Mirror Light

Don’t be fooled into thinking that all you can see is all that exists. Just because you can’t see something, it doesn’t mean it’s not there. Take the kingdom of Mirror Light for example. It is a place of magic and wonder, sitting right next to our mortal world. Maybe if you look hard enough you might catch a glimpse. Maybe if you look too hard it will slip away from you. But whether you’re looking or not, believe or don’t, their world will go on, as will ours. And maybe one day you’ll come across a portal into a land so magical and beautiful that it will take your breath away.

In the kingdom of Mirror Light, four suns rise in a circle every morning and cast light over the kingdom. But this is no ordinary light. It is first reflected off a mirrored orb which enhances each ray and scatters them across the land. These rays touch each blade of grass, each drop of water, and each person living in the kingdom. They have the power to enhance everything to a beauty so rich it cannot be comprehended. Emerald green valleys roll through the kingdom, banking rivers of clear, royal blue water. Huge multi-coloured fish swim in the streams, while bottle green turtles paddle in the rock pools.

The mirrored orb was created almost four hundred years ago by five elderly wizards who had been friends since childhood. They wanted a way to enhance the magic and beauty in the kingdom for future generations, so they created a mirrored orb. It looked like a crystal ball, but instead of being made from crystal, it was made from white mirrored glass. It took them the best part of eighty years and once it was finished they nested it on top of a black carbon tri pod where it rotated continually on a magical axis, taking four hundred years to rotate fully. It was then placed on top of mount Hasted, the tallest mountain in the kingdom, and each morning as the four suns of Cassi rose, their light would hit the orb and disperse over the kingdom.

But there was a traitor amongst them. The fifth member, Arabus, bore a grudge, for the other four wizards had been honoured with Dust Stars, a highly sought after distinction awarded to wizards for outstanding magical contribution. He bore this grudge for almost fifty years, all the way through magic university, and when he heard of their idea to create the orb, he offered his skills learnt during his mathematical degree. His offer was declined by the four wizards at first, as the number five was thought to be unlucky. But he eventually persuaded them that the orb would need to be perfectly symmetrical in order to work properly, and they reluctantly accepted his help. But the orb wasn’t created with perfect symmetry.


Chapter 1

Darkness hung over the five men as they sat round the wooden table. Two candles flickered casting pools of orange light onto their worn faces.

“We knew this was going to happen eventually. It was only a matter of time.”
“I know that Mort. I just don’t think we knew how draining this was going to be. I can feel my power getting weaker everyday.”
“There’s nothing we can do but just try and protect it until the phase has passed.”

They all nodded before Dimeetri excused himself from the group, “I’m sorry gentlemen but I must depart. I will of course let you know if I think of anything that will aid the situation.” He gathered his robes and headed off towards the forest. He could feel it now too. Thinness in the air. A lack of colour. Unstable magic. But this is what he’d been waiting for. The time had finally come to go and see the Empress of the Night.

He made his way through the forest. The stream that ran alongside started to get darker and thicker the further he walked. The trees became closer together, their roots creeping round his feet trying to trip him up. And the air howled silently. Dimeetri couldn’t quite explain this but he could hear screams and wails in his head that couldn’t quite be heard out loud. As he approached the Empress’ mansion, he felt the air crackle. The stream here was a bubbling thick black gloop that smelled of raw magic. He took one final deep breath and walked slowly up the cobble stone path that led to the heavy iron doors. But before he got close enough to knock, they creaked open revealing a dusty black marble floor. Legs shaking uncontrollably he stepped inside, his boots echoing into the recesses of the mansion. A crow squawked and startled Dimeetri. This was followed by hollow laughter and sudden appearance of Keetas, the Empress of the Night.

Her beauty was startling. Long black hair sat in soft waves over shoulders, a stark contrast to her shockingly pale skin and sharp facial features. Her eyes glowed but Dimeetri could not tell what colour they were. They seemed all colours and yet no colour. She smiled, “Hello Dimeetri. I’ve been waiting for you.” Dimeetri nodded, suddenly finding that his voice box seemed to have closed up. He opened his mouth and emitted an airy sound. Keetas smiled again, but it was not a warm smile. In fact, it seemed to turn her features (and Dimeetri’s body) to ice for a split second.

Dimeetri recovered himself, gave himself a mental kick and tried again, “Your Empress. It is time. The orb has started to enter the final phase of its first complete turn. I met with the council earlier this evening and we have all noticed a weakening of our powers and a duller reflection from the orb. There are maybe only a couple of months before the phase is over for another four hundred years.”

“Thank you Dimeetri. Arabus would be proud. You shall be rewarded for your loyalty in due course. Keep me updated on any future developments”.

Dimeetri bowed and left.

Chapter 2

David Harrison paced up and down the hospital corridor. He looked at the clock; 1am. He took out his mobile phone and began making another phone call. “I’m sorry Sir, but ya cannot use that in ‘ere” a large African nurse said as she walked past. David flashed her a look of such utter disbelief and anger that she became startled for a minute, before recomposing herself. “You’ll have to go outside or use da payphone if ya want to make a call”. David gritted his teeth, “Do you know who I am?” he seethed, “This is a very important call! My son is in there and he’s dying! Don’t you think that makes using a mobile phone in a fucking corridor slightly irrelevant?!” The nurse glared at him, “I don’t give two hoots who ya are, all’s I know is them things mess up da machinery, you get me? Now put it away ‘fore I call security” she pursed her lips, shook her head, and continued walking up the corridor. David replaced his phone and walked over to his body guards, “Call Diane, tell her what’s happened”. They nodded “Yes Sir”.

David looked through the window at his son. He could barely recognise him now. He was hooked up to half a dozen machines and had tubes and wires going into him in what looked like every part of his body. David closed his eyes, head pressed against the glass. His mind drifted. What if they’d done things differently? Would it have made a difference? No. That’s what the doctors had said. It was in his genes, triggered off by a normally harmless flu virus. A fatal variation in his DNA that meant his body didn’t recognise the virus as a foreign body. David blamed himself. Both he and Diane were carriers of the defect gene and it had sat in their bodies harmlessly, cruelly being passed on to their only child.

A doctor came out of the ward, jolting David out of his day dream. “Mr Harrison” the doctor spoke slowly and calmly, “We appear to be making advances with William. We have altered the structure in the DNA to try and eliminate the faulty gene. We are reconstructing several strands, removing the faulty chromosomes and replacing them with genetically modified healthy ones”. David noticed that the doctor was perspiring profusely. “OK, thank you doctor”. Suddenly the machines in William’s room started beeping frantically. At least twenty doctors and nurses appeared from nowhere, running down the corridor towards them. “What’s happening, what’s going on?” David screeched. He was pushed out the way by the horde of medical staff. The doors swung back in David’s face, knocking him backwards and splaying his nose across his face. Blooded poured out, but David hardly noticed. He wiped his face absent-mindedly, and tried once more to get through the doors. He managed to force his way in, despite several nurses trying to push him back. The doctors in the room where frantic, “I don’t know how this happened!”
“I’ve never seen anything like this before!”
“Shut it down, shut it down!”

A senior doctor turned to David, “I’m sorry. We’re going to have to abort the procedure”.
“Abort the procedure?! What the bloody hell does that mean?”
“When we recreated William’s DNA, it seems that the strands were created too perfectly. It seems that William’s genes have been somewhat enhanced beyond reasonable control” the doctor was now shaking slightly, but continued nevertheless “We have no idea about the limit of these alterations and it would therefore be negligent to expose it to the public” he said firmly “We have to terminate the subject”.
David let out a weird squeak before managing to form any actual words “Terminate the subject?” he cried “That subject is my son!” He lunged forward towards William. Realising he was never going to get past all the staff he spun round and staggered through the ward door. Panic taking over him he yelled at his body guards, “Jones, Matthews, get my fucking son out of there! That’s an order!”

The two husky body guards exchanged glances behind their black reflective sunglasses, before pulling .45 pistols out of their holsters. They ran into the ward. Eight seconds later they emerged, one carrying William and the other dragging the senior doctor. David looked at the doctor, shaking and crumpled in Jones’ grasp, “Show us the way out” David barked at him. The doctor made a moaning sound. Jones shook him violently, “Show us the way out fuck face!”
“OK OK, please don’t hurt me. Head for that fire door” he nodded to his left.

They all ran, apart from the doctor who was dragged, to the fire escape. They bolted down the metal stairs, welcoming the cooling outside air after being in the hospital for so long. William hung limply over Matthews’ shoulder, his head bouncing violently with each step that was taken. David grimaced as he looked at his son. The stairs came out at the bottom of the car park. David looked round frantically for the car. Suddenly they heard sirens approaching. “Shit” David said, “The fucking police are here now! Shit!” Just then a female doctor appeared from a side door of the adjacent building. She wore a deep red skirt suit under a doctor’s coat. It flapped in the wind as she hurried towards them, “Mr Prime Minister, give William to me. I’ll take him somewhere safe and meet you later. Make your escape as planned. Hopefully the police will follow you, giving me time to get Williams to safety” she looked at him earnestly, holding out her business card. He took the card from her- Dr Nat Patel. He looked back at her accusingly. She laughed nervously, “I married an Indian man. My name’s Natalie.” He looked to his body guards who remained indecisive. “How did you know I was here? This was meant to be a confidential visit. How can I trust you?”
“I’m a big fan Mr Harrison. A very big fan. I’ve voted for you every year” she beamed at him and continued, “I overheard what had happened to William and I just wouldn’t forgive myself if I didn’t offer to help.” David looked around the car park frantically, pushing his hands through his hair, waiting for some kind of sign to tell him what to do. The sirens got louder. He looked back at the doctor, “OK… OK, it seems I don’t have much choice. I will contact you later and you will meet me and bring my son. While he’s in your care, I hold you fully responsible for his well-being” David’s voice seemed to break towards the end as hysteria started to kick in. He pocketed the business card. Relief seemed to wash over the doctor’s face, “OK, yes Mister Prime Minister. You have my word.” She indicated at Matthews, “My car’s this way.” Matthews carried William over to the doctor’s car, “Lucky you got tinted windows ma’am.” Her eyes, all colours, yet no colour at all, flickered slightly, “Isn’t it just” she smiled, flashing her perfectly white teeth.

Chapter 3

Sammy and Peter laughed and shrieked as they chased each other round the garden.

“May you be cursed with the tail of a donkey!” called Sammy, laughing as Peter suddenly sprouted a donkey’s tail.

“I’m gonna get you for that Sam” he laughed and pointed his finger at his sister, “May you be cursed with the neck of a giraffe.” Peter collapsed in a fit of giggles as Sammy’s head flew two metres in the air, attached to a giraffe’s neck. “And how about the ass of a rhino to complete your new look!”

Sammy screamed as her bottom exploded out of her dress, “Oh my god, look at my bum! Right Peter Taloose, may you have the feet of a chicken!” Peter’s shoes tore open as long claws protruded out. They looked at each other which set of a fresh set of howling laughter.

Just then, out the corner of his eye, Peter noticed a patch of grass that look withered and almost black, “Hey Sam, look at that.” She looked and gasped, “What the hell’s that? I’ve never seen grass that colour before. Mom?! Mom?!” she called.

Magda Taloose put her head round the door and rolled her eyes at the sight of them sporting various bits of animal, “Right you two, that’s enough, change each other back or I’ll turn you both into fruit flies.”

The children shuddered, stuck their tongues out at each other, and changed one another back. “Hey Mom?” Peter asked, “What’s wrong with that bit of grass over there?”

She looked over, puzzled. “I don’t know love. One of you probably hit it with some magic overflow. Remember what I told you about that?”

“Yes” they said in chorus, “If we use more magic than we need to there will be an overflow which will have an effect on the things around us.”

“Very good” she smiled, “So when you gave your sister a rhino’s bottom, if you gave it enough power to turn all of her into a rhino, there will have been some overspill. OK?”

“Yup.”

“OK good. Now I need some strawberries for a pie I’m making. You two fancy going through the waterfall?”

Gateway falls was the portal between the magical world of Mirror Light and the mortal world. As far as anyone was aware, no one from the mortal world had ever discovered the gateway, but then again, how many people go wandering into waterfalls muttering spells under their breath?

Gateway Falls was located near the edge of Mirror Light, in the centre of one of the small villages. It wasn’t often used because there wasn’t much need to enter the mortal world and even when there was, people didn’t tend to stay long as magic waned quickly there. But there was really good natural strawberry patch located not far from the mortal gateway.

Magda’s question was answered with huge grins and yells of delight.

“I take that as a yes then! OK but don’t be long. You know the other side will slowly diminish your powers.”

“We can handle it Mom” Sammy piped up, “We’re young and replenishable.”

Magda chuckled, “OK OK, off you go then. Stay together. And don’t get into trouble!”

The children scampered off towards the waterfall, their robes cutting through the long grass. As they approached, they noticed that the grass round here looked dark too. The normally rich green was again almost black. They exchanged glances but continued towards Gateway Falls. Deep blue water spilled over smooth grey stone and frothed into a deep blue-green pool. Luscious green and red water plants grew around the edges of the pond. The children ran as they got closer, laughing as they jumped into the water. They swam towards the back of the waterfall, holding hands, and as they reached it, they disappeared.

Emerging on the other side, Sammy and Peter were dry and wearing ‘mortal’ clothes. Their robes and boots had been replaced with jeans, t-shirts and trainers, and their magic aura faded. They felt it almost instantly. Magic being drained from them. Again they exchanged glances, but as children, these worrying thoughts seemed to evaporate as quickly as they’d arrived. Sammy was the first to spot the strawberries, ”Look Peter, there they are!” She ran towards the strawberry plants, kneeling down in the straw. But her face fell, “They’ve all gone! Peter, someone has picked them all!” Peter ran over and his face fell too, “Now what do we do?”

They eyed their surrounding area. A building in the distance glistened. “Maybe we should go in there and see if they have any strawberries” Peter said to Sammy. He seemed to have second thoughts almost immediately though, “But it is all the way at the other end of the valley.”

“Yes Peter, and we don’t even know what that building is. It looks important though; it’s got a huge driveway.”

“But imagine how disappointed Mom will be if we don’t get the strawberries. And I don’t fancy rhubarb pie again!”

They both wrinkled their noses at the thought of the bitter rhubarb, which seemed to confirm that they had no choice but to find some strawberries.

Chapter 4

Ricky sat in the interview room at the airport. He thought it looked more like a cell if he was honest. A table stood in the middle with two chairs on either side. It was uneven and rocked slightly as Ricky rested his elbows on it. A naked bulb hung down from the ceiling casting a yellow white light over the room. On the opposite wall to where he sat hung a large mirror. He suspected it was two-way glass, although he tried not to stare at it too much because the thought of people looking back at him made him feel uneasy. He fiddled with the strap on his watch nervously. Beads of sweat were starting to form on his brow. He wiped them away with the back of his hand. The door on the mirrored side of the room opened and in walked a security guard. His light blue shirt was strained beyond all reasonable capacity over his huge stomach. He had a baton hanging from one side of his belt and a pair of handcuffs swinging from the other. They glistened menacingly. “OK… Ricky” he checked his paperwork and sat down. “Tell me, what were you doing with a body in your suitcase?” 
“Mate, I told ya. I didn’t know there was a fucking body in the case”
“Mind your language, shit face”
Ricky rolled his eyes, “Look, mate, like I said to the other guy, I was paid to take a suitcase through customs. That’s it!”

The door opened and another security guard appeared, “Can I have a quick word Pete?” Pete sighed, and heaved himself off the chair. He scratched the stubble on his chin and wondered what he was having for dinner. He shuffled out slowly, hoping for steak and chips.

Ricky closed his eyes and buried his head in his hands. A few hours ago he’s been Ricky: wanderer of the subway’s in Birmingham. Now he was Ricky: on trial for murder. It had started like any other morning. He’d woken up in the doorway of the big cinema on Broad Street, muscles aching, joints creaking. His hands were a purpley-blue colour, frozen to the bone. Looking at the pale blue-white sky he guessed it was half past 5, so he made his was round the back streets to the rear of all the restaurants. He knew the chefs would be in by now, waiting for their deliveries. He hit behind some large metal dustbins, flies occasionally landing on him then flying off when they realised he wasn’t edible. A few minutes later a delivery van arrived. The driver beeped his horn several times, before getting out and opening the back of the van. Ricky’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. The whole van was loaded with fresh bread and pastries. The doughy smell floating on the early morning breeze nearly knocked Ricky out with excitement. He did a little victory dance behind the bins. A young kitchen boy sloped outside and nodded to the driver, “Mornin’ Charlie.” The driver nodded back, “I’ll leave you to unload if ya don’t mind sonny, need to take a slash” he said as he took out a packet of tobacco and fished inside for a half smoked roll up he’d made earlier. He lit it and strolled off round the corner, unzipping his flies. The kitchen boy grabbed one of the plastic crates and heaved it inside. Ricky saw his chance and darted out from behind the bins. He opened his jacket and started stuffing warm loaves of bread and Danish pastries into his pockets. He heard the kitchen boy scuffing his feet as he made his way back out. Ricky grabbed one last Danish for good measure and ran as fast as he could, laughing and cheering to himself as he went. He ran all the way to the subway that went under Broad Street, and then he sat down in his usual spot and began stuffing the baked goods into his mouth.

And that’s when she had appeared. Her heels tip tapped loudly as she entered the subway, making an echoing all down the passageway. She was wearing a knee length black skirt and a white, fitted blouse. Her hair was pulled up in a bun. Ricky remembered looking at her stilettos as she walked past, wishing she’d stand on his back in them. As she passed him she stopped suddenly. She turned around slowly, eyeing Ricky, “You, dirt-bag” she pointed at Ricky. He was lost for words. “How do you fancy making yourself some money?” He nodded, too surprised to speak. “Meet me at the airport at 2pm. Outside terminal 1. You got that, wino?” He nodded. So he’d done just that. He’d gone to Birmingham airport and met this crazy woman outside Terminal 1. She turned up wearing tight fitting jeans and a white top. She wore huge sunglasses, even though it wasn’t really sunny. And she seemed to be wearing a wig but Ricky couldn’t really tell. And she was dragging a large maroon suitcase. And dragging it she really was. With both hands, in fact. She signalled him over, “Here, take this through customs” she pointed at the case. “Someone will be at the other side to take it from there. I’ll give you £500 now and £500 when you come back through. That’s a thousand pounds, gutter-ball.”
“What’s in the case?”
“None of your God-damn business ass-wipe” she raised her voice and pointed one perfectly manicured finger at him. And that was it. That’s how he’d wound up in here.

Minutes later two special agents burst through the door, startling Ricky out of his trance. He had been leaning back on his chair, but now fell straight over the back, cracking his head on the concrete floor. One of the agents ran over to him, hoisted him up by his shirt and slammed him up the wall. The other agent stood by the door, hand on his rifle. Ricky wriggled and tried to shout but his mouth was frozen. The agent slammed him against the wall again, “Now listen to me you little shit. Where the fuck did you get the suitcase?” Ricky looked at the agent, dazed. The agent, still gripping Ricky by the shirt, kneed him in the crotch. Ricky howled out and doubled over. The agent continued, “I won’t tell you again scumbag, where did you get the suitcase?” Ricky gasped, “OK.. OK” he clutched his aching belly, “Some mad bitch came up to me yesterday in the subway and said she’d give me a grand to take a suitcase through customs. I’m skint man, what was I gonna say?” The soldiers looked at him sceptically. Ricky panicked, “It’s the truth mate honest to God it’s the truth.”
“And you didn’t think to ask what was in the case?”
“Yeah course but she wouldn’t tell me. I wasn’t gonna push it dude, she was crazy”

A phone rang. The other agent pulled out his mobile, “Yes Mister Prime Minister?”
“Have you got him?”
“Yes sir. He got the suitcase from a female outside the airport today Sir.”

David Harrison’s stomach lurched. He’d been trying to contact the female doctor from the hospital for two days. The hospital landline number went through to the switchboard who said that ‘Nat Patel’ was on maternity leave and wouldn’t be back for another sixth months. The mobile number on there was obviously a work phone and since ‘Nat’ was on maternity leave, she’d switched it off. David had nearly gone insane with worry. He’d demanded video surveillance tapes from the hospital but no one knew who she was. It had, at some point, dawned on him that he’d been conned. Fooled by a woman in a white coat. He hadn’t eaten or slept, and he seemed to have aged ten years over night. So he had alerted the army, giving them limited information only, instructing them to keep watch at airports, train stations and ferry ports. And that’s when Ricky had been discovered. It’s not normal to take a dead body through customs, he was told.

“That fucking bitch! That fucking bitch! She killed my boy, she killed my boy! Shit.”
“How would you like us to proceed Sir?”

Silence for a few moments. Sounds of weeping. And then, “Kill him, he knows too much. And then I want you to find that bitch and make her pay. I trust I don’t need to tell you this is top secret?”
“No Sir, need to know only Sir”

There was a single shot, and Ricky slumped to the floor.

Chapter 5

Keetas looked down at the figure lying on the long wooden table, strapped down at the wrists and ankles. He mildly resembled William but not enough that anyone would recognise him. His jaw line was stronger, his features more defined, and his eyes, now open fully now, swam with swirls of green in a pool of black. He stared up at her with no expression. Keetas unlocked the straps and he flexed his arms and legs; his muscles rippling down his body. “Welcome Francis” Keetas said, “How do you feel?”
“Fine Empress”
“Good. Follow me” 

Francis started to follow Keetas but stopped momentarily as he passed an adjacent table. “She’ll be with us shortly” Keetas reassured him, “Now please, follow me”. Francis obeyed and followed Keetas along the stone corridor and into another room. She knew they’d all be looking for her. She had, after all, abducted the body of the Prime Minister’s son. But it was an acceptable loss. One stuck up little daddy’s boy sacrificed for the greater good. It didn’t matter anyway; in a few weeks they would have an army of slaves so strong that no-one, from this world or theirs, would be able to stop them.

A tall slim man entered the room. His back was hunched so badly that it made him seem a fraction of his actual size. His toe nails clicked as he walked across the room. He smiled a thin smile when he saw Francis, “Excellent. Even better than I’d hoped for. And Chyna?”
“Any minute” Keetas replied. He nodded and walked over to Francis, “Hello Francis. My name is Lloyd and we have a job for you. Many years ago, an orb was created to enhance the magic of our world, but once every four hundred years, its powers are diminished due to a foolish error by the wizards who created it. We are in that phase at the moment and it’s our opportunity to step up and take control of this prudish world that uses magic with limitations and rules. Magic should be free and without restriction.” Francis nodded in agreement. Lloyd continued, “We need an army, ruthless and powerful, to take control of Mirror Light. It would not be easy to recruit from our own lands, as they do still have some magic.”
“So what we’ve decided” Keetas cut in, impatient at Lloyd’s lengthy explanation “is to use people from the mortal world. It is your job, along with Chyna, to round up as many humans as possible and send them through Gateway Falls, where Lloyd and I will convert them into beings such as yourselves; dominant and utterly merciless” She grinned. Francis and Lloyd felt themselves turn ice cold at the sight of her maddening smile.

Suddenly there was an enormous crack. Lloyd bolted into the next room, closely followed by Francis. The table that Chyna had been lying on was cracked into two splintery pieces. She hadn’t managed to break out of the straps though, and consequently was straddled awkwardly, arms and legs spread. Francis felt his heart racing faster as he gazed at her body. Her olive skin glowed. Her long dark hair fell in loose waves, covering her breasts. And her eyes. Her emerald green eyes seemed to pierce his very sole.

Keetas glided over to Chyna and undid the straps. She stood up fully and stretched, as Francis had done. She smiled a dark, crazy smile at Keetas and curtseyed, “Empress.” Keetas nodded in return before clicking her fingers and disappearing into wisps of blue smoke.

Francis took a step towards Chyna and put his hands on her waist. She looked at him, arched an eyebrow and stepped backwards out of his grasp. “You must be Francis” she said. Her words flowed like silk, edged with a blade as sharp as a sword. He nodded, still transfixed by her beauty. “I’m Chyna. Looks like we’ve got work to do.” Francis’ mouth twisted into a wicked smile.

***

A few hours later the Interlagos Blue BMW M5 drove lazily up the long, black pebble driveway, which curved round the front of the Hotel Olympia, and back out towards the road again. A white marble fountain of Goddess Athena stood in the centre, ice cold water sliding over her like liquid crystal. Stood in the middle of 12 acres of luscious green land, the Hotel Olympia glistened like a diamond encrusted in the lost lands of paradise. Its reflective glass windows scattered sunlight in all directions, making it sparkle. Willow trees clustered round the sides and back of the building, their branches dancing elegantly in the light breeze, while a small river wound itself round their trunks, babbling and gurgling as it hit smooth pebbles and rock pools. Grassy banks dotted with daffodils encircled the grounds, protective but not threatening.

The car pulled up infront of the hotel, sending little puffs of pebble dust up as the tyres crunched to halt. A doorman appeared outside the hotel doors and waited patiently. Francis stepped out of the car and nodded at the doorman, who glided promptly over to the passenger door and opened it. A lightly tanned leg appeared, encased in a black Christian Louboutin shoe. The doorman offered a hand, which Chyna took, as she stepped out of the car. Francis grinned and removed his sunglasses, “I think I’m going to like it here”. The doorman bowed slightly, “I’m sure you will sir”. Francis tossed him the car keys before making his way up the marble steps and into the hotel, closely followed by Chyna.

Like the statue, the hotel foyer was paved with gleaming white marble. A coffee lounge stood directly ahead. Half a dozen glass tables and soft black leather chairs were poised neatly, while several waiters stood patiently off to one side. Tropical plants were scattered at random throughout the lounge, unusually green and vibrant. Francis and Chyna headed straight ahead, towards the kitchen.

As they approached the door, Chyna stood aside. Francis, not wanting to cause too much commotion at this point, looked longingly away from his gun, and decided to kick the door in instead. A half attempt did the job easily, and the door swung inwards off its hinges. Everyone in the kitchen stopped they were doing and looked at Francis and Chyna. No one knew quite what to do mainly because they couldn’t quite figure out who they were. The head chef, a rather large Chinese man, opted for his personal worst nightmare, and threw himself to the floor on his knees. He put his hands together, as if to pray, and bellowed at the top of his voice, “Why oh why do you forsake me and send the health inspector on today of all day’s?! I’m a good man, but I can only hide so many dead mice!” Francis and Chyna exchanged glances, picked up knives from the rack and threw them directly at the chef. One landed in each eye. He wobbled for a few seconds before falling forwards, pushing the knives through the back of his skull. This inevitably caused blind panic. Like two hyenas in a field of sheep, Francis and Chyna maimed, decapitated, castrated and gutted the rest of the kitchen staff. When they were done, they looked around, satisfied with their work. Francis left the kitchen and went in search of more victims, while Chyna dragged the bodies into the cold storage cupboard. Some of them were still alive, screaming and clutching their wounds.

As Francis made his way back into reception, he noticed two small children in the foyer. He could tell from the faint sparkling around their bodies that they were from Mirror Light. He hung back, grabbing Chyna’s arm as she exited the kitchen. They watched as the children spoke to the concierge, their faces disappointed. Suddenly one of the children, the boy, turned and stared directly at Francis. His eyes were like saucers and he seemed freeze on the spot. He grabbed the girl’s hand and dragged her out of the main doors. Francis grinned, and strode after the children, punching his fist straight through the concierge’s chest as he went past. He ran down the steps of the hotel to see Sammy and Peter running across the valley, towards the waterfall. “All in good time” he breathed.

Chyna, meanwhile, continued to ‘clear’ the reception area. When Francis returned he was greeted by twenty or so crippled bodies writhing around on the floor.

Chapter 6

Sammy and Peter burst through Gateway Falls into Mirror Light. They ran, tripping over their robes and gasping for breath until they got home. Magda saw them frantically pushing through the grass, terror on their young faces. She dropped the pie case she had been making and hurried outside the meet them.

“Kids, what’s happened?! Oh god just tell me what’s happened!”

“Mom, the strawberries...”
“Strawberries were gone, so we went across the valley...”
“Across the valley to the sparkly building and we saw... we saw...”
“A man with evil magic in his eyes and a black aura.”

Magda’s face went pale. She steadied herself on the window ledge and took a deep breath. “Are you sure? This is very serious. Tell me now if you’re playing games!”

“Mom, we swear!” Peter spread his arms, palms up so try and prove his honesty. “There was a woman there too. She had the same black eyes.”

Magda ordered the children inside, gathered her robes and hurried to wizard’s castle.

A few minutes later Madga’s shoes were tapping on the warm stone as she trotted up the entrance way to the castle. She pounded her fist on the heavy wooden door, her chest heaving up and down from her sprint. A wooden spy hole slid open and a pair of beady eyes blinked at her.

“Yes ma’am?” the guard said.

“I need to see the wizards, it’s an emergency!”
“Non wizards aren’t allowed into the castle ma’am, you know that.” The guard started to close the shutter.
“Wait!” Magda’s voice was becoming hysterical, “You have to let me in, please for the love of god let me in!” she started pounding her fists on the door, her impatience becoming more and more apparent.

The guard rolled his eyes, oblivious to the situation. “Fine, I’ll go and get someone. Just stop banging on this bloody door!”

Magda waited for what seemed like an eternity until eventually one of this wizards emerged, his hat crumpled and his long beard straggly. “This had better be good” he yawned, “Interrupting a wizard’s sleep is a hanging offence.” He chuckled to himself at his seemingly funny joke. Magda knitted her eyebrows in frustration but the wizard didn’t notice. He turned his head upwards as if searching for long forgotten memories, “yes... back in the old days, waking a wizard was punishable by death. Very important, sleep is. It gives the spells in your head a chance to sort themselves out. I remember one chappy... Colin I believe his name was... or was it Merlin...” he tapped his foot on the stone and nibbled the end of his thumb. It seemed to do the job. His eyes lit up, “Yes, Colin. It was definitely Colin. Funny little man. Always getting his spells muddled. Didn’t sleep enough y’see. The spells can get mixed up, what with one thing and another. Sneaky little buggers they are. A good afternoon kip normally sorts them right out. That, and a nice cup of tea, of course.” He winked at Magda, expecting her to agree with hearty enthusiasm. Instead she scowled, gritted her teeth and folded her arms across her chest. The wizard being a wise and experienced man, knew this was the time to shut up and pay attention.