Broken Mirrors

chapter two

Lilliana got up at eleven and cleaned up; she avoided looking at the fridge. Such a strange thing this morning. Lilliana began cooking brunch and was soon joined by Mark.

She couldn't concentrate, last night had really alarmed her.

"Are you alright?" Mark asked.

She snapped out of her trance. "Yeah I'm fine. Just tired is all."

Mark smiled and stood whilst wiping his face with a napkin. "I have to go into the Village today to pick up a new manuscript and I have to meet with someone. Do you want to come? I probably won't be home until its dark."

"No I have to do some things around the house."

He smiled again and left. Mark loved his life. He was an editor for Hornsdale Publishing and got a new manuscript almost every week. When he and Lilliana lived in the city he was apartment bound and barely ever got outside. But now given the location he could walked through the forest to clear his mind then get straight back to work. He loved Lilliana more though. They met at a café in the city, he could barely take his eyes off her as soon as she entered. She was stunningly beautiful with long dark brown hair and eyes as blue as the ocean. Needless to say he was immediately caught. He eventually worked up the courage to talk to her and realised how much in common they had. From there the relationship grew. Mark was worried about asking Lilliana to move here as she worked as a model in the city and was always getting asked to do shoots. But she was sick of city life and jumped at the chance of living in a small Village where no one would recognise her.

Mark came to the post office, picked up the script and headed towards the bank.           

Lilliana sat in the living room in a big leather armchair with a book and a cup of tea. This mornings events were out of her mind. A small knock at the door made a curious look cross her face. She stood and walked to the door and opened it.

A small old woman stood slightly hunched. She had white hair and wrinkly grey skin. The old woman was wearing a long floral dress with a yellow cardigan. "I don’t mean to intrude," the woman began in an old and delicate voice. "But my name is Mrs Willkins - Dorothy Willkins," she corrected, "and I just wanted to welcome you to the neighbourhood."

"My name is Lilliana Grey. How kind of you to drop by," Lilliana said smoothly. 

The old lady smiled bashfully. "Well I wouldn't want you to feel unwelcome in our Village."

"And in such a beautiful Village too. Is it you who owns the bakery?" She said remembering the name of the bakery being Willkin's Bakery.

"I used to, but now I am retired. Though they kept the name the same." Mrs Willkins leaned slightly and looked past Lilliana. A quick look of fear passed the old ladys eyes and she frowned deeply. "I am sorry dear, I had no idea you had guests. I best be on my way." Mrs Willkins turned and walked down the three stairs on the balcony and down the driveway.

"Guests?" Lilliana mumbled to herself. She shut the door and turned around. Mrs Willkins had been looking at a the hallway mirror when she said guests. The old lady had probably just seen herself in the mirror and not realised. Lilliana smiled and chuckled softly. Silly old woman.

Lilliana walked to the bathroom. As she was washing her hands she briefly glanced into the mirror and saw a different face looking at her. She screamed as sheer terror ripped though her and  she jumped back. Her reflection was still different. How was this possible? Lilliana thought. This thing in the mirror had black eyes and a scarred face, one scar travelling from her forehead to her chin. It had short black hair and a grin of rotten teeth. Lilliana screamed again as the mirror exploded.  She ran from the bathroom and into the kitchen. She didn't see small puddle of water on the floor and slipped. Her body was horizontal in the air and she smacked onto the floor knocking herself out. Blood began to pour from the cuts the glass made in her skin.

Mark looked at the manuscript as he waited in the dimly lit coffee shop/bakery. The weather had turned for the worst and a thick fog had begun to come in. He sipped his coffee and looked towards the door then to his watch. It was now four. He had been waiting for his friend to arrive for about two hours after he had run some other errands. Mark didn't mind though. It gave him time to think and look over the new manuscript.

He noticed again the small old lady who had been looking at him ever since she entered. He saw the dilemma in her eyes and he gave a polite nod which was returned. The old lady stood and walked to his table and sat.

"I'm expecting a friend," he said softly.

"This will only take a moment," she replied slightly hostile. "You just moved into North Pine Manor didn't you?"

"That is correct."

The old lady smiled. "My name is Mrs Willkins and I wanted to talk to you about something very important," she paused. "Its about the house."

Mark frowned. "What about it?"

The old lady looked around to make sure no one was listening. "As you know we are a very small Village and we like to look after each other. Which is why I'm going to ask you to leave that house."

"What?" Mark said disbelieving. "You must be off your cracker. Why on earth would we leave that house?"

"Because its haunted," she said straight away. "You won't believe me now but soon enough you will see that the house holds a demon. Hopefully when you return home your partner will be okay."

"Was that a threat?" Mark asked angrily.

"No." Mrs Willkins said with a straight face. "It was a warning. Lilliana is very beautiful and so was the girl who first lived there. Though she was beautiful, real beauty is skin deep. This girl loved herself and thought she was the most beautiful person in the world. She was so vain she filled the house with mirrors. She talked of how she wished she would always look beautiful. She wished her reflection would always be the same, never changing or ageing. Stupid girl. Her vanity drew unwanted attention and she was attacked and murdered. But her spirit never left the house. Many people have seen the house and wanted to buy it, by have been scared away by the Mirror Ghost. Those who have bought it have been killed on the first night, others have survived to the second.

"Tell me son, have you ever looked into a mirror or out a window and seen a face staring back at you? Have you ever felt like your being watched? Have you ever stood with your back to a mirror and felt a hand caressing your hair? I have Mark. I have experienced these things first hand. These encounters will lead to your death. The Mirror Ghost likes to taunt her victims. But the real kill comes when you see your reflection and she is standing behind you. Don't turn around. This is the only advice I can give you. Please believe me and leave. Only one has escaped the Mirror Ghost and people believe she is old and crazy."

Mark was entranced by the story. "How do you know this?"

Mrs Willkins sighed heavily and stood from her seat. "Go home to your love she might be in danger."

Mark stood and ran from the café. Mrs Willkins had convinced him. He ran through the streets and didn't stop until he reach the front door of his house.