Sunday, November 26, 2017

Reflection In The Meadow Book Two of the Mirror In The Forest Series

Buy On Amazon

 This book is not a stand-alone novel and is the first book of a 3 part series. Graphic sex, violence, and some foul language contained in this novel.

There is a dark secret that lurks in the shadows of the small town of Leon’s Crossing, Washington. 

The town of Leon’s Crossing is nestled in between jagged mountains, and thick forests outside of Seattle, Washington. Jessica Winters is out enjoying her daily nature walk when she stumbles upon that dark secret. 

Jessica is a shy, socially awkward 17-year-old. Bullied all her life, and feeling tremendous pressure from her parents, she stumbles upon a mysterious mirror deep in the forest. Thinking nothing of it, she admires its stunning detail until it swirls and morphs into a beautiful spirit before her eyes. At first, she runs away in terror, but later finds she is drawn to the mirror. The figure appears in front of her. He tells her he's her guardian angel, and he appeared to help her realizes her hopes and dreams. Those hopes and dreams come at a price…

As Jessica falls further into The Spirit of the Mirror’s clutches, she finds it more difficult to resist his temptations. 

The Sheriff of Leon’s Crossing, Mark McKenzie, has a promising future in law enforcement. Despite his young age, he is well liked, and well respected by the residents of the small mountain town. Mark investigates when unexplained events happen while learning of the town’s dark past.

As Jessica and Mark’s lives intertwine, Mark soon becomes suspicious that all the strange occurrences are pointing right back to Jessica. 

Will Jessica’s involvement with the mysterious mirror drive a wedge between them, or even worse, destroy both of their lives?

If you are looking for a pulse-pounding, page-turning, exciting first book in the trilogy then this book is for you.


Chapter 2



April 1995



 Lucas Springfield clutched his latest test scores and dreaded going home. His mom would kill him! It might be another summer wasted in summer school, but if he didn’t attend summer school, then he would be held back a year.
His dad, Michael Springfield, would be more forgiving. Michael would just reassure his mom, Claire, that Lucas was putting forward his best effort to get better grades. In fact, Lucas only came home with two low grades this time. The rest of his grades improved somewhat.
It was better than last quarter’s tests his dad would say. His mother would tell Lucas she wanted him to excel in school like his sister, and then all would be forgotten afterward because his dad covered his ass again. Lucas sure hoped so. If not, he would be grounded for a week, and life would go on.
There was his little sister Holly—the perfect daughter. Lucas rolled his eyes. She could do no wrong in Claire’s eyes. Perfect grades, perfect friends, the perfect little girl, and she loved to rub it in Lucas’s face all the time, though she tried to help him with schoolwork. Lucas begrudgingly accepted her help most of the time and told her how much he appreciated it.
Holly turned eleven not too long ago, and his parents talked about her skipping a few grades and entering high school early. Her bedroom already bursting from numerous awards, and accolades from teachers and administration over her perfect grades, and perfect attitude.
Now that Lucas was fourteen, he anxiously awaited leaving middle school and entering high school. He hoped that happened. He didn't want to be separated from his friends if he was held back a year.
Lucas sighed. He never caused trouble, never fought with other kids. He played sports, maintaining popularity among his peers. He just hated school and doing schoolwork.
He excelled in sports. People would chant his name whenever he came onto the field for whichever sport he played during the school year. His mother always told him that wasn't good enough. She wanted him to keep up with his grades along with his athletic pursuits.
She sat there cringing when she received letters from teachers about Lucas's awful handwriting, or his daydreaming, or falling asleep in class.
His dad would make excuses for him all the time. "He'll be the perfect Doctor." About his handwriting. "He's dreaming about his future." On his daydreaming. "They make those kids go in way too early." Of his sleeping.
Lucas expected to be grounded as soon as he handed his report over to his mom.
“Lucas!” A voice called behind him.
His friend Jack ran to catch up to Lucas. Lucas forgot to wait for him when they got off the bus.
“Wanna come over and play video games?” Jack asked, now walking along with him.
“I have to get home and show Mom the tests scores,” Lucas said regretfully. Lucas had been quiet on the bus on the way home. Planning on how to tell his mother about his grades without being punished.
The blonde boy took the paper from Lucas and winced. “Oh man, you better hope your dad is better about it. No wonder you were so quiet today."
Lucas shook his head. “I hope so. Dad is usually good about it, but Mom will kick my ass.”
Jack snickered. Jack was in the same grade as Lucas but on a different team. The classes were broken up into teams, so classes didn’t overlap each other. Jack had gotten his test scores the day before. He did well this quarter, no worries for him.
“I’ll be grounded forever,” Lucas sighed.
“Nah, you have the coolest dad. He won’t let that happen,” Jack said.
Lucas had his doubts.  Some nights he would sit at the table to listen to his parents lecture him over and over again. Then they would argue with each other about Lucas and his lack of ambition for his grades. His dad would reason that Lucas would grow to realize his mistakes, but Claire would disagree.
His dad, Michael, worked for the Mayor of Leon’s Crossing. His mom worked at a beauty shop in town too.
“You are too easy on him,” Claire would argue.
“He’ll get better Claire. What you’re doing is counterproductive to him. He needs encouragement, not punishment. Besides, the kid had talked about joining the army; I think that would be great for him. Show him discipline and responsibility,” Michael reasoned to his wife.
His mom would throw her hands up, and walk away from the table, while Holly would be at the doorway giggling at Lucas. Lucas would shoot her a glare, and she would run away.
Michael would get up and say, “It’s okay, buddy. Just do better next time.”
Lucas smiled as he came out of his thoughts. The two boys turned the corner, and Lucas’s heart pounded against his chest like a jackhammer. It seemed like such a long walk to his house. Their simple one-story house was at the end of the block; not that long of a street, but seemed so far away today.
A hand slapped his shoulder, and Jack said, “Good luck.” Then he ran off to his house. “If you don’t get grounded for life, come over!”
Lucas took a deep breath and continued to saunter towards his house. The canary yellow color stood out from the rest of the houses on the street, along with the white accent shutters, and dark brown roof. Most of the other homes were blue or white. His mother wanted to differ from everyone else on the block.
As Lucas drew closer he noticed there were no cars in the driveway, and confusion fell over his features. He thought for sure his mom would be home by now. Another hour would pass before Holly came home, making Lucas groan he would have to babysit her till his mom came home
Shrugging, he grabbed his house key from the bag. A part of him was happy that his mom wasn't home yet, and part of him that dreaded the inevitable when she pulled into the driveway.
He walked up to the brown front door and unlocked it. He listened for a moment and didn’t hear any noises when he opened the front door.  The wooden floors creaked beneath his feet when he walked in. Shutting the front door behind him, Lucas took in the silence wishing it would stay that way.
Lucas walked further into the kitchen, and then entered the dining area to the right, dropping his book bag on a dining room chair. He contemplated taking Jack up on his offer to play video games until Holly came home from school.
Then a slight noise grabbed his attention making his ears perk up. On the left was the living area, with a doorway that separated it from the kitchen and the dining area. The house narrowed into a long hallway where the bedrooms and bathrooms were located.
He stilled, trying to listen for the sound again. He gasped when he heard movement coming from one bedroom. He turned, looking out of a window to confirm that no cars were in the driveway.
His parents had always told him if he was alone, and he heard strange noises to run to a neighbor and call 911 for the police.
Lucas was about to turn around and do just that when he another noise coming from one of the bedrooms again.
Curiosity getting the better of him, Lucas quietly walked down the hallway instead of leaving the house.
Slight laughter and heaving breathing came from his parent's bedroom as he inched closer. He stopped stop short when he heard a growl, moaning, and the light laugh of a woman.
Even more confused than before, Lucas called out to whoever was in the bedroom. "Who's there?"
He came up to the door straining to listen for a response. He heard frantic whispering, then called out again. “Mom is that you? Are you okay?”
Footsteps moved around the room, along with frantic whispering. "Mom? Is that you? Are you okay?"
He turned the doorknob. The door was unlocked and swung open in front of him with a creaking noise his dad kept forgetting to fix.
Lucas expected to be attacked by an intruder. He closed his eyes for a few seconds waiting for it, but that didn’t happen. In fact, the opposite happened.
Lucas opened his eyes and gazed into the bedroom gasping at the sight before him.
In the middle of the room stood a man with thinning dark brown hair, trying to pull his pants up, and a shirt hanging over his shoulder. The man was his dad. 
Lucas’s mouth gaped when he spied another person in the room who was not his mom.
The woman covered herself with a sheet; she quickly swiped her messy red hair out of her eyes. Lucas recognized her. She worked for the mayor of Leon's Crossing, just like his dad. Her name was Melissa. Lucas met her on several occasions.
Lucas understood enough about sex to comprehend what his dad was doing. He shook his head in denial. This was not happening, it couldn't be. Could it? Lucas's entire view of his dad changed the moment he opened the door. His dad had always been a family man first. He said so himself. Lucas always thought that Claire and Michael had a loving marriage. At least, that was always what Lucas saw when he spent time with his parents. This…. this was a total and complete shock to Lucas.
This man was now a stranger to him, and Lucas wondered if he ever knew his dad at all. His dad caught in his own house with another woman. Even worse, by Lucas, his own son.
Lucas wanted to close his eyes, open them again, and hope the scene in front of him went away. A mixture of disappointment, grief, and shock swept through his body when he realized this is his new reality.
Michael put out an arm in reassurance. “Lucas, this is not… ”
Melissa hurried into his parent’s bathroom and slammed the door shut behind her. Somewhere in-between she had gathered her clothes from the floor.
Lucas felt so betrayed. Not only for himself but his sister, and especially his mother. How could his dad do this to his family?
“Dad, what are you doing?” Lucas asked, but it sounded like more of a demand.
“Now Lucas, I didn’t know you would be home this early, son… I…” His father tried to explain.
“I always come home around this time when I don’t have practice,” Lucas answered. Flabbergasted his own father didn't know his schedule.
“Oh, shit... I didn’t know. Lucas, we need to talk about this,” Michael tried to reason. He approached Lucas, but Lucas stepped out from under his dad’s reach.
Melissa came out of the bathroom fully dressed, with eyes wide in shock. She then turned to glare at Michael.
Michael tried to approach his son again, and Lucas took another step back.
“How could you dad?” Lucas asked, letting the question hang in the air as tension built between father and son inside the bedroom.
Michael nervously ran a hand through his thinning, dark hair.
“I’m sorry son… ”
Lucas then felt the tears threaten. He wiped his eyes, with an angry swipe of his arm.
“Sorry! You’re sorry? I thought you were the best dad in the world, and this happens?” He accused, pointing a finger at Melissa. Lucas felt so angry now he wanted to jump on his dad and punch him. He wanted to defend his mother and Holly for his betrayal of their family.
“Lucas, we can talk about this like adults. I… it's complicated son. Sometimes life is,” Michael said still trying to approach him.
What could his dad talk about with him? The fact his own son just caught him in his own bed having an affair with a co-worker? Is that what he wanted to talk about? No way! No excuse on this planet would change what Lucas walked in on. Nothing!
He heard enough from his dad. He wanted to get out of there. Instead of talking further, Lucas turned and ran. Michael came after him, calling his name, but Lucas didn’t listen.
He opened the door to the garage and slammed it shut behind him.
“Lucas!” His dad called him from the kitchen. “Come back here, son. I want to talk to you.”
“No! Stay away from me!"
Lucas grabbed his bike from the corner of the garage and then pressed the button on the wall to open the door. He weaved his way through tools, a picnic table, Holly's bike and other junk lying around the garage.
His dad opened the door, and asked, “Where are you going?”
Lucas turned to his father angrily, and yelled, “Away from you!”
Without another word, Lucas hopped on his bike, then pedaled as fast he could down the driveway, then onto the street.
He had no idea where he was going, but he would know when he got there.
The tears blurred his eyes forcing him to stop to wipe them away before turning onto the main road.
A million thoughts raced through his mind; how could his father do that to them? How long has this been going on? Did his mom know? Did Holly know?
Is this some kind of sick joke? Would he go home and find everyone laughing at him?
Lucas rode his bike along the side of the road for a few minutes. Cars blew past him, the downwind drying his tears for now. He had to figure out where he wanted to go to gather his thoughts for a while.
An idea came to him. Lucas remembered when he and his friends found a small shack in the woods behind the meadow about another few feet from where he pedaled his bike.
The shack had been their secret hideout. They always believed no other human knew about that place except them. Lucas had good memories of that place. He would have privacy and be able to sit and think for a while.
He came upon the meadow, slowing his bike down to a crawl. The area bloomed with White Clover and other wildflowers sprinkled among the eye-popping green grass. The pollen floated in the surrounding air from the springtime bloom, and Lucas stifled a sneeze. The meadow was a small area, not quite a quarter mile wide, and the same measurement deep, with the forest surrounding the edges of it and the jagged mountain reaching just above the forest in a picturesque setting that Lucas might appreciate any other time, but not today. Today, he didn’t care about his surroundings; he only had one goal in mind.
He rode his bike over old tire tracks that led to a creek just on the outside of the forest, filled with Douglas-firs, Whitebarks, and Ponderosas. He remembered exactly where it was. It wasn't too far into the woods, but still far enough away from the mountain where the terrain remained flat.
Tears continued to run down his cheeks when he heard the familiar running water from the creek. The creek was full this time of year from the melting snow of the mountain. The creek sometimes flooded if enough snow had fallen the previous winter covering some of the meadow.
Lucas jumped off his bike, deciding to leave it against a tree on the meadow side of the creek for now.
He walked over the pine needle, moss, and fern-covered ground and then crossed the creek where an old pine tree had sat in the water for who knew how long.
He smiled when he spied the old shack on the other side. So many good memories were created in the old shack when he and friends were younger.
He entered the little shack looking around. He hadn’t been in here in two years. Slivers of sun peeked through the mismatched boards above him, with dust being kicked up at his feet. The floorboards protested his weight with creaking noises beneath him. An old table covered in dust, and pollen sat in the corner, long forgotten by its owner. Vines, moss, and the nasty Washington weather were slowly destroying the old shack. The shack would be buried in vegetation in a few more years. A large root from a nearby tree had broken through the floorboards.
Exhausted from his bike ride, and what he discovered earlier. Lucas sat down on the floor with his legs crossed while the dust tickled his nostrils.  He took a deep breath to hold back a sneeze. After a few sneezes, Lucas adjusted to the settling air around him. He brought his knees up to his chest and crossed his arms over them. He laid his head in his arms and sobbed for what seemed like hours.
Lucas didn’t know how long he was there after his crying subsided, and he sniffed as lingering sobs choked up from his throat. Sadness turned to anger. He threw things around the shack. Rocks and sticks were good therapy for his anger. He cursed his dad, his mom, and his family. They had always seemed so perfect, and that illusion now shattered forever.
Lucas felt a sense of calm come over him after he ran out of things to throw against the wall. Soon, he would have to head home to face his family. He wanted to be there in case Holly needed him. At least she'd been spared finding out the way he did today.
Lucas got ready to leave when he heard a loud bang come from outside the shack.
Lucas turned around in a full circle wondering what the noise was.
His breathing quickened, hoping it wasn't a huge animal such as a bear around. Even worse, would be a mother bear with her cubs.
He looked towards the ground and found a rock. He grasped the cool, hard stone in his hand, ready for whatever made the noise. Perhaps his dad came looking for him. If so, then he would still throw the rock at him. Michael deserved it.
Quietly, he stepped through the door of the small shack and peered around the area expecting a bear to growl at him any second.
The only thing his ears were catching was the sound of the creek flowing to his left.
Lucas jumped when he heard the bang again. He realized it came from behind the shack. His once calmed heartbeat now pounding in his ears. He turned around, gingerly walking around the back of the shack fixating on the noise.
He turned the corner and breathed a sigh of relief as a mirror appeared before him, leaning against the back wall of the shack.
Lucas lowered the rock but stayed apprehensive. He had been back to this area many times and never saw the mirror here before.
A mirror? Lucas thought scratching his head.
The mirror was full-length and oval in shape. Lucas took a reluctant step closer, gazing upon the detailed carvings around the frame. It looked old and worth a lot of money. The glass inside the frame was in perfect condition. No weather elements had damaged the mirror at all.
He caught his reflection in the mirror while stepping closer to it. The woodcarvings looked handmade, Lucas thought, remembering his woodworking class. They depicted angels and some demon-like creatures rising from a pit of fire at the bottom of the frame. The angels were happily rising to the sun-like sphere at the top, and the demons looked as if they were fighting to re-enter the pit of fire.
“What is this?” He questioned.
He reached out to touch the mirror, not knowing why he wanted to.
He couldn’t pull his arm back. He had to touch the mirror. Try as he might, he needed to feel the cool glass beneath his fingertip. He fell into a trance-like state. He knew if he touched the glass all his problems would disappear. How did he know that? What was this mirror? Why was it here? Who put it here?
His finger grazed the glass, and then the mirror did something that brought him out of his trance. It cracked!
Lucas almost fell on his behind when the mirror cracked across the middle. He pulled his finger away so he wouldn't cut himself.
He stumbled over a tree root, but able to keep his balance. He quickly looked up again and found his reflection disfigured from the crack.
“Weird,” he mumbled, stepping closer to it again.
He scratched his dark brown hair. He explored this area for years and never stumbled on this mirror before.
Lucas turned to stare at it again. He stood there gasping for air as the crack disappeared.
“What the hell?” He whispered.
As he said that, the crack in the mirror was gone. A white flash came from the glass forcing Lucas to throw up his hands to his eyes to protect them from the blinding light.
He couldn’t help himself. He couldn’t move and he couldn’t run. He barely breathed. He had to know how the crack disappeared, and now a white light just flashed in front of him. Was this a magical mirror?
He took another step back, but fear turned to fascination when the glass moved within the frame.
Blue eyes widened. Even if he wanted to run away, his feet were planted firmly on the ground.
The mirror warped, and like lava from a volcano, it melted onto the ground before him.
It was the coolest thing Lucas had ever seen in his life. The glass sat on the ground for a moment and then moved again. The glass lifted into the air, forming a tower. Lucas opened his mouth in shock when arms, a head, and legs took shape.
“Wow,” he breathed.
Standing before him was a figure. Male or female he did not know, but a human-like figure. White glowing eyes formed in the head, a mouth opened, and a nose stuck out from its face.
Lucas took another step back.
Then fear overcame him when the figure moved. The glowing white eyes stared him down as if the thing saw right through him to his very soul.
“Good afternoon, Lucas Springfield,” the reflective figure said.
Lucas screamed at the top of his lungs.

Mirror In The Forest Book One Excerpt


Buy On Amazon


 This book is not a stand-alone novel and is the first book of a 3 part series. Graphic sex, violence, and some foul language contained in this novel.

There is a dark secret that lurks in the shadows of the small town of Leon’s Crossing, Washington. 

The town of Leon’s Crossing is nestled in between jagged mountains, and thick forests outside of Seattle, Washington. Jessica Winters is out enjoying her daily nature walk when she stumbles upon that dark secret. 

Jessica is a shy, socially awkward 17-year-old. Bullied all her life, and feeling tremendous pressure from her parents, she stumbles upon a mysterious mirror deep in the forest. Thinking nothing of it, she admires its stunning detail until it swirls and morphs into a beautiful spirit before her eyes. At first, she runs away in terror, but later finds she is drawn to the mirror. The figure appears in front of her. He tells her he's her guardian angel, and he appeared to help her realizes her hopes and dreams. Those hopes and dreams come at a price…

As Jessica falls further into The Spirit of the Mirror’s clutches, she finds it more difficult to resist his temptations. 

The Sheriff of Leon’s Crossing, Mark McKenzie, has a promising future in law enforcement. Despite his young age, he is well liked, and well respected by the residents of the small mountain town. Mark investigates when unexplained events happen while learning of the town’s dark past.

As Jessica and Mark’s lives intertwine, Mark soon becomes suspicious that all the strange occurrences are pointing right back to Jessica. 

Will Jessica’s involvement with the mysterious mirror drive a wedge between them, or even worse, destroy both of their lives?

If you are looking for a pulse-pounding, page-turning, exciting first book in the trilogy then this book is for you.



Chapter 3



"Are you sure it was over here?” Jessica’s friend Tessa, short for Contessa, asked.
It was two days later, and Tessa left her house to see her best friend.
Jessica’s parents hadn’t lectured her too much about going into the forest by herself that late in the day. They blew it off and were more concerned with her getting in trouble with the Sheriff. Jessica told them she did nothing wrong, she was startled by something she couldn’t see, referring to the imaginary bear. Her parents seemed fine with it and told her to be more careful next time.
Her best friend, Tessa, was short, and very thin. Sometimes she looked anorexic and pale. Jessica always told her she needed to move to California after high school to develop a good tan.
Tessa was diabetic, the reason for constantly looking sickly.
She was shy but extremely smart. Tessa wanted to be a doctor and find the cure for her diabetes and treat people like her.
Her little brothers always made fun of her, and Tessa may have been shy in school, but she was tough when she wanted to be, and could kick her brother's asses.
Jessica often wondered where that strength came from in admiration of her best friend.
Jessica was no fighter and knew her siblings would bully her if she had any, and thankful she didn’t have to put up with that. Being the only child of Donald and Mary Winters was hard enough.
“It had to be here,” Jessica said.
“I don’t see anything,” Tessa answered.
Jessica was confused. She knew she had spotted the fire and the mirror around here somewhere.
Where could it have gone?
This was the right path, but she saw nothing except green and brown forest ahead with moss covering most of the trees and ferns all over the ground.
She saw none of the damage or any proof that there had been an explosion and a fire. It looked like it always did, untouched and pristine.
Jessica frowned, and Tessa stood there just waiting for her to say something.
Then Tessa cocked her head in thought. “I remember listening to the police scanner, and the reports about the fire.”
“See? I wasn’t the only one,” Jessica said.
“I know I believe you, but you must have been in another area or you’re smoking something and not sharing,” Tessa said, laughing at her own joke.
Jessica laughed and the two girls turned around deciding to head back to their usual spot at the lake after finding nothing out of the ordinary. Jessica had to admit, she was disappointed the mysterious mirror disappeared.
Jessica turned to gaze deep into the forest one more time and thought she saw a glint in the distance.
“Did you see that?” She asked, turning to her friend.
Tessa looked at her confused. “No, what?”
Jessica turned and walked down the path again with Tessa following close behind.
Nothing. Again.
Jessica sighed and told Tessa it was a false alarm, and they headed back to their usual spot.
Jessica and Tessa spent the rest of the afternoon talking about their latest crushes in the music business, and Jessica flipped through some teen magazines.
Finally, Tessa said she needed to go home and eat something before her blood sugar got too low.
Jessica offered to drive her home since her mom would let her borrow her car, but Tessa insisted she was good, and two blocks away.
Jessica decided not to go back into the house. Her mom was still sleeping for her night shift, and Jessica found herself bored again.
She actually looked forward to the school year, not only to cure her boredom, but also to graduate, and begin life outside of this small mountain town.
Jessica sat on the porch still reading a magazine when the sheriff popped into her mind.
She felt a little nervous, and her imagination took off as she thought of him coming back to arrest her for lying about the fire.
Well, it’s been two days and no sign of him or the fire, so she figured she was safe from going to jail.
He had the deepest blue eyes she’d ever seen and a rugged face. He was about six feet tall and built like a rock. A small scar ran across his chin. It had faded over the years, but not enough to not be noticeable. His jaw was almost perfectly square, with thinner lips. His uniform hugged his muscles around his arms and legs.
He was handsome. Much better looking than most rock stars in her magazines.
Jessica sat up and tried to shake her thoughts of the sheriff and felt like she needed to take a walk into the forest once again.
She put down her magazines and took off walking down the trail again behind her house. She wondered if she had been imagining it all along, but her logical mind said that someone else had spotted the fire because the fire department showed up.
Jessica walked around the lake like she was on a mission. She was determined to prove to Tessa that the mirror had been there, and there had been a fire around it.
Jessica stepped onto the secluded path, swallowing hard, and wondering if she was doing the right thing.
Her anxiety heightened as she moved closer to the area where she first spotted the mirror. She cursed her fears because she had known these woods since she was a young child and never feared them before.
Taking tentative steps she looked around, but all was quiet except birds chirping in the trees above her, with the occasional squirrel rustling leaves somewhere in the woods.
Then, something caught her eye. The sun had flashed off of something in the distance.
Pushing through the brush Jessica walked into the opening of the path. There were no signs of the fire from days before making her even more confused.
Jessica then set her gaze on the source of her confusion.
The mirror was there!
Cautiously, she approached it. She remembered the figure that appeared from it and almost turn to run out of the woods again.
This time, no figure, and the mirror sat quietly against the tree. So out of place this deep in the forest. She thought maybe dehydration had her hallucinating the other day.
She wondered who put it there, and when, and why.
She was now close enough to see her reflection in it and found it was not damaged or warped.
She peered closer at the markings on the frame, remembering them from a few days ago, and admired the artistry once more.
Jessica ran her fingers over the carvings again, wishing she could create something so spectacular.
  As Jessica continued to gaze on the artwork, the mirror shook in place.
Jessica cried out and took a few steps back.
The mirror warped, and twisted inside the frame forming the illusion of a spiral.
Jessica breathed heavily as panic took over, and she backed away wondering if she should just run or keep doing what she was doing.
There was no noise as the mirror twisted one way and turned another except the light scraping behind it on the tree.
Jessica turned to run away, thinking that her life may be in danger, and she better get out of there in case this thing was evil and wanted to hurt her.
“Hello again, Jessica Winters,” it said in a cheerful voice.
Jessica cried out in astonishment. Again, her feet were frozen in place. She couldn’t will her brain to do what she wanted to do, which was to run away. She stood there watching the glass twist and turn inside of the frame.
“I knew you’d come back,” it said.
The voice was a deep male voice, and it sounded almost like an echo, but musical in Jessica’s ears.
All she could think of was a smoother version of Darth Vader.
“Who… are you? Is someone playing a joke on me?” She asked as her voice shook in fear, but her feet refused to move.
Like molten lava, the glass poured onto the ground, and Jessica could only watch in amazement.
If this was a joke, it was a damn good one, she thought.
The glass of the mirror took on a shape.
She was mesmerized as a figure formed before her.
The shape then became a human-like figure and towered over her. Then eyes, a mouth, and nose formed on its face.
She was standing there staring at a human shaped mirror!
His eyes glowed a soft white, like sparklers on Fourth of July.
The figured stared down at her and then smiled.
“Is this better?” He—er—it asked.
Jessica screamed with every ounce of strength she could muster, and a white flash came from the figure’s eyes.
Jessica was temporarily blinded, and the force of the white flash sent her flying back.
Jessica fell on her behind and grunted in pain when her right hip landed on a tree root.  She gathered herself and felt around the ground trying to regain her eyesight.
Her surroundings focused again after a few moments, with white dots dancing in front of her eyes. The reflective figure was still there looking at her with slight concern. She was amazed she could see the emotion on its face.
“Do not fear me Jessica Winters. I am here to help you,” The mirrored figure said in a soothing voice.
Jessica could not stand up out of panic. She tried to crawl away, but she was held in place by an unknown force.
“Please don’t hurt me,” she begged.
“I am not here to hurt you. Can you stand?” It asked.
Jessica nodded, never taking her eyes off of the figure as she gathered the courage to stand again.
“What are you?” She asked, trying to be brave at what was standing over her.
The glass figure laughed. “You can say I am your guardian angel.”
“I don’t believe in that kind of thing. Are you real or is this a joke?” She was trying to be brave, but her body shook everywhere. She looked around for help, but no one was coming.
The figure laughed again, and said, “This is not a joke, child. You wished for something to happen and here I am. I don’t grant wishes for just anyone, only those that are special.”
Jessica shook her head; this had to be a joke. “I didn’t wish for anything. At least, I don’t remember doing that.”
“You’ve been having thoughts that maybe it is time to please your parents. Am I correct?” It asked.
“Yes, but that wasn’t a wish,” she answered.
That was the truth. Lately, Jessica thought if she participated in more school activities, perhaps going to a dance here and there, then her parents would lay off her.
However, Jessica knew deep down that her shyness kept her from having the life her parents wanted for her.
“I am here to help you become what your parents want you to be,” he said smiling.
“You mean a different person?” She asked, confused by his offer.
The figure shook his head in amusement. “No, child. Just a better version of you.”
“I don’t know how you could help me accomplish that,” she said, her voice still shaking.
She couldn’t believe that she was standing in the middle of the forest in Washington speaking to a figure out of a mirror. Either she was going insane, or this was some kind of movie she was starring in and hadn’t been told yet.
“I know you still doubt your own eyes Jessica, but let me explain,” he said to her.
The figure took his hand and made it into a fist. He opened it to show a caterpillar in his palm. Jessica stared in awe as the caterpillar crawled around the figure’s reflective hand.
Then the figure closed his fist again. He then opened his fist and out came a monarch butterfly making Jessica gasp in amazement as it flew past her and into the woods.
“All of us have a beauty inside, that if given a chance, can shine onto the world. Sometimes one needs a little help to find that inner beauty, and sometimes one needs help to show it,” he explained.
He gazed over at her and cocked his mirrored head a little.
“You are special, Jessica Winters. You are a special girl with lots of dreams, but your doubts and fears hold you back from your full potential in life. I am here to show you how to reach that potential,” he continued in his soft voice.
The figure moved aside so Jessica could see her reflection in the mirror.
Just as Jessica caught her reflection the figure appeared behind her shoulder almost making Jessica run, but she stayed in place.
“You are so much more than this, and I am here to help you find your inner beauty,” he whispered in her ear.
He then pulled away, and he was in front of her again.
“That’s if…”
“If what?” She asked, curious.
“If you want what I am offering,” he answered.
He moved away again and let Jessica once again peer at her reflection.
Every memory of school she had was not a pleasant one and that is why she had become a loner. From the time she was small, she was bullied for one thing or another. She had considered so many things from suicide to running away and beginning a new life by herself to make it stop. Yet, she had stuck it out and had only one more year to go.
She had always felt she was a disappointment to her parents for not listening to them when they gave her advice. She was bitter they never cared about how well she did academically, no, they cared more about her social life.
Yes, her father mentioned her grades all the time, but then he would push her to go to a dance or join a club in the same sentence.
It was a hard expectation to live up to, and Jessica didn’t care to live up to it, but then there was a secret yearning within her to not only please her parents but to become what they had expected of her.
After thinking it over, she was what she was, and being seventeen, it might be too late for her to change to please them this late in her high school career.
The glass figure stood patiently as Jessica’s emotions played around in her head as memories flooded her brain over years past.
She looked up at him and said, “I appreciate your offer to help, but I think I am just fine how I am…”
The figure nodded. “If that is your wish.”
With more confidence, Jessica nodded in agreement.
“Thank you, though,” she said backing away. “Will I ever see you again?”
The figure raised a reflective finger to his chin in thought. “Jessica, I think you’ll change your mind, and come back soon.”
Jessica shook her head in disagreement. Though she had her doubts.
“No, I don’t think so. I’m happy with who I am,” she said, trying to sound confident in her words, but deep down she knew she was failing miserably.
The figure nodded and said, “Well, I will be here if you need me.”
“I doubt it, but thanks. What can I call you, just in case?”
The figure smiled and said, “I am just a spirit who lives inside of the mirror.”
Jessica kept backing away and turned to leave the forest.
Her eyes darted around to make sure the thing she met that came from a mirror wasn’t following her.
She got back to her house and collapsed onto her bed.
She had doubts she’d made the right decision.