Chapter 22
Henry gulped in vast amounts of air- cool, crisp air- as he prayed a thanks to whatever higher powers may be. That was close. Too close. He had to look twice at his limbs to accept they were still intact before finally having the courage to survey his new environment. Or rather, a most unpleasantly familiar environment. No, no it couldn't be!
He was back in the mirror room. The mirror remained cracked from his earlier escape, and the entire place was as dark as a soulless demon. Well, perhaps not completely black- a faint, twilight glow emanated from a corner, close to the mirror. And the mirror itself was fogging over, as if someone on the other side was exhaling upon it. Impossible!
Haltingly, Henry approached the mirror, delicately brushing the glass with his fingertips. Who could possibly be lurking on the other side? A new horror, perhaps? With trembling fingers, he approached the ancient, silvery glass, only to be greeted by the images of his governess and butler. Both shivered terribly, lips turning a mild shade of blue. How- how could they be here, with him?! Both looked worse for wear, each one having seemingly aged a decade since the few days he'd seen them. Both had desperate, wandering eyes pleading in the dark for anyone to hear them; both held each other against the seemingly frigid air within the mirror. Just watching them made Henry shiver and wrap his arms around himself. Hesitatingly, Henry tapped on the glass.
For whatever reason, they did not see him, but they heard him- their startled faces and head jerks proved that. Cautiously, as if too frightened to embrace any hope, the governess fogged up the mirror enough to scribble two words:
Help us
Fighting back tears, Henry breathed upon the glass and scrawled back:
I will.- Henry
And he would, of that there could be no doubt. No room for doubt or fear could be left to flicker in his heart now, not if he was to win this insidious game. Unfortunately, he needed to exit this room once more, only this time, he could not rely on the mirror. The place he had just been in... He shuddered. He could never return to The Emptiness again. The name simply popped in his head, and it felt right, but also not quite right, and he struggled shoving the old basement out of his mind as he began pacing. At least his servants could not see him, for the worried frown would surely not have inspired confidence. A way out, a way out...
The twilight glow moved.
It bobbled up and down, though he couldn't really tell because of the sheet covering it. Dare he risk slipping it off? It was likely one of Her minions...Still, something soft and close drew him near it, and he instinctively threw off the covering.