FLESH covered LIES

The Annoyance of Concealment

The whole house was in a massive panic after Jonathon and I made the "discovery". Everyone was searching - for nooks and crannies, holes and secret doors, and anything that would give us a clue to where Tyler could be being held. 

The police had arrived around two hours ago. I wasn't sure how many there were, they all seemed just as panicky as we were, and with them all moving about in a fluster, I couldn't pinpoint their exact number. Most were doing the same as us, searching frantically, skim reading countless papers on myths and legends, unsure whether any of it could help us, or sitting in the middle of it all, with their heads in their hands. 

That's how I was now too - a cold cup of tea resting on the table in front of me, unsure of how long it had been there. At least an hour I predicted. But I couldn't really keep track of time in my state; all I knew was that it kept going by, quicker than ever, and every second that passed was another second that Tyler was lost for. 

Just when I was sure I was going mad, someone placed their hand on my shoulder, and brought me back to my senses. I looked up to see an officer with a kindly smile, dark skin, and deep brown eyes. 
"Gerda is it? Would you mind allowing us to ask you some questions?"
I stared back up at him for a few seconds, before nodding slowly. Looking around, I took in my surroundings. 

I was in the library. It was basked in the dim evening light, a sight I normally found beautiful, but today simply seemed mournful and eerie. There had to be at least another eight people in here with me, all talking in loud voices, frowns permanently nailed to their faces and real worry in their eyes. 

I stood up, and followed the policeman through the house until we reached a spare room, that I had only been in once or twice. 
"Here. Take a seat." He pulled over a chair for me, and then made himself comfortable on the edge of the bed. 

"So. Gerda. How long have you and your family been here for now?"
I replayed the man's first question in my mind over and over before I fully understood it. 
"I think it's been about a month or so now."
He scribbled quickly onto his small pad of paper.
"And... this isn't the first time anything odd has happened here, correct?"
"No I..." my voice cracked slightly as I spoke, I coughed and tried again. "No, Jonathon's cat was... murdered around a week ago now."
The officer looked confused. 
"Jonathon?"
"Oh he lives in the village just a few minutes from here. With his sister, Harissa."
"Ah yes." said the man, nodding. "I think I met her earlier."
There was a pause as he continued to write. 
"Oh." I suddenly said, interrupting his thoughts. "I mean, a couple of days ago, Tyler saw something in the cracked mirror in the hallway. Jonathon didn't believe him, though I suppose Jonathon doesn't really believe any of this does he." I scoffed under my breath. 
The officer ignored the last part of my story, and raised an eyebrow. 
"Your little brother saw something in the mirror? Did you see it?"

"Well no, I just heard him shout and then I went out there to check, it was gone by then of course but..." I trailed off, realising how stupid my tale probably sounded. I shook my head and stuttered. 
"I'm, I'm sorry, I understand how dumb this sounds, especially since he's so young, but I really do trust that he saw a man in the mirror that day."
"Asking him to change his ways..." muttered the police officer. I stared at him in disbelief. Was no one going to take me seriously?

"Anyway!" he said, waking me from my disturbed thoughts. "Let's go and take a look at this mirror shall we?"

"Sure." I said, standing up. Maybe he would stop making fun of me when he saw how truly eerie it was in that gloomy hallway.

I walked him through the house, trying to avoid the chatter and constant stress around us. I spotted my mum on the way - she gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze as we went by. I smiled at her weakly, and we continued to wind our way through the countless corridors, still filled with mountains of things we hadn't unpacked or sorted yet. 

When we finally came to the hallway, we began to walk swiftly through it, as I tried to recall exactly where the mirror had been. I hadn't been there since the incident with Tyler, for fear of seeing the red eyed man for myself.

"Wait..." I could tell something was wrong. It wasn't there. I was certain I was in the exact spot I had seen the mirror, but it just wasn't there. 
"Is this going to take long Gerda? There's some other people I need to interview."
"Wait! Don't go. I swear the mirror was here, I swear it." I could feel tears pricking up in my eyes, but I pushed them away. 
"Listen, sweetheart, I understand that you're upset, but do you think there's any chance you might have imagined this?"

I glared at him for being so patronising. 
"Fine, don't believe me, no one else does anyway." I snapped, and left. I turned and look over my shoulder as I walked away. I saw the police officer shrug and walk in the opposite direction, shoving his pencil behind one ear and his notebook into his pocket. 

As I was about to enter the library once again, perhaps to do some more reading about the location of these "secret lairs", Jonathon caught my own. I raised my eyebrows as he stared at me and began to speak. 
"Gerda, what if we're looking in the wrong places."
I frowned, not quite understanding. 
"We are searching the whole house, and everyone is feeding back their ideas in the library."
"Jonathon, please get to the point." I said, pulling my arm away from him. 
"Have we considered the possibility...." and he turned his head in the direction of the library door. 

"That the secret lair is connected to the library." I whispered. My jaw dropped.