Bedtime - A Short Story Anthology

The Looking Glass

The Looking Glass
By LeaSheryn

Raindrops pattered steadily against the nursery window pane. The bored children sat at their desks with their arithmetic books propped before them. At her desk, Miss Glimp blinked, and her head bobbed up and down. The twins, Sebastian and Sabrina, exchanged knowing glances. Their governess was falling asleep. Rainy days affected her ability to stay awake.
Seven-year-old Sebastian pressed his finger against his lips and rose. Silently, Sabrina followed him. On tiptoes, they left the nursery. The attic door stood at the end of the long, carpeted hallway. The children feared the attic, but it also intrigued them.
Grandfather kept the excess antiques from his store up there. Recently, he bid on the belongings of an old novelist who recently passed on. The twins adored the writer's fantasy stories. Constantly, they begged Miss Glimp to read them. They longed to see his old desk with the envelopes and scraps of paper sticking out of the cubbies.
The attic door creaked when Sebastian opened it. For a moment, the twins stopped and glanced around. Miss Glimp did not appear. Sabrina pressed against her brother's back as he mounted the staircase. Together, they entered the attic.

The writing desk stood against the wall near the eaves. Beside it stood a dresser with a large, beveled looking glass. Sabrina began pulling paper scraps from the desk's cubbies, but Sebastian climbed onto the dresser.
"Look what I can do!" Sebastian called, attracting his sister's attention.
Glancing toward her twin, Sabrina blinked her eyes. She could not believe what she saw. Sebastian's hand appeared to penetrate the mirror's surface. Hastily, she squeezed her eyes shut and opened them wide. Undoubtedly, her mind played tricks on her.
Lightning flashed outside. A tree branch scraped against the small attic window. Inside, the grandfather's antique furniture stood out in the light, then returned to the shadows. The rain beat a steady staccato against the roof.
"Let's get out of here, Sebastian," Sabrina whimpered, suddenly afraid.
Instead of heeding his sister's plea, Sebastian extended his foot beyond the looking glass's surface. Then, in a blink, he disappeared.
"Sebastian!" his sister screamed in terror.
Sabrina dropped the envelope she held and leaped onto the dresser. Her small hand quivered as she reached toward the looking glass's slick surface. Her hand disappeared, and she followed her brother.
"It's real, Brina!" Sebastian exclaimed triumphantly. "We're really here!"
"Where?" the little girl questioned, staring at the lush green surroundings.
"Wonderland!" Sebastian's eyes sparkled merrily, and he grinned from ear to ear.
"Wonderland!" Sabrina repeated, awestruck.
The twins grasped hands and skipped toward an inviting pathway. A small white rabbit wearing a waistcoat rushed past them as they began their explorations. Grasping a pocket watch, he leaped into the air, then began to run.
"I'm late...I'm late," the hasty rabbit announced. Then, he disappeared into the brush.
Sebastian and Sabrina exchanged glances and then ran after the rabbit.
"Wait for us!" the twins gleefully called.