The Cracked Mirror – Arla Jones
Deep within the crumbling walls of an ancient castle, a mysterious relic lay shrouded in darkness—a cracked mirror, its gilded frame tarnished by time. Once the treasured possession of Grimhilde, the Evil Queen from Snow White, the mirror now gathered dust in a forgotten corner.
The air was heavy with the stench of decay, and the only light that pierced the gloom seeped through the narrow cracks in the broken walls. Many decades had passed since the Evil Queen’s reign of terror ended, and the castle was left to ruin. The peasants, fearing her dark magic, had ravaged the castle, leaving only remnants of a once-opulent throne. They had feared the queen’s cursed mirror so much that they had broken its surface, leaving the mirror hanging on the wall.
Rumors swirled that the castle was haunted by evil spirits, disembodied voices, and ghostly footsteps that echoed through the empty halls. Yet, the curiosity of the nearby village’s children proved too great to resist. They dared each other to explore the crumbling halls, eager to test their bravery against the ominous whispers of the wind.
On a fateful day, a group of children, candles in hand, ventured into the castle’s depths. Their journey led them to the queen’s chamber, where a cracked mirror hung ominously on the wall. As they approached, the mirror’s surface stirred, its broken glass rippling like the gentle lap of a dark, mysterious lake.
The children exchanged nervous glances, torn between fear and fascination. Suddenly, a faint whisper seemed to caress their ears. They spun around, but no one was in sight.
“It’s just our imagination,” one boy said, attempting to sound braver than he felt.
But then, faint footsteps echoed through the hallway, growing louder with each passing moment. The children turned to face the doorway, expecting to see someone emerge from the shadows. Instead, the footsteps ceased, leaving behind an unsettling silence.
The smallest child, overcome with fear, dashed for the doorway. “I want to go home!” she exclaimed, disappearing into the darkness.
The oldest boy, trying to maintain a brave facade, chuckled. “Scaredy-cat! Run!”
However, as he turned to face the mirror, he could have sworn he saw a face staring back at him – eyes watching him with an unblinking gaze. He kept his discovery to himself, not wanting to alarm the others.
“See, there’s nothing here,” he said, trying to sound convincing. “It was just old women’s tales.”
But his words were short-lived. The candles flickered and died as if extinguished by an invisible hand, plunging the room into darkness. The children were left alone, surrounded by the oppressive silence of the abandoned castle.
The sudden loss of light sent the children’s hearts racing. They stood frozen, their eyes straining to adjust to the darkness. The air was heavy with the scent of decay and rot, and the silence was oppressive.
“Wh-what just happened?” one of the children stammered.
The oldest boy, trying to maintain a sense of calm, whispered, “It’s okay, I think the candles just… went out.”
But as he spoke, he realized that the darkness seemed to be… alive. When his eyes got used to the darkness, he thought he saw the shadows writhing like living things.
Suddenly, a faint, flickering glow emanated from the cracked mirror.
The children turned to face it, their eyes wide with wonder and fear.
The mirror’s surface began to ripple and distort, like the surface of a pond. Then, an image began to take shape within its depths.
A tall and gaunt figure with dark eyes—it was Grimhilde, the Evil Queen. However, the children did not know her; they were not born when she ruled the kingdom.
“Welcome, little ones,” she crooned. “I have been waiting for you. You have entered my domain and will now play by my rules.”
The children exchanged nervous glances, unsure of what to do. They tried to step back, but their feet seemed rooted to the spot.
Grimhilde’s cold, mirthless laughter echoed through the chamber. “You should not have come here,” she said, her eyes glinting with malice. Now, you will never leave.”
The mirror’s surface began to ripple and distort like water as she spoke. The children felt a strange, creeping sensation as they were pulled inside the cracked mirror.
And then, everything went black.
When the children woke up, they found themselves in a strange, unfamiliar world. They stood in a dark, twisted forest surrounded by gnarled trees. The sky above was a deep, bloody red. The children stumbled around, disoriented and frightened.
“I don’t want to be here. I want to go home,” one of them said, crying.
Just then, the evil queen’s voice echoed through the forest, her laughter like the rustling of dry leaves. “Welcome to my kingdom,” she said. “Here, you will play my games and lose.”
As she spoke, the trees seemed to shift and twist, forming a twisted maze stretching forever.
“We must find a way out,” the oldest child said, and the children started running, but every path they took led them deeper into the forest’s heart.
Suddenly, a figure emerged from the shadows. It was an old crone, her face wrinkled, and her eyes shone with malice. She beckoned to the children. “Come, little ones,” she croaked. “I will show you the way out of this place. But first, you must answer my riddle.”
The children hesitated and gazed at each other, unsure what to do. “I think we must do what she says. We can’t find the way out by ourselves,” one said. They knew they had to play along or risk being trapped in this twisted world forever.
“What’s the riddle?” one of the children asked, her voice trembling.
The crone’s eyes seemed to gleam with malevolence. “What can be broken but never held?” she asked. “What can be given but never sold?”
The children exchanged nervous glances. One of them, a quiet and thoughtful boy, spoke up. “Is the answer a promise?” he asked in a whispery voice.
The crone’s face twisted into a grotesque grin. “Very good,” she croaked. “A promise is indeed something that can be broken but never held. And it is something that can be given but never sold.”
The crone beckoned to the children, her bony finger pointing deeper into the forest. “Follow me,” she said. “I will show you the way out of this place.”
As they followed the crone, the forest grew darker and thicker.
The crone stopped in front of a massive stone door adorned with ancient carvings depicting scenes of dark magic and forbidden rituals.
“This is the exit,” the crone said, her voice dripping with malice. “But to leave, you must face the queen’s final test first.”
The children exchanged nervous glances, unsure of what lay ahead. But they knew that they had to face whatever challenge the queen had in store for them.
The crone cackled. “The queen’s final test is simple,” she said. “All you must do is look into the mirror and face your deepest fears.”
The stone door creaked open, revealing a chamber filled with mirrors.
The children had no choice, so they stepped into the chamber. The room was filled with mirrors of all
shapes and sizes, each reflecting a different version of themselves.
The crone, Grimhilde, commanded, “Look into the mirrors, children, and face your deepest fears, and you will be free to leave.” She did not enter the chamber with the children but observed them by the doorway.
The children hesitated, unsure of what to do. But as they looked around, they saw each mirror reflecting a different fear. One mirror showed a child being chased by a monster, while another showed a child falling from a great height.
One of the children, a brave and strong-minded girl, stepped forward. She approached a mirror that reflected her greatest fear: losing her family.
As she looked into the mirror, the reflection began to change. The girl’s family was shown to be in danger, and she was the only one who could save them. The girl’s heart pounded with fear, but she knew she had to face her fear head-on. With a deep breath, the girl reached out and touched the mirror. The reflection shattered, and the girl felt a surge of courage.
The other children followed her example, each facing and overcoming their deepest fears. As they did, the mirrors shattered, and the chamber faded away.
Grimhilde said, “You have passed the test, but remember, the fears you faced will always be a part of you. Use your courage and determination to overcome them, and you will always be free.”
As the chamber faded away, the children returned to the same room in the castle and stood in front of the cracked mirror. But now, the mirror’s surface was smooth and unbroken.
The children ran away and never told anyone what had happened to them. And so, the legend of the mirror lived on, a whispered tale of dark magic and ancient evil, waiting to be rediscovered by those brave – or foolhardy – enough to dare the mirror’s secrets once more.
The author is a multi-genre author.
© 2024 – Arla Jones
Lori Davis had been born to the Sendona Pack. Ranging in the few hundred, they had their hands in much of the Nevada World for money. Tight knit, they had been taught from birth to be loyal to the Alpha and the pack above all else.
As Lori grew within, she too fell under the doctrine.
By the age of ten, when wolves started to appear among the kids, she began to experience the darker side of pack relations. Being bullied and ridicule began to plague her life.
A verdict had come down from the Alpha, any eighteen year old without a wolf would be hunted, rooted out, and executed. That very day, four with no wolves experience the ultimate betrayal.
Lori’s eighteenth birthday rolled around and no wolf made herself known to her.
Just after midnight, Lori slipped out of her home. Since she had no wolf, she knew that they would be coming for her. She made her way down the street and broke into the neighbor’s Honda.
As she worked to hot wire the vehicle, she noted the arrival of a couple of Enforcement vehicles back down the block at her house.
Out front of her home, she watched as the Gamma sniffed the air. Then he looked up the street, toward her location, and pointed.
Lori finished the hot wire quickly, threw the Honda into gear, and tore ass down the street away from them.
The Enforcers ran back to the vehicles and the chase was on…
Lori pushed the Honda limiter all the way to the limit, at 191 mph.
The Enforcers police issue Ford Police Interceptors came after her quickly.
The advantage, they had the supernatural reflexes that Lori did not.
She escaped the town, but taking a curve near the lake drop…the Honda broke through the guard rail, careened down a small embankment and went over the side of a fifty foot drop.
Not sure what else to do, she forced the door open and jumped free of the car.
Both vehicle and Lori landed in the lake below.
She swam underwater for the distant shore.
Above her, on the road…
The three turbo chargers stopped. The Gamma got out and stepped to the guard rail and concentrated into the pack link.
*“Alpha, Lori Davis tried to escape us and ended up in the Lake. Your orders.”*
*“I already declared it. Kill the weak blood. If you can’t confirm her dead, stay at it until you do.”*
*“By your command, Alpha.”*
The Gamma turned and called out to the Enforcers, “The Alpha wants confirmation! Find her body or find and kill her!”
Almost out of air, she surfaced at mid lake. Lori grabbed an old cooler a float and used it for a flotation device. Kicking, she used it to head for the nearest open shore line.
Looking back, she saw the Enforcer vehicles speed away from the town. They still came after her.
Panic sat in as she finally got ashore.
That…and there had been more
*“You Won’t Escape, Lori.”*
She felt a pressure push hard on her mind. Though she couldn’t use the pack link herself, the Alpha used it on her now, messing with her senses.
*“Run, little Bitch! Run!”*
At the same time as his taunts, the Alpha pushed on parts of her mind that made her question her own senses.
She ran.
Through the trees, Lori ran for her life through the moonless night.
Animals ran withe her. Rabbits, squirrels, and even birds fled the scene.
She kept running, a feeling of dread chased her.
Suddenly, she feel into a drop off.
It seemed only a few feet, but she hit the ground hard. Her leg snapped in the fall.
Lori found herself laughing and crying at the same time. Her mind seemed to snap as she laid there and waited her death.
Shadows crept up and engulfed her form.
A different voice came into her mind as the Alpha had been forced out.
*”Lori.”*
The voice she heard sounded old and crone-like.
When she opened her eyes, she saw only darkness. “Crone?”
*“It makes me cry to think that some of my children are dying. Foolishness. I can abide by this no longer. I can help you.”*
“Please help me.” The tears still evident on her face.
*“Then be reborn in darkness and shadow.”*
Those shadows and darkness around Lori drew into her body.
Her form became dark, her eyes became red.
The shadows seemed to coat her like fur as her body finally shifted.
Lori became a wolf, but larger. The fur wavered in the darkness. She rose to her larger paws…her scent became nonexistent.
*“Rise, Shadow Wolf.”*
She sang to the light less moon. A long drawn song of life…new blood.
The Shadow Wolf turned and sniffed the air around her.
A couple of Enforcers closed on her position.
Using the shadows of this night in a weave, the two Enforcers became ensnared by an unseen force.
Marvelous.
In a mental laugh, the Shadow Wolf of Lori disappeared in Shadows.
A new creature had been born this night…
A new hunt shall begin…
Anything can seem noble on the surface, but beneath it? When they would hunt their own children for weakness, can the Goddess turn her back forever?
© 2024 – Amy’s Shorts