Smoke & Mirrors

(The story you are about to read is pure fiction. I do not own the rights to any images seen below. Any similarities in regards to the names of the characters is strictly coincidental.)

"The mirror showed a reflection that wasn't my own." Jasmine whispered. She had explained to her grandmother that she had to double back to look at herself. The reflection held a strange, uncanny, resemblance to her, but from a different era or time. "Who was I looking at?" Jasmine thought. "And more importantly, who was staring back at me?" She thought.

Jasmine had always referred to her grandmother as Nana Rose. Her full name was Margaret Rose Johnson. She was spry for a 75-year old woman who looked considerately young for her age. It had been a blessing and a curse for the "Johnson women."

Recently, they had mourned the loss and the alleged death of Jasmine's biological mother, Josephine Marie. Before all of this happened, Jasmine had began taking classes at a local University and was staying on campus. Her mother's strange disappearance is what prompted Jasmine to go back home.

Josephine had dedicated most of her adult life to taking care of her mother Nana Rose. Then one day, she completely vanished. One minute she was glaring at herself in the Dining Room mirror, the next minute, she was gone.

Nana Rose told the authorities that while in the Living room, she watched as Josephine disregarded the one rule of the house that counted the most. Josephine and Nana Rose got into a horrible spat, and out of spite, Josephine snatched the white cloth down and stared into the mirror. She said a cloud of smoke appeared around Josephine in the silhouette of someone's hands; snatching Josephine.

Nana Rose said the mirrors took her.

The police thought she was senile and suffered from some sort of Dementia. They laughed at her story, but a missing person's report had been put out on Josephine.

She was never seen again.

Josephine had dedicated most of her adult life to taking care of Nana Rose. Now, it was Jasmine's turn.

Nana Rose had explained to Jasmine several times when she moved back in that all the mirrors in the entire house were covered for a reason and were not to be disturbed. Nana said that something evil lurked behind the reflection.

It had been a warning, that had been passed down in the Johnson family since she was a child. Yet, each time she visited, Nana or her mother would remind her of the same thing.

Do not, look into the mirrors.

Nana Rose had explained to both Josephine and Jasmine, that once someone has passed away, their soul is released from the body and starts to roam.

Nana Rose said that if a person dies in a house, and their soul encounters a mirror before their body is buried, within the first 3 days of passing, their soul will be trapped in the mirror forever.

She told stories passed down of how, when uncovered, the mirrors would tarnish, or even turn into an image of the deceased. The deceased. One relative had already died in the house already. Nana Rose's mother, Madison Regina Johnson.

Nana strongly believed the evil reflection was her mother Madison. However, Nana failed to disclose this information to Josephine or Jasmine.

And now, at that moment she wished she had spoken up more.

She sat, watching Jasmine go on and on about the mirror. She had already lost her only daughter and did not want to lose her granddaughter in the same way. She was past old age now, and had meant to tell her in my detail why she should not look in the mirror. But, it may have been too late.

Nana Rose swore back then that she saw her mother's reflection in the mirror. Being that her mother died in the house, she did not deny it.

After Nana's mother died, a Witchdoctor had visited Nana Rose and explained that demons could escape through the mirror into the living world. To prevent trapped souls and demons roaming about, she explained for them to simply keep the mirrors covered if someone passes.

Her whole family had lived in the same house for generations. The women in the family were forbidden from looking into any mirrors in the entire home. It had been a sad reality for their family.

They all were so beautiful. Nana knew looking into the mirror would make them feel good about themselves, but in her mind, a single glance could be life or death.

Jasmine didn't know if her family was cursed, or if it was the house itself that held the evil. All she knew was all the mirrors, including the one in bathroom, were covered with white cloths.

Jasmine had moved back in the house less than a month ago to assist her elderly Grandmother around the house. She could not afford 24-hour assistance for Nana Rose, so Jasmine quit school to help her.

She was the only living relative she had left.

Jasmine's great- grandmother, Madeline Raylynn, whom was Nana's Rosa's mother, had died in the house, several years before. She had grew bored, and wanted to see her beauty; see how good she looked.

She wanted to look at herself, to see what others have seen in her, through the eyes of men. She had looked in mirrors in Gas stations, the dining hall at work, church; almost everywhere, and had absolutely no problems.

She felt strongly that she would have the same exact luck in her own home.

She was wrong.

Jasmine remembered the incident clearly even though she had been a little girl at the time.

Great-granny Mad had met a nice, attractive creole man and they had a night planned together. Nana Rose was happy for her mother and made it very clear that she wanted her to enjoy herself.

However, when Nana Rose opened the door for the man he held her gaze like she already knew him. "I know this man." she thought.

Upon getting herself ready, Mad's ego allowed her to take a quick look into the bathroom mirror. She believed her whole family was crazy; and didn't believe a single word that the previous family members had passed down. She believed everything would be fine.

For a moment it was.

And still, she was wrong.

Before that horrible event of "seeing herself for the first time", Madeline stared out the bathroom door to make sure none of the family was nearby to witness the betrayal.

She was about to break a rule.

Jasmine watched quietly from the corner of the bathroom. Madeline, unaware of her presence.

Once Madeline was fully dressed, she removed the white cloth that so delicately laid on the mirror. She too stared at her reflection, but saw herself in another time. She was beautiful. But something was off. Madeline was smiling, but the reflection was frowning; glaring at her wickedly.

Jasmine looked at the mirror from a far and could have sworn she saw an "Evil Twin" version of her Grandmother. But, nothing happened.

Nana Rose told Jasmine she watched the man walk to her door and ring the bell for her mother. She answered the door and was in awe in how attractive he was. He was familiar to her somehow, but she had never met this man in her life.

Madeline and the handsome stranger went out dancing. They even took a photograph together.

It wasn't until Madeline got back home from her date that something did.

As the story goes, according to Nana Rose:

While the other's were asleep, Madeline went into the bathroom to take a bath. The water was pretty hot, so it caused the mirror to steam up. She laid back in the tub, surrounded by bubbles; thinking for once that things would be normal. Nothing was coming for them. Nothing was in the mirror.

It was just then that the lights flickered. She then heard a low, eerie, voice singing from the mirror.

Madeline slowly turned slightly to her left to peer at the mirror.

"Alouette, gentille alouette"

"Alouette, je te plumerai".

Over and over she heard this.

Madeline raised herself out of the tub and grabbed a towel to dry off.

She then walked to the mirror and ran the towel across to get rid of the steam. She was face to face with someone that looked like her.

She began hearing a voice in the distance telling her, " Cover the mirror...It's coming! It's coming!" in a voice she never heard before.

Smoke began to come out of the mirror. The smoke entered Madeline's body through the eyes; as if to possess her.

She then dropped her towel, and began smashing her face into the mirror, while ponderously singing,

"Alouette, gentille alouette"

"Alouette, je te plumerai".

Nana Rose awakened out of the sleep and moved quickly to the bathroom.

As she got closer she heard glass breaking and the song her mother was singing grew louder and louder.

By the time a young Nana Rose got into the bathroom, her mother was dead. Face smashed in. Madison had hurt herself so bad, that she was unrecognizable.

The police ruled it out as suicide. But everyone knew better. Once Nana saw what the mirror had done, she made it her life long duty to keep the house in the family, but to warn them about the mirrors. She kept her Mother's room exactly how it had been.

In one of the corner's it contained the most beautiful crystal chandelier surrounded by 7 to 14 mirrors.

This is the exact location Josephine had been in when she disappeared. Madeline had often told Nana stories about how the house was previously owned by Creole Slaveholders from France; distant relatives..but could not explain how they were related.

She told Nana that a very attractive man had shown up at the shack she was born in, practically giving her the house. Once the purchase was made, she never saw this "relative" again. She tried several times to recall his name, but just couldn't remember.

And now this man had arrived that she had never seen, but for some reason she knew him.

Was he a ghost, trying to break a curse? Who had originally been banished to the mirror? Who had murdered Granny Mad, and was she the person in the mirror now, or Josephine?

These were questions Jasmine was asking herself as she sat with Nana Rose. And now that she had broken the house rule, would she too be a victim of the smoke and mirrors?

"Nana told you not to disturb those mirrors. so Chile, you betta say your prayers tonight! Maintenant c'est fait!"

Jasmine helped Nana Rose into bed and went down to the corner of mirrors. She removed all the white cloths and stared into them all.

"Where are you mother?" she yelled.

Silence

"Where are you!" Jasmine yelled again.

Suddenly the lights flickered.

She closed her eyes a few moments.

When she opened them, she saw another version of herself.

Standing before her was her mother.

"Un bébé It's not the mirrors, it is the man." Josephine said.

"What man?" Jasmine shouted.

The reflection of her mother turned wicked.

Just then, Jasmine saw that Nana Rose was standing nearby watching her from a distance. Nana Rose walked up slowly to the mirrors where Jasmine was standing. She was tired of being afraid. She looked....and looked.

"Une fillette. Daughter, my sweet daughter, is that you?" Nana said.

"The reflection turned slightly towards her

"Yes mama, it's me. Josephine." she said with a smile.

Jasmine however knew something was off. This may have looked like her mother, but it wasn't.

Nana began to get closer to the mirror.

"What man?" Jasmine said.

"The Creole man that sold us the house. The man who took out Great-granny. He did this."

"But how?" Jasmine thought

Just then, Madeline appeared in the mirror next to Josephine.

Tears welled up in Nana's eyes.

"Mama!?" Nana Rose said.

The Johnson girls were together again.

But not quite.

Madeline began to speak in a hush tone.

"The man that took us out the shack and the man that took me out that night, is the same man. I didn't realize it until I got stuck in he'rre" Madeline replied.

Just then, Nana Rose turned to Jasmine.

"I have been with this man before. I don't know how to say this."

"Madeline and Josephine's reflections grew quiet.

"What Nana?" Jasmine sighed.

"That man, he is your father."

"What! How is that even possible! I never met my father!" Jasmine screamed.

"I don't know how he did it. But, he has had all of us." Nana whispered again.

"What do you mean HAD all of us Nana?" Jasmine questioned in an inaudible tone.

"We are cursed, because he seduced us." Nana Rose said as her head dropped low.

"WHAT!" Jasmine yelled as she grabbed Nana Rose's shoulders.

"Granny." Jasmine said shockingly.

"Do you remember me telling you how demons can escape through mirrors?" Nana mumbled.

"Yes. I remember. We didn't talk about it much. I just remembered being told not to look." Jasmine muttered.

"His name is Baptiste."

"Nana!" Jasmine yelled.

"Baptiste, is a demon. Before he got out, he was stuck in the mirrors himself. He had told me this when he came for me. Right here, in this house, before he took your Great-grandmother."

"How is that possible?" Jasmine cried.

"I don't know Mon Coeur. But he did. See, he lives in between this world and the spirit world. I believe at one time, he was a good man, but something evil got a hold to him."

Nana Rose walked out the Dining room a few a moments and returned with a photograph.

"This is Baptiste, and your Great, Great Grandmother." Nana Rose said as she passed Jasmine the picture.

"When he came for my mother, I recognized him immediately, I just could not put my finger on it." Nana replied.

"But, when he came for me, I had no recollection until after he had me." Nana stated regrettably.

"I don't know why he locked in on us. Probably because someone murdered her. Maybe, he loved her so much that he wanted us all in that way."

"Nana, none of this is making sense." Jasmine cried again.

Slowly the reflections disappeared from the mirrors. The room filled up with a thin layer of smoke that then crept through the house and disappeared.

"What are we going to do Nana. I need you to tell me everything you know about Baptiste."

"The Witchdoctor called him an "Incubus"; he is, a male sex demon."

Suddenly, they both heard a loud knock on the door.

At the same time, both Josephine's and Mad's reflection returned, both singing quietly

"Alouette, gentille alouette"

"Alouette, je te plumerai".

Jasmine began to cry because none of this was making sense.

They both heard a loud knock again; each time, the knocks became louder.

Nana Rose grabbed Jasmine's hands, and walked her slowly to the door.

"It's nothing you can do Mon Tresor." Nana Rose said as she kissed her cheek.

"We are a cursed bloodline Mi Armour. Only reason I didn't get stuck is because I followed the rule up until now."

Nana Rose smiled wickedly, startling Jasmine.

"He came for us. Now, he's coming for you."