The Merry Gathering at Wilford Manor - Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – The Broken Mirror

Gabe couldn’t see what the big deal was about this place. His mom had nearly died when the realtor had shown her pictures of this tomb and his dad as usual didn’t give a shit. The minute they stepped off the plane and into this sleepy town his dad pulled out his laptop and his mom speed dialed her decorator to yell at her about something so not important. Not that Gabe hadn’t been on his phone the whole time but they did move him six hours away from his life. Now he was stuck here, another year left until he could get his license, and he wondered what the hell they expected him to do out here in the middle of nowhere? Tip cows? Steal street signs? He could only imagine what his new school would be like. Luckily he had talked his way out of having to start until the New Year, not that his parents would know, or care, if he went or not. 

Now his mom was throwing this ridiculous party so she could rub her new mansion in her friend’s faces. He had to admit though that the house did have a certain something about it. They hadn’t officially moved in until a few days ago and his mom hadn’t let Gabe really check the place out, afraid he would get lost or something stupid. She never let him do anything – but now she was too busy running around for her stupid party. She would never notice if he went wandering for a bit and the party didn’t start for an hour yet. Gabe let his feet lead him through the house, ignoring the boring second story where he had spent all of his time in the house and on up to the off limits third floor. There were still paint buckets dotting the halls, the carpet had been pulled up and was even missing in some rooms showing the rotted wood underneath, and Gabe couldn’t help but notice how eerily quiet this floor was. He knew there was Christmas music playing downstairs over speakers that had been set up in every room but he could not hear a single note up here. The lights in the hallway flickered a little bit and his first thought was what kind of electrician did his mother hire?

Most of the rooms were empty. The old furniture still covered in dusters and each room more lackluster than the next. Sighing Gabe pulled his cell out and checked the time. Guests should be arriving now. I suppose I should go down or mom will throw a fit.

There was still plenty of rooms to see before he was done but he knew the longer he was absent from her party the angrier she would be when he had to see her tomorrow at breakfast so he turned and started his way back down the long hall. It looked different somehow but other than the lights going out completely he wasn’t able to put his finger on it. Music and laughter danced its way down the hallway from behind him and Gabe paused. Had he gotten turned around somehow? He turned again and followed the music. Maybe there was another set of stairs at the end of the hallway? He knew there were servant’s quarters and stairwells and with the music playing so loudly he had to be close to one. As he rushed down the wide and dark hall he had to stop once he realized he had passed the noise. It wasn’t coming from downstairs. It was coming from one of the bedrooms. Gabe hadn’t noticed before but this door was shut where all the others had been opened to air out and oddly there was no light coming from beneath the door but this was definitely where the sounds were. He didn’t have time for this. His mom was going to freak out on him if he didn’t show up soon and just as he had thought it the doorbell rang. The door swung wide open and Gabe cussed unsure whether he should be worried about the party beginning or the door opening by itself. The room was empty save for the cloth covered furniture yet the music and new and obviously distinguishable voices were so loud he felt the urge to cover his ears. The cacophony rose even higher causing a piercing pain in his head. He thought maybe if he could stop the noise he would feel better so Gabe stumbled around the room pulling dust covers off the furniture, willing his eyes to see clearly through the pain at the floorboards to see if there was a speaker that had been hidden. Then he pulled the cover from the dresser and mirror and there it was. Playing like a warped television show on the mirror was a party. He guessed from their attire that they were maybe from the 1920’s and they were drunk and gyrating and things were happening in the background that should have been happening behind closed doors. He couldn’t believe it. Gabe was watching an old party replaying in this mirror and the sounds were real, the scent of gin and smoke was definitely real and the people looked as if he could reach through and touch them. His hand rose to meet the cool surface of the mirror and it was as flat and sturdy as it should have been but as his hand graced the polished surface the party stopped. The music died, the laughter ended and the naughty members hiding in the shadows froze and every person visible in Gabe’s mirror turned their heads to him. His heart stopped and though he willed his hand to move from the mirror and his feet to run they did neither.

“What do we have here?” said a low, sultry voice from beyond the mirror. He couldn’t see her lips but he was sure they were painted in a shade of red that just thinking about made his fifteen year old body go rigid. “It looks like we have another guest. What’s your name my sweet?”

His throat dried as he desperately tried to wet his lips. “G-Gabe.”

“Well Gabe, I would be honored if you would come and dance with me.”

Then he saw her and her lips were indeed a deep crimson. Her soft pink sparkling dress met just below her knees but the top hugged to her large breasts and revealed the fact that she wasn’t wearing a bra. He couldn’t hide his body’s response to her. Her golden hair fell in soft waves around her face and those eyes, those gray eyes, were mesmerizing. Gabe had never seen anyone so beautiful and she wanted to dance with him.

Those lusciously painted lips curled at the edges and she spoke in barely a whisper though Gabe could hear her plainly, “Do you want to dance with me Gabe?”

He felt too dumb to speak but nodded his head. He couldn’t help but notice how her breasts jiggled and her wide hips swayed as she sashayed closer to him. God how he wanted to touch this goddess! Yet his hands were still stuck behind this damn mirror. She was on the other side and he was aching to join her, to touch her. She walked as close as she could get and pressed herself against the mirror, placing her chest were Gabe’s hands were resting. Something came over him and he couldn’t take it anymore. He clawed at the glass, banged on its seemingly impenetrable surface until it cracked. It was the slightest crack, so miniscule Gabe had heard it but couldn’t see it and he froze when he realized what he had done. The woman in the mirror smiled and all of her friends smiled and before Gabe could move she had reached through and grabbed him, pulling him from his word into hers and the mirror fractured.

On the wrong side of the mirror Gabe’s Christmas was just beginning while on the right side of the mirror the music died, the laughter died, and Gabe’s screams died as the now broken mirror darkened.    

Look for Chapter 3 this Thursday