Dreams, Secrets, and Transformations: Beyond the Enchanted Looking Glass

Ch 4 Family

Gerald unbuttoned the top button of the dress shirt he was wearing and loosened his tie as he stepped into the hallway.

"Hey Champ! You done with your homework?"

He listened as he headed for the kitchen.

"Brad? Answer me. You alright?"

Again, he was met with silence.

He stopped in the doorway between the kitchen and dining room and listened for a moment, then walked briskly back to Brad's room. He called his name again as he reached the door and looked around. He was confused by the scene. A very large,closed packing box in the middle of the floor, clothes on the bed as though Brad had decided to change.

Where was he?

Gerald turned and looked into his own bedroom and called out again.

"Brad, if you are hiding, you had better come out now. This isn't
funny!"

He returned to the living room and checked again to find Brad still wasn't there. He wasn't in the kitchen either.

Gerald was stumped. As he went back through the hallway he began to wonder if maybe Brad had left the house. Passing by the extra bedroom, Gerald realized he didn't shut and lock the door behind himself when he exited moments ago.

He reached to pull the door closed and stopped, noticing the glass of water sitting on the
table.

"No," Gerald gasped, "No, no, no, he couldn't have." Gerald walked over to the mirror and stood there considering his options for a moment. "There's no way," he told himself, but it was the only logical explanation, so he knew what he was going to have to do.

He turned, opened the closet door and moved some clothes aside giving him access to a deeper part of the closet. His fingers felt along the hangers and then selected one, pulling a dress from inside. He reached back in and retrieved a box from the floor.

"Maybe I didn't have to hide all this away from Brad after all?" Gerald mused as he selected a bra, panty, shoes and wig. He hurriedly changed, quickly applied a little make-up, then stepped to the mirror to check his look.

The sleeveless dress was a favorite of his. Just above the knee in length, form fitting, red and black colored, with a wide belt that made his waist appear smaller. It did little to help here, but once through the mirror he knew he'd look great.

He took a step forward, back through the mirror, and into the small house he had just left less than an hour ago.

Gerald paused for a moment until he had regained the memories of Miranda's life. He loved knowing what it was like having grown up as a little girl and all the memories of her life, while still in the background, holding on to the knowledge of her life as Gerald on the other side of the mirror and how to return to it.

She immediately realized the memories were a little different this time. Miranda now had a daughter she had raised alone since her husband died six years ago and she knew it would soon be time to go pick her up from cheer practice at school.

She certainly hoped her daughter had attended school today, otherwise would she be able to find her?

While she waited for time to leave, Miranda whipped up a tuna salad sandwich dinner meal, something that wouldn't require reheating when they returned, then headed to the bedroom where she took her time perfecting her hastily applied makeup.

There, much better then the rush job earlier, she thought to herself as she got up and headed towards the living room.

She checked her purse to be sure she had her keys, headed to a Lexus parked in the garage, and drove to the school, where she joined the other cars waiting to retrieve their children from their after-school extracurricular activities.

About fifteen minutes later, Brooke left the football field, walking with two other girls. She knew these were her best friends. They headed back into the gym locker room to retrieve the clothes they had changed out of when they put on their cheer atire. They then headed out the doors of the school, in the direction of the parking lot, chatting and laughing as they went.

Brooke quickly spotted a car she instinctively knew was her ride. She walked over to it and saw her mother. Well, someone she knew as her mother.

"Hi, sweetie, did you have a good day?" her mom asked as she approached.

Brooke opened the door and slid in. "Yeah, but it doesn't feel right. Something's strange."

"We'll talk about it at home, over dinner," Mom replied, not wanting to have this conversation just yet.

When they got to the house, Miranda pulled the tuna sandwiches out of the refrigerator and placed them on the kitchen counter along with a plate of sliced carrots and a couple cans of zero sugar soda.

Miranda took a bite of sandwich then asked Brooke about her day.

Brooke described a typical school day, leaving out her encounter with Jennifer. The memory of her trip through the mirror was gone from her mind and all she could recall were memories of her day since she had awaken in her beautifully feminine bed, in her typically girly bedroom, just down the hall.

"You said something was strange today?"

"No, I don't think so---wait, yeah, sort of."

"I want to hear about it, but, first, let's clear a few things up. Follow me."

They walked up the hall to Miranda's bedroom and stopped in front of a mirror on the back of the closet door.

"You first," she instructed her daughter.

"Huh?"

"You went through the mirror in the spare room back in the other reality of Gerald and Brad. Let's go back before we start talking about this."

Brooke stood there confused.

"Mom? Are you okay? What are you talking about, and who is Gerald and Brad-"

As soon as she said the name Brad, something happened in her mind and she saw a mental image of Brad which she vaguely recognized. So she did know this Brad, but was still unsure of how and who he was.

Miranda sighed and reached out to the mirror. Her fingers passed into the glass and disappeared.

Brooke's eyes grew wide with horror.

"What just happened? " she exclaimed.

Miranda withdrew her hand and pointed.

Brooke reached toward the mirror tentatively not sure of what would happen. When her fingers reached the mirror, they bent against the solid glass.

Miranda's face fell.

This wasn't going to be a quick or easy solution.

She had hoped she would be able to go back through with her, but it appeared she had entered through a different mirror on this side. Miranda knew the rules of the mirror and knew Brooke would have to return through the mirror she entered from.

"Where did you come through?" she inquired of her daughter. "Where were you when you first came here? You have to think real hard, but you will be able to differentiate between the memories you made since you've been here and what was given to you to fill in your life here, from before you arrived. Think. When did you enter this reality and where were you?"