Angels & Shadows

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Elizabeth was sat at her desk in the music room. She hated Monday mornings as they started with a double lesson of music. Three hours of pure misery. It wasn’t that Elizabeth hated music, far from it. Four years ago music was her passion and her music teacher, Miss Joel, was an inspiration to her and Elizabeth lived for music then thriving off the positive energy and nurture that Miss Joel brought in abundance.

Elizabeth could clearly picture her. She was petite, blonde and extremely pretty with the most amazing blue eyes that shone with joy and energy. Miss Joel had recognised the musical potential in her and had dedicated a lot of her personal time in and out of school to tutor her, not for money but just for the pleasure that it gave her to teach. Miss Joel had managed to breach the divide between tutor and pupil to become one of Elizabeth’s most favourite and valued friends.

Quite unexpectedly Miss Joel had left the school with no warning or explanation. Her house had been rudely emptied with rent left unpaid and nobody had ever heard from her again. Her replacement turned up the very next day, Mrs Hyde direct from the jaws of Hell. The very moment that she entered the classroom, her eyes sought out Elizabeth and fixed her with an almost satanic glare. That was about as good as it got. This was the bitch that couldn’t even be bothered to go to Mr Williams’ funeral!

“Elizabeth!” Mrs Hyde had sought her out again.

“I don’t know why you bother turning up. You have the musical talent of a deaf oaf and this homework could’ve come from a child with severe learning difficulties. I shall recommend yet another spell of detentions and have your parents made aware of the futileness of your education at the next Parent Teacher’s meeting.”

Her cold dark eyes were like those of a killer shark and they were fixed on Elizabeth and even the class could feel the hatred that she had for her.

“Whatever you say Mrs Hyde” Elizabeth returned her glare with equal hatred. She had to concede though that Mrs Hyde was a strikingly beautiful and elegant woman which made her hatred even more intense.

She had come to terms with the fact that she could never change things but vowed that Mrs Hyde would pay for it one day. Elizabeth relaxed her face and just smiled back. The rage in Mrs Hyde mounted to demonic at Elizabeth’s unashamed insolence, which made Elizabeth’s smile just a little wider.

As Mrs Hyde turned and stomped back to her desk Elizabeth felt a prod in her back. She turned to see Laura, her best, friend pulling a face with her fingers up by her ears portraying an ugly devil. They had difficulty swallowing back their giggles and had to press their mouths into their sleeves, not daring to look at each other again.

Laura had befriended Elizabeth after the accident and she had helped her through the initial hard times. Elizabeth simply didn’t know what she would have done without her. They were totally different but they complimented each other well. Laura was a free spirit, spontaneous and never considered the consequence of things.

“She was surely going to be a nightmare for her parents and soon” Elizabeth had to admit.

In contrast Elizabeth was more mature and responsible but this was as she had to be. She needed Laura’s carefree and unconditional love and company to give her the strength to go forward, just as Laura needed Elizabeth’s stability and loyalty to keep her on the rails.

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It was in the early hours of the morning that Elizabeth woke to the same reoccurring nightmare. She grabbed at the bed-side table lamp, fumbling for the switch and breathed a sigh of relief when the light flooded the room. It was always the same dream, she was being stalked through dark foggy streets by some sinister man and with each dream she got closer and closer to being caught by him.

Elizabeth was dreading the night that would surely come where he would get her in her sleep when she couldn’t protect herself. The dreams were so real, she even knew what he would look like, how he would smell and how he would speak. She even believed that she would die when that happened, if not from the event, then the fear of it.

The house was silent but the silence was deafening. Elizabeth’s head was in turmoil but not just from the dream she had to talk again with Ben about the old mirror. Neither she nor Ben had mentioned it during the past week as both were trying to come to terms with the phenomenon. Elizabeth slipped out of bed, took her dressing gown and left her room. As she turned around in the corridor she came face to face with Ben.

“Ben you frightened the life out of me!”

It was more than a normal fright as the memory of the stalker in her dreams was still vividly on her mind.

“Sorry Lizzie but we have to talk, are you ready to do that yet?”

“Yes Ben more than ready, I was on my way to see you. Let’s go downstairs so we don’t wake up Aunt and Uncle.”

They stood in front of the old mirror strangely relaxed holding hands to give them a bit more courage. There was no awkwardness about it, just trust.

Elizabeth broke the silence.

“It’s really beautiful isn’t it Ben? Just look at the cherubs with their harps and bows and the ornate scrolling. It looks too perfect to be cut and shaped by man. How much love and care must have gone into carving it?”

“Yes it’s beautiful Lizzie, truly beautiful and I know it’s hundreds of years old because Uncle George said so and by the style of it. But there’s not a mark or blemish on it Lizzie, not a chip or a crack to the guilt frame and the glass is so clear that it could be new, or not even there at all.”

Ben’s hand tightened on Elizabeth’s, it was in raw anticipation.

“That can’t be possible Lizzie, can it?”

“Do you feel safe Ben?” Elizabeth was unable to take her eyes off their reflection in the old mirror.

“I think so but only because I have you with me, I’m not sure I’d want to be here alone though.”

Elizabeth was serene.

“Good because I think we’re about to go on a journey. I don’t know how, where or why but we are going Ben you can be sure of that and I think it’s going to be a roller-coaster ride!”

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