Image used: Bloody_Mary_by_LunarDiamond 2
It’s 1904. Pretty Ella Wilson is a very
excited young lady. She is going to be allowed quite a unique opportunity of
taking a glimpse into her future ... Ella has a dream, she would dearly love to
see her future husband-to-be, and on this ‘Hallows Eve’ she has been told her
wish will be granted ... But listen, and remember... (Be careful what you wish
for)
5-45pm...
Monday 31st October 1904
I’m
overjoyed, my shift is finally over. It’s Monday 31st October in the year 1904, and my friend Polly from
the kitchen has told me it’s ‘All Hallows
Eve’ but wait, here’s the exciting part... if I really, really want to,
then this would be the absolute, perfect night, to sit in a darkened room, hold
a mirror out to my front, just so I may catch a glimpse of my beloved, my future
husband... The very thought that this
might be so, fills me with astonishment.
Oh I know what you’re thinking, ‘what
on earth is she going on about’ but please, listen... For over two long, lonely years, my dream’s been
love, marriage and babies. Yes, I realise I have to find a partner first, sadly
though to me this dream’s a million miles away....
Let
me introduce myself, my name is Ella Wilson; I work as a domestic maid for an
eminent Doctor and his family in the heart of London. It is unusual, but I live
out which suits me just fine. This
evening as I leave work, I distinctly feel a lighter skip to my walk. My emotions
are high, and although I’m not sure why, I feel overwhelmed almost like I’ve
won a prize. I feel hopeful as well as in suspense with recent advice and information;
I carefully store a list of things in the twirling vortex of my mind. My first
stop before catching the tram home is to pop into the nearest shop; I must obtain
a bottle of wine, just to help me relax for the evening ahead.
Within
the quaint little shop I smell the over powering aroma of liquorice. As I Look
around I spy big juicy pumpkins, and decide there and then to make a
Jack-o-lantern. I smile at the thought of an enclosed candle flickering warmly.
With a most welcome relief I realise it will illuminate the surrounding
darkness in my little room, which is where I will sit for the event. With all
my heart, I hope and pray that tonight I will get to meet my future husband.
The very thought seems nigh on impossible...
10.00pm...
Sat
in my favourite armchair, excited, and dressed in my Sunday best with gas
lights extinguished, I relax as it grows progressively darker... Two more hours
need to pass... as I lean back I admire the pumpkins big bright but scary face,
its candle flickers in a sinister way, whilst nightmarish eyes grin back at
me... Outside, the night is black and icy;
cold begins to penetrate my little room.
In the dark, I’m able to watch as fine spits of rain, sizzle on the gas
lamps outside my window, causing little puffs of smoke to evaporate into the chilly
night. The front door’s been knocked countless times; I ignore them, because this
evening is mine. I must remain calm, relaxed and open to the fact that I’m
going to see my one true love, my sweetheart... tonight.
The clock
strikes the 11:00th hour, only one more hour till magical strike of midnight.
Slowly, deliberately, I pour another glass of deep, dark delicious wine; as it
usually does, it hits the spot. My eyes close, my mind slides to an inviting
grey light, which nestles snugly behind tired eyelids, here I see myself and
the past... I do hope day dreaming is allowed before one sees a future
vision... I shiver as I observe loneliness, and as I behold my eternal wish for
a proper family, and sense its importance as it illuminates through the
greyness. I know my past has not been good, but at least I work, and I have a
place to stay. I want to be positive. I
need to concentrate hard on the good bits of life; anything extra would be the
bonus I’ve long waited for. Maybe this dream is for idiots or for fools who
want to wish their lives away... Who in their right mind would wait till
midnight to catch a glimpse of someone they don’t even know... smiling, my grin
spreads wide. I already know the answer
to that laborious question. I also know it would be a fool who did not seek-out
what they want. All I know is that I
need to know, I have to know, even if the answer is good, bad or indifferent, I
have to see.
Pouring
yet another glass of wine I visibly flinch at the time. 11.56pm; I need to set the scene. Gripping
the cold wine glass, I take a final sip... looking deep into my beautiful
mirror, which I acquired when I took up residence in my little room... I admire
the stunning, ornamental decor of this outrageously heavy mirror which is made
from solid oak; it stands upright on its own stand... To my right, the
Jack-o-lantern flickers softly on my little wine table. In a heartbeat I note
the air abruptly chills... its deathly quiet. Unexpectedly I smell apple
cinnamon, not sure why as I don’t recall buying any. I hear the ticking of a clock;
I don’t possess a clock that ticks... Why?
Because I can’t stand them with their perpetual reminder that life ticks
on by....
12:00 ~ Midnight:
I wonder if these new sights, sounds and smells have anything to do with the
magic I’m about to witness... Motionless, I tentatively peer into the mirror,
nervous now by the sudden appearance of swirls of fog, its denseness goes from
thick to thin, then abruptly it starts to clear... stretching forwards I crane
my neck further towards the mirror. I
don’t know how, but I do know the time is imminent; fog seems to be
disappearing, but then the odd swirl blows towards me from within the mirror...
is that possible? Polly said nothing about fog penetrating my front room, but
hang on, there’s something else, my body feels strange and oh so peculiar. I cringe as I feel the hairs on my arms and
neck stand to attention. A petrified feeling within my stomach churns over, and
over, I’ve felt this feeling before... its
fear. Fear with its tentacles begins
its climb up towards my chest. I’m unable to move my eyes, staring hard into
the mirror; under no circumstances do I want to miss my loved one... I know as
if by instinct that something is about to happen, the room starts to turn, the
mirror clears again.
Hang
on I see something... someone’s moving,
crawling forwards, perhaps like me wanting a better look... I see a figure from
the other side pushing closer to catch a glimpse... Heart truly singing now... I know I’ll see him shortly. Damn the
fog is here again... the mirror darkens, I’m almost standing to catch a glimpse
of who’s within my mirror; I hear something, someone... he’s calling my
name. Clearer now, “Ella, Ella...
Closer, come closer, I can’t see you... Come to the Mirror Ella, come...“
Standing tall, this is it, I touch my face and smooth down my dress, I feel a
heart full of love as I nervously step forward... A gurgling sound echoes throughout
the room... another step up to the glass,
then a crescendo of a thousand bubbles explode as they escape from the mirror...
A
green light throbs as it pulsates from behind the glass. I’m just able to make
out the outline of his skull; he’s here, my beloved... His arms open out towards
me, lovingly, I thrust my own arms forward, I am quickly horrified to see them
disappear into the mirror; the glass gives way like liquid metal... but before
I get a chance to scream, I’m noisily sucked into the dark green, murky water,
like a loose weed I’m gone... Gone forever with my love on the other side of
the mirror, lost in his twilight misty world of fog...
Disorientated,
I float helpless back towards the front of the mirror. From here I look... and
scream as I witness the absolute horror of it all... and as I frantically push
both hands onto the inside of the glass ~ I look out to see the Jack-o-lanterns
chilling, twinkle as it stares menacingly back at me, I catch a glimpse of my
upturned wine glass, with its contents still seeping into the carpet, but oh my
god, that’s nothing to the most frightening sight of all...
A
grotesque man sits in my wonderful, comfortable armchair, and with a ghoulish
grin he waves at me.
© 2014 Jane Ewen
