In the depths of her cramped, dimly lit chamber –
timber-framed walls adorned with cobwebs .
Ava's world was dwindling.
Flickering candlelight danced across the dirt floor, as the last remnants of warmth escaped through a grimy window.
Outside, the medieval village of Tavenor lay shrouded in perpetual twilight –
thatched roofs sagging under neglect,
tarps covering makeshift stalls selling bread and candles.
Ava shared this space with her mother and younger sister ,all three sleeping on straw mattresses in the corner.
But tonight her mother tended the village elder's illness, and her sister helped – leaving Ava alone with thoughts. Her frame lying frailly on her mattress.
She had asked her doting mother and sister to leave her alone. She was terminally sick and they had stayed by her side as her life slowly dwindled. Her sickness was unknown, making it impossible to cure. She has had since birth and it had receded in the past years but now it was back,far worse than before. Seeing her family's pained looks as she desperately clung to the last strands of her remaining vitality, made her shatter more violently than her ailments.
She closed her eyes painfully, hoping that for there sake,she survives. As her mind slowly slipped deeper into her consciousness,her memories. She saw it, something that shouldn't be there.
Her own reflection stared back from a faded mirror – its surface rippling like black water.
Ava's deep blue eyes gleamed with curiosity as she reached out – in here she could move freely, not bound by the ever restricting shackles of immobility,heart quickening with anticipation – to touch the glass. It felt like ice...
It felt like ice beneath her skin, then suddenly warmed –
like touching the hand of a long-lost lover.
Ava's heart skipped a beat as the mirror's surface rippled faster – like a pond struck by a stone and then stilled completely.
The reflection staring back was no longer her own but a dark forest path, illuminated by moonlight.
Trees towered above, their branches grasping towards the sky like skeletal fingers snatching at the moon's silver glow.
Without thinking, Ava reached out , her curiousity getting the better of her. It was in her mind after all, what could possibly go wrong.
In retrospect,a lot.
Her hand passed through the glass as if the mirror had become liquid. She felt cool air on her skin – scented with damp earth and decaying leaves.
Ava's curiosity turned to trepidation as she stepped forward ,her foot sinking into the mirror's surface like dark water.
She pulled her foot back – heart racing – then looked around her room –
candlelight flickering wildly as if warning her against it.
Ava's heart skipped a beat as the mirror's surface rippled faster – like a pond struck by a stone – and then stilled completely. Leaves rustled softly, like whispered secrets, their emerald green color muted to black in the night.
The forest floor was carpeted with fallen leaves, their crimson, amber, and gold hues muted by darkness. Moss and wildflowers bloomed beneath the trees, their sweet fragrance wafting towards her – a heady mix of honeysuckle, lavender, and vanilla.
Ancient magic hung in the air – a palpable force that made Ava's skin tingle.Without thinking, Ava reached out again, trying to figure out what this was.
The air was crisp, clean – a refreshing respite from her stuffy bedroom.
Shadows cast eerie silhouettes on her walls , looming like spectre around her. She pushed through the glass, her ankle, her knee and she slowly pushed through. It was more mesmerizing from the inside. The air clipped of the suffocating stench of death and poverty. She moved about,her eyes glinting with an ethereal glow from the light the fireflies gave as they danced around her and into the heavens.