MirrorMirror

36 / The Agony of the Dead

Cassidy was the only one whose finger was still touching the tear drop shaped piece of wood.

His finger seemed to be glued to its surface and he couldn't pull it away. The faces Fish and Snot had, however. They were staring at their fingertips.

"Did you feel that?" Jazz asked.

"Feel what? I can't..." Cass began, but he was interrupted by Ethan.

"Like an electric shock. Or pulse. More like a pulse."

"Yes! Shit, that felt weird. What about you, Fucky?"

"No! I didn't feel anything. I can't take my finger off it, though."

"Huh?"

"It's stuck. I can't lift my hand."

Ethan reached out to his brother's hand and pulled. When it didn't move, he tried again, yanking it upwards suddenly. The hand didn't budge. Both hand and puck were immobile.

"Stop it!"

"I'm not doing anything! It won't let me go!"

"It's a chunk of wood," Ethan said. "It can't do anything."

"Well, it is. I can't let go. Which of you put glue on it? Who pushed it?"

"Neither of us," Jazz said. "Don't be stupid. This wasn't done as a joke."

"Good, cos I'm not seeing the funny side. Fuck, why did I agree to this?"

"'Cos you've got a ghost. That's why."

"She's not a bloody ghost!"

"Whatever the hell she is, she's dead and she can talk through a mirror. We need to do this. It's the only way to understand any of it!"

"If a demon comes through," Cass said, "I'm telling it to eat you first."

"Gladly, if it gets me away from you."

Jazz slammed her palm on the table.

"Children, stop fighting. Something just happened. That means it's working. Assume the position."

"I can't do anything else," Cassidy told her.

"Well, you have an advantage, then."

She put her fingertip back on the planchette and gave Ethan an angry look. He complied, sitting and putting his finger back.

"Right," she said. "Back to it."

"Is someone with us?"

Her voice trembled slightly, and she gulped to swallow back her fear. Rather than look upwards, she was staring at the board. Waiting.

"Give us a sign," she said, trying to make herself sound authoritative while feeling far from it. "Let us know you're with us."

Their hands moved, with none of them applying any pressure, moving the planchette wildly around the board before stopping in the centre. There was no need for Yes to be highlighted. They knew.

They were not alone.

"My hand!"

Jazz was attempting to pull her hand away. Like Cassidy, she was unable to. Ethan's hand was similarly fixed in place. They each stood abruptly, doing everything they could to disengage themselves. Their chairs were knocked back and over. They pushed against the table. Each other. Nothing worked. Their hands would not move. They were not glued in place, as there was no stretching or ripping of skin. They were held by an unseen and unfelt force.

"What the fuck?"

Cassidy and Jazz had stopped fighting with whatever held them captive. Ethan continued on for a few more seconds before admitting defeat himself.