Shards & Blood

Can the future be predicted? Or is the predicted future a self-fulfilling prophecy?

               The questions Hazel had just been discussing with her sister, Cleo.

               “Oh, Cleo.” she’d sighed, yielding to her younger sister’s stubborn belief in the former.

               Cleo. The ever believer of spirits and mysticism. The keeper of crystals and tarot cards; and the truster of every scamming, crystal ball-wielding crock that claimed they could see her past, present, and future.

               And knowing that even reason couldn’t change her mind, Hazel would still dive head-first into the debate. It was less debate, and more of the two playfully poking holes at each other’s belief systems. Or lack thereof, in Hazel’s case.

               “It must be real depressing to think that this is it.” Cleo had said. “It makes it all seem so…pointless.”

               “I just choose not to think about it.” Hazel replied.

               It was true. She rarely thought about what happened after death, much less, how and when she might die.

               “Blissfully oblivious! Sounds lovely.” Cleo said weighing heavily on the sarcasm. “And absolutely boring.”

               “Meh.” Hazel replied with a mouthful of pizza. “What are your plans for tomorrow? I need to get a new mirror for my house.”

               “Don’t you have one?”

               “Well, I did. But the movers apparently didn’t know what the giant red letters that spell fragile mean.”

               Hazel had just moved back to her hometown from spending a few years after college in the beach town of Boca Raton, Florida. It had been nice while it lasted, but during the last year, a homesickness had set in and taken root in her bones.

               She still wasn’t sure if it was the mountains or her sister that she’d been called back to.

               “Awe, I’m sorry.” Cleo said.

               “It’s fine. It’s just a mirror. Are you free tomorrow?”

               Cleo gave her sister an exaggerated frown, “I can’t. I have to work.”

               “No worries.” Hazel said. “I’ll just find one all on my lonesome.”

               Cleo rolled her eyes. “Why don’t you come by the restaurant for breakfast, and I can see you off.” After a pause, she added, “It’ll be on the house.”

               Hazel was now walking down the main street of the downtown area. Shops were beginning to open, and the lazy pace of the town gave off the sense that time was limitless. She knew it’d be a pain to get the mirror to her car, having left it in front of her sister’s restaurant.

“I’ll manage.” she’d told herself.

The weather was too nice for driving. The air was cool with a gentle breeze that lingered from the winter months. Trees were gaining fresh leaves after a barren season. She walked down the stone walkway in front of the shops and businesses, allowing herself to ignore the week of work that loomed.

               The new classes were starting, and it’d be another eight weeks of being buried under papers and online discussions. Most, meeting the bare minimum requirement. She’d often caught herself falling asleep as she read repetitious essays. She wasn’t completely jaded by the job. It allowed her to pick her work location, and she wasn’t stuck in the stuffy confines of a university classroom or lecture hall.

               The sunshine warming her face as it peeked out from behind a cloud brought her attention back to the day’s purpose. Work was Monday’s problem. Today, she was mirror shopping. The one in her bathroom was impressively large, but at 5’1”, she struggled to see anything below the counter line.

               Something glimmered in the corner of her eye. She turned her gaze across the street and saw it. A mirror rested against the outer wall of an antique store. She hadn’t thought to check the multitude of shops filled with older furnishings- mostly because she’d noticed that once “antique” was attached to an item, the price immediately increased.

               But it was right there. How could she not check? Worst case- she’d keep looking. She found a place to cross the street and made her way toward the store.

               As she approached, she noticed it had a wooden frame with an intricately carved design. The border against the edge of the mirror was braided in rounded turns at each corner. As the wood extended outward, it did so in a series of curves and tangles almost vinelike, licking outwards at the very edges like the tips of a flame.

               She typically preferred more simplistic designs, but when she saw the price tag stuck to the top right corner, she said, “Sold!” A mirror for five dollars, and in good condition without any visible scratches or cracks. She wasn’t going to find that anywhere else.

               Ignoring the feeling of discomfort that had begun to bubble up, Hazel entered the store. The lighting was mostly supplied by the sun shining through the large storefront windows. The interior was dim, draping the whole store in an eerie musk. Specks of dust clung to the stale air, making it uncomfortable to breathe.

               She searched the store for some sign of…someone. All she could find were stacks of old plates, clutter of wooden tables and chairs, and a section of porcelain dolls whose dead eyes seemed to lock onto her like a target.

               She jumped at the sound of someone cough and turned to see a middle-aged woman approach a long bar at the back of the store that had been repurposed as a checkout counter.

               “Sorry.” the woman’s sweet voice echoed. “Just getting over a late winter cold. Can I help you with anything?”

               It took Hazel a moment to process the odd contrast of the woman’s voice with her surroundings. She blinked a couple of times to reanimate herself. “Sorry. I was just wondering if the mirror out front was still available?”

               The woman was silent for a couple of seconds before responding, “Mirror? Out front?”

               Hazel nodded, beginning to think this may have been a mistake.

               The woman giggled to herself in confused acceptance. “If it has a sticker and it’s there, then it’s available. Let’s look, shall we?”

               Hazel led her into the sunlight, and the woman drew a sharp breath.

               “Are you okay?!” Hazel asked.

               The woman righted herself, and turned to Hazel, “There’s so much stuff in here, I forget what’s what, or what’s where.” She attempted a half-hearted laugh. “If you want it, it’s yours.”

               “Um…yeah.” Hazel said, “Yeah, that’d be great.”

               The woman nodded, “Let’s get you rung up inside.” She walked back into the store without making sure Hazel was following.

               Hazel eyed her and reluctantly followed her back into the claustrophobic space.

               After crossing the street with the hefty mirror, Hazel peered back at the shop and caught sight of the woman poking her head out. Was the woman watching her?

               “It was like she was making sure I took it.” Hazel had told Cleo that evening after relaying the whole encounter to her sister.

               “Have you hung it yet?” Cleo asked.

               “Not yet. It’s heavy as I’ll get out. I barely made it across the street. Some guys ended up helping me get it to my car.” she explained. “I had to put it on a towel outside and drag it in. I’m surprised I didn’t chip the frame.”

               “That’s odd. I’ll come over tomorrow night to help you hang it.”

               When the conversation was over, Hazel noticed her cat’s peculiar behavior, “What are you doing, Poe?”

               She attempted to scoop him up, which he usually enjoyed; but retreated when he rounded on her and hissed.

               “What’s gotten into you?”

               The black tuxedo cat was pacing back and forth in front of the mirror. Hazel chuckled at the idea that he might be guarding it. She reached down to pet him, but he jumped and hissed at her again. Returning to his sentry duty as soon as she withdrew her hand.

               “What the heck, dude!” The cat ignored her.

               The mirror was leaning against the wall just inside the front door which opened into the living room. She plopped down on her couch, keeping an eye on her cat. Then she turned to the mirror.

               She caught herself standing in front of it, staring at her reflection. Her hazel eyes with small flecks of darker brown stared back at her. Her mother had joked that she was predicting her daughter’s eye color by naming her Hazel.

               The surface rippled and her reflection became surrounded by trees and mountains. Then it turned. Hazel kept her eyes on the image, mesmerized. The scene in the mirror was now moving. As if she were walking through the forest. She turned her head to see her own surroundings. She was in the forest. A hiking trail she’d known well. She continued moving down it, an onlooker in her own body. She reached the edge of the trees where the gentle incline flattened with grass that led to a ledge. It was her favorite spot in the mountains. Not the highest point, but the spot gave her a perfect view of the surrounding mountains. They were varying shades of green from the variety of trees that grew in the area. It was untouched and pure. Birds chirped nearby and she turned to see them.

In doing so, her left foot slipped on the ledge. She felt the ground beneath her give way and found herself in a freefall. She clawed at the air attempting to get ahold on anything, but there was nothing. All that surrounded her was empty space and her sight had become a blur of green and brown. As her body hit the ground her eyes blinked open.

               Hazel was sprawled out on the wood floor. She squeezed her eyes shut, registering the migraine that threatened to implode her skull. She sat herself up slowly and rubbed her head, partly checking for bleeding. Nothing.

               “What was that?” she asked.

               Poe was rubbing his head against the side of her leg, and she reached her hand out to him. The cat stepped towards it and allowed her to scratch behind his ears. He placed his front paws on her thigh as she continued to pet him.

               “I’m glad you’re in a better mood.”

               She looked at the mirror and saw an image of herself, and Poe reflected back at her. She shook her head at a rising suspicion.

               “No. There’s no way.” She looked down at the cat, “Come on. Let’s go to bed.”

               The following evening Cleo came by to help hang the mirror. Hazel had considered telling her, but was determined to chalk it up to some odd fainting spell. Maybe her blood pressure dipped from getting up from the couch too quickly. She didn’t want Cleo to worry.

               “This it?” Cleo asked when she saw it perched against the living room wall.

               “Yep.” Hazel replied. “Pretty good for five bucks, right?”

               Cleo nodded, but she was distracted. “Poe doesn’t seem to like it very much.”

               The feline was pacing in front of the mirror again, but this time he’d pause to hiss at it.

               Hazel waived it off, “He’s been acting weird since yesterday.”

               “Before or after you brought the mirror home?’

               “After? He’s probably just stressed from the move.”

               Cleo eyed her, “You sure you want to keep this thing?”     

               “Yeah, it’s just a mirror.”

               Cleo shrugged, “Alright.”

               “Nails are already placed.” Hazel said as Cleo approached the opposite side of the mirror. “One, two, three.” she counted lifting it to the wall and shifting it until the frame caught on the nail heads.

               Cleo stepped back to inspect it.

               “Is it straight?” Hazel asked, but her sister’s eyes were wide and blank with a foggy glaze draping them.

               Hazel stepped in front of her, waving her hands, “Cleo!”

               Then Cleo was screaming and Hazel caught her limp body as it crumpled to the floor.

               “Cleo!” Hazel yelled, attempting to shake her awake as she cradled her on the floor. “Cleo! Wake up!”

               The misted eyes closed. Hazel could see Cleo’s chest rise and fall. She was still breathing.

               A second later, her eyes were open. Hazel smiled, but horror had contorted Cleo’s. She jolted upright out of Hazel’s arms and stood.

               “Are you okay?” Hazel asked getting to her feet.

               “I…I need to go.” was all she said, and Hazel watched dumbfounded as the front door closed behind her.

               Hazel woke the next morning to her phone ringing. Bleery-eyed, she squinted at the screen then sat up and immediately answered. Her sister’s voice was frantic on the other end.

               “Hazel! Are you there?!”

               “Yeah. Are you okay? What’s wrong? I couldn’t get ahold of you last night.”

               “You’ve got to get rid of the mirror!” she broke in.

               “Why? It’s just a mirror.”

               “I saw…” she trailed off. “Listen, I spoke to Mira. She said that the mirror had been missing for a year. The last person that owned it died.”

               “I don’t understand.” Hazel was growing more concerned. “Who’s Mira? What’s a mirror have to do with someone dying?”

Cleo took an audible breath before responding, “Mira owns the antique store. It wasn’t just one person- the last five people to own that mirror died.”

               “Mirrors don’t kill people.”

               “That’s not just a mirror. Have you looked in it?”

               “Yes…” Hazel replied, growing silent at the memory of falling. She’d avoided looking into the mirror since.

               “Hazel? You know what I’m talking about, don’t you?” Cleo didn’t give her time to respond. “And did you hear me?! It went missing after the last person died. It wasn’t supposed to be there.”

               “Mira said she forgot-“

               “Mira doesn’t forget. I’ve known her for years. She knows every item in that shop.”

               Hazel insisted on clinging to her skepticism, “So, what do you want me to do?”

               She could hear Cleo rolling her eyes, “You have to destroy it.”

               “That’s easy enough. I’ll just burn-“

               The call ended and someone was banging on her front door.

               “Hold on!” she yelled climbing out of bed.

               She opened the door and Cleo began talking as she came through the door. “You can’t burn it. It’ll just attach to something else.”

               “The mirror?”

               “No!” Cleo said. “How are you not getting this?! Whatever it is that makes you see your death!” Her eyes were locked on Hazel’s, knowing that Hazel understood exactly what she was describing.

               “So, how do we get rid of it?”

               “We have to take it somewhere it can’t attach to any other objects after the mirror is destroyed.”

               “Well, what do you suppose we do? Throw it off a cliff?”

               “Yes!”

               “How are we supposed to get that thing up to a cliff?”

               “Isn’t there a parking lot not too far from that spot you like to hike?”

               Hazel pushed the memory of falling from her mind. Haunted mirrors didn’t exist. She would go along with this crazy plan just to appease Cleo.

               She shook her head, “Okay, let’s throw a mirror off a cliff.”

               They each gripped an end of the mirror and maneuvered it out of the house. Cleo’s SUV was already backed into the driveway and the trunk door open.

               “You planned this already?” Hazel asked, placing her end in the back of the vehicle. She moved to help Cleo push it fully in.

               “We’re going to have to angle it.” Cleo said. “And I knew we would have to get it away from your house at least.”

               They climbed into the front seats, Cleo driving, and Hazel asked, “So after we throw it off the cliff, then what?”

               “What do you mean? That’s it.”

               “It’s a little unceremonious, don’t you think?”

               “This isn’t a movie, Hazel.”

               “I know that. I just…I don’t know. It seems a little anticlimactic, don’t you think?”

               “Once it’s destroyed everything should be fine.”

               They arrived at the parking lot just as the sun peeked over the mountains.

               “Okay, let’s do this. It should be a short walk from here.” Cleo stated.

               The air was still and quiet. She could hear birds chirping somewhere in the distance. Why were they so distant?

               She shrugged off the foreboding feeling, and matched Cleo’s movements, climbing out of the vehicle. Cleo already had the trunk open and was waiting for her.

               “Come on!” she said.

               “Okay, okay.” Hazel replied. “I wish we could have at least grabbed coffee.”

               “We’ll get some once this is done, I promise.”

               “Fine.” Hazel said grabbing the side of the mirror and guiding it as Cleo pulled the bottom out of the SUV. Once she could reach it, she grabbed the top of the frame.

               “Do you want to close it first?” Hazel asked.

               “It’ll be fine. We won’t be long.”

               Hazel shrugged and they made their way into the trees. Under the weight of the mirror, it’d felt like an hour had passed as they covered the distance to the clearing.

               “We can just push it from here.” Cleo said, lowering her side of the mirror. “Are you okay?”

               “Yeah.” Hazel replied, breaking from a daze. “Let’s get this over with so we can get coffee.”

               Cleo rolled her eyes, “Come here and help me push.”

               The sisters put their combined weights into thrusting the large mirror across the grass towards the edge. Beneath them, sweat mixed with the morning dew.

               Relief came as Hazel felt the mass of the object become less balanced. It began to teeter and they pushed harder until gravity took over. Cleo watched from a distance, and Hazel went to the edge to see it fall. The mirror was already close to the ground. She turned to give Cleo a thumbs up.

               Her foot slipped mid-turn, and she felt the dirt beneath her give way to air. A terrified Cleo reached out for her, attempting to reach her before…

               Hazel fell, hearing glass shatter beneath her. Her sister’s face appeared over the ledge, but the face was twisted and wicked.

               “Not Cleo!” was the final echo of the mountains.