Mirror in the Forest: Book One

by B. Groves

  Jessica didn’t like it at all, and was starting to re-think the necklace.

  Alex didn’t listen to Jessica and stood in front of her and Tessa.

  “What do you want Mandy?” He asked with a slight growl.

  The other girls giggled, and her friend Kelly said, “Who are you to ask?”

  “When it involves my friend, I can ask,” he answered turning his glare to Kelly.

  Mandy cocked her head and said, “Don’t you have pictures of half-naked men to stare at? I have some in my locker if you need more.”

  Alex lowered his head when the other girls laughed, and Tessa angrily stepped in between them to say something.

  “Just go away, Mandy. You don’t have anything further to say to my friends,” Tessa demanded.

  Jessica noticed she had made a fist. For as sick as she was, Tessa never stood down from a fight.

  Mandy ignored her, and stared at Jessica.

  “I still think you should repay for the damage you did, but my dad talked to your Mom and he let things go,” she said, shaking her head.

  “Or maybe you’re just jealous because Danny wasn’t kissing your ass all night like he used to do,” Alex said.

  Mandy laughed lightly. “What the hell do I care about him for? A guy who doesn’t know who his father is…please.”

  “You won’t talk about my family like that Mandy,” Danny suddenly said from Jessica’s right.

  Jessica almost gasped as she spotted him. He looked tired, but still was very cute. Even though, she was kind of wishing the Sheriff was there right now.

  “You just lost your sponsorship from my Dad, hope you’re happy,” Mandy smirked at him.

  “I don’t need your Dad to buy my scholarship, and I love how you call it a sponsorship when it’s not. I can do it on my own,” Danny retorted.

  To Jessica’s shock the rest of the baseball team stood behind Danny, and Mandy knew she was outnumbered.

  Mandy looked at each member of the baseball team with wide eyes, but then her facial expression changed to a sneer.

  She turned and suddenly pointed to Jessica and said, “I invited you to my party because I pitied you, but now I do see you really are a pathetic fat-ass whore.”

  “Hey!” Danny yelled, glaring at Mandy.

  “You didn’t do me any favors,” Jessica shot back finally growing some backbone. Jessica began to move forward, but Tessa held her arm.

  Mandy sniffed, and then she and her entourage turned and walked away.

  “Are you alright?” Tessa asked, turning to Jessica.

  “Yeah, I’m good,” Jessica answered, blushing at the attention.

  The gift of the necklace was still looking better and better. Jessica was starting to talk herself into bringing it to the spirit.

  Alex and Tessa took the hint as Danny stood there, and walked away along with the rest of the baseball team.

  Danny walked up to her, but Jessica could not look him in the eye.

  “You didn’t answer my phone calls all Sunday,” he said sounding disappointed.

  Jessica looked around and said, “Maybe I just didn’t want to hear what you had to say.”

  Danny looked a little upset at Jessica’s answer.

  “Maybe it wasn’t anything bad,” he replied, trying to get eye contact with her.

  Jessica almost snorted. “Oh yeah, I puked all over us. That is a great first impression.”

  “Well, maybe we need a do over. I take full blame for what happened. I pushed you too hard. My mother may be single, and yes, I don’t know who my father is, but I was raised to have more respect,” he said to her.

  Suddenly, Jessica smiled. She could not believe what she was hearing. She knew she had been right about him all along. Still, she was not as excited as she used to be.

  “I don’t care if you don’t know who your father is,” she answered sincerely.

  Danny smiled. “I’m glad.”

  “I hate snobs,” Jessica said.

  “Me too,” he answered smiling.

  “I’m sorry for not answering your calls,” she said.

  “Apology accepted,” he said smiling. “Do you want to go to the dance?”

  Jessica shrugged. She was still not in the mood for the homecoming dance.

  Danny took the hint of Jessica’s non-answer. “Me neither. How about we do something else?”

  Jessica lit up and said, “I would like that.”

  “I do have to go to the homecoming game Friday night. I have to be with my team to show school spirit, but did you want to meet me later?” He held up his fingers in the “quote” sign.

  Jessica giggled at his sarcasm with the school spirit, and said, “Sure. I can do that.”

  “How about if I give you call tonight too?” He asked, hopefully.

  Jessica thought for a moment, and said, “I have to a favor for my Mom tonight, but how about I see you tomorrow?”

  “Okay, just don’t avoid me again, alright?”

  Jessica cocked her head in guilt. “I won’t, I promise.”

  After Danny walked away, Alex walked up to Jessica and said, “Score!”

  Jessica was glad when school was finally over for the day. It had been an emotional roller coaster, and she was exhausted. She walked into the door of her house, after taking the bus home today, and couldn’t believe her luck.

  Her mother left her a note that she was called into work at the last minute again, and would be gone for the night. Her father wouldn’t be home till Friday.

  Jessica waited around for a little bit to make sure her mother didn’t call her to tell her that she wasn’t needed after all, and would be home soon.

  Her heart pounded, and her breathing quickened as she asked her great-grandmother for forgiveness for what she was about to do. “I hope you understand, Grandma,” Jessica muttered, looking at a picture of her.

  She went into her parent’s room, and into her mother’s dresser drawer. The necklace was in a small jewelry box that her mother kept in a safe place.

  She had never questioned how the spirit knew about the necklace, but hey, he was spirit so he could see all.

  She still questioned her sanity about The Spirit of the Mirror, but then she looked at her hair in the dresser mirror, and knew it was real.

  Her mother didn’t wear the necklace often, but for special occasions, so it might be a while before she noticed it was gone.

  Her hands shook as she rummaged through the drawer and found it.

  It glinted slightly in the light and Jessica stuffed it into the pocket of her jeans.

  She grabbed her jacket, and cursed the wet, damp weather as she left the house, and made her way into the woods.

  The Spirit of the Mirror was exactly where she thought he would be and seemed to be waiting for her.

  The guilt started to fade, as she thought about Mandy being humiliated like she was, and she smiled at the thought.

  The necklace was a small price to pay. She would think of some kind of lie to tell her mother if it came to that.

  “I knew you would come back with my gift,” he said smiling.

  Jessica hesitated and took a deep breath, and then handed the necklace over to The Spirit of the Mirror.

  “I did as you asked, but how will I know when something happens?” She asked.

  Jessica gasped as the necklace faded out of sight in the spirit’s reflective palm.

  “You will know when the time comes, Jessica,” he said. “There will be no doubt in your mind that Mandy Cooper will pay for her wrongs against you and others.”

  Jessica nodded, and said, “This really means a lot to me.”

  “This will be our little secret forever, “ he insisted.

  “Always,” she replied with a smile.

  “How can I trust you to keep your promise and give me my gift?” She asked still having doubts.

  The Spirit looked at Jessica’s old reflection in the mirror, and then turned back to her.

  “You don’t, b
ut you will know when it happens,” he answered.

  Jessica could tell by the glance at the mirror that he was telling her to trust him. She gazed over at her old reflection for a moment, and fingered her hair. All doubt left her then.

  “I think I want to change something for me next time,” she said to him.

  “Whatever you wish,” he said.

  She smiled and said goodbye to The Spirit of the Mirror still doubting his fulfillment of her wish, but knew she had to hope.

  Chapter 13

  “There is no way I am going to let these bullshit charges stand against my own daughter!” Dale Cooper said slamming down the citations on Mark’s desk.

  Dale Cooper stood six feet two with graying dark brown hair, and green eyes. He was also a former football player and alumni of Leon’s Crossing.

  Mark hated his guts. He almost fingered his revolver as Dale continued to rant and rave.

  “Maybe I should charge you with contributing to the delinquency of a minor, Mr. Cooper,” Mark said sitting back in his chair. He was not going to be intimidated by this guy.

  Dale Cooper growled at him, and said, “You are not running this county, Sheriff.”

  “Actually, I was elected by the people to keep this county safe, Dale, and that means from your daughter, too,” Mark retorted.

  Dale Cooper was as corrupt as they came. County Prosecutors didn’t make that much, no, he made his money from shady investments, even shadier deals, possible extortions, and multiple bribes. However, he was very good at covering his ass, and the worst part was the Governor loved him.

  “Yeah, it tells you how intelligent this county is by electing a kid,” he answered slowly.

  “How many times are you going to bring up my age?” Mark asked in a bored voice. “Maybe the people of this county are tired of the corruption.”

  Dale laughed and said, “You really are naïve or just an idiot. People will look the other way when things are good for them.”

  “Could be, but they weren’t when your daughters party was getting out of hand the other night,” Mark said.

  Dale stood and gathered his things, and shoved them into his briefcase.

  “I have real criminals to prosecute. I am not going to put up with these childish games, Sheriff,” Dale said angrily.

  “Me too, but I wonder if my next submission will go free somehow,” Mark said, staring up at him without blinking.

  Dale shook his head and left, slamming both Mark’s office door, and the front door the office.

  Marge knocked and Mark beckoned her to come in.

  “Those reports on the robbery are ready for your signature Sheriff,” she said.

  Marge was the only one in the office who knew how to use a typewriter, and that was saying a lot.

  “You are amazing, Marge,” Mark said with a smirk. He had to admit she was good at paperwork, something he lacked with this job.

  Marge scoffed, but continued to stand there staring at him.

  “What’s on your mind Marge?” Mark finally asked as he read through the reports and signed some things.

  “Eventually, Dale Cooper will get what’s coming to him,” Marge said, with a nod to the departed and angry prosecutor.

  “I appreciate the support,” he replied, looking up at her in surprise. She usually kept quiet when it came to Dale Cooper.

  “He will get his in the end. They always do. I’ve seen that a lot throughout my life,” she said, adjusting her glasses.

  Mark sat back and said, “Marge, my uncle retired a very rich man on a cop’s salary, and where did he get that from? That’s why we don’t speak. Dale Cooper’s ambitions are not something that he earned by working hard like my Mom did. Unfortunately, I’ve learned the hard way that men like him always win in the end.”

  “It broke your mother’s heart when you and your uncle fell out,” she pointed out.

  “I can’t regret that,” Mark said. “ But, thank you for the support. I appreciate it coming from you.” Mark gave her a smile. “Anything else Marge?”

  “Yes, as a matter of fact. I saw you speaking to a really young girl the other day. If Dale wants you out, that will be the way he would do it. Using her, I mean,” Marge said.

  Mark froze at the mention of Jessica Winters.

  “Really young? No. That girl has been having a hard time with the Coopers’ daughter, but your point is well taken,” he answered carefully.

  “Then she is in high school which, makes it worse, Sheriff. Listen to this old lady for once,” she said as she left his office.

  Mark had to admit that Marge was probably right.

  Not long after Mark had a report of a possible heart attack, and he hated this part of his job.

  The man was still alive when they took him to the hospital, but Mark didn’t know how much longer he had.

  His wife was too distraught to drive to the hospital, so Mark took her and dropped her off, till her children were able to meet up with her.

  It made him think of his own mother and how he was when she was dying. The memories of her last labored breaths still haunted his nightmares. Sometimes he would lay awake at night just thinking about what she had been through in her last months.

  He never really knew his father. He was two years old when his father was killed in a trucking accident. Mark's mother never remarried or dated much, so Mark was an only child.

  His mother never really got over it, and she was happy to finally join his dad when she passed. He remembered she was smiling off in the distance for a few minutes, and then she was gone.

  Maybe that was why he felt the need to help Jessica Winters. She was an only child, and though she had both of her parents, she seemed to feel utterly alone in this world, like he did sometimes.

  He never really experienced in school what she has either. He played sports, and was popular among the masses, but he was always one for the underdog.

  That was why he became a deputy, and when his uncle decided to retire, he ran for office.

  He was the one of the youngest Sheriffs ever elected in Washington State, and he swore he would not let someone like Dale Cooper get away with bullying the little guy.

  Mark decided to stop at the local diner for supper. He was weary after the heart attack call, and discovered he was hungry.

  He let Marge know that he was going to eat, and she said Bill just got there, and would be out soon.

  The diner was full tonight. The big homecoming football game was coming this Friday, and everyone in town was excited.

  He would be there with the other deputies that night, and would make sure everyone stayed civil with the opposing team, and nothing else shady going on.

  Banners for the high school were hung throughout the diner to show team spirit, and support for Leon Crossing High School Mountain Lions.

  He sat down and waited for the waitress saying hello to other locals he knew.

  He always faced towards the door. The diner had been robbed a few months ago, and wanted to make sure that never happened again.

  As he waited for the waitress, Mark thought back to his previous dealings with Dale Cooper. Mark made a huge bust right after he was elected of a heroin ring in the county, but Dale Cooper managed to screw him out of the prosecution for some of the dealers and distributors involved.

  It was his first taste of corruption, and certainly not his last.

  The state investigation couldn’t prove that Dale had put his hands where they didn’t belong, but Mark watched and waited. He would get those responsible for Leon’s Crossing drug problems with or without Dale Cooper.

  Mark then spotted something that took him by surprise. He began to wonder if something otherworldly was playing Fate with him.

  Jessica Winters sat alone in a booth with her nose in a book.

  He wondered what she would be doing here on a school night, and by herself.

  He had noticed her new hairstyle the other day, and couldn’t help but wonder how she managed to pull that o
ff. The first time he had seen her, it had been frizzy, and darker. He guessed she had gone to a salon, but that had to take a lot of work.

  “What can I get you, Sheriff?” The waitress Linda asked.