The Spirit

(Day 128: Monday Afternoon)

"So, last week you said your boyfriend and his mother wanted you to quit drinking," the therapist notes.

"Yeah," Mal quietly confirms.

Her blue eyes face her, "And I suggested that finding a higher power might help you through your addiction. Have you found one?"

Mal gives her a look, "If it's a requirement, then I'll have to lie."

"It's not a requirement," the brunette reassures. "And it doesn't have to be a higher power, for say. It should just be something larger than yourself for you to be a part of."

"I'm a part of enough things," Mal tilts her head. "I'm a part of a school. I'm a part of a group of friends. I'm a part of the minority." She smiles, "That last one sucks." before she takes a drink from her water bottle. "You know, in fact," she lifts a finger, "I am the only member of my species." She laughs, "I mean, unless you count my mother who's a literal reptile now."

"Yes," she unsurely comments.

"You know, I could hypnotize you right now," Mal puts forth. "I could tell you to write me a glowing report, give yourself some time to reflect on your oh-so-good behavior, and let me go on my merry little way."

"No," she frowns. "You can't, actually."

Mal crosses her arms, "I've done it before."

"No," the therapist counters. "I've made you think you have before." Mal narrows her eyes at her in question. "I wanted you to be honest, so I let you think I was hypnotized to not tell anyone about it. But you never actually hypnotized me. Witches simply can't be."

"You know, that's funny," Mal immediately replies, "because I hypnotized Evie once to tell me if she knew who the spirit in her mirror was…" Her eyes shift, before she slowly continues, "And then when I hypnotized her leave the room she did not back down at all." She takes a contemplative drink, "You think she was playing me?"

"She's your friend," the therapist evenly responds. "What do you think?"

"I think she doesn't want me to know who the spirit in the mirror is," Mal answers, before she leans back, moves her leg onto her knee, and smirks. "But she will."

Evie sits on her bed, digging through her blue purse, "Come on. Where are you?"

"Looking for this?" Mal says, before Evie turns around and sees the ornate mirror in her hand. She grins, "I mean, you have to be, right? Who else would fit in your bag?"

Evie's eyes shift, "It's an expression." before she stands from her bed.

"You know, it occurred to me," Mal informs with interest as she walks around her own bed and to the middle of the room. "That night with Ben, you showed me that my hypnotism doesn't work on you. Which can only mean one thing." Evie stands between the beds, and Mal faces her, "When you challenged me to hypnotize you, you lied when you said you didn't know who the spirit was."

Evie frowns, "What do you want?"

"The truth," Mal counters. "Or else I will break it."

"No!" Evie steps forward.

Mal waves her finger, "Uh, uh. I don't think so." and when Evie tries to move again her feet are stuck to the ground.

"Please," Evie pleads. "Don't hurt him."

"Oh," Mal raises her eyebrows. "It's a him now? How interesting."

Evie feels the tears fill her eyes, "If you break the mirror, he will die."

"Isn't he like a ghost?" she laughs it off. "It doesn't get much more dead than that."

"Mal. I swear to you," Evie asserts, "if you break that mirror, I will never forgive you."

"Don't worry." Mal takes a step forward, "I won't. So long as you tell me who it is." Evie looks between the mirror and Mal. "Tic toc."

"I can't," Evie whispers.

Mal frowns as she nods, "That's too bad." before she starts an incantation.

"Wait," Evie shouts, before she finds her feet can move again; however, she doesn't dare move. "I'll… I'll tell you."

Mal smirks, "Whoever it is must be pretty important to you."

"He's a family member," Evie informs.

"What family member?" she interrogates.

"Does it matter?" Evie frustrates, before she steps forward and opens her hand to her. "I told you who he is. Give it back to me." Mal seems to think it over for a minute, before she places the mirror in Evie's hand. "You know what?" Evie stares her down. "The only reason why I didn't tell you he was a family member is because I know I'm the only one out of all of us who has a family member who actually loves me, loves me like the people here loves their kids." Her voice shakes, "And I just didn't want to rub it in your face. Any of your faces."

"Family's overrated," Mal evenly responds.

Evie grins in disbelief, "Why don't you go tell Jay that?" before she shakes her head. "I don't know who you are right now, but you are not the girl I fell for."

Mal is quiet for a moment, "Am I supposed to care?" and Evie feels the tears run from her eyes before she rushes past her to the door.

When Doug opens the door Evie wraps her arms around him, and he can feel her shake, "Hey. What's wrong?"

She lets go of him, "It's Mal. She— She threatened the mirror, and— And."

"Why don't you come in?" he suggests.

When Evie goes inside she takes a breath before turning back towards Doug, "She demanded to know who the spirit was, threatened to break the mirror if I didn't say."

"Is Mark okay?" he steps forward, and he watches as she pulls the mirror out.

"He's right here." Evie faces him, "I was thinking maybe I could leave it with you for a little while."

"I don't know," Doug unsurely responds. "I can be pretty clumsy."

Ben interrupts, "What's going on?"

"Oh, uh," Doug turns towards him. "Mal almost broke Evie's mirror. She needs a place for it to stay."

Ben stands from the table, "No one gets in my stuff." before he walks over to them. "I can take it." Evie hands him the mirror, before he goes to place it in the drawer of his bedside table on top of the blue notebook and next to his medicine. "And it can stay here."

"Just for one or two days," Evie reassures. "Just until Mal drops this."

Ben steps forward, "For as long as you need." and then she moves in to hug him. He flinches and makes a pained noise. "Oh, no. I'm sorry."

He tries to keep his smile, "No. It's fine."

"You sure?" she questions.

"Yeah." Ben nods before tilting his head. "I mean, it's not my you're my father. He could have broke me in two."

"Thank you for doing this," Doug interrupts.

He looks at him, "It's not a problem."

"Just one thing," Evie unsurely says, and Ben faces her. "It likes to be talked to. Maybe you could…"

"I'll see what I can do," Ben promises.

"Thank you," Evie breathes in relief.

Ben smiles, "You are welcome."