Refraction of Beauty

by Shaanzae Shahid

After much arduous exercise…we entered familiar grounds once more and walked upon the infamous territory of our inextricably linked nightmarish past. Mounting the steps towards the broken entrance, I breathe in deeply…this could be the end or a wonderfully damned beginning.

  It’s the same from the inside as we last saw it. A powerful tide of nostalgia surges within me. There stands the crimson-carpeted staircase, with the green marbled floor, and the ominous, yet majestic lounge to the right…with all those pictures. It is so dead yet vividly alive, altogether.

  ‘So…what now?’ Joe casually remarks. A casualness that irks me.

  ‘What do you mean? Bloody well find Anneliese and get the hell out of here!’ I barked…literally.

  After that brief ‘comic-relief’ as Joe puts delightfully, we began to scan our ways around the lower level of the Manor, for any signs of Annie or them. But there’s NO ONE anywhere. We decided to kick it up a notch and explore the second floor, where we had all the rooms, gaining some apprehension. We checked everywhere…and even had the audacity to call out to Annie. Roxy also checked all the bathrooms.

  ‘What would they be doing near stink holes?’ I heard Joe complain.

  ‘Well, that’s absurd! Maybe they had to go.’ Rox added matter-of-factly.

  Joe hit her palm on her forehead and patted Roxanne on the back, shaking her head in disappointment.

  Unsuccessful yet again, hearts racing, we decided on the investigation of the third and final floor. And made our way to the fateful room behind the library. There was still no one to be found.

  ‘Wrong address, maybe?’ Joe said, backing away after I gave her my ‘you’re-not-helping’ glare.

  Staying close to one another, we made our ways back to the first floor. While we do, something just doesn’t seem the same. Realizing, I now see the entire portion has turned pitch black.

  ‘So they know we’re here…’ I slowly uttered. ‘Hmm.’

  There is no light, except for the cigarette lighter Joe illuminated for us; it is only now that I can safely say that I’m glad Joe took up smoking – well, not really.

  ‘Hey? Carr…?’ Delilah shakily asked. ‘I think I saw something there…in front of the lounge entrance…’ She pointed in the direction with an unsteady finger. ‘It’s someone attached to a chair.’ And clenched my arm tight.

  I moved the lighter towards the once emerald green lounge. There was a shadowy figure there, clasped onto a small seat with several prickly looking ropes binding it to the chair; suffocated. The head was dangling forward with wet strangled hair curtaining it. Trembling, we walked inside and towards it. I put forth my hand to push back the locks and reveal the face and found to our dismay that the person, is none other than our long lost sister. ‘Annie!?’

  Astonishingly enough, it isn’t the same mutated, cursed Annie we had buried four months ago, but the same Annie who had just turned sixteen. Her face is back to normal…though appearing a little drugged…she is not wrinkled and skeletal-like.

  ‘How is this possible?’ My glasses slid off my nose…I am perspiring out of unwavering nervousness. ‘How come she’s not the same way as before?’

  ‘I don’t understand either…’ Joe grabbed my hand and lifted it towards Annie, trying to get a better observation of her. ‘She’s breathing Carr!’

  ‘She’s alive!’ I can’t believe it. ‘Get those ropes loose!’ We tried unknotting them but it was a grueling ordeal.

  ‘We have to get out of here! As soon as we get her free, we’ll evacuate this place! It’ll be over then, right!?’ Joe asked as one of the thick ropes scratched her fingers.

  ‘Destined for something thou mayst never obtain, here lies a deal. When conjuring fates too intertwined with thy never-ending rancour, the accord of my breed will help ye get where ye desire.’

  ‘What’s that?’ Roxanne asked, frightened. The voice derived from behind Annie. It was intimidating…and resonated like a screechy prolonged whisper…

  ‘Should they will it themselves, an elixir of their externalities might be contrived, without thy snipping their life thread, for heed well, their internalities in contradistinction to thou, are too divine.’

  ‘Wait a minute…’ I moved the lighter ahead of where Annie was seated…and widened my eyes to make out the familiar auditor.

  I see a pair of crooked, limb, stuttering legs…walking towards us. As they get closer, and my gaze is able to peruse the figure long enough to decipher its nature…I am met by her evil sinister smile.

  ‘Aunt Cora…’ I barely make out.

  From behind her appear our other remaining relatives: Aunt Sora and Aunt Nora.

  ‘Didn’t you miss us?’ Aunt Sora slithers, while the large grin over their half human-half cloth like face continues to be plastered over. I see the transformation only worked half way…it did work though.

  ‘Quite a lot. And as you can see, we were practically drawn to you.’ I turned to face Annie, who was murmuring…a sign that she is gaining consciousness, and back to the Aunts. Their faces look disgusting – like a human head that was in the microwave for a long time and boiled over.

  ‘What did you just say?’ I need to know, the language was so familiar.

  Aunt Cora tilted her head, her half face textured with melted candle wax. ‘It was Adelyn’s clause, of course. I was just reading out the part that states where a…truce can be reached...between us.’ She came a little closer to me. ‘I see that our plan worked…’

  ‘Sweet Annie…even all that glitter couldn’t change our appearances. Wasn’t enough actually. It nearly killed us, you know.’ Aunt Nora’s girly voice addressed us.

  ‘Yes it wasn’t…so unfortunate is it not, sisters?’ Aunt Cora continued. ‘Now four will have to pay the price of one.’

  We froze. I can sense this is not going to slide easily as butter – something dreadful is heading our way.

  ‘Now that we’ve restored her back to the way she was…the way they’ll be combined, should be interesting.’ Aunt Cora licked her lips, while addressing the Aunts. Her snake-eyes glisten with the menace of her inhibitions.

  I step back. The girls back up behind me. ‘What did mom mean in the parts you read out? What accord can be reached between US and YOU?’ I desperately ask her. ‘The clause clearly states using any of us four is forbidden. Your powers will be rendered obsolete!’

  Forming a semi circle towards us…their skinny arms rising in unison, Aunt Cora addressed us directly. ‘Do you want to save your precious sister?’

  ‘Of course we want to save her!’ I screamed at her ludicrous question.

  ‘Then listen carefully Carolina G. Phoenix.’ Her tone has suddenly become sober and stern. ‘Your sister was never dead. The transformation was never over. It worked half way because Anneliese’s beauty alone was not adequate enough to change all three of us...only gruesomely mutating our guises further. So we put her under a spell for the time that we would take to recover from the unplanned explosion…and execute the prophecy properly; it took us very long but now all our time shall be paid off with the tempting fruits we have sought all our existence. This we will do by using all of Adelyn’s daughters…for every ounce of our sister’s God damn beautiful face!’

  ‘The clause!’ I spoke defiantly, yet still.

  Aunt Cora eyeballed me for interrupting her. ‘You insolent little brat! As I was saying…in order for you to save Annie permanently, all you have to do is sign it.’ She tilted her bruised head towards a crinkly sheet of paper that flew into the air, with a pen floating next to it.

  ‘What?’ Joe asked, stupefied.

  ‘Sign the same contract Anneliese signed precisely four months ago; your mother’s clause. We need you to make some alterations to it. Her life will be spared at one small price…’

  ‘Go on…’ I gesticulated the idea with my hand for her to continue.

  ‘You may cross out Anneliese’s name from the clause, and instead sign in your own names.’

 
My heart feels lumpy…what is she implying?

  ‘Adelyn very specifically states that we not kill you, or else nothing we conjure will effect us’ – staring at the clause – ‘but she also states we can use you if you consent to it, provided we don’t kill you, as I suppose Addy meant by “internalities”. We never realized it would come to that, as we assumed Anneliese alone would change us completely. But, despite similar blood residing in your veins, she says your “will” can act powerfully on our…I mean, your behalf…’

  ‘As your impotent Anneliese depends on this decision.’ Aunt Sora chimed in.

  ‘…Thus,’ continued Aunt Cora, ‘all we want to do is extrapolate all the outer beauty you harbour…and let you live...just in a state of enfeeblement. This we’ll do after your names imprint themselves on this testimonial, showing that you have consented to our plea yourselves.’ She exchanged grins with the other creatures.

  ‘Why would we do that?’ I exclaimed out of sheer annoyance. ‘What good will does it do to Annie?’

  ‘That is the only way you will save her. And this time, she will not be spared.’

  I watched them in disbelief. ‘You knew we would come…you knew we would come for Annie! You used her as bait! We walked straight into your trap!’

  ‘And now the games really begin.’ Aunt Cora smirked. The blackness that encapsulated the Manor began to withdraw to the ceiling, like a hundred shadows collected together by a head puppeteer, revealing forlorn, derelict walls behind them. Aunt Cora turned to face Annie. ‘I’ll make sure you watch her be disemboweled in just a matter of minutes if you don’t make your choice quickly.’ She spoke through gritted teeth.

  Roxanne, Joe and Delilah fell into a state of frenzy. ‘Sacrifice all of us to save one sister! That’s an immoral decision! What do we do? I don’t want to turn old and ugly…they’ll make us die a natural death…ingenious! It’s just one sister…against all four of us…but no…we WILL save Annie. Let’s sign it… Yes, I suppose so… Carr! Carr? Carolina!’ While the rest took time in trying to make up their mind in doing the right thing, I had wasted none in squabbling over what had to be done. The pen was in my hand, and I had already proceeded to cross Annie’s name out, and then sign the contract with my own, I would not lose her twice. She’s been through enough already. My sisters stopped and observed me…then one by one; they penned their signatures down too.

  ‘It is done!’ Aunt Sora squawked. ‘They have rendered Adelyn’s clause as useless! We may use them now!’ She was in a state of ecstatic disbelief.

  I feel mute.

  Joe, Roxanne and Delilah are also silent.

  Annie was immediately released from the chair; the ropes snapped and fell to the floor like wriggled, monstrous snakes.

  ‘Now…let her go…’ I tell them solemnly.

  ‘Hmmm…I don’t think so!’ Aunt Sora delighted. ‘We forgot to tell you, you see, we plan on using all FIVE of you for our prophecy. It’s the only way we can make sure we’ve done it right this time!’

  ‘All five of you will bequeath to us the fairness that was denied to us since birth!’ Aunt Nora vociferated.

  ‘But you’ – pointing towards Aunt Cora - ‘made me cross out Annie’s name! You can’t use her now! She or WE don’t consent to this! We deny this!’ My eyes widened at their preposterous assertion.

  ‘Sorry…your names are a testament to your consents. Besides, you merely crossed out Annie’s name, you didn’t ERASE it.’ Aunt Cora added, staring at me. ‘How stupid of you…the second time around.’

  ‘Why you…AUNT CORA!’ Inconsolable and frantic, I thrust my arms in front of me, in the hopes of strangling her. It is a ridiculous notion, as she has no neck. My hands were only slapped by Aunt Cora’s feeble excuse of a hand…with specks of her gooey melted wax-skin to come flying on my cheek.

  ‘ENOUGH OF THIS! IT BEGINS NOW! WE SHALL BE TRANSFORMED NOW!’ Aunt Cora thundered – her excitement is profoundly ferocious.

  In the maniacal chaos that ensued after Aunt Cora’s fanatical exuberance, it caused all of us to disperse. It was of no use. The Manor began to corrode from the inside and started emitting acid that scalded our skin when we got too close to the self-destructing walls. Annie was still on the floor, motionless; and though she’s breathing…I don’t know why she isn’t waking up. While trying to make her conscious again, they began to chant some prayer, which was nothing but the resonance of evil. The witches then pinned us to the floor and oozed the dark tar-like substance that had previously collected in the ceiling on to us…and the painful extraction went underway. It feels as if the tar is like a thousand pointy leech’s teeth that are sucking away at my tissue…my face…and my soul. Our screams are deafening. This feels like hours.

  Gasping for oxygen beneath the leaden tar blanket, I see them. Through eyes that are drooped from the weight of what must be like a hundred wrinkles…I see them. They’re…gorgeous. They are a mixture of my sisters’ and my best physical attributes. They look magnificently supreme.

  ‘Oh Sister! Oh! Could it be…?’ Aunt Sora gushed. She ran her slender fingers over Aunt Cora’s face, which looked soft and silky…blooming with honeysuckle hues.

  ‘Yes…it has come true! Oh!’ They run their hands through each other’s hair…almost appearing a little unhappy at their individualistic beauties it seems, with Aunt Sora comparing her hair to Aunt Cora’s, as if they each had a right to beauty’s sole gift only.

  ‘We must do what I have waited 58 years for!’ Aunt Nora squealed.

  ‘The time has come for the prophecy’s FULL fulfillment!’ Aunt Cora cried, rejoicing at their triumph.

  Turning around, I see Rox, Del and Joe get up. We’re all sickly and silver…and we each have magenta pink eyes. I am so tired…we look as though we’ve crossed 200 years... Annie is still motionless…

  The Aunts give us discerning looks. ‘Get up! Witness our contrasting beauty to your repellant selves! FEEL our misery before you wretched creatures live life like that! While you know that we are the most beautiful people in this world…for generations to come!’

  I know where they’re going to go. All four of us follow them outside the Manor…while it continues to melt and obliterate itself slowly but surely. Despite all that is happening, I can’t help but look up and notice the ebony sky that is fluorescently decorated with a multitude of stars…twinkling graciously. My mind seems so distracted right now…like I don’t even care what happens next…

  Joe noticed my lack of fear.

  ‘Carr…do you know where we’re going?’ Joe inquired, passively, anxiously.

  ‘To the mirror basement.’ I don’t look at her, but whisper my words coherently.

  ‘The what?’

  ‘They’re going to see themselves.’ I answered more decisively.

  Upon reaching, they opened the little cabinet door, pushing us ahead. The internal glow of the acid from the other side of the house, shown a dim dark green. ‘That’s it...almost…’ Aunt Cora began. However, as soon as the cabinet door creaked open, the mirrors began to clink.

  ‘Why are they still cracking?’ Aunt Nora asked perplexed.

  ‘Because of THESE ugly wretches, Nora! WE are more divine than the whole of Nature combined. WE are immune now.’ Aunt Cora’s passion raged on.

  Suddenly, she shoved us inside. ‘Get in you brutes! In!’ And upon doing so edged closer to the mirrors. They cracked a lot more.

  ‘Ha Ha see! Sisters! It IS them! Time to see our gorgeousness ourselves!’ They began moving inside.

  ‘Get out of here!’ I instantaneously warned my sisters, who slid out upon the Aunts’ entry…leaving me unable to make my move just yet.

  All the mirrors had been turned; none of them faced any one yet.

  ‘Why are they still cracking?’ Aunt Sora asked aggressively and even more annoyed. ‘Is it because of her?’ pointing towards me. ‘Grab her!’

  It feels as though I am on the brink of dying. My feet aren’t even carrying
me forward. My sisters are on the ground, exhausted and senseless. We are beyond the normal aspects of old.

  Aunt Nora drags me belligerently to the centre point I remember seeing. The roof has been corroded at this point; and I can see Annie lying on the marble floor up yonder. She too shall be consumed soon… My head can’t even lift itself…but resounds the familiar, though dramatized final orchestra of the sonorous mirrors, much to the agitation of an unappreciative audience.

  ‘Now, sister, now!’ Aunt Sora shrieked. ‘Turn them! Face us!’ She is getting too excited.

  Aunt Cora lift up her beautiful hands and cried, ‘Undo the curse upon this night! Reveal to us our true glory sight!’ The mirrors began to solemnly turn upon her command.

  As they turned, it revealed to the witch sisters the same grotesque cloth-like selves they had before. They did not reveal the bewitchingly beauteous women that stood before us earlier - the perfect ones. ‘WHAT! NO!’ Aunt Cora screamed upon seeing her reflection. And as a result, the mirrors didn’t crack, but exploded, the spell could never grant them the beauty they so craved for because they weren’t pure souls on the inside...their trials and errors were for the wrong thing all along. Thus directly looking at themselves prompted the curse to eradicate them forever. It released a barrage of sharp shards of glass that breached the skin of the witches and caused their bloody fall. I am staggering to cope with my own injuries…and am almost out of the basement…just three…more…steps to go…but... My eyes close.

  -- CHAPTER 14 --

  A Brief Meet