After Mary returned, Cordelia worked for hours on the love potion. When she finally emerged from behind the curtain she looked exhausted, and if it were possible, at least ten years older. Mary could have sworn she saw wrinkles she hadn’t noticed before. “Make sure he drinks all of it,” Cordelia instructed to Mary. “Also, I think you need something else to wear. Cordelia headed back to her living area while motioning for Mary to follow her. Cordelia stopped in front of a large trunk in the corner of her room. She removed a beautiful white silk slip the hung all the way to the floor. “This was intended for my wedding night. It’s about time it gets used.” Mary felt drawn to the sheen and softness of the material and even though this was something to never be worn in public, she was about to be the most daring version of herself. Cordelia helped Mary into the slip. Afterwards Cordelia handed her a red trench cape with a hood. “Good luck my dear.”
Chapter 5
As Mary walked the streets, it seemed as if she were invisible. No one spoke or even looked her way which was not unusual. However, she expected to see at least some whispering mouths as she made her way up town. If for no other reason than for the dress she was wearing. Finally, she saw the roof of her house come into view.
When she returned to her home, it was clear that the wedding was already being set up. People were everywhere, carrying chairs to the backyard and food through the front door. Once she was back inside, she went straight to her father’s liquor cabinet and poured Henry a glass of scotch and added the vile of the love potion. When she noticed one of the housekeepers, she stopped her. “Mr. Willsworth has requested a drink, deliver this to him now and make sure he drinks all of it.”
Mary felt a sense of satisfaction coursing through her veins as she went in search of her sister but not before she stopped and changed out of her dirty white dress. As she made her way to her sister’s room she noticed that her insides felt as if they were being turned inside out. She gripped the wall to remain upright. Once the pain subsided, she continued onto her sister’s room. The pain had left as quickly as it had arrived and the only thing she could think of was that it had something to do with the potion.
She knocked once at the door before entering. Once the door was shut, she dropped the hood back and untied the cape allowing her long, dark curls to fall free. Seeing her sister standing in front of the mirror looking like an angel on a day she stole from, her sent a flaming rage through her. Elizabeth’s eyes grew wide as she noticed Mary standing behind her. “Mary!” she exclaimed as she turned around to face her. “I’ve been worried sick!”
Mary scoffed, “I’m sure.”
“You don’t look well Mary. Are you okay?” Elizabeth asked, as she took in Mary’s appearance.
“Am I okay?” Mary let out a harsh laugh. “Well, let’s see. My sister is marrying the man that I love! The only man that I have ever loved! You betrayed me! The one person I thought was actually kind and loved me! What a silly fool I am!” Mary’s voice started to break as her eyes stung with tears.
“But I didn’t…” Elizabeth said shaking her head violently, making her curls dance around her. Seeing them dancing only made Mary angrier, tears started to spill down Elizabeth’s face. She crossed the room to her sister who was now standing in front of the picture window. Mary refused to look at Elizabeth instead, she watched the people setting up for the wedding below. “I would have never made a fool of you. I swear I didn’t know of this plan.”
“Little miss perfect didn’t know of the plan to steal everything from me. How convenient. Well, I guess we’ll see how well you handle losing everything in front of everyone! How well you enjoy the embarrassment! How well you like the whispers!” Mary screamed at her sister.
Mary continued to scream while the tears ran down her face until Elizabeth was screaming back at her, but Mary refused to listen. It wasn’t until Henry busted through the door that they both fell quiet. “What in the world is going on in here?” he asked the girls. “Good Lord Mary, what has happened to your face?”
“What?” Mary asked.
Elizabeth sighed, “That’s what I was yelling about. You’re as pale as snow and the whites of your eyes are as red as blood.”
Mary ran over to the mirror and what she saw made a scream build in her throat. She was as white as snow and her normally dark eyes were as sky blue as could be, rimmed in red. Fresh tears started to leak down her face, but instead of tears, it was blood that ran down her cheeks. When she turned to face her sister again Elizabeth jumped back only to get caught on her wedding dress. Before Mary or Henry could even move, Elizabeth fell back into the window which shattered from her weight. Elizabeth disappeared from the room, but her scream echoed as she fell until the sickening thud announced the end of her descent.
Henry ran to the window while Mary stood frozen, sobbing while she stared at where her sister had just been. Henry let out a frustrated growl, and he stormed toward Mary. “You’re a monster! Just look at you! Look what you caused!” he yelled at her while he grabbed her upper arms and shook her with such force she was sure he’d break something. “Christ! You’re as cold as ice,” he whispered as he backed away from Mary. “You are a demon. Just like the whispers said you were,” he whispered again as he stepped back once more, only to be stopped by the large folding mirror.
Mary shook her head, and she glared at the man she had loved. “No! No! I’m not a demon.”
Henry had a look of disgust on his face while he shook his head in disagreement. “Look at what you did!” he roared, as he motioned toward the window that her sister had just fell out of.
“I didn’t cause this,” she said, throwing her arms open to indicate the room and tragic disaster that had just occurred. “You did,” she said quietly and sounding much more threatening before. “You used me, you played me for a fool and all I did was love you!” she said her voice raising with each word. “You killed my sister!” Mary charged at Henry. Henry tried to grab Mary, but all he managed to do was knock them both into the folding mirror which toppled over and shattered into a million unfixable pieces, just like her heart. They both laid cut and bleeding among the rubble. Mary looked at her white slip and saw it stained with blood here and there.
Henry looked over at Mary and a sneer came across his face. “They’ll hang you for this or burn you at the stake,” he said before getting to his feet. The panic in Mary’s chest shot to her brain and quickly formed a solution, one that would allow her to run from here and never return. Grabbing the largest piece of shattered mirror, she walked up behind Henry and with all her strength drove the piece of glass into his back where his heart would be if he had one. He gasped and turned around before he fell to his knees. Looking up at her she saw the blood spilling out his mouth and found that brought more satisfaction than loving him ever did.
Mary stood over Henry for a moment before heading toward the door. She had to get away from here. No one had seen her, so she could escape. They’d all believe that Elizabeth had killed Henry then jumped from the window out of guilt. However, standing in the doorway was a beautiful young woman. The gleam in her eyes seemed familiar, but Mary wasn’t sure why. Her long dark hair hung down her back, it was as dark as the black dress she had on. “Oh dear, I don’t believe the love potion worked as you had hoped it would.”
“Cordelia?” Mary asked, shocked beyond belief by the appearance of her. Everything about her was young and youthful, nothing like the elderly lady whom she had left this afternoon.
“Of course,” she said as she stepped into the room, shutting and locking the door behind her.
Mary felt her confusion grow. “What are you doing Cordelia? I have to get out of here. I have to run!”
Cordelia shook her head as she slowly approached Mary. She reminded Mary of a cat approaching its prey in her movement. “I’m afraid I can’t allow that.”
“What?” Mary whispered, scared for the first time at the thought of not being able to escape.
Cordelia circled Mary
as she spoke. “You see, I told you there were consequences. Love potions only do part of the work the other part is up to you and the receiver of the potion. The receiver needs to at least have some fond feeling for you in order for it do any good. Once they have drank the potion, then you need to show them all the good you have within you. All the reasons they should love you if you don’t then it only makes the feelings they have for another stronger.”
“Why didn’t you tell me that?” Mary asked.
“It’s simple, really. I needed you. You see, I came from a very powerful family but for some reason I was the only one born with these…powers. So, when my sister announced her engagement I did stab her hand with a fork, but it was only to hold her in place while I ran a butcher knife through her heart. See my powers always made me a little emotional and if I wasn’t careful, I let them get carried away. Afterwards, I was exiled from my country and disowned by my family. Luckily, I met a wonderful witch who taught me everything I know now and then some.” Cordelia had stopped in front of Mary while she studied the dress. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”
Once they were in the bathroom, Mary remembered Elizabeth and falling from the window. Tears flowed from her eyes but instead of tears, the blood still remained. It dripped on the floor and in the sink, staining everything red. “I have to go. I have to run. My sister,” she sobbed.
“There, there child,” Cordelia stroked her head. “You won’t be running. You see, I found this forbidden spell, a spell of immortality. However, it required just the right person for the job and you, my dear, are that person.”
Mary eyes grew wide. “Why?”
Cordelia shrugged. “Because you abandoned your sister at the first sign of betrayal, then you inadvertently caused her death which led to the mirror shattering and you killing Henry. Now the last thing I need is this,” she said, pulling out a vile which was blood red. “It’s that drop of blood you gave me. I’m about to become immortal.”
“How?”
“Well, you’re about to become a legend. A whispered horror story that we tell children, but it will be a story they will be curious about. In this legend they will have the option to summon you… Bloody Mary. They just need to come into a darkened bathroom and stand in front of the mirror and say your name three times and you will appear as you are now. Every time they summon you, I will gain more magic and youth. It really was the perfect plan.”
Mary looked into the mirror, but her shock kept her from saying anything. Cordelia waved her hand in front of the mirror and Mary watched as it swam and continued to move like waves in the ocean. Cordelia said words in a language she didn’t understand and touched Mary’s shoulder.
“Please don’t do this!” Mary pleaded with Cordelia.
A sinister smile crossed his face sending chills down Mary’s back. “Don’t fear my dear. Your’e used to being whispered about.”
Cordelia pushed Mary toward the moving glass of the bathroom mirror. “No! Please! Please!” Mary begged and pleaded with Cordelia but in the end, Cordelia took Mary’s hand and forced it toward the mirror, which eventually claimed all of her. Cordelia said her magical words and waved her hand in front of the mirror again, returning it to normal while draining the vile. Mary stood on the other side, crying and begging to be released. Cordelia shattered the mirror ensuring that she would forever be trapped and instilling the legend of Bloody Mary forever more.
Table of Contents
Copyright
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Becoming Bloody Mary Page 3
