| Children Fiction posted January 9, 2025 |
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In The Attic - 2
The Mirror
by Begin Again
Quinn hesitated at the bottom of the attic stairs, nibbling on one of the cookies he had grabbed. "Jordan?" he called, his voice wavering a little. "Are you up there?"
His heart raced. The weathered attic door groaned as a chilly breeze swirled down the steps from the attic. He climbed a few more steps and called again, "Jordan, Grandma said—" He stopped and sighed, shaking his head. "Of course, you don't care what Grandma said, do you?"
He could hear the soft sound of Jordan's footsteps above him and then silence.
"You're going to make me come up there, aren't you?"
Taking a deep breath, Quinn made his way up the narrow staircase. The air grew colder as he reached the top, and a small gust of wind made the old door creak once more.
As he cleared the attic landing, he saw Jordan standing in front of an old chest. She was smiling, clearly delighted by something she'd discovered. The light from the window flickered, casting eerie shadows across the dusty old trunks and forgotten furniture.
Batting the cobwebs away from his face, he glared at his sister. "What are you doing?" he asked, a nervous tremor in his voice. "We're not supposed to be up here."
Jordan glanced over her shoulder, grinning mischievously, ignoring his silly remarks. "Look at what I found!"
She opened the trunk with a creak. Inside were all kinds of strange items — old clothing, a fancy lady's hat with a faded flower, and even a red feather boa that had lost some luster over the years.
"What is this stuff?" Quinn asked, stepping closer.
Jordan grabbed the hat and playfully placed it on her head, then swung the boa around her shoulders, striking a dramatic pose. "I think I make this look good." She laughed.
Quinn couldn't resist laughing at his sister's antics, but unease lingered in his chest. "You sure this is a good idea?" he asked, fiddling with an old military hat he found. "It's all so — old."
Jordan twirled around, humming a song. "I'm pretty sure Grandma won't mind. We're just having fun. And this stuff is so old. I wish —"
She stopped mid-sentence when her eyes landed on something tall against the wall. An army-green blanket and several layers of dust covered it. Cobwebs weaved from the rafters to the blanket.
"Quinn, quick, help me. That has to be a mirror. I want to see if I look like one of those Hollywood stars in Grandma's old movies."
"I — I don't know, Jordan. Maybe we shouldn't."
"What?" Jordan's eyes narrowed as she glared at her brother. "What can it hurt? I want to see myself, and then we will cover it up again."
"Grandma said —"
Jordan moved closer to Quinn, her tiny face twisted into a snarl. "Grandma said! Just like she said, don't go picking any of the blackberries the last time we were down by the river. That didn't stop you from stuffing your mouth full of berries until you got a tummy ache. Now, did it?"
"Uh, that was different. I was hungry."
Jordan grabbed Quinn's hand and tugged. "And I want to see the mirror. Now help me move those boxes in front of it. It will only take a second."
Reluctantly, Quinn allowed his sister to drag him toward the boxes and managed to sneeze several times for her benefit. "See, I'm helping you, and I'll probably get sick."
"Fine, go back downstairs to those old Civil War books. I'll do it myself, but wait till I tell your friends what a sissy you are," Jordan teased.
His eyes widened in disbelief. "You wouldn't?" he wailed.
"I will!" She flipped the boa in the air and turned her back on him, lowering her voice to a mere whisper, "Mirror, mirror—" She spun around, her eyes wide and gleaming. "What if it's a magic mirror, Quinn? What if — what if it talks?" She cackled like the witch in Wizard of Oz, pushing her face close to his.
Quinn pushed her away. "You're being dumb."
"I'm not! I'm trying to have fun and make this an adventure."
Quinn sighed. "Okay, you won't stop until I help you, so let's do it."
The children moved the last box out of the way. Dust mites flew everywhere as Jordan triumphantly yanked the dusty blanket off. Standing upright was a large, ornate mirror. Intricately carved flowers and vines framed the edges.
"Oh, it's beautiful!" The moment Jordan saw it, she felt a strange pull. Something about the mirror made her feel excited.
Quinn sneezed. "It's just some old mirror. You can't even see yourself in the glass."
"It's just dust and some paper. Quick — find something to wipe it off."
"No, you do it. If I'm going to be up here, I will have a real adventure." He returned to the chest and rummaged through it, pulling a safari hat out. "Look at me, Jordan. I'm a lion hunter." He roared and clawed the air with his hands.
Using the blanket, Jordan brushed away the cobwebs and dust, and then, with one swift tug, she ripped a large tear in the paper covering the glass.
Quinn gasped. "Jordan, you shouldn't have done that."
"Well, it's done, and I can't put it back, so I might as well finish the job."
Quinn took a step back. "I don't know, Jordan." His gaze shifted from Jordan to the mirror and then around the room. "Something's different. I can feel it."
"All that's different is my baby brother is a scaredy-cat."
"I'm not your baby brother. And I'm not afraid." Quinn's chin jutted forward to show his defiance. "Besides, I'm only five minutes younger than you."
Jordan shrugged, and with a swift tug, she ripped the remaining paper off, uncovering the mirror's smooth, silver surface. Satisfied, Jordan stood smiling at her reflection.
And then something changed!
The mirror's surface shimmered and began to ripple like a pond being disturbed by a stone. The silver glass swirled, and a soft, golden glow spread from the frame, lighting the attic in a warm, magical light.
"Whoa," Jordan whispered, stepping closer. "Look at that."
The reflection was strange. Instead of the dusty old attic, they saw — a forest. Trees stretched high into the sky, their leaves glowing in colors Quinn had never seen before. Strange creatures darted between the trees, filling the air with a soft melody.
Suddenly, a small, glowing fairy with iridescent wings fluttered through the shimmering surface of the mirror. She was no bigger than Jordan's hand, her wings sparkling like sunlight on water. She tilted her head, her voice tinkling like tiny bells. "Ah, visitors! We don't get many of those. Well, come along now," she said with a cheerful smile. "The Guardian doesn't like to be kept waiting!"
Quinn hesitated, his doubts swirling. "I don't know if we should do this," he said, his voice shaking. "Grandma said we shouldn't go into the attic, and now this —"
But Jordan, filled with excitement and curiosity, turned to him. "We have to! It's an adventure, Quinn. It's what we've always wanted!"
Quinn looked at the glowing path, his doubts still swirling in his mind, but the look on Jordan's face — her excitement, her determination — was enough to make him nod.
"Alright, let's go. But if anything goes wrong, it's your fault."
Jordan smiled. "Deal."
Hand in hand, they stepped toward the glowing path, the fairy leading the way. Behind them, the attic grew still again, and the mirror's surface shimmered, its secrets waiting to be revealed.
His heart raced. The weathered attic door groaned as a chilly breeze swirled down the steps from the attic. He climbed a few more steps and called again, "Jordan, Grandma said—" He stopped and sighed, shaking his head. "Of course, you don't care what Grandma said, do you?"
He could hear the soft sound of Jordan's footsteps above him and then silence.
"You're going to make me come up there, aren't you?"
Taking a deep breath, Quinn made his way up the narrow staircase. The air grew colder as he reached the top, and a small gust of wind made the old door creak once more.
As he cleared the attic landing, he saw Jordan standing in front of an old chest. She was smiling, clearly delighted by something she'd discovered. The light from the window flickered, casting eerie shadows across the dusty old trunks and forgotten furniture.
Batting the cobwebs away from his face, he glared at his sister. "What are you doing?" he asked, a nervous tremor in his voice. "We're not supposed to be up here."
Jordan glanced over her shoulder, grinning mischievously, ignoring his silly remarks. "Look at what I found!"
She opened the trunk with a creak. Inside were all kinds of strange items — old clothing, a fancy lady's hat with a faded flower, and even a red feather boa that had lost some luster over the years.
"What is this stuff?" Quinn asked, stepping closer.
Jordan grabbed the hat and playfully placed it on her head, then swung the boa around her shoulders, striking a dramatic pose. "I think I make this look good." She laughed.
Quinn couldn't resist laughing at his sister's antics, but unease lingered in his chest. "You sure this is a good idea?" he asked, fiddling with an old military hat he found. "It's all so — old."
Jordan twirled around, humming a song. "I'm pretty sure Grandma won't mind. We're just having fun. And this stuff is so old. I wish —"
She stopped mid-sentence when her eyes landed on something tall against the wall. An army-green blanket and several layers of dust covered it. Cobwebs weaved from the rafters to the blanket.
"Quinn, quick, help me. That has to be a mirror. I want to see if I look like one of those Hollywood stars in Grandma's old movies."
"I — I don't know, Jordan. Maybe we shouldn't."
"What?" Jordan's eyes narrowed as she glared at her brother. "What can it hurt? I want to see myself, and then we will cover it up again."
"Grandma said —"
Jordan moved closer to Quinn, her tiny face twisted into a snarl. "Grandma said! Just like she said, don't go picking any of the blackberries the last time we were down by the river. That didn't stop you from stuffing your mouth full of berries until you got a tummy ache. Now, did it?"
"Uh, that was different. I was hungry."
Jordan grabbed Quinn's hand and tugged. "And I want to see the mirror. Now help me move those boxes in front of it. It will only take a second."
Reluctantly, Quinn allowed his sister to drag him toward the boxes and managed to sneeze several times for her benefit. "See, I'm helping you, and I'll probably get sick."
"Fine, go back downstairs to those old Civil War books. I'll do it myself, but wait till I tell your friends what a sissy you are," Jordan teased.
His eyes widened in disbelief. "You wouldn't?" he wailed.
"I will!" She flipped the boa in the air and turned her back on him, lowering her voice to a mere whisper, "Mirror, mirror—" She spun around, her eyes wide and gleaming. "What if it's a magic mirror, Quinn? What if — what if it talks?" She cackled like the witch in Wizard of Oz, pushing her face close to his.
Quinn pushed her away. "You're being dumb."
"I'm not! I'm trying to have fun and make this an adventure."
Quinn sighed. "Okay, you won't stop until I help you, so let's do it."
The children moved the last box out of the way. Dust mites flew everywhere as Jordan triumphantly yanked the dusty blanket off. Standing upright was a large, ornate mirror. Intricately carved flowers and vines framed the edges.
"Oh, it's beautiful!" The moment Jordan saw it, she felt a strange pull. Something about the mirror made her feel excited.
Quinn sneezed. "It's just some old mirror. You can't even see yourself in the glass."
"It's just dust and some paper. Quick — find something to wipe it off."
"No, you do it. If I'm going to be up here, I will have a real adventure." He returned to the chest and rummaged through it, pulling a safari hat out. "Look at me, Jordan. I'm a lion hunter." He roared and clawed the air with his hands.
Using the blanket, Jordan brushed away the cobwebs and dust, and then, with one swift tug, she ripped a large tear in the paper covering the glass.
Quinn gasped. "Jordan, you shouldn't have done that."
"Well, it's done, and I can't put it back, so I might as well finish the job."
Quinn took a step back. "I don't know, Jordan." His gaze shifted from Jordan to the mirror and then around the room. "Something's different. I can feel it."
"All that's different is my baby brother is a scaredy-cat."
"I'm not your baby brother. And I'm not afraid." Quinn's chin jutted forward to show his defiance. "Besides, I'm only five minutes younger than you."
Jordan shrugged, and with a swift tug, she ripped the remaining paper off, uncovering the mirror's smooth, silver surface. Satisfied, Jordan stood smiling at her reflection.
And then something changed!
The mirror's surface shimmered and began to ripple like a pond being disturbed by a stone. The silver glass swirled, and a soft, golden glow spread from the frame, lighting the attic in a warm, magical light.
"Whoa," Jordan whispered, stepping closer. "Look at that."
The reflection was strange. Instead of the dusty old attic, they saw — a forest. Trees stretched high into the sky, their leaves glowing in colors Quinn had never seen before. Strange creatures darted between the trees, filling the air with a soft melody.
Suddenly, a small, glowing fairy with iridescent wings fluttered through the shimmering surface of the mirror. She was no bigger than Jordan's hand, her wings sparkling like sunlight on water. She tilted her head, her voice tinkling like tiny bells. "Ah, visitors! We don't get many of those. Well, come along now," she said with a cheerful smile. "The Guardian doesn't like to be kept waiting!"
Quinn hesitated, his doubts swirling. "I don't know if we should do this," he said, his voice shaking. "Grandma said we shouldn't go into the attic, and now this —"
But Jordan, filled with excitement and curiosity, turned to him. "We have to! It's an adventure, Quinn. It's what we've always wanted!"
Quinn looked at the glowing path, his doubts still swirling in his mind, but the look on Jordan's face — her excitement, her determination — was enough to make him nod.
"Alright, let's go. But if anything goes wrong, it's your fault."
Jordan smiled. "Deal."
Hand in hand, they stepped toward the glowing path, the fairy leading the way. Behind them, the attic grew still again, and the mirror's surface shimmered, its secrets waiting to be revealed.
 Recognized |
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