She had been desperate to get out and be with Gavin. She had risked the world to be free. Her selfishness was what would destroy the world around her.
Taking her arm, Gavin led her along the busy sidewalk toward their apartment building a few blocks down the street. He was upset with her and frustrated. She couldn’t blame him, but he had to understand.
“I looked into the mirror to come home to you. I couldn’t stand it in there with all those people. I’m not crazy,” Susan said firmly. “I’m not. But I couldn’t stand it. And every day, when I looked into that awful little mirror, I saw her getting closer. For years, Gavin, for years, I didn’t look into the mirror and I held her off. I figured that out. If I looked into the mirror, she could see me. See the way into our world. But if I looked away, she couldn’t anymore. So she would stop and wait. Do you understand?”
Gavin stopped in mid-step and whirled on her. “No, Susan, do you understand? Do you? What you are saying is insane! And it is not real! When I met you all this was a weird quirk. Your phobia of mirrors was odd, but it didn’t rule your life. And your nightmares, I could understand that it was about your mother’s abuse. Your fear of her coming back into your life. I could understand that! But all of this!” He sputtered to a stop and tried to regain his composure. In a much lower voice, he said, “All of this insanity has to stop. You’re on your meds, you go to a very expensive shrink, you do everything you’re supposed to do and you’re still obsessing over a childhood nightmare!”
“It’s more than that,” she wailed softly. “You have to understand.”
“No, you have to understand that if you don’t look into that mirror tonight, I’m gone.”
Susan stared at him, her eyes wide and full of tears. Pressing her lips together, she tried not to scream at him. Her hands tightened around the straps of her purse and she slowly lowered her head. She found it hard to breathe, hard to swallow, hard to think. Gavin was everything good in her life. She couldn’t bear to lose him.
“What do you have to say to that, Susan? Tell me. What do you have to say?”
“Don’t make me choose between you and the world,” she muttered.
“What?” He leaned toward her.
She tried not to take notice of all the suspicious glances they were garnering from the people strolling down the sidewalk. She swallowed hard.
“I can’t lose you,” she said at last.
“Good. Because I love you and I don’t want to go, Susan. I don’t. But I can’t do this anymore.” Gavin took her by the shoulders and pressed her against his chest.
She sank against him, but did not embrace him. The tears were far too close to spilling and she wanted to be away from all the gawkers staring at them.
She wanted to be away from the people she would kill if she chose to peer into the mirror tonight.
“Let’s go home,” Gavin said, realizing her discomfort. He drew back and took her gently by the arm. “Let’s go home and put this behind us.”
Walking at his side, Susan kept her eyes glued firmly ahead and did not dare glance into any of the stores. It was an old practice that kept her from inadvertently looking into a mirror.
At least not until she got home...
***
The door to their small apartment shut with a loud click. Trembling, she forced herself to enter the apartment where she knew the brand new mirror now resided, waiting for its dramatic unveiling. She instantly felt its cold, menacing presence as she stepped in the tiny apartment.
Gavin fumbled with the locks as she stood in the center of the small living room trying not to shiver. It was hard to breathe and her chest was hurting. Her fingers felt icy and she couldn’t seem to let go of the delicate straps of her tiny purse.
Susan could hear Gavin talking to her, but his words were making no sense. Drawing in another deep, painful breath, she turned toward him. He was smiling and he kissed her cheek as he passed her. Slowly, she swiveled about to watch him turn on the lamp next to the kitchen.
“A little wine?”
Susan nodded mutely. The presence of the lone mirror in the apartment consumed her senses.
She felt so cold.
With a wide grin, he stepped into the tiny alcove that served as a kitchen. Bustling about the narrow space, he obviously was ready to put the uncomfortable scene at the restaurant behind them and make the best of the night. This was one of the reasons she loved him. He was full of life and always happy to move on from unpleasant situations.
The air was colder now. Her back was prickling with thousands of tiny needles of ice and her hair was on end. The mirror was so close she could not deny its presence. Fearfully, she turned and gazed down the short hallway into the darkened bathroom. Gavin had the mirror delivered when they were at dinner and had ordered it to be covered with a burgundy velvet throw. The ornate mirror now hung over the ancient sink waiting for her. She couldn’t see through the blackness that dwelled at the end of the hall, but she could feel the terrifying menace of the mirror.
Abruptly, a glass of wine was pressed into her hand and Gavin kissed her firmly on the lips.
“I know you’re afraid. I know it. But once you do this, it’s over. Done. We’ll move on. This whole nightmare will be over and we’ll be able to put this behind us. Dr. Sanders said you need to stand up, be bold, and take away the power your fear has over you.” Gavin hugged her close and rambled on.
His words reduced to white noise, she stared into the dark scarlet merlot and smelled its rich aroma. She had no desire to drink it. She had no desire to do anything. She felt empty and lifeless. Even Gavin’s now-buoyant mood could not dispel the terrible dread filling her and sapping her of all her energy.
“C’mon, drink up! Susan, please, smile for me. This is what we need. A finish to all this insanity and a fresh start for us. I know you can do this. I know you can!” He stared into her face with a zeal that was frightening. He just did not understand.
Slowly, she raised the wine to her lips. It was dark and rich, like blood. She sipped the liquid slowly, the tartness startling on her tongue. Gavin was staring down at her with a too big smile on his face. He was pushing her so hard, forcing her to choose. He didn’t understand that what he was asking her to do was declare her love for him and destroy the world.
Tears brimmed in her eyes again and she forced herself to swallow the wine. It felt like a hard ball sliding down her throat. Her fingers trembled and she could barely hold the wine glass. Behind her was the death of the world. Before her was the man she loved more than her own life.
The sparkle was fading from his eyes as he beheld the terror in hers. He set his drink on the coffee table. The glass against wood made a sharp sound that made her jump. Setting his hands on his hips, he wouldn’t even look at her.
Finally, she managed to push the words from her quivering, pale lips. “I can’t.”
“I thought you loved me,” he said in a low, angry voice.
“I do,” she fervently whispered. “More than anything or anyone.” Her throat felt tight and her skin was crawling.
“If you don’t face your fear and banish it once and for all, I’m gone. I mean it, Susan. You cannot make me live through this insanity.” He finally looked at her and his expression made her wince.
Her skin felt like it was pulled taunt over her skull. Agonized, she let out a sob of despair and covered her face with one hand. “I can’t. I can’t. I know what I am! I can’t!”
The slap across her cheek made her gasp. The wineglass in her hand fell to the floor and splintered into tiny shards of crystal glass. The wine splashed her feet.
“I have spent two years of my life with you! Don’t make me regret it!” Gavin’s voice shouted at her.
He slapped her again, sending her teetering back on her high heels. “Stop it, Gavin!” He had never struck her before and Susan looked at him in horror.
The man she had regarded as her savior, her great love, and support in times of despair, lunged toward he
r and grabbed her by her long, dark hair. Tangling his fist in her brunette locks, he twisted it so her head was angled toward him. Sickened by his violence, Susan could almost forget about the lurking mirror. Her scalp was on fire and her body was twisted at an odd angle. She futilely tried to get her balance.
“You will look in the mirror! You will do it! If you won’t do it because you love me, then I’ll make you do it.”
Her fingers scrabbled at his wrist as he swung her around and began to drag her down the dark hallway. Her heart beat wildly inside of her chest as her throat tightened with fear. Her flesh felt like it was crawling with a million bugs. “Please don’t, Gavin! Don’t!”
In the hospital, each day when she had gazed into the mirror, she had seen her growing ever closer. But Susan had told herself over and over again that once she was free of the hospital, she would never look into a mirror again. No matter what happened, she would avoid it at all costs and not let them into the world. It had been her sacred vow to herself, God and all of humanity. Gavin had pushed her awfully close to breaking that vow because she couldn’t bear to lose him, but now, as he pulled her through the darkness toward the terrible mirror, she knew that she would lose him either way.
“I wasted so much time and energy on you believing that you could overcome this! I told my family and friends they didn’t understand!” Gavin was actually crying. Frustration and anger had him over the edge. He swung her around and she almost fell to her knees before he yanked her back up.
“Don’t do this, Gavin! Don’t make me look!”
She struck out at him, her small purse hitting his face. The tiny crystals decorating the bag sliced open his lip, startling him. His fingers tightened in her hair, his fingernails digging into her scalp. Touching his bloody lip with his other hand, his eyes blazed.
“Gavin, Gavin, please.” She continued to lash out at him, her fists feeling small and weak against him.
He struck her again, this time with his fist closed. Her head swam as she fell to her knees. Darkness swirled up inside of her, trying to pull her down. Gavin jerked her upright and the pain that rippled over her tortured scalp brought her back to her senses.
“I tried and tried with you!” Spittle flew from his lips as he hissed at her.
She tried to grind her high heels into the floor to keep him from dragging her into the bathroom. He heaved her past the open bedroom door, lifting her up with one arm. She grabbed for the door jamb, but was ripped away.
“You are going to face the fucking truth, Susan. You’re going to realize you lost me over a fucking fear of something that isn’t even real!”
She had never known him to be so angry. It was as if he were possessed by his rage. In their relationship he was always the calm one. The kind one.
“Please stop,” she begged.
The doorway to the bathroom loomed before them, filled with darkness. She managed to brace her foot against the wall, keeping him from pushing her in.
“Dammit, Susan!” Gavin jerked her backwards.
Trying to regain her balance, she fell, twisting her ankle. The pain wrenched a scream from her lips and Gavin hesitated for a moment as he bent down to pull her up.
Grabbing hold of his free hand, she looked at him with anguish in her gaze. “Please, Gavin, if you love me, believe me. Believe me, please!”
Something softened in his face as he gazed at her. Looking toward the bathroom, he reached out his hand and flicked on the light. The covered mirror instantly appeared over the old sink.
Susan sobbed in desperation as she gazed at the velvet folds of the burgundy cover. “Please, Gavin. Please. If you love me, please.”
“If you love me, you’ll look,” he said in a low voice.
“I can’t!”
Gavin exploded into action. He tugged her to her feet and hurled her into the bathroom. She barely caught hold of the edges of the sink to keep herself from falling. Her head smacked against the covered mirror and her vision swam as daggers of pain ripped through her brain.
“Gavin,” she gasped.
He reached out and snagged the velvet cloth.
“Don’t!”
The soft velvet poured over her face, soft and lush, as he pulled it off and yanked it over her head. She screamed and squeezed her eyes shut.
His hands gripped her shoulders and he pressed her face against the cool glass. Susan could feel the cold world on the other side. She could feel her waiting. Screaming, her hands fluttered against the mirror, trying to find the frame so she could rip it off the wall.
“Look, damn you, look!”
“No!”
“Look!”
“No!”
His fingers fumbled against her eyelid and she clawed at his hand.
“Look, damn you! Look! There is nothing there! Nothing!”
The tip of his finger slid against her eyeball as he tried to pry her eyelids open. She gasped in pain and for an instant her eye fluttered open.
She began to scream shrilly.
The creature on the other side of the mirror stared at her, then its dark mouth smiled. It thrust its hand through the mirror and gripped her neck. With one swift movement, it ripped Susan out of Gavin’s grasp and yanked her through the mirror.
***
Susan fell to her knees, the cold, gray ash churning up and floating around her like dead snow. The creature stood over her, staring down at the human from her great height. It had to be over twelve feet tall and was clad in a long, voluminous black dress that appeared to be made out of leather and decorated with obsidian crystals. Its ebony hair was wound into spirals that swept back from her high forehead and wove into the semblance of a crown over her head. The long face of the creature was snow white and finely sculpted. It had the appearance of a human face, but the more Susan stared at it, the more inhuman it became. But what was most terrible about the woman was her cold, black eyes. They were large and unblinking. The creature was so terrible and beautiful to look at that Susan shielded her face with her hand, sobbing uncontrollably.
“Please, don’t do this. Please,” Susan cried.
The being of her nightmares slowly bent down and placed a white hand against Susan’s face. The fingers were thin, long and had too many joints in them.
Her captor spoke to her in a language she didn’t understand. Susan’s eyelashes fluttered as she forced herself to look up at it. She could see that what had appeared to be dark black eyeliner around the creature’s eyes was actually deep slits that slanted up in the corners. She had the impression those eyes could open even wider. The mouth was finely shaped and lush. Her lips were black and glossy and as she spoke, the corners winked in an odd manner.
“Please, let me go back to my world,” Susan whispered again.
The creature chattered at her, its movements reminding her vaguely of an insect. The black, leather gown with its long train moved independently of the being and Susan screamed as the hem brushed over her skin. It felt wet, cold, and fleshy. The fingers continue to stroke Susan’s cheek and neck as the creature spoke to her. Finally, it finished speaking and drew her close.
Susan smelled death on the creature’s breath. The death of thousands of worlds and billions of beings.
The dress of the creature rippled around her and a piece of what appeared to be a sash suddenly lashed out and wrapped around Susan’s throat. It was tight, cold, and clammy. The creature slashed at the fleshy cord with one finger, severing it from the dress. The ebony flesh quickly encircled Susan’s neck as her fingers tore at it. Thousands of fine, dark threads begin to ripple out of it. The tiny tentacles caught her fingers and began to slide over her flesh.
Susan’s terrified screams rent the cold, dank air of the dead world. She thrashed on the ground at the feet of the great creature as the tiny whips of flesh soared out of the collar and twined around her limbs. They tore through her clothes, shredding them from her body, then wove themselves into a tight, suffocating garment.
“Please stop!�
��
Susan clawed at the hem of the great creature’s gown, imploring her to cease the assault. The black leathery folds of the dress gripped the human’s hands and held her captive as she was quickly engulfed by the weaving black threads. Within a few terrifying moments, she was completely enshrouded in a new garment that resembled her captor’s.
“I don’t understand,” she gasped.
The collar around her throat was still now against her pulse. She was cold to her bones and she could barely move.
The great creature, the demi-goddess of death, leaned over her. Plucking an obsidian ornament from her gown, the creature leaned toward Susan, whispering to her in a voice that sounded like glass slivers rubbing against each other. With what could only be described as a smile, she pressed it to Susan’s leather collar.
Susan couldn’t even scream. She could not draw a breath. Her eyes bulged out of their sockets as the power of the creature filled her. Visions of the destruction of thousands of worlds filled her mind’s eye as she felt the life drawn out of them. She witnessed horrors beyond comprehension. Death filled her and consumed her hope.
It was then the collar around her throat bore two last tentacles. They slid up into her hair and wrapped themselves in her tresses. Weaving her hair into a grand ornamentation on top of her head, the tentacles finished transforming her into her new identity.
Tears streamed down her pale cheeks as she stared up at the creature. She was no longer certain it was female. Drawing itself up, it extended one long hand toward her. Susan trembled, but did not obey the summons. She didn’t have to. The collar around her throat gave birth to a long, black chain that flung its end into the palm of the creature’s hand. With a slight tug, the creature brought Susan to her feet.
It spoke to her again as one long finger extended down toward her trembling lips. Susan wept in terror as a drop of black liquid dangled wetly from the tip of a long white digit. It dropped onto her lips and she tried to press them hard together to keep it from entering her mouth. But like the collar, it did as it willed. The drop forced its way into her mouth and down her throat. It was bitter and so cold.
Cthulhu's Daughter and Other Horror Tales Page 10
