Molly stopped breathing. She asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Is-- is somebody there? Silent terrified tears were still leaking down her cheeks. The voice laughed again; only this time it didn't stop, it grew louder and louder until the roaring felt like it would split her eardrums. She shrieked and sunk to the invisible-white ground shuddering.
The laughter subsided and a voice, silky and educated, filled the silence, I'm sorry, Molly. Molly lifted her head. She had only heard the voice twice before but knew that she could never forget it. She couldn't speak. I'm sorry, the voice repeated, I didn't mean to frighten you, Molly. Even as her last tears dripped off her chin, she felt reassured. The voice was somehow soothing and she heard her own voice, braver than she could have believed, ask,
Why did you laugh? There was a pause, but then the Lady in the Glass' voice came as soothingly as before,
I'm sorry, Molly. Molly stared into the blank space, listening hard,
Where are you? She hesitated for a moment and then asked, Where am I?

the voice replied, am standing beside you, Molly gasped slightly in shock and tried to interject, but the voice went on, and you, little Molly, have found your way into Nogrog.

Molly said nothing. She didn't know what she could say. The voice remained silent, for a moment too, but Molly could swear she could feel the waves of agitation floating in the air. The voice, now confused and a bit frusterated-sounding, spoke,
How, little child, have you come to be here? Nogrog is not an unguarded place, and one whom we have not invited has not walked here for thousands of years. So I ask you again, how is it that you come to be here? Molly hesitated. Something didn't feel quite right. She decided quickly but firmly not to say anything about the mirror. Not, at least, until she knew more about this place, and the person she was speaking with.
I---I don't know, she improvised quickly, I was just . . lying on my bed and everything started to spin and I got really scared and started to cry. Then the lights went out and I woke up here. She heard a few rapid whispers and realized, suddenly, that the person she was speaking with was not the only one listening to the conversation.
Nothing else? The voice encouraged.
Molly managed.
the Lady's voice said, sounding completely mystified, perhaps you were meant to be here. Perhaps you can be the one to help us. Molly wrinkled her forehead,
What do you mean? She frowned a little skeptically and asked the thing that had been bothering her the most, how do you know my name? There was a short light giggle,
Oh! Don't you know? I am--- The voice was swallowed in what sounded like a hiccup and everything went a bright jade-green. Molly yelped in pain and squeezed her eyes shut, but she felt the ground begin to spin again as a far off jingling filled her ears.

Molly opened her eyes into slits and gasped. She was staring up at the lace curtains of her four-poster bed. Sweat was dripping down her face. She took a calming breath and looked at the small clock she'd fund in a shop in Diagon Alley that now sat on her night stand. A long purple hand that read, was pointing toward but as she yawned and swung her feet around to the floor it slowly drifted to
Molly tiptoed over to the window and jerked it open as silently as she could, hoping for a breath of fresh air. She stared out into the darkness. It couldn't be later than 1 or 2 in the morning. She shuddered a little and thought about the events of that night. A breeze drifted in through the window and someone stirred in their bed behind Molly. She turned. Jenica was sitting up in her four-poster, yawning widely,
Hey Molly, what're you up to? She shook her curls out of her eyes and stretched in a very catlike way. Molly wrinkled her forehead, sighing,
You might as well wake the others up too; I don't want to explain it more than once. Jenica yawned again and shrugged,
Alright, but I'm warning you, Darcy isn't a pleasant waker.

Molly pulled a furry blue robe out of her trunk and wrapped it around herself, shivering. She sunk onto her bed, pulled her knees up to her chest, and rested her head gently on the pillow made by her arms. It wasn't a dream, she thought, trying to clear the muddle that seemed to be clogging her brain. It couldn't have been a dream. It was too real. Besides, she reflected, growing more perplexed by the minute, If I'd dreamed it all there would be no mirror. And there definitely was a mirror. She watched it through the corner of her eye. There it sat, on her pillow, silver and ancient and beautiful, but completely invisible as anything out of the ordinary except for the pearly mist swirling in the glass.
The worried voice startled her from her thoughts. Brook, Allyson, Darcy, and Jenica were huddled around her, all looking tired and confused. Molly only stared at them and Darcy groaned.
I really hope that you did not have me woken up a two in the morning for no reason at all. I really hope not. Molly shook her head, both to tell Darcy she did have a reason and to attempt to clear her mind. It didn't work. She fell back into wondering about Nogrog and the Lady in the Glass. What had she been about to say? She couldn't get it off her mind, Don't you know, I am...' what? What was she? How did they know her name? Why did they need help?
Came Brook's voice again, are you okay? You look kind of pale... Brook trailed off at a look from Jenica,
I think she's really got something important to tell us. She said sending a glare to Darcy, who was making impatient noises. Don't you? Jenica questioned, embarrassedly after a few moments silence from Molly and raised eyebrows from Brook. Molly woke from her thoughts once more and nodded her head, this time ready to explain.
I remembered tonight-- She paused, wondering where to start, and decided the beginning was always the best place. She took a deep breath, Remember when you guys woke me up this morning? They nodded and Molly launched into the tale, ending twenty minutes later with, And I opened my eyes and I was here, lying on my bed. She stopped, suddenly silent and wondering how completely stupid she had sounded. No one said a word, they just sat, gaping at Molly as though she was an alien. Molly bit her lip, you believe me, don't you?

They all seemed to see Molly for the first time and Of course! Why shouldn't we? burst out at once. Molly felt a mountain of stress slip from her shoulders: they trusted her. Slowly, however, her eyes drifted to Allyson. She had only heard three responses, and she knew who had been the only person not to say a word tonight.
You believe me, don't you Allyson? She was now violently inadvertently ripping the fur lining off of her robe. Allyson gave Molly a sort of appraising look,
Yeah. I believe you. I'm just trying to figure it out. I mean, do you understand it? You're positive it wasn't a dream? Molly had been waiting for this. She let her knees go and reached carefully over Darcy's head to her pillow.
The metal of the mirror's handle was cold under Molly's fingers as she handed it softly to Allyson. I'm pretty positive, she responded. Allyson's mouth gaped open.
It's so beautiful! Brook, Jenica, and Darcy crowded around to see, but Molly gasped. Allyson's face had gone slack and pale, her hand was trembling, and her eyes were wide, staring into the glass.

The other four girls stared at Allyson in horror. They watched as she lifted the mirror as close to her face as she could and her lips silently formed the words, Who's there? They watched as she listened for a moment, and as her face whitened in fear. They watched her eyes grow even wider than before and her mouth open for a scream that would have been the most bloodcurdling noise any of them had ever heard, had she made a noise. Then they watched their friend collapse to the floor, convulsing.
Darcy rushed over, shaking Allyson in a desperate attempt to wake her. Allyson stopped moving. She opened her eyes, once they had been brown, but now they were as pale as water, and tears were flowing freely from them. She looked up at Darcy, who still had one had protectively placed on her shoulder,
She couldn't seem to speak. Darcy turned her livid hazel eyes onto Molly, sparks practically flying from them,
I don't know what you did, you cruel... you aweful...you... She seemed at a loss for words as well, Whatever you did, you'll pay. That was the cruelest joke I've ever seen anyone play on anyone. And if you think for one second that you're going to get away with it... She let out a breath of air in a snarl, then you don't know me well enough. Darcy grabbed Allyson's hand, pulled her to her feet, and dragged her out of the room, still crying in fear.

Molly watched the door snap shut with a wince. Brook sighed beside her. Do you have any idea what just happened? Molly asked. Jenica rustled in her spot on the floor,
Darcy got mad without knowing the facts, which she does a lot. And They left. Brook made a cynical sort of snort,
I really don't know where she thinks they're going, I mean, it's three o'clock in the morning. Molly muffled a small giggle under her hand, but Jenica waved it off,
Darcy's really popular because of her sisters, she'll probably just camp out in one of her older friends' rooms. Molly shrugged her shoulders, more to try to drop the weight that was sitting on them than to reply to Jenica. She turned to the two girls beside her,
So what really just happened? Brook and Jenica both raised their eyebrows in question,
We were thinking you could tell us, Brook answered, expectation in her voice. Jenica was looking at her quizzically, too.
Why'd you do that, Molly? Molly felt her jaw drop,
You don't think I did that? Why would I. . . How could I. . . . .? She goggled at her friends, I've only had one day of lessons. . How. . how. . . She was speechless. Brook seemed to come to her senses rather quickly.
Thank goodness. I was so worried I would have to hate you or something. Molly's wanted to drop her jaw more at this, but she kept it in check and swallowed the urge to kick Brook hard in the stomach. So what did happen? Brook asked, a confused and terrified look coming into her eyes for the first time. Molly shook her head incredulously,
That's what I've been trying to ask you!