A Life Beyond the Mirror

Chapter 4

Well, that's one way to wake a girl up. All sense "Visions. Okay Gran. You have had one too many herbal teas today." She was so much more far gone than I thought. She even has that crazy gleam in her eye.

"Okay then. Look at me, now. How do I look?" she said. Gesturing to her face. I do as I'm told, shooting my eyes at her. She looked the same. But wait. I look again. Her ears though, are they pointed? He hair is almost silver now, rather than a grey, it glistened in the afternoon sun. Her eyes gleamed blue, brighter, more vibrant. Even her skin, it almost looked polished. Her wrinkles evened out. How hadn't I noticed this before?

"What did you give me?!" I screech, climbing up the bed. I must be on a drug trip. She put cannabis in my tea or something. This must be how it feel to be high.

"A potion that lets you see what is being hidden." She tries to reassure, but my breaths still come in shallow puffs. "I hide my true form to fit in." she says following the point of her ears with her index finger. "Your dreams. They started getting worse after your father... disappeared, correct?" she asks.

"Well, yes, just grief, I suppose." I explain. Of course, the trauma of losing a parent could cause all sorts of damage.

"No. He was no longer around to give you the potion." She says matter of fact.

"What potion?"

"Your father. He was hiding your gifts from you. He didn't want you to know, or anyone else to find out. You were too young. When you were small, he put a blocker on you so you wouldn't see anything not from this world. The potion suppressed your gifts." She says stroking my hair again, tucking the strays in neatly.

"This is too much Gran." I stand up to leave, she grabs my arm.

"Don't your dreams feel real?" she asks, her eyes imploring mine to believe her.

"Yes." I whisper.

"Trust your instincts. It's what they're there for." She says softly, before releasing my arm and letting me go.

I left the house confused. I headed down to the bottom of the road, where the village turns into fields. Jumping over the stile I head across it, weaving through the tall grass, almost ready for the farmer to cut. Not wanting to think about where to go, I just keep walking in the straight line, through the long grass, tickling my legs. I have a split-second thought about the creepy crawlies but keep going anyway. I just needed to get away. With my head pounding with questions, it was a surprise I stopped in time to not end up in the pond. I kneel beside it, dipping my fingers in the dark murky waters. A run-down building taking up the space on the other side. Cracked windows and roof caved in from a fallen tree, plants growing out of all the nooks and crannies.

My face flushes as I struggle to keep my head from exploding, my eyes watering with frustration as I lose track of time and just sit there, gazing at the pond. Scum masking what lies within the inky pools. Processing the information. Was it true? Or was Grandma leading me down her loony road and I was just a gullible girl.

"Can this be real?" I ask. As if understanding, a small frog jumps out, cracking the surface of the pond and into the shallows in front of me and proceeds to sit there in front of me.

"Are you going to turn into a prince if I kiss you?" I ask it, laughing at my stupidity.

"Maybe." The frog replied. I jump back in horror, stifling a scream. My eyes bulging from my head. I turn running back across the field and towards my Gran's house. On second thought that could have been my mind playing tricks on me but I'm not taking any chances.

"How are you feeling dear?" she asks me, concern in her voice. She was there, back on her bench, waiting for me to come home. She reaches a younger than usual hand out for me to join her. Her appearance had not reverted back. So much for momentary insanity.