Mirror Magic

The Broken Beginning

Levy

The room was tight, suffocating. She was cramped and squashed into the unbreathable side of the bed, her brother, Levi, only pushing her further with every heave of his stomach as he slept peacefully. Her side was pressed against the cold wood of their wall, and her arm lay trapped under the neck of Levi. It had run out of circulation long ago.

She couldn't sleep.

She was uncomfortable, despite having her brother right next to her. He provided more warmth than the thin sheet covering them. Hearing him breathe, hearing him alive next to her, gave her a strange feeling of safety, protection, that she hadn't feel when alone. They were inseparable. He was her light, and her other half. He thought what she thought. He felt what she felt. He knew things about her that she didn't know herself. Yet, despite being this close to him, being glued by his side, she was uncomfortable. She didn't know why. She didn't know how that was possible.

Their mother wasn't back yet.

Their mother always worked long shifts, trying to earn enough money to pay for everything while their father was away. It was frustrating and hard for her mother, but they would surely die without the money.

But today was different.

She had been gone long enough that Levi and herself had decided to sleep without their mother. They both curled up against each other's sides, hugging each other for the warmth that they currently lacked due to the disappearance of their mother. Levy wasn't sure if their mother was the reason why she was feeling butterflies in her stomach. Every time the wind blew, every time the cold air made the old house creak, she felt her tongue dry up in her throat. Sometimes, she wondered if the footsteps outside were her just aspects of her imagination. She wondered if the crunching of snow around their house were tricks played by her mind. And maybe the muffled whispers were sounds of a fleeting dream.

But her eyes had never been so vivid, so adjusted to the dark of their room before. She could make out every outline, every silhouette of furniture and items in their bedroom. She could pinpoint how her brother looked, asleep, and draw him perfectly without the aid of fire or the moon. The oil lamps outside their home were dead. That was the scary part.

Was it happening again? The dark, the dark was dawning on her again. She remembered the way it choked her, played around with her fingers and whisper otherworldly things in her ear. She didn't like the dark. The dark was not safe, not good. It was not a friendly thing. It was just pitch-blackness, a hindrance to her. It made her feel vulnerable, naked, alone. She really didn't like the dark.

Her brother on the other hand, didn't seem to mind it. He was ok with it. He didn't care about it. He didn't mind when it snatched its fingers around his body. Maybe it was because he had such a fine radiance, that the dark meant nothing to him, it didn't scare him the way it frightened her. Meanwhile, Levy reached for the light with her fingertips all the time. She longed for the warmth and connection she had with the sun, with fire, with Levi.

The footsteps outside were getting louder, loud to the point where she knew for certain that it wasn't part of her imagination. Immediately, her thoughts fled to the dark. It was sneering again, laughing at her fear. Levi...

She tilted her head slightly to look at her brother. He was curled against her stomach, his breathing, light and even. He'd left so much room on his side of the bed, by pressing her into the corner, but he looked so comfortable, so at peace. She would feel bad waking him up.

But, this is Levi, right? Surely, he wouldn't mind.

Gently, she prodded at his chest with her finger. The boy didn't even stir. Suddenly, the dark was at it again, whispering attacks, demanding her actions futile, Cries from several men shook her ears, and she curled up protectively. Shut up. Shut up. Formations, lines, they were shouting, getting ready. Ready for something. Ready for what?

Almost desperately, she shook her brother by his shoulder. Levi sniffed, mumbled something inaudible, and rolled over to the other side, his back facing her.

Levy was sure, certain, about the noises now. She needed Levi; she needed him to shake away the darkness. She didn't like the darkness.

She attempted to bring back some circulation into her arm. She wriggled her fingers, and endured the pain when it struck her. Small, tingly spots dotted their way on her palm, sending small waves of pain with them. Still, she shifted her arm from her brother's neck violently, jerking him awake. Levi moved slowly. He brought his arms above his head to stretch, and uncurled himself, making his toes touch the edge of their bed.

To catch his attention and to also ensure that he doesn't fall back asleep, Levy poked the nape of his neck. With a muffled yawn, her brother rolled around to face her. His half-lidded eyes stared at her confusingly, before he wrapped his arm around her back, bringing them both in for a cuddle. He exhaled deeply, and his breath warmed her face, making the dark disappear for a fleeting moment. "What's wrong?" he asked softly, the land of sleep desperate to drag him back.

Levy took comfort in his kind whispers, his attention on her already calming her down. "It's dark," she muttered back.

The corners of his mouth lifted a tiny bit, and it felt like the sun had crawled into bed with them. "I'm here, so don't worry." Levi said, while hid eyes drifted closed.

Soon, he'd regained his controlled breathing, signifying that he was asleep once again. Levy listened to his quiet breathing, and suddenly, the voices and footsteps outside grew silent. There was nothing there. The darkness was gone. Yet, she still felt this lingering discomfort, like something was staring at her through the cracks of the house, through their tiny, dusty windows. Their beady eyes settled on her lying body, the blacks and darks of their irises not once leaving from their set position on her. They stared, the whites of their eyes showing more than possible for a normal human, their black pupils staying too still, unblinking, not once distracted. There was more than one. It didn't feel like just a pair of eyes, it felt like many. Too many. It made her too uncomfortable.

It took her too long to realise that the eyes were real.

There was a loud pounding at their door, and a loud crack as it splintered. Levi was no longer asleep. His eyes snapped open, and he glanced quickly at her, his eyes signalling a dying flame.

"Men! Take the boy unharmed! Kill the girl!"