What The Mirror Conceals

Detective grey sat hunched over his desk, pen working furiously as he glanced back and forth from a collection of pages nearby.

Tap tap tap

The noise came from behind a black curtain which hung over the back of his desk.

Tap tap tap

It came again, and a muffled voice, “Grey,”.

The detective huffed in response like shooing a fly.

“There’s not much time, Grey.”

Grey tskd and continued his notes.

The voice gave a quiet sigh, resigned to waiting. After a minute more, Grey paused and very carefully sat down his pen, took a swig from his mug of coffee then pushed the curtain aside.

Behind it was a mirror, where Grey’s reflection sat leaning on the desk.

Grey leaned back in his chair, “How long?” he asked, then took another swig from his mug.

“No more than five minutes now,” Said his reflection, “She’ll meet me here. What did you find?”

“The short version is she knows I know and is using the meeting as a chance to kill me before I exorcise her.”

“Ah, unfortunate. What else?”

“She’s a relatively young Incarnation that specializes in Psychic attacks.”

“Ah, so that’s why you’ve been hiding in my mirror.”

Grey smiled, “Exactly. If she attacks you out there, it should force her Shadow in here, and we can trap it.”

His reflection nodded, “and with any luck we can force her through by ending Reversi. Is that the idea?”

“Yes. Get her here, and then you’ll be in your true domain.”

His reflection smiled, then turned at the sound of knocking.

“She’s a little early.” The reflection muttered, then placed his hands on either side of the mirror and the image dimmed a little, which let Grey know the two-way feature had been enabled so he could watch from the mirror world without being seen.

But he needed to be ready himself: he should be getting a visitor as well.

He turned his back to the mirror and faced the mirror room’s door. He could hear his reflection’s boots cross the hard wood on the other side,

Ta- ta- ta- ta-

He heard the door handle click, and both doors eased open.

“Ms. Acacia,” he heard his reflection say, “please come in,”

Grey’s door suddenly burst open and a black mass charged him. Grey slapped the mass as he dodged, “Expel,” but his hand jerked back.

Grey tsked as he rolled to the door and squared up to the mass. Reaching behind himself, he shut the door, which faded into the wall. His preparation had paid off, though she was considerably stronger than anticipated for being so young, they had at least trapped her shadow in the mirror.

Through the mirror, he heard Ms. Acacia gasp as the door slammed shut.

“My apologies,” said Grey’s reflection as Ms. Acacia seated herself on the sofa. “It’s an old, drafty building. Would you like some tea?”

“That would be lovely,” she said, her voice a hypnotic lilt.

The black mass paused and seemed to look at the mirror a moment before turning back to face Grey. She must have noticed the connection between worlds.

“It’s my own tea blend,” said Grey’s reflection to Ms. Acacia, “I hope you like it.”

The mass suddenly lunged at Grey, black tendrils firing at him. He barely dodged, and dashed back to the desk as the mass hit the wall with a loud thud. It suddenly condensed into a humanoid form and ran a hand along the wall.

“Very good,” said the young woman, taking a sip of her tea as her shadow touched the room’s wall, “What a strong, rich flavor,” The shadow turned to look at a Grey, “What’s it made of?”

“Top secret I’m afraid,” Grey’s reflection said, moving to the desk and opening a drawer, “Any sugar? I find it really releases the flavor.”. As he asked the question, a desk drawer slid open behind Grey and a dish floated out and settled on the desk.

“I don’t much care for sweets, Mr. Grey.” She said, crossing to stand near the Reflection “but I do hate the idea of keeping anything confined. Perhaps I’ll try just a little?”

As Ms. Acacia approached, she suddenly flicked the hot liquid at Grey’s reflection’s face and then pushed him against the mirror. In the same moment, the shadow lunged again and pierced Grey through the right shoulder and through the mirror into the Reflection’s left.

“Tea time’s over, Grey.” She said, “Is it worth asking you anything?”

The Grey’s scoffed and said in unison, “Probably not.”

“Pity. Goodbye, Mr. Grey.” Ms. Acacia placed a hand on the Reflections head, and as she did so the Shadow began to expand to engulf Grey. With one motion, the Reflection grabbed Ms. Acacia’s wrist and Grey grabbed the sugar bowl and cast the contents on the shadow. The shadow shrieked horribly in pain and stumbled backwards, and in that moment of confusion the Grey’s spoke:

“Restore,”

The world spun round, and Grey found himself alone in his office. He rubbed his right shoulder as the pain dissipated and he turned to face the mirror. He admired the room’s reflection, his own was missing, then he ran a hand along the mirror’s gilded frame.

“Such a wonderful tool,” he said, up close he could just make out Ms. Acacia’s silhouette through the two-way, “both revealer and concealer of truth.”

He stooped to pick up the sugar bowl, and placed it on the desk before the mirror, “What appears to be sugar, is actually a purifying salt to surprise a shadow,” There was soft, angry thudding on the mirror.

He smiled at the mirror as he grabbed the black fabric,

“And I,” he said, “what appears to be a simple detective, well,” he slowly closed the curtain as the thumping shifted to a faster, panicked pace, “I’m glad you’re the only one who has to see what I really am, Ms. Acacia.”