Nigel, Penn and I searched through the grass. The abandoned mansion was only a few feet away from us. The same spot where we fought the bear. The golden frame leaned against our bags piled up against each other. Nigel was on his knees whilst Penny and I crouched down. Enzo searched for answers in a book Penny had given him. It was an old leather bound book that she found in the library. Spiritual practices and beliefs of the world was written in gold letters.
“Found another.” Nigel shouted as he held up a glass shard. He put it up with the others that I put in my waterbottle. The big ones weren’t hard to find. In fact, they were right there in front of us. It was the smaller ones that were a pain to find. I scrutinised every part of the ground, double checking any shining object. The more our shadows grew longer, the more I internally screamed to go find it faster. We had no idea where Izzy was.
“Spirits are trapped in mirrors as a curse.” Enzo read from the book.
“Don’t tell me the spirit escaped when the mirror broke.” Nigel sighed.
“No, the spirit is still there.”
“The mirror feels so different.” Penn said examining the glass piece she picked.
“Wait… ‘Mirrors are a reflection to the soul and the soul is the embodiment of earthly troubles hence mirrors withholds only what the soul holds within.’ Maybe this is why the mirror broke. She was incomplete and it caused her pain. The mirror shattered because it couldn’t withhold her energy.”
“Uhm… also ‘According to pagans, Negative energy spirits defy all the natural laws of the spiritual world. In entrapment of the spirit, the banisher can do harm in part rather than erasing its existence if the powers are not exercised properly. However, it proves to be a temporary escape for resurrection for the spirit to be contained therein.’’ He quoted.
“Resurrection?” Penn questioned.
“That’s all it says and that’s the only section for paganism. The rest are just other religions.”
“So that means we can undo the entrapment of the spirit and it would be resurrection.” I concluded.
“Yes, we would resurrect the spirit and then fulfill the twin spirits' wishes and boom, problem solved.” Enzo closed the book.
“I hope it goes like that.” Penn said as she went back to searching. “She would be so alone.” she muttered. The sun rays had started to go deep yellow and yet we weren’t through with the search. All the pieces fit into the frame yet one still remained. We even retraced our steps from that night, making sure we were in the right place. I laid down on my stomach and looked at every inch of the ground. The others were focused on doing the same. An ant crawled past my hand. I shifted my hand to not let it crawl over my hand. A glimmer caught my eye. I looked to see a glass shard peeking out of the soil.
“Found the last piece,” I yelled. I picked it up and ran over to the assembled pieces. The others followed me. I crouched down and placed the piece in the middle. The mirror was now complete. We all let out a sigh of relief at the sight of it.
“One step closer,” Nigel commented. I picked the frame up to lean it over our bags. A tingling sensation went through my body. I let go of the mirror, falling on my butt. The sensation lingered on my hand.
“What happened?” Enzo asked but then he was looking at the mirror too. I stared at the mirror as the glass shards vibrated in its place.
Ethan-
A woman sat in the middle of the burrow. I checked on her again. These things happen all the time. The white trainers caught my eye. One trainer was overturned in the mud. She wore the other one also covered in the remnants of the dirt. Her dark hair covered her face. I stopped in my tracks. It wasn’t what I was used to. It felt real. The others did too but this was real.
“Hello?” My voice came out unexpectedly. I took a step closer. “Are you lost?” The girl didn’t turn. Her head bowed, holding something I couldn’t see clearly. Hissing sounds came from her. It couldn’t be. My mind must be playing tricks because this couldn’t be true as it seemed.
“Izzy?” my voice croaked. She turned her head slightly. My heart fastened at the sight of it. She clutched a rabbit, split into a lifeless mess. Blood dripped from her mouth, staining half her face and clothes. Her eyes were a mirror to a void.
“Can I have your soul?” Her voice was of two people. I took a step back. “Give it to me, I need it.” It cried, dropping the rabbit onto the ground.
It hit me. Last night came flashing into my mind. We had trapped the spirit. It wasn’t possible for it to escape. The spirit possessing Izzy lunged at me. I broke into a run, sprinting down the road. My heart drummed in my ears. All I heard was me running out of breath. Her footsteps were close behind me. The tree branches whipped past. A push came from behind me and I fell over. The spirit lunged at me but I raised my arm. It bit down on my sleeve, clawing and ripping at it. Tears dripped on my face. I realised that she was crying. Was it Izzy or the spirit? That I don’t know. With all my strength I rolled over and thrashed myself on the ground. The spirit hit the rocky wall. I sprinted for the road. A car honked at me out of nowhere but I didn’t stop. I barely dodged the car. When I looked back, the woods stood as quiet as ever. I have to find them.
—------------
The mirror pieces started to vibrate, thrumming up and down all on its own. It reached closer to the other pieces. I withdrew my hand away from it. The outer pieces of the glass stuck together, melting into one. Footsteps from behind made us freeze. Ethan ran towards us, panting as if he was running for a long time. Sweat stains marked his shirt. A rip formed on his jacket sleeve. I looked back at the mirror. In a hurry, Nigel grabbed the centre large piece and pulled it away. The vibration stopped, leaving the mirror whole except for the middle. All our stunned faces reflected on the surface.
“I saw Izzy.” he rasped. “Covered in blood.”
“Where?” We all said in unison.
“On the north side, near the road.”
“We are near the road.” Nigel pointed out.
“It’s reacting. The two souls.” Enzo realised.
“We have to find Izzy.”
—----------------------
The wood creaked between my feet. Dim light lit on the church walls, making the hall look ancient. Moonlight entered from the high windows. I walked towards the main hall, following the sobbing noises echoing around. A girl sat in the back row. It was Izzy. She cried with her head bowed. Her hair fell on her face, covering her sorrow. I held my breath. A whole day had passed and she was out alone. Her cries pinched at my heart. The crying sounds stopped as I entered. She sat still for a moment and then turned her head towards me.
“Jason.” She whispered. She stood up from the pew. “I don’t know where I am. What is even happening?” Tear marks stained her face. Blood stained clothes smudged with water marks.
“Don’t cry. There is a way out.” I said in a soft voice.
“I don’t know where to go.” She cried.
“It’s okay. Penn is here too. We are going to take you home.” Izzy nodded. I extended my hand to her. She took my hand. Her skin, matte and cold against mine.
“Then let me have your soul.” Her voice became clear. “I need it for my sister.” The demonic pitch seeped into her voice. Her eyes darkened like the dead of the night. Tears streamed down the same path the previous tears had. She stabbed at my heart with her nails. I pulled her hand towards me but the force grazed against my chest. A sharp pain went across my chest. The spirit raised its hands, her long nails shone in the candlelight. I slipped back, clutching my chest. She attacked again but I leaned back, dodging her attack. Water trickled over her from above, freezing her in her spot. Izzy screamed as the holy water hissed on her skin. Steam rose from the burning. In the moment, a transparent silhouette rose from Izzy’s body. Its eyes were white blank. It screamed but it stuck to her body. I looked up to see Nigel standing on the floor above. We gave each other a nod and I was sprinting for the stairs. My foot tripped. The spirit attacked but I regained my footing.
“Enzo!” I shouted. Enzo waited for me to reach the landing. He gripped a jar. A brute force hit my back. I tripped on Enzo, making him fall over. The jar toppled over, rolling away somewhere.
“I want to go home. Sister, where did you go?” the spirit cried as it reached the landing. It lunged at Enzo. Penn stepped in. Her nails grazed by her cheek. Penn’s hand moved and she slapped her, sending her down on the ground. My eyes darted around the room looking for the jar. Penn wrestled with the spirit, pining her down.
“You don’t need a soul.” She yelled at her. The spirit screamed back at her. I spotted the jar rolling away near the balcony door. I reached for it.
“Izzy, fight back.” Penn told her. For a second she halted but then spirit struggled again.
“Get out of my way.” the spirit threw Penn to the side. She lunged at Ethan who stood near to the balcony. He stepped back onto the balcony. Her hand reached for his throat. I threw the jar at him. Just as she clawed at Enzo, he raised his hand. Her hand broke through the glass, scattering the jar into pieces. Izzy froze in her footsteps. Her eyes remained blank in shock. A stream of blood trickled from her fingertip. The buzzing sound was now silent. The bugs were lifeless spots on the wooden floor. Ethan gasped at the sight. A wisp of a body rose from Izzy. It flowed out silently in a way one would wonder death to be like. Izzy’s body slumped down. Ethan caught her from falling.
Nigel attached the glass piece to the mirror.
“I’m here, my sister.” The spirit reached for the other. A warm glow emitted from the mirror. It was so bright that I had to look away. Like a soft breeze, the spirit possessing Izzy moved towards the other. Their souls joined together. Became one. It turned into specks, rising into the air like the fireflies in the sea of grass. I rushed to Izzy’s side. Her head rested on Ethan’s lap. The paleness and the patterns were gone now. Though her breathing remained ragged. Her face colour slowly returned. The dark veins were gone now. Penny held her hand. I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. She laid safe and sound. Nigel and Enzo rushed to her side.
Izzy opened her eyes. We all hovered over her, waiting when she’d open her eyes.
“You’re awake.” I exclaimed. She groaned as she sat back up. Ethan’s jacket slipped from her shoulders.
“Izzy!” Penny lunged to hug her.
“You’re alive.” Enzo cried as he hugged her too.
“She didn’t die, idiot!” Nigel got up from the ground.
“I was running in the woods like a wild animal. Of course I nearly died.” she cried back.
“Are you okay? Does it hurt anywhere?” Penn asked.
“Nothing more than the way my head hurts. Oh my God was that me?” She held Penn’s arm up, looking at the bruise on her wrist. She noticed the torn sleeves and scratches on our faces.
“You were all over the place.”
“I’m so sorry I hurt you guys.”
“It’s okay.” I laughed.
“No. no it’s not okay.” she cried.
“It wasn’t you, Izzy. It was the spirit.” Ethan muttered. His words caught Izzy off guard. It surprised me too. He hadn’t spoken for a long time.
“I’ll make it up to you guys.” She wiped her tears away.
“Cry later at home. Come on, let’s go.” Nigel helped her get up. She limped when she got up. She leaned into Penn’s arm. It was going to be a long walk home, at least for us. We went down stairs. Ethan stopped on the lamding.
“Why me?” he asked. A confused expression clouding his face.
“Why not?” I smiled. His face softened as if the calm had melted into him. He stayed quiet for a moment.
“I don’t understand.” he whispered.
“Understand what, Ethan?” she intervened. Izzy limped towards us. Ethan opened his mouth to say something but stopped.
“If you don’t understand, then why are you here?” Her voice raised. She pushed him. “If you don’t understand, then why did you stay? Huh, why did you stop talking to us?” She pushed him again.
“I was protecting you guys.” he said.
“All for what? Just for us to be strangers and be ridiculed by them?” Her voice croaked. Ethan bowed his head. She hit him with his jacket.
“Izzy.” I tried to stop her but she didn’t hear me. Penn stood anxiously, deciding if she should stop her or not. She gave me a worried look.
“Look at me, you always do this.” She grabbed him by the shoulders. Nigel, Enzo and I watched in shock. Her voice echoed in the hall. It wasn’t just anger. It was years of questions pouring out of her.
“You can do whatever you want. Sit out and take all that crap from them as long as you can and act like you are all alone but know that no matter how hard you try to run away, you’re going to come back into that exact same place. I’m still in that place and none of us have moved an inch. So yeah keep pretending you’re protecting us and have that glory to yourself. It hasn’t done any good.”
He broke into tears as he crouched down. “I didn’t know what to do.” He said between sobs. My heart dropped. Izzy stood over him, blinking back her tears.
“I’m so sorry.” He whispered again and again. Penn reached to hug him.
I could only watch. Watch them mend their broken ties. I couldn’t blame him. I couldn’t blame or point fingers at Penn and Izzy either. It wasn’t their fault. No one was at fault. I don’t know what had happened to him or them. All I knew was they didn’t deserve it. None of it. In another life, this wouldn’t have happened. Their friendship would have stayed strong as before. If only… if only their hatred hadn’t come in between them. My jaw clenched. My mind wandered to Oliver. I looked away. Why do I think of random things at the most unexpected time? I shook my thoughts away.
“Hey…I told you. You don’t have to do this alone.” I crouched beside him. I put my hand before him. He looked at me. His eyes swelled from all the crying. He nodded and took my hand. I helped him get up.
“Save some tears so Dad wouldn’t scold us for coming home late.” Nigel said. Ethan laughed, sniffing in his snot.
“Enzo would be enough for that.” Ethan chuckled.
“How could I not?” Enzo sobbed. Tears ran down his face like a stream.
Only two days had passed in Myrefalls and there were six of us already. It was odd but it was the best way we had come together. A smile came on my face. It couldn’t have been any better.
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