Marla Medizza and the Miopsa mirror. The final chapter.

The final chapter

Cornelius Darkus.

An intense blaze of sunlight fills the bedroom as Marla wakes. Her thoughts draped in darkness, her fear paramount. She pushes her mule onto her foot and paces downstairs toward the kitchen.

‘Good morning darling, how did you sleep?’ enquires her aunt, busily preparing breakfast.

‘Morning aunty, apart from the recurring nightmare of my head being lopped off by a lunatic axe wielding freak, I slept pretty well.’

Marla perches and glares around the room. Her mind fixated on coming back home and finishing this.

She counts on the mirror being resolute and the monster lurking within, trapped.

‘Eggs and bacon darling?’

‘Yes, please aunty.’

‘So, what are your arrangements, darling? I suspect you desire that rotter Darkus to remain locked behind the mirror. You could live here; I have a wealth of space and you would be protected from his clutches.’

‘Praise you, Aunty. I appreciate your offer, but I can’t. I have to make certain that freak Darkus stays put for everybody’s sake.’

‘Will you be requiring a dress, darling?’

‘Not really, aunty, wearing a dress will not stop him!’

‘Ladies, wear gowns, darling. Those rags of yours need burning, they are truly frightful.’

‘I am a woman, aunty, and they are my thing. Thank you for the offer but no thank you.’

‘As you choose, darling, eat now. You will need every ounce of energy you can muster.’

Marla eats her breakfast before trudging to the bedroom to dress. She yanks on her black jeans, pushes her head through her t-shirt, zips up her hoodie and tugs on her boots before plodding downstairs to say goodbye to her great aunt.

Marla squeezes back through the front door. She is confident evil is not lurking for her on the other side. Newly equipped with Seballus seed, she hopes she can avoid this hideous travesty.

‘It has been an absolute pleasure, as always, darling. Please extend my affection to your mother and sisters and of course the old battle axe.’

‘I will, aunty, thank you for everything.’

‘You can do this Marla, you need only believe in yourself,’ her aunt whispers as they hold each other.

She climbs into the driver’s seat of the car and starts her quest for liberation. A plethora of images rushes through her mind as she speeds the steel beast to the ultimate destination.

After a lengthy trek, she parks the car outside her nan’s haunted house. Her vision is met by the same picture of gloom and uninviting terror.

Pushing on the gate, she steps with vigilance to the oak door. It is open; she heaves against it.

‘Nan?’

‘Nan, are you in here?’

She explores the house. Nan does not answer. Sprinting across the grass, she heads toward the coven stead.

‘Nan, where the heck are you?’ she squeals in a low tone.

The silence stings her senses as she shoots back to the main house and up the stairs to the chamber occupying the miopsa mirror.

She presses on the door. The mirror is shattered. Darkus has freed himself.

Marla is suffocated by sheer dread and horror. She twists and turns, suspecting he is in the room. Her eye catches words crudely etched into the wooden outline of the mirror.

‘Marla, be at devil’s wood at midnight, or your Grandmother will have the flesh hacked from her bones.

Devils wood is a haunting woodland one mile from Marla's home.

‘I have to get home!’ she shrieks, dashing across the stairs toward the door and thrusting herself into the car. She speeds home, the screeching tyres signal her return. Mum runs toward her.

‘Marla, you are back. I have missed you so much.’

‘Mam, something dreadful has happened.’

‘But Marla, what is it, tell me?’

‘Cornelius Darkus has escaped, and he has taken Nan prisoner. I am too late Mam.’

‘Oh, my god no, we must call the police!’

‘The police cannot help us, Mam.’

‘Marla, you came back,’ cheers Bella, exploding through the kitchen door.

‘Mam, what has happened?’

‘Darkus has taken nan hostage, darling.’

‘Then we fight mam, find him and kill him before he hurts nan.’

‘He is immensely powerful, Bell.’

‘I am sorry mam, I sought to stop him escaping, I have failed,’ sobs Marla.

‘Listen to me, young lady. You haven’t failed, you tried your best.’

Marla slumps on the kitchen floor, pushing her foot hard against the linoleum. She looks at the expression of despair in her mum’s eyes.

‘What’s happening. Bloody hell, you made it back in one piece!’ snaps Stella, bursting through the kitchen door.

‘It is Cornelius Darkus, he has escaped Stella.’

‘Oh, I knew you would mess it up, Marla.’

‘Stella, stop this instant. Marla is not to blame.’

‘Did you find anything, a note perhaps explaining where he had taken Mother?’

Marla remembers the words etched on the side of the miopsa mirror.

‘No mam, I searched the house but did not find any clues as to their whereabouts.’

She realises that once again she has lied. But she knows meeting him is something she must face alone.

‘What do we do, Mam?’ asks Bella.

‘We wait for him to show his face. There is nothing more we can do. Marla is home again, and we are safe for now.’

‘Now he has escaped. I presume Marla is going to get her head chopped off. Hey Marla, can I have your record player, you will not need it.’

‘Stella, stop. No, you cannot. Honestly, I wish you would just stop this. She is your sister and right now he needs us. Marla, meet me in the back garden in half an hour after I have made supper.’

‘Okay, Mam.’

Marla heads for her room and drops onto her bed. She stares at the ceiling. Dreadful thoughts enter her subconscious. She recalls the journey she has made; the people met along the way, especially her friend Babulous.

‘I wish you were here now, to help guide me, my friend,’ she whispers into the air in hope of a reply. Her requests evaporate against the mocha paisley wallpaper in her room.

‘Marla, come into the garden and bring your wand of magic with you.’

Marla looks out of the window; her Mum is staring up at her.

Marla paces the stairs, across the kitchen and into the garden.

‘What are we doing, Mam?’

‘I am giving you three spells. They have remained a secret with the Medizza family for hundreds of years. These incantations are extremely powerful, Marla. You must not recite them incorrectly or the result may prove fatal to you.’

‘Oh great, thanks for the confidence boost, Mam.’

‘Aunt Elspeth handed you a seed to stop Darkus from escaping the mirror. That seed is now useless. He will come for you, Marla. I need you to be as prepared as possible, to stop him…’

‘Killing Nan, chopping off my head, slaughtering my family?’

‘Well, yes, Marla, to put it bluntly.

‘What if they do not stop him. Nan said he is extremely powerful. If your spells do not work, I am dead!’

Her Mum sighs, her head bowed.

‘They have to work, Marla. We have no choice darling; we have got to try.’

‘Okay, anyhow, let us move forward. This spell is called the infinite cloaking spell. When uttered, it will allow you one minute of invisibility. Not even a vile monster such as Darkus can break it.’

‘I hope not Mam.’

‘The cloaking spell will allow you to get close enough to him to use the second, the elixir of power. This incantation will allow you sixty seconds of immense strength. The last witch to hold this power was Medusa Medizza. Unlike her, your power will be short lived.’

‘Okay, what is next?’

‘Finally, you will need to be at peak power to use spell number three, the eternal sleep. This, if used properly, will force Cornelius Darkus into a deep sleep. It will not kill him, but he will not awaken for an eternity.

‘Thanks, Mam. I wish this was a dream. I am so frightened. Not just for myself but for everybody.’

‘Listen to me, Marla Medizza. I sense a supreme strength within you. This is the reason, and I am proud of you. Tomorrow we face this evil together, this time, he has messed with the wrong family.’

Marla knows by the time tomorrow arrives she will most likely be dead. She will sacrifice her life for the lives of her family so they may carry on living. She glances at the clock on the table, twenty five minutes past ten.

‘I love you so much, Mam, I just wanted you to know,’ she whimpers, falling against her.

‘I love you too, Marla. Everything is going to be fine. Tomorrow we will devise a plan to find him and kill him.’

‘Okay, Mam.’

‘Do you want me to make you a cup of tea and a naughty nighttime bacon sandwich?’

‘That would be lovely, thanks Mam.’

Mum leaves the garden. Marla perches herself on the wooden bench her Dad made and stares into the crystal cut black abyss. Her deep conscious slumber awoke.

‘Marla?’

‘Hey Bell, are you okay?’

‘Yes, Marl you?’

‘Sore foot, in need of a hot bath, apart from that I am good.’

‘Stella doesn’t mean the things she says. She just doesn’t know how to deal with her emotions.’

‘I know Bell. I can be a right bitch, but I love you both. Never forget.’

‘We love you too Marla.’

‘Why are you worrying, Bell?’ enquires Marla, noting the expression of despair on her sister’s face.

‘You.’

‘Please don’t worry. Mam said we will devise a plan in the morning.’

‘There is something you are not telling us, Marl, I can see it in your eyes.’

‘I have told you everything, Bell, honestly.

Once again, Marla withholds the actual truth.

The pause from Marla adds to the anxiety.

‘Yes, I am sure of it. Come on, Mam is making bacon butties.’

They both leave the garden and walk into the kitchen. Stella is sitting at the breakfast bar reading a copy of her fave pop magazine.

‘That hair, the orange hair, I think it would suit you, Stella.’

The kitchen becomes static, Mum’s jaw hits the floor, Stella nearly falls from her chair.

‘What a lovely thing to say to your sister Marla,’ notes Mum, beaming at her daughter's newly found respect for her sibling.

‘Thanks Marla.’

‘Does that mean I can have my hair dyed that colour, Mam?’

‘No, you can’t, Stella. Your sister was being nice. That does not mean you can walk around with orange hair, not under my roof.’

‘Right, ketchup or brown sauce?’ asks Mum, putting down a plate piled with hot bacon sandwiches.

‘Marla?’

‘Huh?’ she mumbles, staring at the clock on the kitchen wall.

‘Ketchup or brown?’

‘Ketchup please Mam.’

‘Brown for me please, Mam,’ says Bella.

They sit, munch, Marla watches, her appetite non-existent.

‘I am not hungry Mam; I think I will take Teddy for a quick stroll if that’s okay?’

‘I am not sure that is wise Marla, not with Cornelius Darkus having escaped.’

‘It will be fine mam; I will stay near the house.’

‘Right, everybody, get your coats on, we are going together.’

‘But Mam I…’

‘Shut up Stella, get your coat.’

Marla leaves the kitchen, grabs her hoodie from the peg and steps outside, puts on Teddy's lead inhaling one deep anxiety driven breath before opening the front door. Stella huffs and puffs behind, Bella holds onto her mum’s arm. Her street is dark, desolate, and uninviting. The absolute opposite of the sound of children playing neighbours chatting with each other.

Everything she had known may disappear if Darkus succeeds in his plan. The miopsa mirror had never lied. The future was cast without a doubt once reflected through its glass. Marla recognises her chances of her making it out of this alive were slim to none.

After a short walk, they arrive back home.

‘It is getting late. You girls should think about getting your beauty sleep. We have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow.’

‘Can we stay up for ten more minutes, Mam? We haven’t seen Marla for days.’

‘You can have ten more minutes. Put your coats and shoes in the cupboard, please.’

‘I am just nipping to the toilet. I will be back in a moment.’

‘Okay Marla, darling.’

Marla climbs the stairs, stopping halfway up and turning back. She takes one last glance at her family. The people she has known and loved her entire life. She carries on into the bathroom.

The beating of her heart in sync with the relentless ticking of the clock moving closer to noon. She checks her prosthesis, attaches the dog collar to her neck and zips up her hoodie, pulling the hood over the back of her head.

She carefully descends the drainpipe after opening the bathroom window. She looks at her watch: 11:46 p.m., giving her fourteen minutes to walk to Devil’s wood. Whatever happens next, she must maintain her composure. She paces as the minutes pass, eventually arriving at the entrance. A single tear falls from her eye, reminding her this is not a horrific dream.

As she takes her first step into the darkness, she realises that no matter what happens, she will never return home and that her life will never be the same. The greatest fight of her life has begun.

The end.