A/N: I would like to thank Lady Jill Pole for helping me edit! Please read and REVIEW!!! Thanks. ;)

Beyond the Mirror

Mae Phillips plopped her two homely suitcases and one rather ratty backpack on the front porch. She looked up at the lonely Victorian mansion, waiting for someone to answer the door.

It looked as though the mansion had once been a cheery yellow, but it was now mostly gray, and the paint was peeling. A few windows had boards over them, and some of the once-fancy white border was falling off.

Mae shifted her feet back and forth impatiently. What in the world is taking so long? She wondered. I've been standing out here for at least five minutes!

It did not help that it was a blustery winter afternoon, and Mae shivered in the cold. Stamping her feet to keep herself warm, she pounded on the door once more.

Mid-stamp, her foot plunged through the rotting front porch. She screamed as she desperately tried to free her leg. After a few agonizing minutes of wriggling and squirming, Mae decided that it was hopeless. There's no way I'm going to get out of this predicament on my own, she thought grumpily.

She stood there, very uncomfortable for what seemed like an eternity. The wind started up, and heavy snow began to fall. Pretty soon Mae was chilled to the bone. Actually, she was more like frozen to the bone. She desperately pounded on the door once more, hoping that someone would answer.

Someone was supposed to be here! Maybe this is the wrong house and no one lives here. Then an awful thought came to her mind. I'm gonna die. No one's here and I'm stuck out in the cold. I am going to die a tragic, icy death. I'm going to get hypothermia and-WHAT WAS THAT?!? She felt something tickling her leg. It slowly made its way up her leg.

That was the last straw. Mae started screaming at the top of her lungs. All thoughts of dying flew from Mae's mind. The only thing that was on her mind was to get that creepy little thing off of her. She screamed and yelled and wriggled as much as possible. If there was one thing that Mae Phillips was more afraid of than anything, it was bugs. Especially spiders.

Just as Mae was becoming hoarse, she heard a car motor. A black Lexus came down the driveway. Mae yelled and waved as much as possible, trying to get the driver of the car to notice her. The car screeched to a stop, and a tall man; who appeared to be the chauffer helped a rather plump lady out of the car.

Apparently they had spotted her, and the chauffer came running, with the plump lady walking briskly behind him. The chauffer rushed up the front porch steps and instantly began pulling her out. After several attempts, Mae was finally free of her prison.

She instantly began stamping and slapping her leg. When she finally felt the creeping stop, she stood still. Oh great, Mae. You just squashed some bug into your skin while making an absolute idiot out of yourself in front of your aunt, She thought.

Mae looked up and quickly said, "Thanks."

The chauffer winked and gave me a goofy grin, "My pleasure, miss."

My aunt, on the other hand, looked very disgruntled.

"Good heavens, child. What is wrong with you? What on earth made you dance around in such a un-lady-like manner?"

"Well…uh…you see, there was this bug…" Mae mumbled sheepishly.

"Oh, never mind. Are you hurt? I've been telling James to fix this porch for ages," she said, giving a meaningful look at the chauffer. "How long have you been out here like this, child? We do need to get you inside. Your lips are turning blue." She started digging around in her purse for a key. Retrieving it, she unlocked the door. "Come in. James will get your things."

Mae stepped inside and looked around. There was a wide staircase directly in front of her, and various rooms were scattered off to the left and right. Certain furniture was covered in white sheets, and everything seemed to have a thick layer of dust.

"Sorry about the mess. I just moved in a month ago, and my things are helter-skelter," my aunt said absent-mindedly. "This house is going to be a big fixer-upper, but I just couldn't resist buying it. It's magnificent! Well, once I fix it up, it will be." She proceeded up the stairs, leading me towards my new room. She chattered on and on, not stopping for a breath.

That's what Mom said about her, Mae thought. "She loves to talk" she had told me. And boy, is that true. Mae's thoughts drifted to her mom. Oh, Mom. Why did you have to leave me here, all alone? Why- Mae's thoughts were interrupted with a loud, "Here we are. This is your room. There's a bathroom down the hall. The water is running already, so feel free to take a bath. Everything you'll need is in there. I'll see you in a bit." Aunt Mallory left the room, yelling to James about something.

Mae looked around the room curiously. There was a four poster bed with a pink and white bedspread, a lace canopy, and down pillows. A white vanity bordered one wall, and a large window with a window seat let in weak sunshine. There was walk-in closet too.

"When Mom told Aunt Mallory that she could prepare a room for me, she certainly didn't tell her I didn't like pink. Or frills." Mae sat down on the pink lace window seat cushion and stared out the window.

When Mae's mom had learned she had cancer and had only a few months to live, she had asked her sister; Mae's Aunt Mallory, if she would allow Mae to live with her, since had never become married. Aunt Mallory had conceded, and when Mae's mom died, Mae was shipped off to New York.

Mae's dad had died when she was three, and he hadn't had any brothers or sisters, so Aunt Mallory was the only option, unless Mae stayed in an orphanage or a foster home, which was unheard of in Madelyn Grace Phillips' mind.

Mae had been devastated when her mom died. She had stayed at a friend's house for three months until her aunt was prepared for her.

Mae's thoughts snapped back to reality when a small pang went up her leg. She reached down and pulled up her jean pant leg. Sure enough, a small gash was bleeding, and Mae hurried to the bathroom to bathe and take care of her cut.

Once she was showered and warm, Mae looked around her room a bit more. Some of the things in her room were obviously antique and probably had come with the house. She wandered into the closet, unpacking her clothing. She spied an old, dusty antique mirror on the wall and wandered over to it. It was cracked in one place, but was probably still useable, she reasoned.

She brushed the dust off with her fingertips so she could see herself better. Brown hair, green eyes. Taller than average. Pretty plain jane if you ask me, Mae thought. Suddenly, the image of herself distorted, and a shorter girl with honey-blonde hair and blue eyes appeared. Another girl appeared, only this one was older and had dark hair and dark eyes.

"Come on, Lu," the older girl urged in an English accent. "Peter and Edmund are waiting for us."

"I know. You've only said that five million times." The short one said, also with an English accent.

The short girl placed down her brush and stared in at the mirror one last time.

"Su, look, doesn't that look like…" the short girl's voice faded, and so did the image. The mirror once again portrayed Mae Madelyn Phillips.

"Wow," Mae breathed. "That was incredible! It was like…like peeking in on another world!"

"Mae! Please come down here!" Aunt Mallory called. "It's time for dinner."

Mae poked her head out of the closet. "Coming!" she yelled, glancing back at the mirror one last time before she hurried downstairs. Whatever she had stumbled across was amazing. She wasn't going to tell anybody. No, no one would know of this somewhat magical mirror. It was going to stay a secret.