A Life Beyond The Mirror

“Maybe they sent it before the wedding was cancelled.” I say pacing the living room. I have tried to call out to Finn with no luck and I have even tried to see where he is but can’t focus enough to see. My heart pounds out of my chest and the breaths I’m taking seem to be lacking the oxygen I need.

“Invitations are sent through a portal, Dear. They are almost instant. I’m so sorry.” She says stepping into my path and wrapping her arms around me.

“There has to something wrong. He wouldn’t do this willingly.” I say shaking my head. There’s a knock at the door and I pull away to answer it. A sullen looking Hali is stood at the door.

“I’m so sorry Thea.” She says, paying more attention to her shoes.

“You of all people should know that something is wrong. I was with him not 30 minutes ago and he was fine!” I shout.

“I just spoke to him Thea. I’m sorry. I don’t know what else to say. He said his duty has to come first. He said he simply changed his mind.” I stare at her struck dumb. A tear makes a path down her cheek.

“Changed his mind?” my voice barely a whisper. “I need to speak to him.” I take the stairs two at a time and get to my bedroom in record time.

“Thea Please, wait.” Hali shouts chasing after me. I go to step through the mirror but hit a wall. “He blocked access through the mirror.” Hali whimpers, tears streaming down her cheeks at this point. I sit on the floor and stare at the mirror. She sits down next to me and places an arm around my shoulders. “I’m so sorry Thea. I don’t know why he is doing this. I thought… I thought…” she cried.

“What Hali?!” I shout, making her jump back. My Grandmother finally makes it to the bedroom, Toby at her feet. I touch the mirror again, my hand still not going through, and I drop it back into my lap.

“I thought you were fated.” She murmurs.

“What did you just say?” I ask, turning to her.

“Fated. It’s an old legend we have in our land. Some fae have these connections, that make them stronger, they can communicate mentally and share emotions and feelings. All the signs were there.”

“But there hasn’t been a fated match in centuries, Hali.” My Gran sighs. “But I thought the same thing. The dreams, the shared mental link, the feelings. The signs were all there dear, but it can’t be the case. A fated couple cannot live without each other once the connection has begun. The body will reject any other advances, even make you physically sick the longer you are apart.” I dip my head into my hands and cry.

“Did I do something wrong?”

“No, Oh Neptune, no. He’s a jerk and I wish I never encouraged you.” She cried, pulling me into a hug.

“I’m going to make you girls some tea.” My Gran says, placing her hand briefly on my shoulder before heading back down the stairs.

Hali and I sit in front of that mirror hugging for what seems like forever. I feel stupid, angry, naive to have even thought that Finn could like me. I let my dreams cloud my judgement and he was everything I ever wanted. What is that saying? ‘So many girls fall in love with the wrong guy simply because he says all the right things.’ I wish that were the case, but I can’t imagine myself with anyone else. My heart feels like it’s been ripped in two and they will never fit perfectly back together.

“Come on. I have an idea. We are going to spend the night watching films and talking crap about him and eating a mountain of junk food, that I will acquire. What do you think?” Hali says standing up and shuffling through her pockets for her keys.

“Sounds good.” I smile, weakly. She gives me a pitying look.

“Great, what’s your favourite snack. Scratch that, I’m just going to get one of everything. I’ll be back in a blink.” She says heading down the stairs.

I place my hand against the mirror, willing it to work.

“Please Finn. Please.” I murmured to the reflective glass, realising how desperate and broken I looked. I didn’t feel this way at all when I broke up with Nick and we had been together for a year. In a moment of adrenaline, I rise and push the mirror against the wall, cracking it, before collapsing back on to the floor.

“Thea! What are you doing?!” My grandmother shouts, her feet making quick work of the stairs. “Oh Thea, Honey,” she says, picking up the mirror and hugging me.

“No, I’m fine.” I say shaking my grandmother off me. “I just need a minute. I need a good scream.”

“Then scream.” She says, calmly. I stare at her for a minute and then scream. Scream for myself, scream for Finn, scream for my dad. I only stop when my lungs no longer let me scream anymore. Hali runs up the stairs.

“Holy Neptune! I thought you had died. I swear I heard you down the street!” she says shaking her head. “Feel better?” she gives a small smile. I nod a little. “Good because I brought the snacks, so slap a movie on the TV and let’s start there and see how far we get.” She says emptying the contents of the bag onto the bed. She really did get one of every chocolate bar, bag of crisps and any type of snack she can find.

I grab a bag of chocolate M&Ms and crawl under my duvet. She picks out ‘Bridesmaids’ and plonks it in the DVD player, as she says in the voice of Kristen Wiig “let’s get ready to paaarrttaayy.”

I open the bag and inhale the chocolatey scent.

Hali pulls back the duvet and crawls in next to me. “I’m here if you need me.” She says, patting the duvet over my hip. I watch up until the scene where Annie breaks the giant cookie at the bridal shower. I have thoroughly eaten myself into a chocolate coma and close my eyes.

I open my eyes and I’m back by the lagoon. Finn is swimming around in circles, while I watch him from the shore dipping my toes in the crystal blue waters.

“Glad you could finally join us.” Brigid’s voice beckons from the shade of a tree. The ground turns dark and dead and the water turns a putrid shade of green.

“What’s going on?” I look out to Finn and he’s making his way towards her, the putrid green water giving off the smell of rotten eggs and sewerage as it parts for him. “Finn?”

“He can’t hear you. I just wanted to have this little chat with you. Your Father is quite the conduit.” I can’t look at her. I watch as Finn, strides out of the water and stands in front of her, stroking her cheek, affectionately.

“Please Finn.” I beg. He doesn’t move.

“You see, I need Finn for my plan to work. He is mine. Well, until I have no use for him anymore. But hey, I might as well enjoy this fine specimen of a man whilst I have him.” She snickers and steps out from underneath the tree, so she is toe to toe with Finn. Her face shrouded in shadows so I couldn’t make out her features. “Don’t even think about stopping the wedding tomorrow, he is lost to you now. The consequences of you meddling in my plans will be… fatal.” She grabs his face with her grey, bony hands and drags his face towards hers. Before their lips touch, I find myself back in my bed, leaning over the side dry heaving.

“Holy Fates! What’s wrong?” A voice cries. “Althea!” I feel Hali, hold back my hair, as the creak of the stairs gives me a warning of my grandmother’s presence.

“Another dream?” she asks, once I have managed to stop. I nod weakly.

They both take my hands in theirs and I show them what happened. She frowns. “That was no dream. That was a message.”

“Something is wrong with Finn. I can feel it. He was the same way in the vision of the wedding. She’s already got her spell on him, I know it.”

Hali nods in understanding. “We don’t have much time. I will go to the castle and check on him. The guards have orders to not let you into the castle.” She says, heading for the stairs.

“We still have a few days, until the wedding. We have to stop this!” I shout. They both share a concerned look. “What aren’t you telling me?” My Gran takes my hand and kneels in front of me.

“Thea, you have been asleep for two days. It’s Friday night. The wedding is tomorrow.”