The Land Behind the Mirror | ONC 2022

Chapter 1

Living in an old Victorian house was always an adventure, as it meant discovering hidden gems in the shape of secret compartments and beautiful decorations. However, it turned out to be a much bigger adventure than Alba could have ever anticipated.

Since she could remember, Alba spent hours exploring their old mansion with her friend Anastasia. They always ended up finding some fresh secrets hidden in the house's beautiful garments. A passage behind a fireplace, a painting hidden in the wall, always something new and exciting.

Even after Anastasia moved away, young Alba kept the habit of roaming around the house, finding a lot of different things to admire about it. It made her feel closer to her friend. The same friend who never contacted Alba again after moving even though they had promised each other that they would stay best friends forever.

The only one that had never let her down or hurt her was the Lady on the Hill, the house that was always so much more than a home, that seemed to be one endless adventure.

"Are you telling me you haven't heard the rumors?" Jessica, a friend Alba met at the university, asked one hot day when they met up in the coffee shop.

"Rumors about what?" Alba asked, confused as she hadn't really been following the conversation.

"Word has it that antique mirrors are doors to another realm," Jessica said conspiratorially.

Hearing that, Alba had to stop herself from rolling her eyes at her friend's antics. Although Jessica wasn't into mysteries and adventures as much as Alba was, she did come up with the most ridiculous conspiracy theories.

"And who exactly is spreading that rumor?" Alba asked, thinking that she already knew the answer.

"Well, guys at the university were talking about it. They even said that they might lead to an alternate universe. How cool is that?" Jessica said excitedly.

Those were the same guys who started many rumors that made absolutely no sense. Their main goal was to shock women or impress them, depending on the situation.

"Jessica, you know very well that the guys come up with crazy stories just to mess with you because you are so gullible," Alba said, wincing when she heard how harsh she sounded. "Besides, they might have been discussing a book or a movie, and you just misunderstood."

"Fine, call me an idiot, but I thought it was a cool idea," Jessica said, flipping her hair furiously.

"Jessica, I am sorry. I didn't mean to..." Alba started to say but was interrupted by Jessica scraping her chair against the floor as she suddenly jumped up.

"It doesn't matter. I have to go and meet up with Selena and the others," Jessica said, quickly gathering up her things, her hands shaking uncontrollably.

"I thought you were coming to my house to explore the attic with me," Alba said weakly, fearing that she already knew the answer.

"Well, when we are being so honest with each other, I'll tell you the truth. I was never into exploring a dusty old house in the first place. That's a child's game. I prefer going to the disco and having fun," Jessica said sharply as her voice kept rising.

She was yelling by the time she finished speaking, something a person as restrained as Jessica seldom did.

Alba wasn't surprised by the statement. She had a feeling that Jessica never shared Anastasia's interest in exploring. Yet, the way she said it still felt like a slap to the face.

"Okay..." Alba said, unsure of how she was supposed to react. "I guess I'll see you around then."

Jessica muttered something Alba couldn't hear, but she could guess that she had lost yet another friend. Things like that kept happening since she lost touch with her best friend, and it was a trend she wasn't sure how to stop.

Instead of obsessing over the loss, Alba decided to go back home and do the exploring alone. After all, she would be better off on her own than with someone who didn't really share her passion.

"Mom, I am off to the attic!" Alba yelled out as she rushed into the house.

Her mother just waved her off without paying even the slightest bit of attention to her. It was like that since she had discovered a new game on her smartphone, which seemed to occupy all her attention and most of her free time.

Alba ran up the stairs and didn't stop until she reached the old rickety door of the attic.

Once there, she pulled out of her pocket the beautiful ornately decorated key that she found in a hidden compartment the previous day. It took her some time to remember where she had seen the lock that might fit the key only to finally recall the vast, undiscovered treasure, the attic.

When she entered, dust swirled as if it was caught in the wind making Alba cough while removing the cobwebs that hung from the ceiling. It appeared as if no one had entered the place for hundreds of years, as if spiders had made it into their own kingdom.

Once her battle with dust and spiderwebs ended, Alba's attention was drawn by a large antique Victorian giltwood pier mirror facing the door. Its gold, ornately decorated frame was so utterly beautiful that Alba felt breathless. These tiny treasures made her life a never-ending adventure of beauty and exploration that she adored.

Word has it that antique mirrors are doors to another realm. They might even lead to an alternate universe.

The words echoed around Alba's mind, seemingly coming out of nowhere. It was similar to how embarrassing moments came back to haunt one when they least expected them. The question was, why? Why did she recall those words in that exact moment as she stared into her own eyes reflected in the mirror?

"Well, I guess that it's an interesting enough theory. Maybe not the most plausible one but still a curious one," Alba mumbled under her breath as curiosity compelled her to take a closer look. Just in case.

Approaching it, Alba extended her hand, watching her reflection reach out to her. When they touched, something odd happened.

The mirror rippled like water after a stone was thrown into it, making small concentric circles on the firm surface. Then they spread throughout the mirror as if a quiet lake was woken up from its slumber.

"Well, that's odd," Alba said, starting to pull her hand away.

However, before she could do so, a small wave caught her hand, pulling her in. Surprised as she was by the turn of events, Alba failed to offer any resistance. Consequently, she was dragged into it, like stepping through a waterfall and into the unfamiliar void on the other side.

When Alba came back to her senses, she could feel hot air engulfing her skin while humidity stopped her from breathing properly. She felt as if she was trying to breathe underwater. Quickly she snapped her eyes open in fear only to find herself in a whole new world.

Large lush plants that surrounded her from all sides didn't resemble any that she was familiar with, and that fact made her wake up to the truth that was difficult to accept. Not only was she not in the embrace of her dear old house, but she was also in a place quite unlike her own, somewhere alien.

What was worse, she was all alone.

It never bothered her before. However, being lost in an unfamiliar world, terrified and wet, Alba felt so lonely she could barely contain tears that prickled at the edges of her eyes.

"Snap out of it!" She yelled at herself. "Feeling sorry for yourself won't help you."

That was easier said than done as she couldn't easily adjust to the fact that the rumors might have been correct. That she might have ended up in an alternate universe. Furthermore, this universe didn't seem in the least similar to her world. So, all she could do was gawk in wonder at thick greenery that seemed far more verdant than anything she had ever heard before.

As she admired the range and variety of the plants surrounding her, Alba felt small tremors shake the rich ground under her feet.

"Great, the last thing I need is an earthquake," she murmured under her breath.

Then she saw what it was and wished it was an earthquake, after all. Anything but this.