Bleeding Bird

IX

There were fewer people than Helen expected gathered in Auntie Jude's meeting room, but there were still new faces. It was almost a relief when Helen saw the cemetery caretakers. At least she knew them. Everyone looked in when she entered and she felt her stomach tighten.

Meeting rooms were entirely enclosed. Wooden chairs were set around the edge with green velvet cushions and gold buttons holding down the fabric. There were no tables. Whenever people moved to speak, they had to stand. Auntie Judge's meeting room was normal except it was lined by windows on one side. A few of those sitting in chairs wore their own great beaked masks. Helen could tell by the painting and craftsmanship that these were created specifically for their wearers. They were expensive, to say the least.

She found a seat on her auntie's left. Mrs. Musgrave, the cemetery woman turned to her children, asking them to sit down before finding her own seat at the far end of the room.

"Please, now that everyone is here, Mrs. Musgrave, would you please inform us of our present situation," Auntie Jude said when the room had gone completely silent—not that it had been glaringly loud before. It had just been...noisy. People were muttering and whispering and gasping and grimacing and eyeing and frowning and cursing and glaring. Noise was more than sound.

"We know this situation," one man, wearing a particularly realistic mask stated, standing to his feet, "we've been swarmed."

"Sit down," Auntie Jude said, "unless you're Mrs. Musgrave."

He huffed and found his seat.

Mrs. Musgrave stood. Despite the fact that she'd made Helen a little nervous yesterday, she couldn't find herself respecting her a little, feeling a little almost proud of her.

"Well," Mrs. Musgrave said, "Yes, we have been swarmed. And yes, I will confirm, Meredith is dead. The mirror has clearly been unsuccessful in finding who it wants as its next partner. We believe that it may be a sign that any control we have had at this estate and for the area beyond, is lost."

Auntie Jude nodded. Helen was still confused about how a mirror had found Meredith—or killed her for that matter, but she supposed it was in some way possible.

"Is that all you are thinking?" Auntie Jude asked with a frown and searching eyes. She clearly knew there was more to the story. "You don't come out of that hole unless there's something real going on."

"I'm," she pursed her lips, "I'm tryna, trying to keep them from it incase it decides it wants them" She nodded toward her children. "The mirror has, in the past, only selected women to communicate with. It could change."

"That's all?" there was still something Auntie Jude was prying at.

"We believe that," Mrs. Musgrave surrendered, turning to the rom, "we believe that Miss Helen Taft is the mirrors next pick. Not only did the birds stop when they could have murdered all of us this morning, but they also killed Meredith the day that Helen arrived, and forced her toward us." She sat down, "that is all."

Auntie Jude nodded.

Silence descended on the room. Helen was thankful for it for the moment. She needed to collect her thoughts, and yet, she had nothing to think because she didn't understand anything that was happening.

The masked man basically flew to his feet once more, blurting, "of course it will be your niece—right on the day that I make a motion to move the mirror."

"We cannot move it," Auntie Jude said, massaging her forehead as if they'd gone over this, "it choses where and when it appears. Besides, why would I want it to chose my niece—especially since it hasn't committed to anyone in the last year. Everyone it has chosen has wound up dead."

"That's all according to your family's—"

"Yes," she nodded, "my family's records. But I'm sorry, Dale, that's all that exists. The mirror never showed itself to a family before us. Our partnership is unheard of."

"Well you keep it secret," he said, waving a hand out at the rest of them.

Auntie Jude's face soured, "Dale, if you saw what that mirror does, you would keep it hidden as well. It protects us, but it reveals a darkness that will haunt you for the rest of your days once you've encountered it." She turned back to Mrs. Musgrave, "can we, do you think, change its mind?"

Mrs. Musgrave looked at Helen, studied her a moment, making her self conscious that she was still wearing the woman's dress, and then looked back at Auntie Jude, "no. It is working very hard ot get to her."

"But we could hold her at bay, correct? If we keep them a part?" Auntie Jude clarified.

"If we keep them a part. But that's not easy," Mrs. Musgrave said, "windows, doors, they can all be manipulated by it."

"Can we offer someone else?" Auntie Jude asked.

"It sees its options. It wants her."

Helen didn't like that. She thought of Meredith. She hadn't seen the girl's body, or heard how she died, but she couldn't imagine it was pleasant. And to think, that could be her?

"Should we simply give in then?" Auntie Jude offered.

Mrs. Musgrave swallowed, "I cannot promise that attacks will cease or that she will live."

"We will leave it up to her then," Auntie Jude nodded, "you are all dismissed other than the Musgraves and Helen." She looked to Helen, "so, when would you like to meet your new master?"