by R. L. Austin
Tyler glanced down the hallway toward the front of the house. “Come on, we’ve got to go.”
“I’ll be right there.” Emily stood and looked around at the rows of books filled with information about the power she had inherited and how to use it. She wasn’t sure how long it would take, but she was going to read every one of them.
When Emily and Tyler returned to the foyer, they found Jean standing over her brother, ignoring him. Emily was happy to see her mother was wearing a pair of slacks and a red sweater. “Mom, you look great.”
“Thanks. I’ve always loved this outfit. It’s so comfortable.”
Emily handed her the document she’d found in the chest. “I found this in Uncle Mansel’s study.”
Jean held the paper up to examine it. “That’s mother’s handwriting.”
“I know. I recognized it too.”
The wax seal opened easily, and Jean thumbed through the pages. “It’s her handwritten will.” When she looked up, Emily could see tears in her eyes.
“Are you okay, Mom?”
“I’m fine, dear. I’m just so happy you found this. I knew there had to be another one.”
“What’s it say?”
“I’m not sure. You’ll have to give me a minute.” Jean went to a side table and slid into a chair to read her mother’s will.
While they waited, Emily told Tyler what she had learned about the amulet and showed him the saffa.
“Cool. And don’t you dare ask me to arm wrestle while you’re wearing that thing.”
Emily laughed and flexed her arm in superhero style. “Don’t worry, I’ll only use it to fight the forces of evil…like gym class.”
They continued joking with each other until Jean got to her feet. She was clutching the pages of the will to her chest.
Emily hoped the new will wasn’t a repeat of the one Mansel had produced. If it was, her mother would suffer another emotional blow. “Mom, is everything okay?”
Jean didn’t say anything until she was standing over her brother. “I knew it. You are such a bastard. You produced a fake will after mother’s death, and this proves it. She left this house to me, along with everything else.” She lifted the will and shook it at him. “You lied to me, made me doubt my parents. I’ll never forgive you for that.”
“You inherited everything?” Emily’s father was standing at the base of the stairs, his shoulder wrapped in a bandage.
“Yes, Paul, everything. It’s all mine.” Jean pointed an accusing finger at Mansel. “He’s the one that was excluded from mother’s will, not me.”
“Your mother had me review her accounts before she…um… It’s quite a considerable sum we’re talking about.”
Jean handed the will to Paul. “I know it is. And starting today, things are going to be different around here. Much different.”
***
The police arrived, charged Mansel with assault, and took him away. They also confiscated the tube that Mansel had used as a gun. The officers passed it around, each taking a turn to inspect it, but it left all of them scratching their heads.
The paramedics wanted to take Paul to the hospital, but he insisted that he didn’t need a doctor to tell him he was fine, so they put a fresh bandage on the wound and released him.
When he walked back into the house, he joked, “I hope I get a nice scar to show off at the gym.”
The last police car was pulling away when Tyler announced he needed to go home. “My parents don’t know I came over here, and they’re gonna freak if I go missing again.”
Jean gave him a smile. “We appreciate everything you’ve done. Do you need a ride home?”
“Well, I live in Walnut Creek.”
“Walnut Creek! That’s quite a ways from here. How did you plan to get home?” When he glanced at Emily, Jean gave an involuntary shudder. “Oh.”
“It’s okay, Mom.” Emily knew it would take time for her mother to get used to seeing her daughter step in and out of mirrors. “I can take him home and be back in a jiffy.”
Jean glanced at the nearest mirror. “Is it safe?”
“Sure.” Emily picked up the triad and watch. “You can even come with us, if you want.”
“No, thanks, sweetie. In fact, I don’t think I even want to watch.”
It was quiet when Emily and Tyler stepped out of the mirror into his bedroom. Tyler looked around and smiled. Everything looked the same as when they left. “Nobody’s been in here, so I don’t think they even know we’ve been gone.”
“I think you’re right.” Emily was glad they didn’t have to explain the day’s events to Nick and Barbara. She waited until Tyler turned her way to say, “And I still need to thank you.”
Tyler displayed a dazzling array of dimples. “Really!”
“Yes, really.” Emily leaned in and planted a kiss on his cheek.
“But you already…” Tyler was all dimples again.
“The first one was for saving me. This one is for helping me save my parents. You did a brave thing back there, and I want you to know how much I appreciate it.”
“Any time, and it was only fair. You helped me save my dad, so I owed you a favor.”
“Let’s hope that was the last time anybody needs to be saved.”
“Amen. Oh, and before you go back, I’ve got something for you.”
Emily wondered what it could be. “A gift?”
“You’ll see. Just a sec and I’ll get it.”
He returned a few seconds later carrying a rectangular mirror with an ornate gold frame.
“Mom got two of these last week, but decided she didn’t need both. It’s brand new, so it shouldn’t have anybody in it.”
Emily laughed and gave him another quick kiss on the cheek. “Thanks, it really is the perfect gift for me.”
CHAPTER 10
Emily and Tyler stood side by side in her garage, looking at the mirror that used to hang in her closet. She had covered it with a sheet after hearing the deep baritone of a man’s voice.
“Okay, are you ready?” Emily felt excited at the prospect of helping someone escape, and she wanted to get her full-length bedroom mirror back. She was wearing the saffa, and her amulet was in her pocket.
“Yeah, let’s do it.” Tyler looked at her with matching exuberance.
They entered the mirror and saw the man in a tattered brown suit. He was standing in the same spot Emily had first noticed him. They circled him twice, looking for clues to his identity. He was taller than Tyler by several inches, with a barrel chest and large arms. His brown felt hat and worn jacket were old and dusty. The brown leather of his shoes was cracked, the laces had been replaced with twine, and the sole of his left shoe was partly detached to show a glimpse of a dirty sock. He must have been homeless, Emily decided, but why would her uncle bother to put a vagrant in a mirror?
Tyler was holding her hand, so he could see the hallway of mirrors and all the people standing in it. “There sure are a lot of them in here. I don’t think we’ve got enough time to save all of them before school starts.”
“I don’t think so either,” Emily agree.
Tyler looked around again. “Well, we’ve got to start somewhere, so let’s grab him and get out of here.”
Emily shook her head. “We can’t just grab him. He’s been alone in total darkness for who knows how long. We’ll probably scare him to death.”
“True, but I’ve got an idea.” Tyler held out his hand. “Give me the piece from the watch I was holding when I was trapped in here.”
Emily guessed what he was planning, so she pulled the small metal stem from the watch and handed it to him. “Here.”
The man was standing relaxed, but his left hand was partly cupped, enough to hold the stem from the watch. Tyler dropped the watch stem into his palm and stepped back. The man reflexively closed his hand around it, and his head swiveled back and forth until he noticed the light coming from the mirror beside him. His didn’t look surprised by the mirror, but he took a step
back when he noticed Emily and Tyler. “Who are you?”
“It’s okay. We’re here to help,” Emily assured him.
“Are you angels?”
Tyler barked a laugh. “No way. I’m Tyler, and this is Emily.”
The man nodded at Tyler, but his gaze returned to Emily. “My name’s Thorne, Benjamin Thorne.
Thorne was her mother’s maiden name, but Emily had never heard of a relative named Ben. “Nice to meet you, Ben. And we really are here to help you.”
“If you’re not angels, then you can’t help a dead man.”
Emily could understand why the man thought he was dead. She also wondered if he thought he was in heaven or in hell, but decided not to ask. “You’re not dead, and we can get you out of here.”
“Out?” Ben looked confused.
Emily shrugged her shoulders. “It’s kind of hard to explain.” She wasn’t sure where to begin until she glanced out of the mirror and saw her father’s blue sedan. “Here, look through this, um, window, and you’ll see what I mean.”
The man took a few steps closer and scratched the back of his neck. “That’s the fanciest car I ever did see.”
It was Emily’s turn to be confused. She considered her dad’s car to be a bit of a clunker, but maybe it looked better to someone as poor as Ben appeared to be. “We can take you through this window, if you’d like.”
Ben gave her a skeptical glance before he turned back to peer into the garage. “Through there?”
Emily tried not to smile. “Sure, whenever you’re ready.”
Ben cupped his chin and stared through the mirror for a long while before he nodded. “Okay.”
The three of them stepped into the garage, and the large man looked around with curiosity until his gaze settled on the car. He walked all the way around it, sliding his fingers over the paint and looking in every window. “This car ain’t new?”
Emily shrugged. “My Dad bought it used, but it runs good.”
Ben looked at Tyler. “Is it yours?”
“No.”
“It’s my parent’s car,” Emily offered. “My dad drives it to work. Mom doesn’t like to drive, but she uses it to get groceries or take me to the mall.”
“The…mall?” The word sounded unfamiliar to him.
“The mall? You know, a shopping mall.” It seemed too obvious to need more of an explanation.
Ben scratched the back of his neck again. “Don’t know that place.”
It didn’t seem possible that he had never been to a mall, but it wasn’t as important to Emily as reconnecting Ben with his family. “Ben, where is your family?”
“Last I seen them, they was in Salt Lake.”
“Salt Lake City? I don’t think we can get you that far. How about San Francisco; do you have any family here?”
“No, but that’s where we was headin’.”
Tyler edged closer to Emily and gave her a glance before he said. “Maybe they’re here by now. Do you want to give them a call? You can use my phone.” He pulled his new phone out of his pocket and offered it.
Ben stared at it. “What’s that?”
“My phone. I thought you’d want to call them.”
Ben didn’t try to take it, and he looked confused again.
“I’ll dial for you.” Tyler offered. “What’s their number?”
“There was six of us, countin’ me. It’ll be five now.”
Tyler shook his head. “No, their phone number.”
Ben’s reaction to Tyler’s cell phone made Emily ask, “Ben, what year is this?”
“Year? The year’s 1954, ain’t it?”
“Holy cow.” Tyler was the first to react, but Emily grabbed his arm and gave a cautionary shake of her head before she turned back to Ben. She spoke slowly. “Ben, it’s not 1954.”
“You can say that again,” Tyler blurted, and Emily gave his arm a warning squeeze. He shot her an apologetic grin before he closed an imaginary zipper over his lips.
Ben looked back and forth between the two of them, considering. “Did I miss a few years?”
“Kinda.” Emily stood next to the mirror. “Ben, I have something to show you. It’s going to be a surprise, but please try not to be frightened.” Ben didn’t look like he would be easy to scare, but she remembered how Tyler’s mother had reacted. With the large man watching her, Emily stepped through the mirror and back again.
Ben didn’t faint. In fact, he had almost no reaction at all. Emily was wondering if the years being stuck inside the mirror had affected him in some way.
“So, you got them powers.” It sounded very matter-of-fact.
It was not the reaction Emily had expected, but it raised other possibilities. “Do you have powers?”
“No. My baby sister, Wilma, had them, but not me. Neither did my brother, John.”
“My grandmother’s name was Wilma, and she had an older brother named John.” Emily paused, wondering why no one had mentioned a second brother named Ben. Could this man really be her grandmother’s brother, her great uncle? If so, why did no one ever talk about him, and why had he been put in the mirror?
Ben looked around the garage with the beginnings of understanding. “What year is it?”
Tyler was biting his lip as he gave Emily a pleading look, so she nodded.
“It’s 2011.” Tyler announced. “You’ve been gone for fifty-seven years.”
“2011?” Ben looked down and ran a finger over the trunk of the car. He took his time inspecting it for dust, so Emily couldn’t see his eyes when he said, “I reckin’ what I done back then won’t matter by now.”
The tone of his voice, however, made Emily grab Tyler’s arm again and take a step back, pulling him with her. Whatever this man had done to warrant being put in the mirror, it would feel to him like it had happened only yesterday, not fifty-seven years ago. “Ben, what did you do back then?”
“I was gettin’ to that, pretty girl.” Ben lunged and grabbed Emily by the arm. He also pushed Tyler against the car, the collision of flesh and metal creating a solid thud.
Emily was yanked forward, bringing her face to face with Ben. He was smiling, but it held no humor. “I been alone a long time, so you and me are gonna have some fun.”
A rush of adrenaline surged through Emily as she glanced at Tyler. He was on his knees beside the car, holding his head. Worried that Tyler was injured, she used the palm of her hand to deliver a forceful shove to the center of Ben’s chest. Her surprising strength, compliments of adrenaline and the saffa, pushed him back far enough to break his grip. “Leave us alone,” she warned.
Tyler still hadn’t moved, but Emily forced herself to remain focused on Ben.
The large man recovered his balance and swung back toward her with a scowl on his face. She was whispering a spell when he lunged, and the light above their heads blinked out, just like they always did when she used a spell. The sudden darkness allowed Emily to step to the side and avoid Ben’s grab.
“Nice trick, little girl.”
Emily had no trouble seeing in the dark, so she had no trouble avoiding Ben as he fumbled around trying to find her. Tyler released a groan and Ben swung toward the sound, which put his back toward her. Knowing this could be her only opportunity, Emily grabbed the back of Ben’s coat and used every ounce of her enhanced strength to pull him back through the mirror. Ben spun around before she could release him and tried to grab her, but Emily let go and jumped back, plunging him into a darkness that was absolute. She could hear Ben yelling threats as she stepped back through the mirror, leaving him behind without regret.
The light in the garage had come back on and Tyler had gotten to his feet, but when he tried to take a step his legs wobbled. Emily took a firm grip on his arm and guided him to an old chair in a corner. Tyler slumped into it with a pained, “Thanks.”
Emily hunched down next to the chair and looked him over. “Are you okay?”
“I think so.” He pulled his fingers away from his scalp, exposing a
small amount of blood.
“You’re bleeding!”
“Yeah, a little. My head hit the handle on your dad’s car, but I’ll be fine.”
“That was scary,” Emily said. “I’m sure some of the people in the mirrors are good, but from now on we need to be a lot more careful.”
Tyler gave her a lopsided grin. “No argument from me. And next time, why don’t we pick a little old lady.”
Emily smiled and put her hand on his cheek. It was soft and warm. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah, I’m sure. I’m tougher than I look.” He rubbed his head again and held up his fingers. “See, I’ve already stopped bleeding.”
She gave him another smile before she stood and looked at the mirror. “Well, so much for that mirror. I’m going to lock it away, and I hope I never see it again.”
The experience with Ben made Emily abandon plans to help any more people in the second dimension until she had learned more about the mirrors and the spells in the books.
***
The next few weeks brought many changes to Emily’s life.
Jean recorded her mother’s will and filed a legal claim to the house and the family estate. The lawsuit was complicated by Mansel’s countersuit, which he filed from jail, so her parents had frequent meetings with their attorney. Emily didn’t mind; it gave her plenty of time to search her new study and find books that were in English. Each time she found one, she placed it next to the desk. When she was done, she had a stack of books as high as her shoulders. It would take a while to read them all, but she was determined to do it.
Despite the books she removed, the floor to ceiling shelves covering three walls were still filled with books, hundreds of them, all in foreign languages. For all she knew her uncle had read every one of them, and he knew the spells they contained. If he could use those spells, she needed to learn them as well, even if she had to have the books translated.
She also spent a good deal of time with Tyler. The mirrors made it easy to visit him whenever she wanted, but after she arrived to find him still dripping from the shower and wearing only a towel, Barbara insisted that Nick move the mirror from Tyler’s bedroom to the garage. Emily, with her cheeks glowing red, did not protest.