by R. L. Austin
Emily shook her head at his theatrics. “Just do it, silly.”
“Okay, here goes.” He wiggled his fingers at the box like he was casting a spell. “Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble. I want a spell that isn’t lame, but I guess they all work just the same. So Open Sesame!” Tyler ended his performance with a big smile of expectation, but nothing happened.
Emily rolled her eyes. “Ha, ha, very funny, wise guy, but you have to be holding the lock for it to work.” He was funny, she admitted to herself, but she knew better than to say so, which would only encourage him to act even sillier. Right now, they needed to be serious.
“Now you tell me. I knew there was a trick to this magic stuff.” Tyler cupped his hands around the lock and proclaimed, “Open Sesame,” but as before, nothing happened. Tyler’s shoulders slumped. “I must be doing it wrong.”
“I don’t think so. I did it like that…well, not exactly like that. But it worked for me on the first try.” Emily shoved the toy chest back into the closet and got to her feet holding a game called Triple Threat. The triangular box was about the same size as the triad. She also had a yo-yo that was a close match to the watch. She set them aside and came over to Tyler. “Let me give it a try.”
Tyler got to his feet and stepped back, giving Emily room to sit on the end of her bed. “Sure. Have at it.”
Emily was thoroughly enjoying Tyler’s presence, even though it was more difficult to focus when he was standing beside her. He had a wicked sense of humor, so she decided it was time to show him that his wasn’t the only one. Emily used exaggerated gestures to wave him back, “Please stand back. And remember, I’m a professional, so don’t try this at home.”
Tyler took another step backwards and rolled his eyes, but he was all smiles. “All right, all right, just do it.”
“That’s better; now watch a real magician at work.” Emily slid back an imaginary pair of sleeves. “You’ve got to do this spell just right to get the lock to open.” The lock popped open in her hands. “What the?” When she looked up, her mouth was open. “But I didn’t use the spell.”
Tyler held up his hands and shrugged. “Don’t ask me.”
“I wasn’t kidding earlier. Honest. It really did come open with Open Sesame, and close with—” She stopped and glanced down when the two pieces of the lock snapped together in her hands. Emily stared at the lock while she considered what had just happened. After a few seconds, she said, “Open.” The lock popped open. “Close.” The two halves clicked shut.
When she looked up again, her face was red. It wasn’t the Open Sesame and Close Sesame spells that triggered the locks to work, just the simple words “open” and “close.” How was she going to explain the misunderstanding without looking like an idiot?
Tyler surprised her by throwing his arms wide and rolling his head. “Aw, man. I can’t believe you tricked me with that Open Sesame spell. That was classic.”
Emily gave him a weak smile, relieved that he hadn’t noticed her embarrassment, and she decided not to admit that she really had believed in the Open and Close Sesame spells. She also wasn’t going to admit to anything else she couldn’t explain, and there were lots of them. Such as why she was hearing voices or feeling a tingling sensation at times, or able to open or close locks on demand. Maybe it all had something to do with the powers her uncle mentioned. It seemed likely; after all, she must have used some sort of power to reach into a mirror and pull Tyler out. Whatever the power was, she wasn’t ready to discuss it.
She grabbed the lock one more time. “Open.”
Tyler pulled the triad and the watch out of the box and inspected them before they stashed the toys in the box as decoys. They placed the box in the middle of the floor before they hurried down the hidden stairs and out the back door into the damp chill of the fog.
“What about my dad?” Tyler asked when they were away from the door. The fog had started to lift, but it was still thick enough to dampen his voice and obscure the neighboring houses.
Emily stopped. “That’s where we’re going. There’s a side door very close to the dining room. That’s where his mirror is. I’m going this way because Uncle Mansel never comes out here. With luck, we can be in and out before he realizes were there.”
“Cool. Let’s go.”
Emily took a moment to glance behind her into the fog, giving Tyler a chance to get ahead of her.
“Hey, come back here.” She grabbed the back of his T-shirt and pulled. He reacted by pretending to fall back in slow motion, grasping at the side of the house for imaginary handholds. It was funny enough to make Emily laugh. A few seconds later she had to pull him back again, and he repeated the same routine several more times, like a game, until they reached the side door.
Emily was pulling out her key when she heard the squeal of the garage door. Oh, no! She gave Tyler a wide-eyed look. “That’s the garage door.”
“So.” Tyler gave her a blank look.
“It means my parents are back from dinner.” Emily was concerned about this new complication. It would have been better to finish saving Tyler and Nick before her parents got home, but it was too late for that now. Her list of things to worry about was growing. She also realized that she needed to talk to her parents before her uncle Mansel had a chance to tell them what she had done. “Tyler, I need you to wait here.”
He was trying to peer through a small window in the side door. “For how long?”
“I’m not sure, but I’ll be quick.” Emily handed him the triad and pocket watch. “I need to warn my parents before they step into the middle of all this. That’s all.”
Tyler turned to her and nodded. “Okay, go.”
“Thanks. Uncle Mansel rarely leaves the house, so you should be okay right here. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Emily hurried to the garage, hoping to catch her parents before they entered the house. She swung around the corner in time to see her father opening the door to the house.
“Mom, Dad, you’re home!” She clung to the corner of the garage for support and offered them a big smile while trying to decide what else to say. If she asked them not to go inside it would require an explanation, which would probably trigger another trip to the therapist. “I’m so glad it’s you.” It was lame, she knew, but they were the first words to pop into her mind.
Her mother cocked her head and lifted an eyebrow. “Of course it’s us. What are you doing out here?”
“I got home just before you did. I was in the back yard when I heard the garage door, and I wanted to catch you before you went inside.” Emily talked slowly, trying to sound relaxed, but it sounded more like she was drunk.
Jean came over and looked in her eyes. “Is everything all right? You sound a bit odd.”
Emily knew she had to come up with something quick. “Sure, everything’s fine. I’m just a bit freaked out because I heard someone inside the house. Uncle Mansel probably came home early, but I didn’t want to go in by myself.”
“Oh. Well then it was very smart of you to wait on us.” Jean turned to Emily’s father. “Paul, would you mind going in and finding out if it’s Mansel? I’ll stay out here with Emily.”
Her father, who was small framed, smiled a lopsided grin. “Sure, throw me to the lions.”
Emily knew he was joking. Her dad had once been a champion boxer, and he still visited the gym to stay in practice. He could handle himself just fine.
Jean placed a comforting arm around Emily’s shoulders as he disappeared inside. “I’m sure everything will be fine.” Her tone was confident, but she watched the door until Paul returned to usher them inside.
“It was Mansel, all right. He came home early, but he didn’t say why. He’s in his study.” His gaze shifted to Emily. “He sounded a bit worried about you for some reason, but I assured him you were fine.”
Emily put on her most innocent expression. “Me? Did you tell him I was out here with Mom?”
“Yes, I told him you were waiting in the gara
ge with your mother.”
Jean kept her arm around Emily as they entered the house, but when they got to the kitchen, her hands went to her waist. “This dress didn’t feel so tight when I put it on. I think I ate too much.” She released a button before she gave Emily a light kiss. “We’ll be right back, dear.”
Emily knew it took her mother an hour to change clothes and remove her makeup, giving her plenty of time to rescue Tyler’s father and help them escape. She went to the side door and called Tyler. He arrived with a burrito, the cheap microwave kind, and a large drink.
“Where did you get that?” Emily asked.
“At the convenience store on the corner. I got hungry after you left,” he explained between a bite of the burrito and a long slurp of the drink. “This was all they had, but at least it’s food.”
“Barely.” Emily had once gotten sick on a frozen burrito, and after that she swore she’d never eat another. “Well, hurry up and finish. My parents are in their room and my uncle is in his study. If we’re going to get your dad out of the mirror, it has to be now.”
Tyler made an impressive display of gluttony by wolfing down the rest of the burrito in three enormous bites, followed by emptying his drink in one long swig. “Ahhhhh.” He gave his belly a pat. “I feel much better. Okay, let’s go.”
Emily made her way to the dining room with Tyler crowding her the whole way. As soon as they entered the room, he rushed past her to the large wall mirror. “Dad…Dad, are you in there? I’m here to get you out.”
There was no response.
“Dad, it’s me, Tyler. Can you hear me?”
There was still no answer, so he held the triad against the mirror and pushed. It slid across the smooth glass surface, but it did not go through. He tapped the triangular object against the glass several more times before he turned to Emily with a frustrated look. “It’s not working. I don’t understand.”
“Do you want me to give it a try?” Emily wondered again if the powers her uncle mentioned were somehow involved.
“Sure, whatever.” Tyler stepped back and made a gentlemanly motion for her to approach. “But this time I want to see the trick you’re using.”
“It’s not a trick.” Emily snapped a little sharper than she intended. The idea of having magical powers, and displaying those powers to others, was suddenly making her nervous. How would people react if they knew, including Tyler and her parents?
Tyler looked at her with puppy dog eyes. “Sorry! I guess I shouldn’t joke around so much. I always end up sounding like a jerk.”
It was Emily’s turn to look sorry. “No, you don’t.” She put her hand on his arm, enjoying the feel of his warm skin. “And I’m the one who should apologize. I’m sorry I snapped like that. I’m just nervous, but I like your jokes. Really! So don’t stop because of me.”
Tyler perked up with a wide grin as he handed over the triad.
Emily stood close to the mirror and called out in a low voice, “Mr. Andrews, can you hear me?”
“I hear you. If this is Emily again, please call me Nick.”
“Yes, it’s me, Nick. Tyler is here as well.”
Tyler pressed his face to the mirror like he was trying to peer through it. “Hey, Dad, it’s me. We’re going to get you out of there.”
“You know my son? He’s there with you?” Nick spoke right over Tyler, giving no indication that he heard him.
Emily was watching Tyler, and he showed no reaction when his father spoke. “Yes, he’s right here beside me.”
Tyler looked discouraged, and the glass fogged up when he spoke. “Dad, I’m right here. Can you hear me? Please answer.”
Nick spoke over Tyler a second time. “I’ve missed him, and his mother. Please tell him that I love him.”
Emily was now sure that Nick couldn’t hear Tyler, and Tyler couldn’t hear him. It made her think back to the first time she heard Nick’s voice. Her parents had insisted they couldn’t hear him. It was now very apparent that she was the only one who could hear, or talk to, people in the mirrors. “You can’t hear your dad at all, can you?”
“No, I don’t hear a thing.” Tyler looked crestfallen, as if he had failed a critical father-and-son test.
“My parents couldn’t hear him either, but I have no trouble hearing him. I’ll be happy to tell you what he’s saying.”
“Okay, but I’d rather get him out of there.”
“You’re right, so let’s do it,” she agreed. “Nick, I am going to reach in to where you are. If you can’t see me, follow my voice until you find my hand.” She used the triad to reach into the mirror as far as her elbow. “Okay, my hand is in there. Can you find it?”
“I can’t see anything, but I’ll try. It would help if you kept talking. Maybe I can figure out which direction your voice is coming from.”
Emily couldn’t think of anything to say, so she started humming Puff the Magic Dragon. It was the first thing that popped into her mind. The song started tentatively, but after she hummed a few bars the words naturally flowed. When she finished, Emily called into the mirror, “Nick, do you think you’re any closer?”
“Truthfully, I have no idea.” He sounded frustrated. “Your voice could be coming from anywhere. I can only guess which direction you are. By the way, you have a beautiful singing voice.”
“Thank you.” Emily had never sung to anyone before, so she was surprised by the compliment. She also had to admit that Nick didn’t sound any closer than before.
Tyler pressed up beside her. “What’s happening? Is he coming out?” The warmth and pressure of his body against hers triggered a tingling sensation that felt very different from when they hugged earlier. It was new to her, but Emily was quick to decide she liked it. She also didn’t resist as it grew into a primal emotion that felt as dangerous as it was exciting. And even though a voice inside Emily told her to move away, maintain a little distance, but she ignored it and stayed right where she was. Her heart was thumping in her chest, and she had to swallow before she could speak. “He can’t tell which direction my voice is coming from, and he doesn’t know if he’s close to my hand or not.”
“Is that my son you’re talking to?”
“Yes, Nick, I was explaining to Tyler what was happening. Hold on, I’m going to try something else.” He wasn’t going to find her hand in the dark, at least not without more help, so Emily gave Tyler an uneasy smile. “Wish me luck.”
“For what?”
“I’m going in, but not all the way. Whatever you do, don’t let me fall through.”
Tyler slipped his hands around her waist, and Emily gave a smile of delight before she plunged her upper torso through the mirror. She could feel Tyler holding her, keeping her feet firmly anchored to the floor outside the mirror. “Focus,” she mumbled to herself. “You’ve got to focus.” The first thing she noticed was that the other side of the mirror wasn’t dark at all. She could see Nick, but he was groping his way in the wrong direction.
“Nick, turn around, you’re moving away from me,” she called.
He stopped and turned.
“That’s better, but a bit more to your left. That’s perfect, now walk straight ahead.”
Nick was groping his way toward her when Emily was yanked out of the mirror. She twisted around with a startled expression. “Why did you do that?”
Tyler’s finger went to his lips. “Someone’s coming,” he whispered.
“Emileeee.”
Her mother’s call came from the direction of the kitchen, so Emily knew she couldn’t get Tyler out of the dining room without being seen. “You’ve got to hide,” she whispered, but the room was sparsely furnished, offering no chance of staying out of sight. Emily was fighting a rising panic when another idea came to her. “Get in the mirror. Quick!”
Tyler pulled back with an expression of horror. “What? No, not again.”
“You’ve got to.” His hesitation was easy to understand, but there was no other option, so Emily grabbed his hand
s and looked him in the eyes. “Tyler, you’re going to have to trust me. I swear I’ll come back for you as soon as I can.”
The look of dread in Tyler’s face slowly melted to grudging acceptance, so Emily shoved the watch into his hands and pushed him through the mirror. As soon as he was gone, she called out, “Mom, I’m in here.”
“Mansel, I found her. She’s in the dining room.”
Her uncle’s name brought an involuntary cringe. Tyler had the watch, but she was holding the triad. If her uncle caught her, he’d take it, and Tyler would be trapped again. She couldn’t let that happen.
Jean entered the dining room, followed by Mansel, but it was empty. “Emily? That’s odd, I was sure I heard her in here.”
Mansel ignored his sister as he stomped around the table and approached the mirror with a frown.
Emily stood on the other side of the glass and stared back, her hand covering Tyler’s mouth. She had never looked in her uncle’s eyes from so close, and their cold emptiness made her shudder.
The decision to step through the mirror had been spontaneous, and Emily was having second thoughts. She was in the one place she didn’t want to be, and she didn’t know for sure that Mansel couldn’t come through without the triad. If he did, she had nowhere to run.
When her uncle finally turned away, Emily slumped against Tyler in relief. He was quick to slip a supportive arm around her waist, but her pink tank top had pulled up, allowing his hand to slide across the exposed skin around her middle.
The unexpected touch sent a jolt of untamed energy shooting through Emily, and she had to fight for control as she pulled away. But Tyler didn’t fully release her. Instead, he grabbed her hand and intertwined his fingers with hers. Emily was sure she was blushing, so she stared straight ahead and hoped Tyler didn’t notice. They stayed that way, side by side, until Emily’s uncle stalked out of the room.
“That was close,” Tyler whispered after Mansel was gone, but Emily wasn’t listening. She had stopped watching her uncle as soon as it was apparent he was leaving. What was on her side of the mirror had her looking around in awe. She hadn’t paid much attention while calling to Nick, but now that she was there, it was hard to ignore.
