Though he had only spent two days here, Barrel’s room was an absolute mess. Everything except the bike of course.
Shock: Ugh, what a mess, only you could completely trash a room in two days.
Barrel: (defiantly) I like a mess.
Shock rolled her eyes.
Other Lock: Hurry up and get the key, you can never know when she is watching.
Other Lock kept glancing anxiously around them, a nervous expression on his face. It was as if he thought the Beldam was going to jump out at him any moment. As Barrel searched through his pockets, a worried expression appeared on his face.
Barrel: The Key! It’s not in my pocket!
Shock: What!?!
Barrel: It’s not there! It must have fallen out of my pocket!
Other Lock: Then search the room!
Other Lock, Shock, and Barrel began to frantically search through the room. They did this for a few minutes, becoming more and more anxious every second they didn’t find it. Then Shock heard a faint tap at the open window. She turned to see none other than the cat, sitting on the window sill. Other Lock and Barrel didn’t seem to notice him. Shock walked over to him.
Cat: Looking for something?
Shock: (slightly panicked) Barrel lost the key. We have to find it.
At the mention of his name, Barrel looked up and saw Shock talking to the cat. Other Lock looked up as well, looking surprised to see the cat.
Barrel: I didn’t lose it! I just…
Shock: Lost it?
Other Lock: Have you seen it?
The cat looked thoughtfully at Other Lock for a moment, then jumped down from the window back outside. The three looked at each other as if one of them might know what was going on. Just as quickly as it had gone the cat reappeared, holding in his mouth, to everyone’s relief, the key.
Shock: Where did you find it!?!
Shock held her and out for the key, which the cat dropped into her hand.
Cat: I saw it fall out of that one’s pocket. I took it before she could; you ought to have been more careful.
Barrel: Sorry.
Shock: I think I’ll carry the key from now on.
Other Lock: Good idea.
As they went out into the hallway, Shock got an idea and asked them to wait there while she went to her room. She looked through the jewelry box and found a necklace with a long, sturdy chain. She removed the pendant, replaced it with the key, and hung it around her neck. She rejoined the others and they all followed Other Lock as he led them back to the black door.
It was just as they had left it. Shock leaned down so she could unlock the door without taking off the key. As they had hoped, the key fit easily and the door opened. They all looked curiously into the room, then at each other.
Shock: I’ll go in first.
As Shock entered the room, no one followed her; instead they hid out in the hallway. They told themselves they were being lookouts in case the Beldam appeared. Shock looked around the room. It was dark and empty, but for a long mirror on the opposite wall. It did not reflect the room around it; instead a glittering fog swirled in the surface giving off a faint glow. Lock was nowhere to be seen. So much for that, thought Shock. But for some reason she found herself drawn to the mirror, like it called to her. She could almost hear it whisper…she touched the mirror’s surface and though it was hard and cold, the fog swirled as if she had moved her arm through it. An arm had moved through it, but it wasn’t Shock’s. Another hand appeared touching the other side if the glass where Shock’s hand was. Shock jumped back, in shock (no pun intended) as the real Lock appeared in the mirror. His skin appeared blue and metallic, and the red of his hair and clothes seemed faded and pink-purple. He looked very sad, almost haunted.
Shock: Lock…
She couldn’t believe it. She placed her hand back against the mirror. Lock appeared to say something, but she couldn’t hear the words. She tried to gesture that she could not hear him. He seemed to understand and looked down sadly for a moment. Then he breathed against the glass and wrote:
“Cold here”
Though to Shock the words were backwards she could read them easily. She tried to suppress the tears that came to her eyes, she would not cry here, in front of Lock. She wanted to tell him so much, but with the restrictions of the glass she could only write:
‘Want help U’
He wrote back.
“U can’t”
‘Why not?’
“Only Beldam”
Here he had to breathe on the glass again to continue.
“Can Free”
Shock couldn’t believe this. There had to be a way to get him out, there had to…She wrote:
‘Break Glass?’
Lock raised his eyebrows and wrote:
“& kill me”
Okay, thought Shock; that was not a good idea. But there had to be a way to get him out of there. Maybe the others would have some ideas. She wrote on the mirror:
‘Be Back’
Shock glanced back at Lock for a second before turning and going back out into the hallway.
Shock: What happened to coming with me?
Barrel: What?! We were guarding the door!
Other Lock: Yeah!
Shock: Uh-huh, listen, if you chickens had come with me you’d know that she’s trapped him in a mirror!
Barrel: Hey! I’m not a…wait, WHAT!?!
Other Lock: (worried) Oh no, no, that isn’t good…
Other Lock began to nervously twist his tail.
Shock: Do you know something?
Other Lock: No, not much at least, but she told me that if I was bad she’d put me in a mirror to rot for all eternity. She showed me…ones that had disobeyed…
Other Lock shivered, remembering. Shock felt a pang of sympathy for the Other Lock; he was risking a lot to help them. Then again, they were all taking a risk. The Beldam might appear any moment and discover what they’d been doing.
Shock: Would you know how to get him out?
Other Lock: I don’t know…I’ll have to see it for myself.
Other Lock entered the room, Shock, Barrel, and the cat following closely. Other Lock paused a few feet in front of the mirror. Barrel gasped. The real Lock stared at Other Lock a curious expression on his face. Other Lock seemed intimidated by the real Lock. The cat looked like this was all very uninteresting to him.
Barrel: Lock? Whoa, dude, you look weird.
Shock smacked Barrel on the back of his head.
Shock: He’s trapped in a mirror idiot. And he can’t hear you.
Barrel: (rubbing the back of his head) Okay, okay, no need to hit me.
Other Lock examined the mirror, real Lock gazing at him suspiciously as he did so. Shock breathed on the glass and wrote:
‘Helping Us’
She pointed to the Other Lock. Lock responded.
“Trust him?”
‘Yes’
Other Lock looked sad. He had bad news.
Other Lock: I can’t get him out, the way she’s done it; it’s different, only she can get him out.
Shock: Then what are we going to do?
Cat: May I make a suggestion?
They all turned to look at the cat, who, until that moment had been lying there, seemingly indifferent to the conversation.
Cat: Perhaps you should challenge her for his freedom? She may not play fair, but she’ll not refuse. She’s got a thing for games.
Shock: She sounds like Oogie.
Barrel: (sarcastically) Maybe we should set them up sometime.
A brief mental image of Oogie on a date with the Beldam sprang up in Shock’s mind. She pushed out the disturbing image. Each of them looked at each other.
Barrel: What would she play for?
Though he had asked the question, he knew the answer. They all did. There was only one thing the Beldam would play for…
..................................................................................
Oh no! What will happen next?
