Mirrored In The Dark

Chapter 10

As her hand touches the reflection, it shatters like glass. The shards fall to the ground, and the room around her seems to dissolve, like a dream fading away. And then, she's standing in a different place. She's in a room that's filled with light, a room that feels warm and safe. She looks around, and she sees a door. She walks towards it, and opens it. And as she steps through the door, she feels something change inside her. It's a feeling of peace, of contentment, of joy.

She finds herself in a beautiful garden, filled with flowers of every color. The air is filled with the scent of roses, and the sky is a perfect blue. The sun is warm on her skin, and there's a soft, gentle breeze. The grass beneath her feet is soft and lush, and she feels herself relax. She looks around, and sees someone else in the garden. It's a woman, sitting on a bench, reading a book. She looks up, and smiles at Scarlett. "Welcome," she says.

"I've been waiting for you," the woman says. She gestures to the empty space on the bench next to her. "Please, have a seat." Scarlett hesitates, but she feels a sense of trust towards this woman. She walks over and sits down next to her. "Who are you?" she asks. The woman smiles, and her eyes seem to sparkle. "I am what you might call a guide," she says.

"I'm here to help you," the woman says. "You've come to a crossroads in your life, and you have to make a choice. I'm here to help you make the right one." Scarlett feels herself relax, and she finds herself trusting this woman. "What choice do I have to make?" she asks. The woman looks at her, and her eyes are filled with kindness. "The choice is simple," she says.

"You can choose to be trapped by the past, or you can choose to move forward into the future," the woman says. "It's a choice that everyone must make, at some point in their life. What will you choose?" Scarlett thinks about the woman's words, and she realizes that she's right. She's been trapped by her past, by the things that have happened to her. But she knows that she can't stay there. She looks at the woman, and takes a deep breath. "I want to move forward," she says.

"Wonderful," the woman says. She reaches out and touches Scarlett's hand. "The first step is to let go of the past. You can't move forward if you're still holding on to what's behind you." Scarlett nods, understanding what the woman is saying. "What do I do?" she asks. The woman smiles. "It's simple," she says. "You just have to say goodbye." Scarlett thinks about all the things she's been holding on to, and she feels a sense of relief. She takes a deep breath, and she speaks the words aloud.

As Scarlett speaks the words, the air around her starts to feel heavy and oppressive. She feels a sense of dread, like something terrible is about to happen. The garden around her starts to change. The flowers wither and die, and the ground beneath her feet begins to crack. The sky above her turns black, and the air is filled with a howling wind. She looks at the woman, and sees that her eyes are glowing red. Scarlett feels a sense of fear unlike anything she's ever felt before.

The woman stands up, and she towers over Scarlett. Her hands are claws, and her teeth are sharp and pointed. "It's time to pay the price," she says, in a voice that sounds like a thousand knives scraping together. Scarlett tries to run, but she can't move. She feels frozen in place, like she's trapped in a nightmare. The woman reaches out, and grabs her by the throat. "I am the price," she says. "And I will have what is owed to me." Scarlett can feel herself losing consciousness, and everything starts to fade to black...

But then, a voice cuts through the darkness. It's a warm, kind voice, and it feels like sunlight on a winter's day. "Don't be afraid," the voice says. "You're not alone." Scarlett feels a hand on her shoulder, and she looks up. Standing in front of her is a figure, glowing with a brilliant light. The figure smiles, and Scarlett feels a sense of comfort and safety. "You're safe now," the figure says.

The figure holds out a hand, and Scarlett takes it. As she does, she feels herself being pulled away from the dark place, and back into the garden. The air is fresh and clean, and the sun is shining brightly. "What just happened?" she asks. "You were in the grips of fear," the figure says. "You were trapped in your own mind, in your own fears. But you're free now." Scarlett looks around, and she feels a sense of relief. She realizes that she's no longer trapped by her past.

"Now, we can begin," the figure says. "We can begin to move forward, to create a new future." Scarlett feels a sense of excitement, and she looks at the figure expectantly. "What do we do?" she asks. "The first step is simple," the figure says. "It's to find something you're grateful for." Scarlett looks around the garden, and she sees the beauty all around her. She's grateful for the sunshine, the flowers, and the fresh air. She takes a deep breath, and smiles.

"That's it," the figure says. "Simple, right? But it's not just about finding things to be grateful for. It's about finding them every day, even when it seems hard to do. Even when things are difficult, there's always something to be grateful for." Scarlett nods, understanding what the figure is saying. "And with gratitude comes happiness," the figure continues. "It's not just about feeling grateful for the good things in life, but about finding gratitude even in the bad things." The figure says.