this street?" His voice sounded rusty to his ears, but it was clear enough, surely, and a harmless question.

The man brushed past without answering. Was he deaf or just rude? The creature followed, speaking louder and louder until he was shouting, but there was no response. He might as well have been invisible.