Sunday Snippet: Reflections (Through a Mirror Darkly)

November is off with a bang. We've had way higher than normal temperatures this past week. It's throwing me off kilter to have seventy-five degree weather right now. The trees are bare but it's like summer outside. Weird.

I had another busy week with work projects. I also got my new washing machine and got caught up on laundry. Last but not least, I think I have about half my holiday shopping done. I'm trying hard to be ahead of things this year.

I didn't get a lot of viewing completed this week. I've been on a kick where I need quiet time to get things done. I did watch a couple of things…

Caught the premiere episode of season two of Only Murders in the Building. Gotta say, I love how they've kicked the season off. This is such a fun show.

Also watched an episode of Peak Practice and ended up enjoying it a lot. I like it when they have characters who've been on previously. Adds a bit of realism.

And that's pretty much it for the life update this week. I think I'm going to catch up on a couple of movies this upcoming week. Stay tuned.

Tonight's post is from Reflections, a novella in the Through a Mirror Darkly brand I hope to get established soon.

Here's the mini-blurb:

The ornate mirror in her grandmother's house creeps Everley Bonice out. When she arrives to settle her grandmother's estate, the mirror depicts erotic images of Everley with a man who seems familiar but one Everley can't place. When Vannes Sullivan shows up to deliver groceries to the house, Everley decides to discover the secrets of the mirror-scenes she keeps seeing, because Vannes is the man in the reflection.

And a preview snippet…

Vannes Sullivan didn't know why he stood outside Ernestine's house. "I can't be sure anyone stayed after the funeral." The berg's gossip mill suggested Ernie's granddaughter inherited the old manor.

Vannes had gone to the graveside service—compelled to attend and maybe get a glimpse of Everley Bonice, the woman Ernie spoke of so frequently. He managed to catch a brief, momentary glance of Everley but didn't get a good look. Dark-haired and curvy were the two things he remembered. Oddly, he hoped she had stuck around and he wouldn't be greeted by one of Ernie's silver spanglers—the ever-shrinking circle of her friends.

He knocked then stepped back and waited a moment. Everley opened the door and blinked then gasped. A bit of an odd reaction.

He lifted his chin. "Everley? I'm with Wellman's grocery. Your grandmother had a standing order—" He broke off. "Whoa, hey, are you all right?"

She'd gone pale and swayed a little.

He grasped her elbow. "Everley? You are Ernie's granddaughter, aren't you?" He'd been certain until this very moment.

She blinked again and nodded. "Y-yes. I'm sorry. You said you're with Wellman's?" She dragged in a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

He smiled. "Yeah. I heard you might be staying for a while and since Ernie already paid for the groceries, I thought I'd bring them by." He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "Is it okay if I bring them up?"

She glanced out at the van and bobbed her head. "Uh, sure. That's fine." Her hand went to her head, swiping the hair from her face.

He turned and started down the steps. "Great. Be right back." He kept her in his line of sight while he retrieved the items.

She looked like a much younger version of Ernestine, which meant beautiful. Ernie turned heads even at the age of seventy-eight. What a strange introduction, though. He'd swear Everley had seen a ghost or something. He shrugged the weird vibe off and grabbed the two boxes of staples and the bag of produce.

This story is so much fun. I'm hoping to have more mirror-based tales in the future to create a full anthology!

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye