The Shadow Side of Destiny

Ashera

I stared into the mirror, dazed by it's beauty. Ripples moved through the reflection like a wave, and I started to see a room on the other side.

It was dark.

My heart skipped a beat as an eerie feeling came over me. The distinct flick of a lighter echoed in the back and a candle was lit in a corner to the far left. But I didn't see anyone.

Flick.

Flick.

Flick.

The lighter went off three more times. Seven candles were lit and yet, I still didn't see anyone. I tried to move but my feet were stuck. Panic started to spread through my chest and my breathing picked up. There no one else around and my father had already warned me not to go looking for answers to questions I shouldn't know about. A scream was stuck in my throat and my mouth refused to produce a sound.

Terror chilled my veins.

I began to see eyes even though there was technically noone there but the darkness. The candles were glowing feverishly. Their flames grew with the passing seconds and it felt as though I was there in the room too.

I started to sweat.

There was something wrong here.

A low humming cut through the silence and the room filled with incense. The familiar scent of dragon's blood eased my nerves a bit and I tried to really see through my own eyes. I couldn't move my head, but I could see that I was still in my father's attic. Whatever I was seeing through the mirror, it was as if I was viewing it through the eyes of another.

A shadow appeared in the candlelight but there was no physical signs of a person. Whatever the entity was, we were attached to one another. The air grew cold around me. Heat from the room on the other side radiated off the mirror and it felt like I was in a limbo.

Whatever this was, it was afraid... and strong.

Let me in.

A voice echoed in my mind and I knew it wasn't my imagination.

Let me in or we're both going to die.

My body jolted with electricity and the memories of a soul much older than me flashed through my head. My feet began to levitate from the floor, arms stretched wide with light beaming from my mouth into the mirror.

Time stood still and I was no longer alone.

There was brightness all around me and the faint smell of honeysuckle and sea salt scented the room. I felt woozy, as if I was riding a boat but there was no water present that I could tell. My senses were heightened. The hairs in my arms stood up and I was aware that there were others around me.

What they were exactly, I couldn't tell you.

"The portal is now permanent."

A speaker like voice echoed in the distance and I was once again in my father's attic. The mirror was covered and it looked like I hadn't been anywhere at all.

Ashera...

I heard my name whispered and turned quickly, hoping it wasn't my imagination playing games with me.

"Okay, enough of this. It's time to go." I thought to myself.

I looked back one last time at the mirror and shuddered. Something dark lurked beneath it's reflection and I wanted no parts of it.

It felt like I'd been in that attic for hours, but the time indicated it was only about ten minutes. I still felt woozy, so I drank some water and decided to take a nap. I really didn't know what happened in the time that passed, but I didn't want to lose any more time searching mystical mirrors.

Meeting of Minds

Before I could doze off, the smell of fire filled my nose and my body went up in flames. I tried to scream but nothing came out. My mouth had been sealed shut and the smell of burning flesh encompassed the room. Once again, time stood still as I felt my body burn from the inside out. Rage radiated off my being and I was no longer alone.

The eyes that once appeared in the mirror were now before me and I was seeing through the eyes of another.

"You think you can take what's mine? Only a fool would steal from a Goddess and think they could walk away freely!"

The voice of a woman surrounded me and the room shook.

An ethereal black woman stepped from the shadows. She was tall and thick in stature. Easily standing over seven feet tall. Long, kinky coils draped over her shoulders and her eyes began to glow a piercing yellow, like a black leopard ready to pounce. I could feel her power, and panic pulsed through my body. As if she could sense she wasn't alone, her eyes found mine.

Who am I?

And darkness fell before me.

This mini story was created from a #BeatTheBlock writing prompt! For more writing inspiration, join the #BeatTheBlock Creative Corner on the Rites of Analeigh Patreon!