by Robert David Strawn<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00a9 2022 Robert David Strawn All rights reserved<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I heard a thump as my shovel hit the top of my great-grandfather\u2019s coffin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kim asked, \u201cSeriously, Burgess?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I started scraping soil off the top of the wood planks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kim turned on her flashlight. The battery must\u2019ve be dying; the light was pretty dim. The clouds had covered the moon, so it helped a little.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kim asked, \u201cWas your grandfather too lazy to dig? This isn\u2019t even six inches of dirt.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I switched to the flat-bottomed shovel, scooped the loose dirt up, and tossed it to the middle of the tarp. \u201cI barely knew my grandfather, but I know he was in a hurry to get my great-grandfather buried.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I dug around the sides of the coffin. I didn\u2019t want dirt falling in. I heard something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kim asked, \u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I backed up. Bad enough being up here at the top of Bald Hill during the full moon. After reading my grandfather\u2019s diary and some of my great-grandfather\u2019s notes, I had enough to be scared of. Something moving in his coffin was a bit more than I wanted to handle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kim said, \u201cBrack. Bauk, bauk, bauk.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes, I\u2019m chicken.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t actually believe any of this?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I didn\u2019t reply. I wouldn\u2019t be digging up my great-grandfather in the middle of the night if I didn\u2019t think we might find the amulet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kim picked up the other shovel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I asked, \u201cHave you decided to help me dig?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kim\u2019s hair fluffed out as she shook her head. \u201cIf snakes have taken residence in the coffin, I want something to fend them off with.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the moonlight, Kim looked pretty. I looked up. The moon peeked out from the clouds, but as I watched, the clouds covered the moon again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I pointed. \u201cIfn\u2019 it\u2019s a varmint, I\u2019m running this way down the hill to the trail.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kim asked, \u201cWhat\u2019re you doing if it\u2019s your great-grandfather?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I said, \u201cIf the stories are true, running won\u2019t help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I continued digging and scraping dirt. I traded shovels with Kim and dug around the lip of the coffin. The planks were dry and rotted. The moon came out again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I said, \u201cMy grandfather\u2019s stories have to be fiction. If they were true, he\u2019d have buried my great-grandfather deeper.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I realized I was just putting off removing the coffin lid. I looked over at Kim as the sky got dark again. She liked scary stories, so this was the time to make it all come home and real.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I gestured to the rough planks. \u201cGreat-Gramps had an amulet that he claimed was a druid\u2019s egg. The books all say that a druid\u2019s egg protected you in court, but my grandfather\u2019s diary says that his father used it to make the entire town of Bald Hill disappear.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think your grandfather had issues.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think everyone on Bald Hill has issues.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cProbably. You Marvels have always been a bit off. My family isn\u2019t much better. I think leaving this county would heal half of my personal issues.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTake me with you, Kim. I don\u2019t want to lose my best friend.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kim shook her head. \u201cYour only friend. Sooner or later, you\u2019re going to get a girlfriend, and you won\u2019t have time for me anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I continued the scary buildup. When Kim started getting depressed, the only thing that worked was distraction. \u201cGreat-Gramp\u2019s amulet could only be seen in full moonlight. When he died, no one could find his amulet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been over this. You think the amulet may show up during the full moon. I think you\u2019re delusional. Everyone in school does.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I pried the coffin lid with the edge of the shovel. I didn\u2019t want to get spider bit, snake bit, or rabies from whatever had made a nest in my great-grandfather\u2019s grave. Kim shined her flashlight on the coffin as I pried up one of the boards. Kim pointed the light through the slit, but we couldn\u2019t see much. The moon was behind clouds again. I pried up a second board. One of the little crosswise boards came with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kim aimed her flashlight at the coffin interior. \u201cLooks like a rat\u2019s nest.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I looked where she shined the light. \u201cMicrotus pinetorum<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kim asked, \u201cAnd in English?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPine or woodland vole.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou don\u2019t have to do that. Everyone here thinks you\u2019re smart. Damaged, but smart.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDamaged? How am I damaged?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kim said, \u201cThe only time your nose isn\u2019t stuck in a book is when you\u2019re out in the woods with me. Your mom visits you on weekends, and no one else ever visits.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I pried another board up. \u201cLike you don\u2019t read. We get up at the crack of dawn for the school bus and ride a half hour before any other kids get on the bus. Same thing in reverse when we go home. You read at least an hour a day. When was the last time we still had any homework to do after we got off the bus? Anyway, no one wants to visit way out here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kim shined the light around. Bones and a rodent\u2019s nest, that was all. Still a bit nervous, I tried to remove the nesting material without disturbing the bones. Not much there. A rusted belt buckle and some nails that were probably for the soles of his shoes. No shoes, no leather, no book held in bony hands. Nothing of value. Not much to show for a man who was feared in two valleys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I looked up at Kim. The clouds behind her were thinning. I decided to put the planks back. Not much point in continuing. I looked down and thought about arranging the bones. I memorized all the human bones while reading an anatomy book, but now I wasn\u2019t sure I could tell which were which. I didn\u2019t really want to disturb my great-grandfather\u2019s bones anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A beam of moonlight escaped through a gap in the clouds and bathed the bottom of the coffin in light. In the middle of the widest part of the coffin, gleaming in the moonlight, was a large opalescent white stone set in gold filigree. The moonbeam continued on its path down the hill, and the stone disappeared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I abandoned the shovel and got on my knees to reach down and try to feel for the invisible stone. Nothing there except a dry bone. I thought it would feel weird or creepy, but it was just a dry bone. I sat back on my feet. The moonlight came back, and the stone reappeared. I reached down, but as the shadow of my hand covered it, it disappeared again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kim whispered, \u201cBurgess, put the planks back. If the amulet\u2019s real, the rest of the stories might be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The shadows covered the moon again and I looked up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m leaving if you aren\u2019t covering the coffin.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The moon came out again, and I could see the amulet. I reached down with my hand to the side so I didn\u2019t shade the amulet. I picked it up, lifting it out and keeping it in the moonlight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A bony hand grabbed my wrist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat are you trying to take, grave robber?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I jerked away, and the amulet disappeared. The bones fell to the bottom of the coffin. I looked around for Kim. She was running down the hill. Great. I\u2019d have to walk home without a flashlight. I put the planks back together as best I could and lifted the edge of the tarp to pour the dirt back on the coffin. My heart was beating too fast. I was probably better off without the amulet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I smoothed the dirt in the moonlight while wondering if I\u2019d ever have the courage to come back and dig again. My fear kept me at the grave instead of screaming and running down the hill. I didn\u2019t want to offend whatever spirits remained here. I finished patting down the soil with the back of the flat shovel. I didn\u2019t want to step on the grave. I wasn\u2019t sure it\u2019d hold me if I did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ***<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the moonlight, I carried the shovels back down to the barn and put them to the side of the barn door. I was too creeped out to go into the barn in the dark. Too many odd tools with blades and points in there, and the couple of bare bulbs only made shadows. I went to my house, glad I\u2019d left the lights on. I locked the door, shed my clothing, and showered. I was scared to leave the shower. I thought I\u2019d gotten over being scared of being alone in the house back when I was twelve. Having felt my great-grandfather\u2019s bony hand around my wrist, it\u2019d probably a few more years before I\u2019d be over being scared. I looked in the mirror at the frightened fifteen-year-old reflected there. Behind me was a man who looked a lot like my dad. I screamed and turned. No one was there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I turned to the mirror and my great-grandfather said, \u201cBrack. Bauk, bauk, bauk.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n ***<\/p>\n\n\n\n I got down to the road early, but Kim was already there waiting for the bus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kim tilted her head as she looked at me. \u201cYou get the amulet?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I tilted my head to match her. \u201cNo, the thing disappeared again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYour hair\u2019s a mess, and you had the light on when I went out to the chicken coop.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI couldn\u2019t sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I didn\u2019t tell her I was scared to look in the mirror. I tried to straighten my hair. She put her backpack down, took out her water bottle, poured some water in her hand, and tried to flatten my hair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kim looked at her efforts and gave up. \u201cI shouldn\u2019t bother, Burge. Some girl\u2019s going to decide you\u2019re cute despite being as weird as they come.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She slapped my hand as I reached for my hair. \u201cBurgess, let it dry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The bus came and we got on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the reflection of the metal bar at the front of the bus, I glimpsed my great-grandfather behind me. In another day, the full moon should pass. Hopefully, he\u2019d go away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We sat in seats across from each other and just a few seats back from the driver. Close enough to the front to keep from being harassed by the bigger kids and far enough to stay out of a conversation with the driver who was also my history teacher and a bit strange.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I asked Kim, \u201cDo you think the Catholic Church still has exorcists?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s more like a question I\u2019d ask you. Wait, did anything happen after I left?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I looked up at the bus driver. He glanced at me in the mirror. Unless I looked at my own reflection, I didn\u2019t see my great-grandfather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNothing I should talk about.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kim took out the book she\u2019d been reading for the last few days. I leaned against my backpack and went to sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ***<\/p>\n\n\n\n School was the same old, same old. They had brownies with the lunch in the cafeteria, so not a total loss. I sat with Kim and Linda at lunch, like always.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Linda leaned in, glancing around to see who could be listening. \u201cWe were talking about you in study hall.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I rolled my eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Linda brandished her fork at me. \u201cIf you didn\u2019t talk, and you didn\u2019t smirk, girls would go for you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kim leaned towards me. \u201cKeep smirking and talking, Burgess, it keeps the riffraff away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I looked down at the over-cooked lima beans and pushed my tray back. \u201cThere\u2019s no logic in that. I\u2019m not old enough to drive, and I live out past the boonies. It\u2019d be a waste if a girl decided to like me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Linda asked, \u201cWhen did logic have anything to do with a girl liking a boy?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kim said, \u201cThat\u2019s true.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Linda leaned in again. \u201cBurgess, you ever hear the story of lost Bald Hill?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I picked up my fork and mashed my lima beans. \u201cQuite a few times. Who brought it up?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Linda shook her head. \u201cDon\u2019t do stupid things, Burge.\u201d She took my fork from me. \u201cIn social studies, we have to write three pages on a local story.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kim said, \u201cWe both live on Bald Hill. We know where it is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Linda frowned for a moment. \u201cNo, the lost <\/em>village. My theory is that it\u2019s under the lake.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kim stabbed a lima bean with her fork and looked at it. \u201cThe lake\u2019s pretty deep. Why would they put a village at the bottom of a hole that was just going to fill up?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Linda grimaced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kim brought the lima bean up to her mouth like she was going to eat it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Linda winced. \u201cA landslide could have caused the valley to flood.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I scooted my chair back. \u201cI\u2019m going to the library, care to join me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kim said, \u201cWait for me to finish eating.\u201d She put the lima bean in her mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Linda made a disgusted face at Kim then smiled at me. \u201cDon\u2019t worry, Burgess. I don\u2019t believe any of the stories about Magnus Marvel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kim covered her mouth. \u201cI didn\u2019t either until\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Linda glared at her. \u201cDon\u2019t try to creep me out, Kimberly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n ***<\/p>\n\n\n\n After we got off the bus, Kim asked, \u201cDo you think any of the stories about my family are true?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I didn\u2019t say anything. That was a land mine I didn\u2019t want to step on. When we were little, Kim told me a story about her ancestress, a witch who possessed the most beautiful daughter in the family as the poor girl came of age. Kim was probably safe from any such curse. She was probably not the most beautiful daughter in her family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I muttered, \u201cHope not.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kim said, \u201cSee you at supper.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I nodded and went to the house to put up my bag. Mother had an arrangement with Kim\u2019s mother. Mother brought groceries in from the city, and Mrs. Thompson made supper for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I walked into the bathroom and glanced at the mirror.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Great-Gramps said, \u201cWe need to talk, boy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I didn\u2019t know what he could do. I was a bit scared of what he might do, so I stood and listened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Great-Gramps said, \u201cDon\u2019t let that little trollop seduce you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I wasn\u2019t sure how to react to that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Great-Gramps said, \u201cShe can feel your power and just wants to sap you for it. Now that you have the orb, lots of things will sense your power.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I said, \u201cGreat-Gramps, you still have the orb. I didn\u2019t take it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou\u2019re my great-grandson, and you have the orb.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I said, \u201cThe moon\u2019s up. We can settle this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I borrowed my mother\u2019s hand mirror from her dresser so I could take Great-Gramps outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I forgotten to put up the tarp and shovels, so I headed for the barn, stopping partway and looking in the mirror. Great-Gramps was really close to me in the reflection. I tried to angle the mirror so the moon was in the reflection with Great-Gramps. That put the moon behind me so it was behind him. I really didn\u2019t want to go through life with him standing behind me in every reflection. I angled around and tried to have the moonlight on my great-grandfather. Apparently, it didn\u2019t take much. The orb was visible on his chest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Great-Gramps said, \u201cThen I don\u2019t need you, boy. If you can\u2019t take the orb, then you are useless and no grandson of mine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He stepped back in the mirror and faded away. Nice guy to the last. I hoped it was the last. I opened my empty hand and gestured to the moon in thanks. In my once empty hand was the orb. I closed my hand and nothing was there. I opened it, and I was holding the orb. I tucked Mother\u2019s mirror under my arm and with two fingers picked up the orb. I didn\u2019t want to lose it, and I didn\u2019t know how to hold it. I put the chain around my neck and stretched my shirt so the moon shined on my bare chest. I dropped the orb and released my shirt. The orb was gone. I pulled my shirt down and it reappeared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I didn\u2019t want to break Mother\u2019s hand mirror, so I took it back and put it on her dresser.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I wondered out loud, \u201cHow can the orb be on Great-Gramps and me at the same time?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Reflected in the mirror and standing behind me was my father.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dad said, \u201cGive me the orb, and we can figure it out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thinking to myself, No way in hell,<\/em> I asked, \u201cHow do I hand it to you in a mirror?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf you turn your back to the mirror, and look at it over your shoulder, I may be able to come back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Confused memories flooded back. I was going to have to get rid of the mirror in the bathroom and everything else that reflected. I didn\u2019t say anything to him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dad said, \u201cStill angry about the stupid dog?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNot just the dog. You were going to use me next.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dad shook his head. \u201cI thought about it, but I never did.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grandfather appeared behind him. \u201cHe was going to. Burgess, don\u2019t trust him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dad turned to Grandfather. \u201cDad, if you were corporeal, I would bust you one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grandfather said, \u201cBurgess, there\u2019s a cave behind the old explosives shed. I hid my research in a couple of boxes that\u2019re up on a ledge back in the cave. You may be able to dispel your father.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dad turned to Grandfather. \u201cYou old goat, I knew you were holding out on me. Well, you\u2019re pretty damned stupid. If he dispels me, he\u2019s likely to dispel you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grandfather shrugged. \u201cSon, as long as I don\u2019t end up in the same place as you, I\u2019ll be fine with that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I walked out of Mother\u2019s bedroom. Looked like I had some more digging to do. The explosives shed blew up when I was eight, a year after my father died.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ***<\/p>\n\n\n\n At supper, Kim was acting strange. She didn\u2019t say anything, but she laughed at everything I said. Not a mean laugh, more like I was brilliant and entertaining. I had no idea what she\u2019s doing. I wanted to compliment her, but I didn\u2019t think she\u2019d take it as a compliment. Telling a girl that most of her acne had cleared up wasn\u2019t really that much of a compliment. Last time I told her she was pretty, she hit me and left a bruise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After supper, I headed to the barn to get the shovels and the tarp. I grabbed a pickaxe while I was at it. Kim followed quietly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I say, \u201cI think I know where my grandfather hid his research. I have more digging to do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kim looked down. \u201cI know a girl like me won\u2019t be much help, but if you show me how to dig, I\u2019ll try my best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I asked, \u201cKim, how long are you going to act like this?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kim\u2019s lip quivered. \u201cSorry. I just\u2014how would you like me to act?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I stopped to reorganize my grip on all of the shovels and the pickaxe. Kim took the flat shovel and the tarp from me. I smiled and nodded to her. It was a lot easier just carrying two of the tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We hiked down the hill. The explosive shed was against the face of a small outcropping of stone. Several large rocks that used to be farther up the hill had fallen and covered the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I said, \u201cWe were warned not to play here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kim said, \u201cIt seems stable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBe sure to wash up when we go back. I was told there were mercury compounds in the shed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I wasn\u2019t sure where to dig. It was dark and the area wasn\u2019t lit by the moon. I put the tools on a rock and covered them with the tarp. I put a few rocks on the tarp to hold it down, and we headed back up the hill. I was going to have to do this in the daylight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ***<\/p>\n\n\n\n I beat Kim to the road where the bus picked us up. I waited and I was getting nervous. She hadn\u2019t really touched anything so she shouldn\u2019t be sick from going near the shed. I left my pack and ran up the hill. The chickens were still locked in the coop, so Kim hadn\u2019t gotten up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I let the chickens out for her. She could check for eggs later. I ran back down the hill and sat to recover my breath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The bus pulled up, and the driver asked, \u201cIs Kimberly sick?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, sir. I think so, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou look a bit flushed, maybe you should take the day off, too. It isn\u2019t like you aren\u2019t on top of your classes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I said, \u201cBut I\u2019ve got a stack of books to return to the library.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMost kids check out books for a week or two. They don\u2019t need them back the next day. The library will get by over the weekend without the books.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt looks bad taking Friday off sick.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The bus driver nodded to me. \u201cStay home, Marvel. Get some rest.\u201d He closed the bus doors and drove off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I waved, walked back up to the house, and put up my backpack. I had digging to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ***<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve managed to make a hole, but I needed to dig down to make it larger. I was going back up the hill to make myself some lunch and refill my water bottle when Kim ran down the hill to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She asked, \u201cHow was school?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI stayed home, too. Mr. Jenkins thought I looked sick. Probably lack of sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She smiled. \u201cYou\u2019re probably having a growth spurt.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I tried not to look. She was my best friend, but from my glances, I could see that she was the one having a growth spurt and not just getting taller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I looked at her face. Her nose seemed different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We went up to her house, and Kim asked her mom if she could make us something to eat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mrs. Thompson acted like she was scared of Kim. Mrs. Thompson didn\u2019t talk much, and Kim had always seemed to be in charge, but today, Kim\u2019s tone was a bit different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The pickled egg salad sandwiches Kim\u2019s mother made were still the best thing ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ***<\/p>\n\n\n\n I glanced over at Kim while resting from using the pick. She was picking a seam out of a dress that she never wore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I asked, \u201cI thought you hated sewing?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She smiled at me. \u201cCan you measure my waist?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I took the tape measure and reached around her waist. I was quite aware that I was close to a girl. This was my best friend, but my heart was beating heavy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kimberly met and held my eyes. She took my hands and moved them up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNow, measure my chest for me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I measured, trying not to touch anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kimberly put her hand on my forehead. \u201cYou should probably rest for a while. You seem flushed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n As we sat, I said, \u201cKim, my great-grandfather, grandfather, and father all talk to me in mirrors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI prefer Kimberly. Of course they do. You come from an ancient line.\u201d She adjusted her position. \u201cPut your head in my lap and rest.\u201d She pulled me over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Looking up at her wasn\u2019t helping. I closed my eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kimberly sang a gentle song that warned young maidens to not give away their love easily. I went to sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I woke up, and she was still stroking my hair. I realized that I had a crush on her. Great, I\u2019m smitten with Kim, my best friend, not someone I\u2019d ever think of as a girlfriend. She\u2019d probably laugh for days if she ever found out. Looking up at her with my head in her lap, her bra looked too small for her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kimberly asked, \u201cWhen you see them, do they talk to you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n For a moment, I thought she\u2019d noticed where I was looking. I had to think a moment to figure out what to say. \u201cYes, Grandfather thinks his research may help me to dispel them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kimberly smiled down at me. \u201cThat would be wonderful. I need to do a few things first, but I want to look in the mirror with you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n ***<\/p>\n\n\n\n I waited outside for Kim to go home and come back to my house. When she showed up, she was wearing a dress, and I couldn\u2019t stop looking at her. I think everyone at school would be noticing her. Instead of Kimberly losing her best friend to a girl, I was going to lose mine to a boy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I tried not to stare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kimberly asked, \u201cWhere\u2019s the best mirror?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I led her to the bathroom. I didn\u2019t want to take her to my mother\u2019s bedroom. I glanced at her. I kind of did want to take her to my mother\u2019s bedroom. I definitely had some issues that I needed to think through. She was going to hate\u2014with a capital H\u2014hate me when she found out I\u2019d been sneaking looks at her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I looked in the mirror, and my grandfather and father were there behind me. Kimberly stepped around me and behind her reflection in the mirror was a half-visible copy of her with tape over her mouth. I couldn\u2019t see, but it looked like the ghost behind her had her hands tied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My grandfather looked over and ripped the tape off of the ghost\u2019s mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The ghost in the mirror behind the reflection of Kimberly gestured with her head at Kimberly. \u201cI\u2019m Kim. That\u2019s my ancestor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kimberly put her arm around me. \u201cWell, this is embarrassing. Still, I think Burgess likes me better.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grandfather said, \u201cLike her or not, she only wants you for your power. Don\u2019t go to bed with her. That\u2019s how she\u2019ll drain you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kimberly looked at me and fluttered her eyes. \u201cYour power\u2019s in your bloodline. I\u2019ll have to keep draining your power at least once a week, if not more. I don\u2019t think you\u2019ll mind.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I said, \u201cI don\u2019t either, but Kim\u2019s my best friend.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kimberly said, \u201cThis is getting a bit complicated, but I\u2019m sure you\u2019ll come over to my way of thinking.\u201d She adjusted her bra. \u201cThis is so tight. Should we go to your bedroom so you can help me adjust it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I said, \u201cGrandfather, can you untie Kim?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kimberly stepped away from the mirror. \u201cWe can\u2019t have that now, can we?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grandfather said, \u201cSorry, I can\u2019t find her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dad said, \u201cI know the spell to find her. What\u2019s it worth to you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kimberly dragged me away from the mirror and kissed me. I felt dazed and weak for a moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kimberly looked me in the eyes. \u201cNice, but I only got the tiniest sip of power. Should we go to your bedroom or your mother\u2019s?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I turned for us to go to my bedroom and stopped. \u201cKim\u2019s my best friend and that\u2019s her body. I can\u2019t. Not without her permission.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAfter all the improvements I have been making, I consider it at least half mine. All that work takes power. You, sweet child, are a wonderful source of power.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She pushed me against the wall and kissed me. I was weak. When I finally pushed her away, I was almost too weak to do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She smiled. \u201cWith a few kisses from you, I can probably get by. We\u2019ll just have to wait for you to give in. I\u2019m used to waiting, and the chase is always fun.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I had my strength back, so I pushed her away again. \u201cIt isn\u2019t right kissing you. This is my best friend\u2019s body.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kimberly said, \u201cDon\u2019t worry, Kim loves it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I looked at Kimberly and her left eyelid twitched. Kim did that when she got angry. Maybe I had a way to talk to Kim. I didn\u2019t know how to tell her we had a way to communicate. I knew Morse code, but I didn\u2019t think Kimberly did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I twitched my left eye. \u201cNo, without her permission, it\u2019s wrong.\u201d I twitched once. \u201cYes, I like it.\u201d I twitched twice. \u201cBut, no, it\u2019s wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kimberly asked, \u201cDo you have a problem with your eye?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I looked down. \u201cLack of sleep, I think. Apart from the time in your lap, I haven\u2019t gotten much.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kimberly moved closer. \u201cMy lap\u2019s always available. Let\u2019s go to your bedroom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I escorted her out of the house and locked the door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I went back to the mirror in the bathroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dad faded into view. \u201cTurn around and look at me over your shoulder, and I\u2019ll help you free Kim.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grandfather appeared behind Dad. \u201cHe\u2019s a liar and that won\u2019t get us out of the mirror. Burgess, you can come in and leave if you don\u2019t stay too long. As far as your dad and I are concerned, without the orb and our bones, we can\u2019t materialize in the world of substance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dads said, \u201cDamn. Your mother had me cremated and cast my ashes out at sea.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I nodded. \u201cI remember the boat.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grandfather rolled his eyes at Dad. \u201cHe\u2019s an idiot. Your dad was good at books like you are. Unlike you, he never understood a word of them. Born shallow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dad said, \u201cHurry up and find the way to dispel us. I have nothing left to live for.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grandfather replied, \u201cYou\u2019re dead, idiot.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n ***<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mother woke me. \u201cBur, you locked the door.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I sat up. \u201cKim got possessed by her ancestress and is trying to drain my power.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mother said, \u201cYou should probably shower and get dressed. I\u2019ll get breakfast ready.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ***<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mother had made an omelet. \u201cBur, if you want to save Kim, we need to do it this weekend.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I finished the bite I took. \u201cNo joke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mother pointed to the cards she\u2019d laid out on the table. \u201cEven without you, her ancestress could still find someone at school to drain power from. If her ancestress gets too much power, Kim could be hard to save.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKim was pretty nice to look at last night. The way this is progressing, she may be stunning this morning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMaking Kim beautiful will have weakened her ancestress. As long as she has no source of power, that\u2019s to our advantage.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I didn\u2019t tell Mother that I spent a while kissing Kim. I looked at the cards and with the look that Mother gave me, she probably already knew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mother said, \u201cThe only weakness we know about Kim\u2019s ancestress is her vanity. Bur, we need to learn more. You stay near me. That\u2019s the only way either of us will be safe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n We walked halfway to Kim\u2019s house, and Mother stopped and looked me over. \u201cYou have quite a bit more presence. Did anything else happen this week?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I didn\u2019t really want to confess to digging up my great-grandfather. \u201cDad, Grandfather, and Great-Gramps have all been showing up in mirrors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mother asked, \u201cCan you talk with them?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mother said, \u201cLet\u2019s go ask your grandfather. He may know how to deal with Kim\u2019s ancestress.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I said, \u201cThere\u2019s a cave behind the blown-up explosives shed. He hid his papers there. He wanted me to get them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mother said, \u201cLet\u2019s go now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n ***<\/p>\n\n\n\n As we approached, we could hear Kimberly talking. \u201cGreat, this light\u2019s dead. Can you make it work again?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mrs. Thompson said, \u201cThose were the last batteries.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kimberly said, \u201cDon\u2019t mouth off to me. Make us some torches.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mrs. Thompson said, \u201cI have a box of emergency candles. I also have a few for the dining table.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kimberly said, \u201cWe need torches. The candles will help, but we need more light.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mother stopped me and we hid behind some rocks with scrubby bushes growing around them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kimberly said, \u201cSo, you don\u2019t even know how to make a torch. Figures. Go get tallow, cloth strips, and some solid sticks. And some wire. I\u2019ll stay here and make sure that Burgess doesn\u2019t beat me to his grandfather\u2019s research.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n We watched as Mrs. Thompson went up the hill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mother whispered to me, \u201cStay here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She ran up the hill after Mrs. Thompson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I sat behind the rock for a bit until I saw Kimberly climbing the hill. She got up out of the hollow where the explosives shack used to be and walked toward me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She said, \u201cThere\u2019s no point in hiding, my little Marvel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She got closer and she was devastating. The thin dress she wore was like a second skin, and she wasn\u2019t wearing a bra. I had no choice. I ran up the hill to hide behind my mother.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I caught up with Mother and Mrs. Thompson before Kimberly got to us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mother yelled to Mrs. Thompson, \u201cGo!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mrs. Thompson asked, \u201cYou\u2019ll try to save my daughter?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I yelled, \u201cAs best we can.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mrs. Thompson ran to her house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I stood behind my mother. Kimberly stopped and laughed. She was even prettier when she laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kimberly said, \u201cI\u2019m not going to hurt my little mama\u2019s boy. I just want to play with him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mother opened her purse, took out her compact, and handed it to me. She took out her silver letter opener.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I asked, \u201cWhy makeup?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She said, \u201cIt\u2019s a mirror.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I opened it and looked in the reflection. Dad and Grandfather were both behind me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mother asked, \u201cAre they here?\u201d She looked in the mirror.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dad said, \u201cNot that it means anything. You cremated me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mother said, \u201cYou messed up a spell and killed yourself. That was the only way to keep the curse from spreading.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dad said, \u201cLike I care.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mother said, \u201cYou\u2019re even worse now that you\u2019re dead.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grandfather said to Mother, \u201cI tried to warn you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kimberly was laughing. She laughed exquisitely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mother asked me, \u201cIs your great-grandfather there?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I said, \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mother asked, \u201cHow do we get him? He may know how to solve this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kimberly said, \u201cMy big strong boy shouldn\u2019t be so scared. He can probably hold me down, and all I\u2019ll be able to do is struggle in his big strong arms.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mother said, \u201cStay behind me, Burgess.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I wasn\u2019t about to do anything else. I wanted to, but I wouldn\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mother said to Kimberly, \u201cIt\u2019s not happening.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kimberly pouted. \u201cDisappointing. I was really looking forward to squirming.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I wanted to kiss that pout. I looked back in the mirror. I looked up at the moon. It still looked full, but the sun was shining bright. I wasn\u2019t sure how full a moon needed to be for the magic to work. I opened my shirt and the orb appeared. Kimberly looked at it with greed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Great-Gramps looked out of the mirror. \u201cBoy, I see you got the pendant. And now you want help with an evil witch. Son, that\u2019s the whole point of magic. Why the hell are you struggling? I just wish we had witches that looked like that back in the old days. Hell, stop struggling and have some fun. She has to keep you alive and happy to keep using you. What\u2019s your issue?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Great-Gramps faded from view and was replaced by Grandfather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grandfather says, \u201cGood. Your dad decided to follow his grandfather and try to beg him for help. So it\u2019s just us, at least for a while. Burgess, get us to a big mirror.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I led the way to our house. Mother stayed between Kimberly and me and kept her letter opener handy. Kimberly followed and seemed amused by it all. As we got close, Kimberly sped up and circled around us. Mother stayed between Kimberly and me. Kimberly laughed, ran to the door, and went into the house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mother yelled, \u201cNo one invited you in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kimberly left the door open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Quietly, I said, \u201cDance hall.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mother nodded. Our house is rundown, but it was a huge mansion built back when huge mansions were a thing. They called it the big house, but we just lived in one of the servants\u2019 areas. The rest would be too hard to keep clean, modernize, or heat in winter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We entered and went through the door on the other side of the kitchen. I could hear Kimberly laughing in the bathroom. We were leaving her behind. We went into the dance hall where all the furniture was covered with sheets. I took us up to the large mirror at the end of the dance hall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grandfather said, \u201cTake your mother\u2019s hand and enter the mirror.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I took Mother\u2019s hand and tried to step into the mirror.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I said, \u201cIt\u2019s solid. I can\u2019t enter the mirror.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grandfather said, \u201cTurn invisible first, otherwise your mirror image will block you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I asked, \u201cHow do I turn invisible?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grandfather said, \u201cUse one of the verses I taught you back when you were a toddler. It was the invisibility one, use that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I recited a verse. \u201cThis one?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grandfather said, \u201cYes, but make the gestures. Oh, right, you were too young to let run around invisible. Say it again and do what I do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I copied Grandfather\u2019s gestures while saying the verse. The room got darker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I said, \u201cIt\u2019s dark.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grandfather said, \u201cYes, now hug your mother and go through the mirror.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I hugged Mother, and we entered the mirror.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grandfather asked, \u201cWhere are you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I said, \u201cOver here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mother said, \u201cShhhh.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kimberly walked into the room and posed in front of the mirror. She pushed her breasts up with her hands. \u201cThey\u2019re probably big enough.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She got close to the mirror and pushed on her nose. She smiled, examined her teeth, picked a small speck from her teeth, and smiled again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kimberly asked, \u201cWhere\u2019s my little darling hiding? I can feel you near.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She approached a sheet-draped chair by the mirror and pulled away the dusty sheet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNice furniture. Probably worth something.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mother asked, \u201cCan you hear me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kimberly didn\u2019t react.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grandfather said to me, \u201cMake this gesture and turn visible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I copied him and could see more clearly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mother got closer to the mirror.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grandfather said, \u201cIf you touch the mirror, your mirror image will push you out, so stay back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Someone took my hand. I turned and saw Kimberly. She was inside the mirror and outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I jumped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kim said, \u201cRelax, you lech, I\u2019m Kim. That\u2019s my ancestor out there with my body.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I looked at her. I looked her up and down. The new Kim was devastating, but she doesn\u2019t pose the way Kimberly does.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I looked at her lips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kim asked, \u201cYou want to kiss me don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I nodded my head involuntarily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kim kissed me. I felt weak. I felt dizzy. I felt wonderful. I put my arms around Kim and she disappeared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I looked and the Kimberly on the other side of the mirror had her eyes closed. \u201cClever little boy found a way to give my descendant power. We can\u2019t have that, can we?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kimberly felt around blindly and sat in the chair. She sneezed. Even her sneeze was cute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kimberly said, \u201cWell, this is a puzzle. I can\u2019t look for you, but I can feel you nearby. Don\u2019t worry, my little love muffin, I love a nice puzzle. I hope you\u2019re somewhere able to watch me. It\u2019s okay to hide, just as long as you\u2019re stoking your desire.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I looked away. Grandfather was enjoying looking at Kimberly a bit too much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I said, \u201cGrandfather, if we can save Kim, I\u2019ll try to talk her into posing in front of a mirror regularly. Right now we need to focus.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grandfather said, \u201cI am focused, but I get your point. I have a box of equipment stored in the cave with my papers. There\u2019s a mirror in the box. If you turn invisible again, you should be able to grab my research without entirely leaving the mirror.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kimberly said, \u201cI get it. As long as I don\u2019t look in the mirror, you can\u2019t find her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kimberly put her back to the mirror and started searching the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the world behind the mirror, Grandfather led Mother and me down the hallway and out of the house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ***<\/p>\n\n\n\n We walked down a new and oddly distorted copy of Bald Hill. On this side of the mirror, down where the lake was in the real world, there was a town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grandfather said, \u201cMy father claimed this area before anyone else did. When we became a state, there was an argument over ownership and squatters set up a town. Because of his age, they decided he couldn\u2019t prove he was the man he said he was. They argued that he couldn\u2019t be because that would make him a hundred and fifty years old. Father decided to settle the issue by moving the town and its citizens into the mirror world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I asked, \u201cSo there\u2019s a town here?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grandfather said, \u201cNot a living one. We didn\u2019t know at the time, but there isn\u2019t light for crops, and most people can\u2019t stay alive on this side of the mirror for much more than a month. Don\u2019t go down there. Your family resemblance is too strong, and the spirits don\u2019t like strangers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n We went into the cave, and Grandfather opened a panel at the back of the cave. Torches hanging on the walls flared up when we entered. There was a large open wooden box filled with more torches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I asked, \u201cIf there are torches here on the mirror side, does that mean there are torches in the material world?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grandfather nodded. \u201cUnless they have rotted. These will light the place up on this side, but they won\u2019t send light to the real side of the mirror.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I said, \u201cThey aren\u2019t as bright as the ones in movies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grandfather said, \u201cWe aren\u2019t as beautiful as the people who would be playing us in the movies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I said, \u201cKim is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mother said, \u201cYou don\u2019t have to be rude. I was a knockout twenty years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grandfather said, \u201cOver there should be a mirror inside the box.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I said, \u201cWhy did you have a mirror down here?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grandfather said, \u201cMagical paraphernalia. There\u2019s a silver bowl, too, but you don\u2019t want to come out distorted.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mother looked horrified. \u201cThat can happen?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grandfather said, \u201cI couldn\u2019t come up with a safe way to test it, so I\u2019m not sure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I said, \u201cI think we need light for the mirror to work. Where\u2019s the next nearest mirror so we can get here quickly?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mother said, \u201cRearview mirror on my car. But that\u2019s up the hill. Kimberly would see you for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grandfather said, \u201cIt would be easier for me to teach you a spell for light.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n After casting the light spell, I looked out of the mirror sitting in a box in the cave. All I could see was a corner of the box and part of a tarnished silver bowl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMother, can I borrow your compact?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She handed it to me, and I reached through the mirror and set the open compact where I could see my reflection. I used the compact\u2019s mirror to reach out and adjust the first mirror. Mother handed me her letter opener, and I used it to open the box. After stacking things and moving mirrors, I could see into the cave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grandfather pointed. \u201cThat box has my research in it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Putting the mirror on the shelf and propping it up, I managed to pull both of the boxes and Mother\u2019s compact into the mirror world. The mirror was too small to fit the boxes through. We had to move the mirror to the far end of the shelf so the boxes looked smaller and could fit through the mirror.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the world on the other side of the mirror, we headed up the hill and heard music. In the dance hall, Kimberly was playing the badly out of tune piano. Kim ran to me and embraced me. I turned my head as she started to kiss me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kim said, \u201cPlease, I think I\u2019m fading.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I kissed her and swooned. She faded away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I looked out through the mirror and saw Kimberly sitting in front of the mirror with her eyes closed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kimberly smiled. \u201cIt\u2019s good to have you back with us. I\u2019ve solved our little dilemma. I\u2019m going to meld with your darling Kim. I\u2019ll be dominant, of course, but when you kiss me, you\u2019ll be kissing her. The best part is that I\u2019ll learn all about this modern world without having to study. Everyone wins in the end!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I said, \u201cKim said she was fading.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mother said, \u201cKimberly can\u2019t hear you. Even if she could, she wouldn\u2019t listen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grandfather said, \u201cWe need to go over all of my notes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I said, \u201cWe may not have time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grandfather said, \u201cLet\u2019s get away from the mirrors and speed time up. In this world, we can make time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n ***<\/p>\n\n\n\n We didn\u2019t find a good answer. In the stories, you have to kill the witch to end it. In this case, I couldn\u2019t the whole point was to save Kim. I put a mirror in front of a picture of Kim in the real world so that she could appear with us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kim said, \u201cYou don\u2019t want to kiss me like this. I don\u2019t want you to kiss me while I look like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I said, \u201cYour acne is not that bad anymore, and she doesn\u2019t want you to have power. You\u2019re melding with her. Your ancestor\u2019s the expert on this. Since she doesn\u2019t want you to have power, this may be the only way to save you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kim said, \u201cImagine that I\u2019m the way my ancestor has made me now and not how I am in the picture.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I said, \u201cI\u2019ll imagine that I\u2019m kissing my best friend.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grandfather said, \u201cWait, she\u2019ll notice the second you give her power. Let me speed the time here so she can\u2019t react too quickly.\u201d The view on the other side of the mirror turned dark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grandfather said, \u201cNow, boy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I kissed her until I was too weak to move. Kim kept kissing me, slowly shifted, and became the new Kim. Part of her was her ancestor, but I think she was mostly her. Her ancestor kissed better. She kept kissing me until I passed out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I woke up, and Kim or Kimberly was beside me. I was lying in my bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She said, \u201cYou should sleep some more.\u201d She kissed me until I faded back out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I woke up. \u201cThat kiss was too good. Is Kim gone?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She said, \u201cNo, I\u2019m Kim, for the most part, but I know all of Kimberly\u2019s tricks now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHow will I ever be sure?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kim said, \u201cBecause you love me. A kiss from Kimberly would not be able to drain you so completely.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I said, \u201cI guess that works for me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I tried to use a spell and make light, but I was too weak to do it. Kim copied me and created a nice glowing ball of light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kim said, \u201cGrandfather says that if I don\u2019t drain your power, you should be able to do magic in a month or so.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I said, \u201cI guess you\u2019ll have to do all the magic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kim asked, \u201cAre you sure about that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I thought about going a month without Kim kissing me. \u201cYeah, I\u2019m sure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n