“Stop woman. Stop calling to me. I cannot bear your torment. Cease. I command you.”
The cry changed from insistent to gentle and Malcolm gritted his teeth. It seemed the female called to him with tenderness and a soft prod he could not ignore. Giving himself over to the cry, he allowed it to lead him towards the mirror. The surface reflected his appearance but for a moment, and it changed to a glow like the first light of dawn. The tender light grew bright and increased, until it seemed to pulse and envelop the entire room.
Malcolm’s breath caught as he stared at the object. No mirror he had ever seen could do what this one did. The glow dissolved upon the surface and turned into the clear waters of a lake, as waves rippled across in a gentle display. Unable to stop his movements, he placed his hands on the glass and it shimmered under his touch. Helpless under the pull of whatever had him in its grip, he ignored the erratic breathing of his heart and the fact that dark spots lingered before his eyes. The voice continued to call from beyond and he allowed it to wash over him. His fingers moved upon the surface and penetrated the shimmering glass, pulling him in further and further. His thoughts faded as he fell into nothingness.
Chapter 3
1987
Summer rubbed her eyes and left the edges red rimmed, but she couldn’t believe what she saw on the floor at her feet. A man, a stranger as far as she could tell, had collapsed on the wooden planks in the library. When his legs folded under him, the boards creaked in protest, but now they fell silent just like the body on it. The man did not move and she conjured up horrified scenarios of his death. Her imagination grew in leaps and bounds until it included handcuffs and bars with rough looking tattooed men. By the time she got around to possible death row for murder, she scared herself into a panic haze and made a dash for the door.
In her haste she stumbled and fell, watching helplessly as the small metal key slid across the room, and vanished under the front desk. With a muffled cry she raced over to the wooden structure, and dug under the smooth edges. Her search revealed fluffs of dust bunnies, broken pencils and wooden splinters which pierced her skin, but no telltale glint of a key. Blast it. Where did it go?
The inert body lay only a short distance away, but she continued to dig around with feverish intent. A groan brought her search to a grinding halt, and she bit the edge of her lip. It’s only your imagination. Keep your head together and find the key. She had to get out of there. No one would believe that some man just appeared out of nowhere. If she had just stayed home, none of this would have happened. But she couldn’t stop the reading itch and when she got it, she had to act. So she sneaked away to the library whenever she got a chance. Thankfully, Mr. Neely considered her a special customer and gave her a spare key to use whenever she wanted.
The Tinker Box became her escape and oasis in the desert. It had eight sides like an octagon with a high pointed roof painted in forest green. Square windows made of pinewood opened to the island air and sparse furnishings dotted the interior. A large table was in the corner with two mahogany chairs, and there were six low-lying shelves in the center lined with books, and some were stacked on the walls. Despite its unusual design, Mr. Neely called it eclectic and Summer agreed with him.
When she arrived that morning, it took about an hour to review the books on the north shelf which included the latest releases, and then she inspected the new addition to the library. A large, antique, oval mirror stood on curved legs, its outermost rim adorned with silver roses on delicate stems. The object covered the back door and reflected an antique air that Summer found fueled her imaginative skills. Distracted from the books, she indulged in a daydream haze. Like a princess in a
The cry changed from insistent to gentle and Malcolm gritted his teeth. It seemed the female called to him with tenderness and a soft prod he could not ignore. Giving himself over to the cry, he allowed it to lead him towards the mirror. The surface reflected his appearance but for a moment, and it changed to a glow like the first light of dawn. The tender light grew bright and increased, until it seemed to pulse and envelop the entire room.
Malcolm’s breath caught as he stared at the object. No mirror he had ever seen could do what this one did. The glow dissolved upon the surface and turned into the clear waters of a lake, as waves rippled across in a gentle display. Unable to stop his movements, he placed his hands on the glass and it shimmered under his touch. Helpless under the pull of whatever had him in its grip, he ignored the erratic breathing of his heart and the fact that dark spots lingered before his eyes. The voice continued to call from beyond and he allowed it to wash over him. His fingers moved upon the surface and penetrated the shimmering glass, pulling him in further and further. His thoughts faded as he fell into nothingness.
Chapter 3
1987
Summer rubbed her eyes and left the edges red rimmed, but she couldn’t believe what she saw on the floor at her feet. A man, a stranger as far as she could tell, had collapsed on the wooden planks in the library. When his legs folded under him, the boards creaked in protest, but now they fell silent just like the body on it. The man did not move and she conjured up horrified scenarios of his death. Her imagination grew in leaps and bounds until it included handcuffs and bars with rough looking tattooed men. By the time she got around to possible death row for murder, she scared herself into a panic haze and made a dash for the door.
In her haste she stumbled and fell, watching helplessly as the small metal key slid across the room, and vanished under the front desk. With a muffled cry she raced over to the wooden structure, and dug under the smooth edges. Her search revealed fluffs of dust bunnies, broken pencils and wooden splinters which pierced her skin, but no telltale glint of a key. Blast it. Where did it go?
The inert body lay only a short distance away, but she continued to dig around with feverish intent. A groan brought her search to a grinding halt, and she bit the edge of her lip. It’s only your imagination. Keep your head together and find the key. She had to get out of there. No one would believe that some man just appeared out of nowhere. If she had just stayed home, none of this would have happened. But she couldn’t stop the reading itch and when she got it, she had to act. So she sneaked away to the library whenever she got a chance. Thankfully, Mr. Neely considered her a special customer and gave her a spare key to use whenever she wanted.
The Tinker Box became her escape and oasis in the desert. It had eight sides like an octagon with a high pointed roof painted in forest green. Square windows made of pinewood opened to the island air and sparse furnishings dotted the interior. A large table was in the corner with two mahogany chairs, and there were six low-lying shelves in the center lined with books, and some were stacked on the walls. Despite its unusual design, Mr. Neely called it eclectic and Summer agreed with him.
When she arrived that morning, it took about an hour to review the books on the north shelf which included the latest releases, and then she inspected the new addition to the library. A large, antique, oval mirror stood on curved legs, its outermost rim adorned with silver roses on delicate stems. The object covered the back door and reflected an antique air that Summer found fueled her imaginative skills. Distracted from the books, she indulged in a daydream haze. Like a princess in a
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