Can't Look Back (War for Dominance Book 1) Read Free Page B

midget had gone through the mirror. He was sure about what he had seen; the midget had pushed the buttons in that order.
    Something didn’t make sense.
    He pulled his t-shirt back on and lay down on the floor. Looking at the picture on the wall opposite the mirror, he played the events back in his head. The midget pushed the buttons in order, from left to right. From the left, the button closest to the light, over to the...wait a minute. He jumped up and looked at the mirror. He ran his hand over his face, shaking his head. The light was on the right side of the mirror. When he looked at the mirror in the picture, what he saw was reversed. The midget had actually pushed the buttons from right to left.
    John walked back to the mirror with a new purpose and pressed the buttons from right to left, then jumped backwards as the mirror shimmered. The glass now looked...fluid, somehow. He reached out to touch it with the index finger on his right hand, noticing that his finger didn’t shake this time. He touched the mirror and found that it was no longer solid. His finger went into it. He could feel a tug on his finger, pulling him in.
    He tried to pull his finger back out, but couldn’t. The tug became more insistent, pulling his hand up into his wrist. He braced himself on the dresser, bent over at the waist. The lower half of his body kept him from being pulled any further into the mirror, but the pull only got stronger. His arm felt like it was going to be pulled from the socket, and there was no sign that it was letting up. The pull became stronger still, and John cried out as the pain in his shoulder became overwhelming.
    He didn’t know where the mirror led. He didn’t know what would happen to him there. All he knew was that the pain was blinding, and he was about to lose his arm. A tear rolled down his cheek. He pulled the desk chair over with his right foot and stood up on it. The pain lessened as his arm went further into the mirror. The pull was unrelenting, though, and it again began drawing him further into the mirror. With no other options, he put his left arm up to the mirror like he was diving into a pool. It was drawn into the mirror the same way that his right arm had been. He leaned forward and pushed off the chair.
    The mirror consumed him. He was gone.
     
     

Chapter 3
     
     
    Solim strode into the room, secure in the knowledge that his personal secretary would close the hidden door that gave access to his lair.
    “Welcome back m’lord,” said his assistant, who stood up to bow as Solim entered. If he minded bowing to someone half his size, he didn’t give any indication. Solim was a halfling, a race that looked generally human, but rarely grew taller than three feet. Tall for a halfling, Solim was just under three and a half feet, with large ears and straight black hair.
    “Thank you,” replied Solim. “Any problems while I was gone?”
    “None, m’lord,” his secretary replied. “Everything is in order and the instructions you left have been followed to the letter in your absence.” He said it as if he had last seen his boss only a few days prior, when in reality a whole year had gone by. The secretary had long ago become accustomed to Solim’s extended absences, as well as to the excellent salary he was paid to successfully complete the tasks he was given. No matter what they were.
    “And Cuddles?” Solim asked.
    “He is doing well, m’lord, and has grown to be bigger than his mother,” the secretary answered. “I haven’t had any problems with him.”
    “Good,” replied Solim. “Please see that I am not disturbed.”
    “Yes, m’lord,” the secretary said with another bow.
    Solim went into his office. Closing the door, he was greeted by Cuddles, who came running up to Solim and knocked him over in its excitement. Most people would have experienced worse damage, as Cuddles was a five-year-old grizzly bear. The bear was just over nine feet tall when it stood up on its hind