Little Weirdos

Chapter Eleven: The Mirror and a Conversation

This chapter will contain elements of gun violence.

And Zoey's eyes shot open.

She was in a room—well, at least it looked that way—with only a mirror, and the shadowy figure. The warlock. And she was terrified.

"Zoey Ansley, you have messed up." The warlock folded its hands, laughing. "You've messed up so bad, that you've made my plans even better."

Zoey didn't respond. She was too busy patting her chest, catching her breath.

The last thing she remembered was the pageant.

Being hit with chairs, or did her memories stop just before that?

Either way, she came to an important realization.

"You were there tonight." Zoey sat down, the floor looking (but not feeling) like water. "You were there, watching the whole thing." She looked up, close to crying. "Did you know I would do that?"

"I was hoping you'd do something to push your mother over the edge." The warlock sighed, almost as if it regretted what happened itself. "And you did. Look at you, looking as tomboyish as ever. She'd be so disappointed."

"Stop." Zoey buried her hands in the blue hoodie, slightly too big for her.

The warlock sat next to her, at a comfortable distance. "...Why blue?"

Zoey waited a minute before she responded. "It's my favorite color." You could hear the tears lacing her voice.

"That's odd. How'd it get to be your favorite color?"

Zoey thought for a moment. How did it get to be her favorite color?

She'd spent her whole life being forced into pinks and purples. Hell, the first thing she sees in the morning is a wave of pink and white. Her whole existence is a strawberry Dreamsicle.

"Some kind of rebellious thing. I don't know." Zoey lifted her head up, the tears being obvious as her eyes puffed up. "Mommy never liked blue, but I never liked Mommy."

The warlock wasn't exactly human. But its feelings were, in some sense. "You're smart. I have to hand it to you, you are the brainiest kid I will ever know, and I know that for a fact. Some kids are just stupid."

"You know other kids?" Zoey sat up a bit. "There are other kids here?"

"Not yet." The warlock shook its head, its eyes creating a smile. "Do you want to be the first?"

"I want to get home to the boys." Zoey curled back up into a ball. "I want to leave Mommy forever, and go find Daddy. Are the boys okay?"

"Luke, Benny, and Mason?" Its voice echoed. "They're alright."

"...I have a question."

"Go ahead."

"Why do you hate me so much?"

The warlock seemed taken aback. Mixed with Zoey's tone of voice, and her level of maturity despite being only nine years old, the question was heartbreaking. If it had any humanity, it'd go back on its plans. But, a job must be done.

"I..." It was almost like it couldn't begin to say its answer, or the answer it wanted to say. "I don't... hate you."

"Why not?" Zoey's voice was breaking. "I've ruined everything. I even started to bother you."

"Nobody in their right mind could hate you."

"Mommy hates me."

"I said anyone in their right mind." The warlock pointed out. "Your mother is not in her right mind at all, but it's not an excuse to treat you the way she does."

"What did I do?" Zoey looked up again.

"Absolutely nothing. Why she hates you, I don't have an answer for. But she is wrong for it."

Zoey seemed a bit comforted. "If that's true, then why do you need to kill me?"

If the warlock had physical eyes, they'd be bulging. "How did you--"

"I know you need my soul. It's the only thing I'm here for."

It adjusted itself, looking into the mirror as it came closer. "It's a rule. I'm not exactly sorry about it, but..."

'I don't want to do it'. Those are the words it wished it could say, and it didn't.

The mirror came closer, and it showed Zoey's mother. Right as she looked at the pageant, with her bag slung over her shoulder.

"What are you trying to say?" Zoey looked up at the warlock, as it passed a gun into her hands. "What's this?"

"Pull the thing at the top to load it." Its emotionless voice instructed her, step by step, on loading the gun. "This will kill the reflection."

"You're... you're telling me that I'm about to kill my mom?" Zoey's hands as she pulled the gun up trembled, as the reflection held a gun to her as well. "I'm scared. It's pointing one right back at me."

The warlock put a hand on the gun. "I understand. I'd be terrified as well, if I shot a mirror and it started to bleed."

"What are you saying?"

"Pull the trigger by your finger, Zoey." The warlock stepped away. "Your problems will be over."

"I'm scared." She looked back at the warlock behind her. "I don't want to do this. Please, just take me back."

"Shoot it."

Zoey snapped her gaze back to the mirror, as the reflection of her mother looked back at her. It was just as scared as she was, and that's how Zoey knew it wasn't her mother.

But, if the warlock really was telling the truth... if this would kill her...

Zoey clenched her eyes shut. And, quickly, she pulled the trigger.

The warlock was gone. And Zoey felt a shooting pain through her.

As she looked back into the mirror, her mother was still there. But it slowly warped into how Zoey was at that very moment, blood staining the blue hoodie she'd put on moments ago.

She gasped, bringing a hand to the stain. The more she touched it, the more it stung. The more that spilled out.

She lost consciousness slowly, and fell back. The mirror shattered, and the floor splashed, taking it with her as she plunged downwards into water.

Then, she felt herself hit the ground.

Read the Ending of Little Weirdos in Chapter Twelve