Chapter Two - A Storm Breaks


    Her sleep that Halloween night had not come easy. The neighborhood kids had kept trick-or-treating long past a decent hour. Katie had just fallen asleep when it began.


    Bang … bang… bang… - it began softly.


    “What the hell?” Katie got out of her bed, alone again. Jacob was supposed to come over for dinner, and to help with the Halloween festivities but he had cancelled saying he had too much work to get done before the trial started next week. Lately there seem to be a lot of late nights at the office. Sure, being a new lawyer wasn’t easy, but he could have found the time.


    Bang… Bang … Bang… - it came again, a little louder.


    “If its kids playing some Halloween prank I’m going to toss their asses into jail!” Katie slipped on her robe and went downstairs to investigate.


    BANG… BANG… BANG… - It was coming from the basement.


    That was the night she found the mirror. It was tucked away in the far corner covered with a dusty old grey sheet. Katie had been in this basement hundreds of times over the years but couldn''t remember ever seeing the thing. Which was surprising since the thing was at least six foot long and four feet wide and in the lower right hand corning the words Vesanus Mortem had been ornately etched into the mirror. It was this etching that had piqued her interest at first.


    Now the antique mirror hung prominently in the front foyer, she had grown to both love and hate it. The reflection, most days, always showed her a strong confident, smiling woman with well-groomed hair and perfectly done make up, even when she was in her pajama’s and hadn’t brushed her hair in two days. But other mirrors, the ones in the bathroom and kitchen, always showed the truth, the sad and colorless face when she was alone or the excited bright eyes and smile when she knew she would be spending time with Jacob. Those times Katie wanted to fall asleep and never wake up ever again. If tomorrow never came no one would miss her, no one would care, not even Jacob after what he had done. But who would take care of the mirror. Not only did she not have the strength to take the steps to end her misery she could not unleash this trauma on another unsuspecting person, not even on him.


    From time to time, however, her reflection became something different, something not so manicured and stress free. Her face turned red, not that warm pink blush but dark crimson red, blood red. Crimson blood streaks ran down her face in living streams, seeping into every poor, pulsating with every beat of her heart. Even the whites of her eyes turned into pulsating pools of blood. At these moments she would to grab a towel and desperately scrub, willing all the vile color to wipe leave her face although she knew it was only a delusion. There never was any crimson blood seeping from her face, just the mirror driving her slowly insane.


    Gingerly she touched the mirror, tears streaming down her face. “Show me something good. Please, something pretty. Show me something worth living for.” But the mirror remained silent, unlike most days when she wished it would leave her alone.


    Her reflection apparently lived its own life. It brushed its teeth when she was combing her hair, turned its back when she tried to clean her face. And what''s worse it laughed with delight when she wanted to cry in anguish, her reflection obviously took great pleasure in Katie’s distress.


    And then there was Him, a tall gaunt figure of a man with stark white hair and grey cold eyes. He reminded her of a butler, always standing stoic waiting quietly behind the scenes. He was always there in the background, but when she turned, He wasn’t in the room. He was always whispering in her ear. Sometimes little benign tidbits about the neighbors or stomach wrenching truths about herself that she never wanted to admit. However, once in a while something truly evil would slip out. Without a doubt her insanity was His only goal.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    It was the day Ms. Josephine Mantles, her ex future mother-in-law, stopped by that she experienced the first of these truly evil whispers. She hadn’t gone to work in a week, hadn’t answered her phone or called her Jacob, or bothered to call with the caterers about the reception dinner. It was a visit full of mean angry words, threats, and demands that she call Jacob. This turned out to be the nail in the woman’s coffin.


    Thunder crashed outside as Katie’s mood grew darker. Rain would most certainly ruin her silk blouse if she ventured out today. Anger saturated every fiber of her being. It was all her fault, she made him do it. Furious, mistakenly glanced at her reflection when the demanding woman was trying to convince her to call to her son and deal with the wedding plans. The refection in the mirror unexpectedly became firmly calm but at the same time the mother of the love of her life became silent, eerily calm. Transfixed on the image of the woman she couldn’t move, once again the mirror did not reflect what was actually happen. He was closer than he had ever been, even placing a hand on her shoulder. Oddly enough his hand was warm and comforting, not what she had expected. But the scene she saw play out was anything but warm.


    “Kathrine, are you listening to me at all? I’m turly sorry this happened but you must settle things with Jacob! And let’s be honest you were reaching way beyond your station.”


    “Shut up,” Katie barely squeaked out.


    “Excuse me! Young lady show some respect and decorum, after all I am here to help you clean up this mess.”


    Katie knew that was a lie before Josephine even finished the sentence. Ms. Josephine Mantles never did anything for anyone unless she directly benefited.


    “Call him today! I will call the caterers and the reception hall to cancel for you. Goodbye.” With that she retrieved her black Prada handbag and turned to leave. "Oh Kathrine, take care of that abomination you have growing inside of you fast and never ever tell Jacob. It would only break his heart even more than it already is."


    "Break HIS heart? I''m not the one that broke us up. I''m not the one that changed his mind. I''m not the one that turn his back on true love and choose money instead! I don''t give a flying fuck about his heart." Her voice was barely a whisper, but Josephine understood every word of it. Silently the old woman turned to leave.


    "Goodbye Kathrine."


    The old woman had once been a great beauty, with jet black hair and emerald green eyes. She spent her youth jet setting around the world, in one high profile relationship after another. She never really knew what true pain and suffering was. These days she looked as ugly as her personality. She was just one mean bitch. How she ever raised such a sweet kind man as Jacob will always remain a mystery.


    “Josephine,” Katie managed to squeak out.


    Katie Lynn watched in the mirror as she reached for a sharp butcher knife that was sitting on the foyer table, strange it shouldn’t have been there but was, and with one single quick slash that butcher knife opened up a gash in the woman’s neck. Horror took residence in Josephine’s face as she grabbed her neck and fell to the floor. Blood pooled on the hard wood floor as the life drained away.


    It was over so quickly. Katie was struck by the amount of blood which came spewing from the old hags withered body. It covered everything, the umbrella stand in the corner, the light green curtains on the windows, and the mirror. The blood on the mirror glowed hot and she felt his pleasure.


    The memories of the next hour fell into a black hole. She couldn’t recall what she did with the body, or cleaning up after the mess it had made, but the knife it still sat on the foyer table. Shinny and clean, not a drop of blood, but sitting there mocking her. It belonged in the kitchen; she should put it away. Katie reached for the knife when an image in the mirror caught her eye. He was there again, but this time not as close. Those piercing grey eyes mocked her. Telling her she wasn’t worth it. The only thing today proved was her ability to touch the dark side not her love, loyalty, or even ability to live there with Him