A Cursed family Mirror finds a new home

Object Apparitions - Manifestations of spirits, ghosts or apparitions in association with an object. This phenomenon is experienced as any paranormal activity in connection with that object.  These objects can also be referred to as cursed.

“Hi Gram!!” I said, opening my grandmother’s front door. 
“Well, Hi Johnnie” she replied from her well-worn easy chair.
“Hi gramma, Daddy let me play on the moving stairs in the airport; I love to go up and down!” Isabel squealed excitedly as she squeezed in between my leg and the door jam. 
“Oh really, that sounds like fun. How was the airplane ride; did the stewardess give you a set of wings?” Grandma replied.
“No, I don’t think they do that anymore.” Isabel said, looking down, a bit disappointed.
“Hi Gram, we missed you” My wife Sue said as she walked through the door with an arm full of gifts.
“Give grandma a kiss Isa” Sue said to Isabel.
Grandma grabbed her wooden cane and leaned forward for the approaching five year old. She puckered her red lips as Isabel neared her chair. Isabel planted a huge kiss and Grandma’s face lit up.
Entering the living room my eyes caught a shadow in the mirror above the sofa. It reflected a window covered with shear drapes and stormy clouds beyond. The air was rapidly charging with the impending storm.
We sat down on the sofa opposite grandma as Isabel played with old toys from my childhood.
“Looks like you got here just in time; they’re expecting a huge electrical storm. We had one last week and two people were struck by lightning”.
Grandma continued, “You know Michael, I’m not going to live forever and I’d like to start giving away my stuff.”
“Oh gram”, I responded, “I can’t imagine taking any of your stuff while you are still using it.”
“It’s not that I am using much these days.”
Suddenly, I sensed someone behind me, but the couch was against the wall. I unconsciously turned and looked up at the mirror. It had a dark wood oval frame, heavily lacquered. Small stress cracks stretched across the frame with nicks from several generations.  The glass on the mirror was distorted and gave a slight vertigo effect. In the reflection of the curtains I could almost make out a face. As I focused on the image, my concentration was broken by grandma’s raspy voice.
“That mirror has been in my family for generations. My great Grandmother Newton owned it, and she gave it to me.”
“Do you know who originally bought it?” I asked
“No, I don’t remember the details Johnnie, I’m not sure I was ever told. I just remember what I’ve already told you.”
“Well, I feel like it’s speaking to me, would it be ok to ask for the mirror?”
“Of course, at the end of your visit, we’ll pack it up and you can take it with you.”
“Thanks Gram.”

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“Be careful!” I shouted as Sue let the suitcase drop to the floor.
“Don’t yell at me, my hands were full and it slipped.” She replied.
“The mirror is in there, do you want to get it home just to break it!”
“Johnnie, why are you yelling at me? I didn’t break the mirror, chill out!”
Catching myself I stormed off to the kitchen for a drink.
“Come on baby. I think daddy is tired from the trip. Let’s go upstairs and get you ready for bed.” Sue said to Isabel.
“OK Mommy, I’m tired too.” She said yawning and putting her head against Sue’s leg. 
After the girls went upstairs, I grabbed the suitcase and carried it into the living room. I was as excited as a child at Christmas as I opened it. I picked up the mirror and the cloths protecting it fell away. It felt weightless in my hands and it seemed to float.  Staring at my reflection I wondered how old it really was. How many people had looked into that mirror over the last 150 years? Mesmerized by these thoughts a faint whisper tickled my ear. Cocking my head to listen I couldn’t get a fix. The voice faded and I heard my wife say,
“Baby, what are you doing?”
“I was checking out the mirror” I said.
“Do you have to do it right this moment, it’s late” Sue chirped.
“No, I don’t, but I just felt like looking at it.”
Turning the mirror over I looked at the wood slats that held the mirror in place. Two thick eye bolts stabbed the frame on either side with a braded wire strung between them. Several dime sized dark stains dotted the back.  Even after the trip in the case a grey film of dust remained on the wood. I ran my fingers across the back to see if the dust would come off. 
“Ouch!”
“What happened” Sue concerned voice echoed.
“I got a splinter, shit!”
“Hold still, I’ll go get a pair of tweezers, can you please stop with the mirror for the moment? It’s getting late and I’m tired.” And she left for the bathroom.
The wound pulsated and began to bleed.  Several drops of blood fell on the back of the mirror and absorbed quickly. The drops matched the other dark stain on the mirror exactly. I felt a cold chill as I stared at the blood trying to think what else the stains might be, but I knew it was blood.
“Can you bring some Kleenex too, it’s bleeding”
Leaning the mirror against the wall I studied the blond splinter but it was hard to make out in the dark room. I decided to go to the bathroom where the light was better. Sue was searching for the tweezers.
“Find them?” I said
“No, I don’t remember where I left them”
“Look in the medicine cabinet, I think I saw them in there” I responded.
“Ah, here they are” She exclaimed as she pulled them from the cabinet. “Give me your finger and hold still. Man, it is bleeding a lot.”
“I know it’s weird, can you see it?” I said
She wiped the blood away and started to dig.
“Ouch, that hurts!”
“If you don’t stay still, I can’t get it and it’s going to hurt more” She retorted
Holding my breath, she dug it out.
“Here ya go, thick little sucker. Let me get some antibiotic and a bandage.”
“I have a bandage here, just put it on.”
“Ok, but I think you should clean it out before you cover it.” She said.
“It’s only a splinter, not a war wound”
“Ok, it’s your finger. I’m going to bed, are you coming?”
“I’ll be right up; I’m just going to grab the suitcase. Is Isa in bed?”
“Yes, she was out like a light.” Sue said.
“Good, be right up.”
Sue retuned up stairs and I went back to the living room to get the suitcase. The mirror was on the floor, propped against the wall at an angle. The ceiling was visible in the reflection and a wispy figure caught his eye. I stared for a moment, but my eyes wouldn’t focus on the figure. Turning to look up at the ceiling I saw shadowy lights danced across it. “Just the lights,” I thought, “and I’m tired.” As I turned and headed for the stairs, the hair on the back of his neck stood up and a cold draft brushed my hair.  A shiver grated down my spine but I kept walking. Not feeling brave enough to turn and see what might be causing the sensation. “Man, you’re tired, get to bed”. But as I continued towards the stairs, the feeling that someone was watching me never left.

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Walking down the hallway I passed Isabel’s open door to see her sitting up in bed. She was looking towards me and she said, “Hi daddy”. 
“Hi baby, what are you doing up?”
“I saw mommy walk by the door and she scared me.”
“I’m sorry honey, when did mommy walk by the door?”
“Just now” She responded with a note of fear in her voice.
“Hang on a minute baby, Let me go get mommy”
Starting down the hall and I could hear Sue snoring. That’s odd, she was obviously asleep.
Walking back down the hallway to Isabel’s room I sat down on her bed.
“Mommy’s in the bathroom baby. Tell me what you saw?”
“I saw mommy walking pasted my door, with a camera in her hand” She said.
“Can you tell me what she was wearing?”
Isabel looked off to her right and stared for a moment.
“What baby, what are you looking at?”
“Nothing” she replied.
“It’ ok honey, tell me what you see.”
“Nothing daddy.”
But I could see from the scared look in her eyes that she was not telling the truth.
“It’s ok baby, you can tell daddy what you see.” I prodded.
“Nothing daddy, I was looking at my picture, cause I like it.”
The mind of a five year old was something fragile and easily traumatize, so I dropped it especially since I was feeling scared too.
“Baby, what was mommy wearing when she walked across the door way?” I repeated.
“She was wearing white”
“White what Isa, a shirt, a dress, do you remember?” I again prodded.
“She was wearing a white shirt, and I don’t remember what pants.” Isabel finished.
The questioning was beginning to make her worry, so I stopped.
“OK baby, how would you like to sleep with Daddy and Mommy tonight?”
“YA daddy, I really want to!” and she jumped into my arms. I held her tightly and kissed her gently on her head. Bringing her into my room I put her in bed, and pulled the covers up over her.
“There you go baby, I’ll be back in a minute, ok?”
“OK daddy, and daddy, can you spoon with me when you come to bed?” She added.
“Of course baby, of course.”
Walking back down the hall to Isabel’s room I turned on the light. Her room looked normal, nothing out of place. Turning to reach the light switch, something caught my eye on the dresser. It was a carving knife from the down stairs kitchen. I walked over to the knife and picked it up. It was ice cold, as if it had been in the freezer.
Fighting down a rising fear I thought, there must be some rational explanation that eluded me. The realization struck me that tonight was probably going to be a sleepless one.
Walking back down stairs with the knife to return it to the kitchen, I noticed the intercom system was left on and it was tuned to the master bedroom. I’d asked Sue to keep it turned off when we go to bed, but realized that she had not been in the kitchen since we got home. As I stood looking at the intercom, a low inaudible moan stung my ears. The sound began to intensify in volume punctuated by a distinct, “Johnnie”.  I did not recognize the voice. Perhaps my wife was having a dream but by now my rational mind was giving way to the absurd. Dropping the knife I sprinted upstairs. Running down the hallway I saw a white shadow cross the door inside the bedroom. Entering the room I saw Isabel was sitting up staring at me. As soon as she saw me, she started to cry hysterically.

“DADDY, It made me cry!!!” she screamed.
The noise woke Sue and she responded, “What’s wrong baby”
I ran over to the bedside and picked her up and hugged her tightly. I asked her, “what happened baby?”
“I was next to mommy and I felt a hand brush the hair away from my face. I thought it was you but when I turned around, I saw a white lady with her hand on my face. It scared me and when you came into the room, she disappeared.” She continued to cry hysterically.
Sue looked at me as if she had had a nightmare. “Come here baby, mommy won’t let it happen again.”
Struggling with the thought of explaining to Sue my experiences of tonight, I concluded that it wouldn’t do much good. It would only inhibit both of us from getting sleep tonight.
“I’m sorry baby. Why don’t you snuggle with mommy while daddy gets ready for bed? I have a few more things to do before I come to bed, ok.”
Sue responded, “why don’t you just come to bed we can deal with that stuff tomorrow.”
Giving her a startled look, as if I had just seen someone murdered, Sue responded, “Johnnie, what’s wrong?”
“Sue, I’m not sure what’s wrong. But I need to go check something. I’ll be right back.”
Her face turned from annoyance to concern.
“Daddy, I want you in bed with me.” Isabel said with her frightened face staring at me.
“Daddy will be back in a minute baby, just snuggle with mommy for now” I said.
“I’ll be right back, please stay in bed, ok?”
“Ok” Sue replied with a worried look on her face.
Walking to the intercom I turned it off. Starting back downstairs, a feeling of pressure seemed to increase with each step I took. After turning off the intercom system I picked up the knife and put it back into the silverware drawer.  My mind was racing and I was starting to panic.
Standing in frozen fear I listening to the noises in the house. Suddenly, the thought of the mirror focused in my mind, “Get that thing out of the house.” Walking to the living room I picked up the mirror and headed for the garage. Turning on the light I walked to the far end and left it there. After returning to the house I placed the palm of my hand and ear against the door listening for anything strange. I waited but didn’t hear or feel anything. Standing like a statue, I listening while mustering the courage to walk back upstairs.
The house seemed to have less pressure in it now, like the air inside a balloon had been released. But the pressure inside my head was still building. “What the hell am I supposed to do now?” Just take one step towards the stairs and my left leg took the first step. Gaining momentum I started to run up the stairs to my bedroom. Suddenly a horrifying thought struck my head like a bullet. Gory images of blood soaked sheet and dismembered body parts flashed across my imagination. Emotions came flooding into my head, fear, guilt, panic, pain and horror as I raced into the bedroom. The images were so real I almost cried when I stopped at the foot of the bed to see my two girls sleeping quietly, spooning each other.
Thinking briefly about going back downstairs for a drink gripped me with fear, so I sat down on the bed. Bending over I put my head in my hands. Was this really happening? Did someone drop some drugs in my drink at the airport? Perhaps I was still asleep on the plane and this was all a bad dream? Laying down on the bed with my clothes still on I listening to the sounds in the house. The silence was claustrophobic. I felt like I was in a coffin, just waiting to be buried. I don’t know how long I lay there before jet lag and exhaustion finally over powered my fear before I fell asleep.

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‘Daddy, why are you still in your clothes?”  Isabel’s voice scratched, waking me up. I rolled over and looked at the clock, it was 7 am.
“Oh baby, Daddy is tired, I need to sleep a bit more, ok?”
“But daddy, you’re still in your cloths!!!” She again reminded me.
“I know baby, I was so tired, I must have fallen asleep with them on last night”
Getting up I stripping to my underwear and got back in bed, closing my eyes.
“Go to sleep, it’s still too early”
As soon as the last word left my lips, a loud boom came from down stairs. The epicenter was unclear but it was loud enough to wake up Sue.
“What was that?!” Sue said as she sat up.
“I don’t know” Responding as I got out of bed.
Putting my pants back on I started down stairs. Reaching the bottom of the stairs I looked over into the living room and I could not believe what I saw. The mirror was on the floor, leaning against the couch.
“What the Hell!!” I muttered.
Did I take the mirror out to the garage or did I just think about doing it? With my head still swimming with sleep I wasn’t sure. Breaking my gaze away I scanned the room, looking for the source of the noise. I didn’t see anything else out of place. Starting towards the kitchen I passed the doorway and froze. Terror gripped my soul and my heart stopped. Every one of the kitchen drawers and cabinets were wide open. One large bowl had fallen out of the bottom cabinet and was resting in the middle of the kitchen floor.
“What the hell!!” I screamed in mortal fear.
“What is it honey?” Sue screamed from upstairs.
“Nothing, just a bowl fell out of the cabinet, nothing to worry about. I’ll be back up in a minute.” I said, managing to keep my voice from showing my terror.
Walking around the kitchen I closed all the drawers and cabinets in a catatonic state. My mind was frozen as I put my back against the cabinets and slowly slid to the floor. I wanted to cry, scream, run out of the house but I was immobilized with terror.  Finally I was able to look at the doorway that led to the living room where the mirror now sat. One thought jumped into my consciousness. Smash that thing!! That was the answer, get rid of it now!
Standing up I headed for the garage. I opened the door and grabbed a baseball bat I kept on the landing. Turning back I had a single thought, destroy the mirror. Marching into the living room I raised the bat with all the fury I felt. I started the down swing with maximum force and as the bat came down, the mirror leaped forward and fell face down to the floor. The bat missed over the top. Now angry and furious and I readjusted my stance to straddle the mirror. Raising the bat, ready to swing with all my force I heard,
“Johnnie, what are you doing?”
Looking up I saw my wife and daughter on the stairs, looking at me as if I’d lost my mind.
I couldn’t speak for a moment, looking into Isabel’s eyes, seeing fear. Slowly I lowered the bat and tried to think of an excuse that wouldn’t sound like a lie.
“Ah, I saw a rat run into the living room from the kitchen. It knocked down the mirror and I was trying to smash it”. I finally said, trying to look serious.
“A rat” Sue screamed. “I hate rats!!”
“Eweeu Daddy, did you get it!” Isabel’s voice scratched.
“No, it got away baby. Go back upstairs and I’ll get some traps and put them out. I’m sure there is only one. We’ll get it.” I said as the blood started to return to my brain.
Sue was still looking at me as she intuitively knew something was wrong. 
“Baby, go back upstairs and get dressed. I’ll be up in a minute”. Sue told Isabel and she stared down the stairs toward me.
“What is going on?” She said as she put her hand on my shoulder.
Stepping over the mirror I sank onto the couch. She followed and sat down.
“I don’t know, I think I’m losing my mind.” And I told her everything that had happened since we returned.
“Are you messing with me Johnnie?”
“I swear Sue, every word is true” I replied looking deeply into her eyes. She could see I was serious and her look changed from concern to fear.
“Do you really think it’s all because of the mirror?” she said looking down at the blood stains on the back.
“What else can it be? It all started as soon as we got home and I took the mirror out of the luggage.”
“Maybe something happen while we were gone. Have you looked around the house to see if a window is broken or something?”
“No, I hadn’t thought about that.” I said.
“Maybe someone broke in and was still here when we got home, and they put the mirror back in the living room last night?” She said.
“As much as I want to believe that, the thought of a stranger in our house while we were sleeping isn’t much better.”
“But you’re right. Let me check out the house to see if something is wrong.”
“What do you want me to do with the mirror?” Sue said.
“Just leave it there for now, and please go check on Isabel.”
“Ok, but be careful.”
Walking around the house I looked for anything unusual and nothing seemed out of place. Finding myself back in the living room, I was on the couch and before realizing what was happening.  I had picked up the mirror and was staring at my reflection, transfixed on the image that was not me. My face faded as I lost control of my senses.  My surroundings faded and I didn’t know where I was. It was as if I had fallen into hole in space. Looking up from the mirror, I saw a grey uneven mass filled the room. Feeling weightless and disoriented, I tried to call for Sue but no sound came from my mouth. An overpowering feeling of calm encompassed my body and the mirror was no longer in my hands. The empty frame lay on the floor as a dark figure approached from a grey mass that filled my existence. As the figure neared and I recognized her from an old photo, it was my great great grandmother. The old woman stopped in front of me and smiled as an uneasy feeling washed over me.
“Welcome Johnnie, we are glad you’ve chosen us.” She said in a strangely familiar voice. “We know you have many questions and they will all be answered in time. For now all you need to understand is that we have embraced you and we wait for you to join us.”
Feeling drunk and unsteady but unable to fall, my body seemed to float in a void.
“I don’t understand where are we? How did I get here?” I asked
“Your blood has joined ours. You will be with us here when your reality is done.”
My head started to clear a bit and I was starting to get angry.
“Did you bring me here? Are you the one responsible for what happened last night? Why would you put a knife in my daughter’s room?”
“Johnnie, you have been chosen. Your fate is sealed. All that was done was necessary and part of the process. It is done.” And as the sound of the last word faded, her image vanished.
Confused and disoriented I heard a distant sound. It was the only real thing I could grab on to. Focusing all my energy on that sound it became louder and more real. It was my wife screaming and the more I focused, the louder it got.  The scream became so loud that it pulled me out of the void and into my living room. I was dropped like an egg onto the couch and I found myself clutching the frame. My hands hurt from the intense grip and I dropped it onto the floor.
The screaming stopped and I saw my wife in front of me, white as a sheet.
“Baby, baby, are you ok?” she was saying.
“What happened, how long have you been there?” I said shakily.
“I just came downstairs and your head was inside the mirror. It scared the hell out of me and I started screaming.”
“What do you mean; my head was in the mirror?”
“You were holding the mirror in your hands like it was a bucket of water and your head was inside. It was impossible. I was so scared, what happened?”
“I don’t know. I found myself in a really strange place talking to my great great grandmother.”
I told Sue what had happened and she looked at me with a fear that I had never seen before.
She looked down at the mirror and screamed, “What is all that blood!?”
A large pool of blood had formed on the back of the mirror and was slowly soaking into the wood. Looking at the frame I followed the blood back to my finger, becoming aware that my finger was throbbing with pain.
“Baby, your finger is terribly infected. Is that from the splinter last night? It looks awful.”
“I want that thing out of the house Johnnie. Whatever is happening, I want it to stop. Just get rid of it, ok? Now come on, let’s get that cleaned up.” Sue said as we both headed for the bathroom.
After Sue cleaned and dressed my finger she said, “I’m going up stairs to check on Isabel. Would you please just get that thing out of my house now?”
“I’ll be back as soon as I can. I have an idea where I can take it. I love you baby.” I said as I walked back into the living room and stood in front of the mirror. The blood had completely soaked into the wood and left a dark stain. Picking it up I headed for the front door.
“I love you too.” Sue responded as she walked up the stairs.

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Walking out the front door I was greeted by a cool morning fog. Putting the mirror down next to the door I turned to lock it.  I bent down to grab the mirror with both hands on either side of the frame. A gravitational pulled grabbed my me and a cold feeling engulfed my face. My body was frozen by the weight of a heavy liquid that quickly covered my entire body. After a strange sucking sound I found myself on my hands and knees in a room I did not recognize. My hands felt a rough, unfinished wood floor and I looked up to see an old kitchen. Slowly my senses returned and I could hear voices in the next room and the smell of heavily spiced food cooking.
“Welcome Johnnie, won’t you come and join us now?” a familiar voice said.
Looking up, I saw my great great grandmother, looking much younger than I remembered.
My mind was frozen and blank.  Staring at her I remained on all fours I wondered if this was a dream? Wasn’t I on my way out the door to get rid of the mirror? What just happened???
“I know it’s difficult when you first come through. You will be disoriented for a few minutes but once you accept it, everything will be clear.” She said.
Slowly I stood up, “What do you mean, accept it, Am I dead? Did something just happen to me and now I’m in the afterlife?”
She smiled and gently took my hand. “No Johnnie, you are not dead. Think of this as a preview of things to come. Come with me and meet your relatives.”
Numb and in disbelief I followed her into a living room. As I entered, the conversations stopped and all eyes turned to me. I felt a caring sympathy from them that covered me like a blanket. A safe warm feeling wrapped my body and it picked me up and I was floating in pure love. All cares and thoughts poured out of my head like a glass of water being emptied on to the floor.
As the last thought dripped out of my head, a loud crash of a shattering glass grabbed my attention. Opening my eyes, I found myself standing in the center of the room, surrounded by six or seven people, all intensely staring at me with an evil look in their eyes.  Voices filled the air as they reached out to touch me.
“Stay with us Johnnie and we will be complete!!”
“We are all part of you Johnnie, you cannot leave us now, we need you!!”
“Can you feel us Johnnie, we flow through your veins, you are alive because of us. You must fulfill your destiny and complete us!!”
An exploding pain ripped against my head and I collapsed unconscious into a heap on the floor.

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Sue heard the door close and was waiting to hear the car start in the driveway. But that sound never came. She waited ten minutes, thinking Johnnie might be having trouble getting the mirror into the car. But she could feel something was wrong.
“Isa, can you watch TV for a moment while mommy checks on something?”
“Sure mommy, I like Dora!” replied Isabel, her eyes never leaving the TV.
Sue headed for the front door and opened it with a purpose. She took a step outside and froze. Her eyes caught the mirror leaning against the door. She could hear a low buzzing sound coming from the mirror and stopped the impulse to kick it. Thinking Johnnie might be in the car, she ran to the driveway to see it cold and empty. Returning to the front door, she remembered how she’d seen Johnnie’s head stuck in the mirror and wondered if something like that had happened again. As she looked at the mirror she saw a shadow cross within the frame. Suddenly, the cold morning air gripped her body and she shivered, stifling a scream with her hand. She could make out the outline of Johnnie’s body inside the glass.  Taming her fear, she reached down, attempting to reach her husband, but her hand bounced off with a painful deflection. Reluctantly, she picked it up and took it inside to the living room. She sat down in front of it attempting to see her husband again. Looking deeply into the reflection she could only see a distorted view of herself. Dejected, she sat on the floor and started to sob. Her quaking body collapsed on the floor as waves of anguish flooded her, leaving her drained and empty. She caught herself and pushed upright seeing her image reflected back. Her puffy eyes seemed exaggeratingly grotesque and vile. She screamed in frustration and the sounded seemed to accelerate the humming of the mirror which caused her to stop. Her state was broken by a soft sound,
“Mommy, what happened, what are you doing?” Isabel’s voice whispered. “Why are you crying?”
Wiping her eyes, Sue said, “I’m just tired baby. Mommy didn’t sleep well last night. How would you like to go visit grandma? I’m sure she’d love to see you as you’ve been gone for a week.”
“YA!” Isabel squealed, “I hope uncle Luis is there so I can play video games!!”
Sue picked herself up and made her way to the phone to call her mother.

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A cold breeze teased my body as I found myself face down and naked on the floor. Feeling like I had the worst hang-over of my life. Searing pain torched my brain as I tried to focus, but lucidity eluded me. Whirling noises passed by as I tried to grab onto something to help bring me out of the fog. Feeling dried blood mixed with hair on the back of my head and I realized my hands were bound on either side of my body. Lifting my head to look around I saw I was in the same room.
“He’s back!” I heard a demonic voice utter.
“Good, he made it.” Another responded.
“Fuck you!!” I screamed, “Let me out of here!”
“Johnnie, you’ve made it through the first phase. You are but two small steps away from joining us!”
“I don’t want to be here, let me up NOW!” I screamed, but the price my head paid for the outburst was delivered in pain.
“Pain is the gateway, pain is the key. Blood is the lubricant of life that you share with us.”
Suddenly I was aware that several people had entered the room and were beginning to circle around me. A strange smell of red hot metal drifted past as I struggled against my bindings.
They began to sing, “Sear the flesh, sear the flesh, sear the flesh!”
My Great, Great grandmother’s voice penetrated the chorus; “Your flesh will burn and forever hold the symbol of your loyalty.”
And without warning, unfathomable searing pain knifed my back. I could smell my burning flesh and an uncontrollable scream left my throat as I lost consciousness again.
I awoke to a low, endless, burning pain on my back. Every muscle in my body felt like it had been torn from the bone. I found myself sitting on a green velvet sofa, feeling an old cold hand on my lap.
“Pain will cleanse, and you will be reborn anew.” I heard a voice whisper.
“Please, I just want to go home.” I rasped.
“But Johnnie, you are home.” She responded.
“No, this is not home for me.” And suddenly a thought of my family, my wife and beautiful daughter filled my mind. It felt like the first sane, pain free thought I had had in years. Grabbing on to that thought, I focused as though my life depended on it, seeing my gorgeous wife’s features, her exquisite body, her angelic voice, and my perfect beautiful little girl with her sweet face and innocent smile. Those thoughts became my world and I concentrated on nothing else.
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Sue watched her mother drive away, waving at Isabel in the back seat. Feeling like a hole was torn in her life she turned and saw the mirror leaning against the sofa. Anger gripped her and she stifled an urge to smash it.  Walking over she sat in front of the mirror and reached out to touch it,  and as she did she could feel her husband. A brief smile brushed her mouth and she suddenly felt elated! Closing her eyes, she embraced the moment and focused on the sensation. Thoughts of her life with Johnnie swam through her mind. Smiling as emotions washed over her, bringing some comfort. Suddenly, the impression started to change and she could feel a distant awareness of pain. Not in her body, but coming from the mirror, from Jonnie! She focused harder on the feeling, and the awareness of her husband began to take shape. She could see him in her mind, sitting on a couch in a living room. Confused, but resolute, she continued to concentrate on the image.  She could see Johnnie in pain and despair, crumpled on the couch. Her heart leaped from her chest, first with elation, then with compassion as she looked on.  Johnnie’s bowed head began to lift until his haggard eyes met Sue’s. The connection was electric, as if a hard wire had been connected between them. A flood of emotion filled their minds as memories of their lives together flooded in. Thoughts of stolen kisses, an embrace on a cold night, passionate moments they shared on a rainy day, became their existence for that one moment. It was just the two of them, alone in the universe floating in bliss. As the moment passed, a tear ran down her cheek and she whispered, “Come home baby, I need you.” As he stared back, his face faded away.

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A renewed energy from the vision of my wife infused my body. Turning my head to look at my tormenters I saw their expressions emitted disapproval and their words were harsh.
“We are your family; you will stay and serve us.” A demonic voice spewed with venom.
“My family and relatives may have shaped me, but I choose not to let those experiences shape my future. The pain you’ve branded onto me will not dictate my life moving forward. You cannot hurt me now. I understand the control you’ve tried to use against me, to fulfill your own view of what my life should be. I will not serve you or the demons within this place. You have no control over me and never will again.”
As the conviction of those words left my mouth, I could feel a stretching upwards. My body thinned and a sucking sensation engulfed my being. My reality changed into a whirlpool of emotion, pain and fear as I passed through a tightly constricted dark tunnel. As if passing through a womb that was the mirror I spilled into the loving hands of my beautiful wife.
She grabbed and embraced me like she was seeing for the first time in years.. Tears streamed down her face and she screamed, “don’t ever leave me again!!”
We embraced each other for the longest time and we cried. Sobbing happily, not wanting to let go of the moment that seemed like it might never come.