The Magic Mirror

The Final Chapter

Knock Knock Knock

Mrs. Plow nearly dropped her pie as she rapped on the door. It was evening in Shepherd's Hill. The trees were beginning to turn into blazing oranges and reds, the wind was becoming cooler but the sky was a spectacular pink as the sun lowered on the horizon.

"Mr. Lout!" she called. "Mr. Lout! This is Mrs. Plow!"

knock knock knock-

The door opened a crack and Mr. Lout peered through, warily.

"Mr. Lout! I have news!" she declared."Please, will you let me inside?"

"Last time you were in my house I was limping for days!" he pointed out.

Mrs. Plow frowned as she recalled that she had left Mr. Lout rather rudely in her last visit. Perhaps she had over reacted a bit. But it didn't matter anymore.

"I... simply wasn't myself," she tried on a reasonable tone. "I'm very sorry- but I baked you a pie!"

The door opened swiftly and Mr. Lout stood before her, looking in even better health than before. His eyes sparkled, his hair had gained a rusty tinge at the roots and years seemed to have been taken off of his face. Beyond him the house looked positively radiant! The walls were patched and repainted, pictures hung back up and the cobwebs swept away.

"What happened here?" asked Mrs. Plow in astonishment as she stepped in.

"Happy things, Mrs. Plow! Happy things indeed!" Mr. Lout was nearly jumping up and down in excitement it seemed. "But first you.. ah, mentioned a pie."

They bustled to the kitchen and sat at the table. Mr. Lout put the kettle over the fire, brought out the appropriate plates and silverware and..promptly tore a crumpled envelope from his shirt pocket.

"I've received a letter from my son, Fritz!" he blurted.

"Oh Mr. Lout!" Mrs. Plow rummaged through her apron and retrieved her own letter. "I got one from my Audrin! She's going to be a knight, you know!"

"Oh that's nothing," said Mr. Lout. "My Fritz is going to be a great wizard!"

"Please, Mr. Lout! My Audrin bravely trekked all the way to Graves' Lair just to save a friend-"

"Just a friend?" Mr. Lout snorted. "That friend is my other son, Fier! He wrote me a letter as well, Mrs. Plow! That's two letters!"

He pulled out the other to show her.

"Well my Audrin's letter was twice as long!" she scoffed. "And she wrote it with only nine fingers!"

"Only nine fingers? Pah! My Fritz could have done it with two! Did I mention he fulfilled a prophecy?"

And so it was that Mrs. Plow and Mr. Lout argued away an evening and a half over whether nine fingers really presented a challenge in ones writing. Mrs. Plow had never felt so proud in all of her life, and soon Mr. Plow was knocking on the door to visit and six little Plows followed soon after to hear about the adventures detailed in the letters and rejoice at the harrowing details. All the while the pie sat untouched on the table and sent wafts of sweet Briarberry steam through the kitchen window and out into the world.

-Finally-

Shadows were cast broad onto the wall as fire light flickered from two torches. Fritz had to bend down a little, as the dungeon steps were narrow and meant for shorter people than himself. The air in here was stagnant and wet, with the faint smell of mildew clinging to every breath he took in. The guard ahead of him walked heavily, keys clinked at his belt with every move. On Fritz's shoulder a crow sat dutifully and watched every shift in the light alertly