When finally they got Alyssa moving, Belle was impatient to get it done. She could sense that she was getting closer to the real information now, and she was hoping that it was all going to become clear with this final trip behind the mirror. Belle and Rudolph led the way into the house, and through to the dining room - the kicking off point into the bedroom, and the mirror. She stopped, reiterated the instructions to Luke, which consisted of little more than "you'll just know when", and grabbed Alyssa's hand. Alyssa squeezed it, and together they walked into the room.
--
Still holding hands, the two sisters stood in front the mirror. Rudolph took up his customary position on Belle's other side, leaning lightly against her leg. His breathing was rapid, Belle noticed, but then noticed that so was her own. Alyssa seemed calm, but her palm, entwined with Belle's own, was damp and clammy. Quietly as first, but with growing confidence, they began to chant:
"I had a little dolly
I told it my little worry
But then it went red
And now they're all dead
I'm so terribly sorry
I had a little ..."
The vision came suddenly this time. One moment it was black, and then, like being struck by a bolt of lightning, she could see. Belle blinked, becoming accustomed to the sudden light. She glanced at Alyssa, and noticed that her face had gone slack. Theire hands were still held, and Belle noticed that Alyssa's - warm and damp before - was suddenly dry and slightly cool. She was just beginning to wonder where Luke was when she saw (saw!) him hovering at the door. She beckoned very slightly with her free hand, and he smiled and walked in. He stood slightly behind them and then, with Belle's gesture, stepped in between her and her sister. He took each of their wrists gently, and pulled their hands apart, not breaking their link, but stretching it by adding himself in between. Suddenly, Belle's vision doubled slightly - she was picking up Alyssa's as well as Luke's, she realised. She blinked a few more times, and slowly her new found sight came back into focus. Occasionally it would double again, and sometimes even triple as she picked up on Rudolph's smell-sight, but then it would coalesce into a single image. Before too long, she started to see the faces in the mirror, slowly becoming that by now familiar face - the one.
--
Hello Belle, Rudolph. And Alyssa. Who is this?
This is Luke.
Luke. Hello Luke.
Ah, hello. Hi.
Belle, you are to ask for some answers.
Yes, I am.
I know. I have offered you many answers so far, Belle.
Yes, you have. And for that, I thank you. I wish to know more.
You wish to know more. And how much do you know, now?
I know many things. I know who you are, and I know why you are here. I do not know where you are from, or why. I do not know where you go, or why you go, or how you go. I do not know how I can help you.
That is a lot of questions, Belle.
Yes, it is.
We are from - forever. We are here because - always. We go to - eternity. We go for - life. We go as we always go - with the mirror. You can help us - by moving the mirror to the next host.
Your answers make little sense to me. Where do you want the mirror moved to?
You can not move the mirror.
But I ... I don't understand.
No. You don't. But you will.
Help me to understand.
Only you can help you to understand, Belle.
Yes, as you have told me before.
As I have told you before. Very good.
Thank you.
Farewell, Belle.
Farewell.
--
Together, all four of them - the three humans and the one canine - blinked, and foudn themselves back in the reality of the bedroom. Belle's new ofund sight blinked back into darkness, and normality was restored yet again. They had all heard the one speak, the strange conversation that had taken place between it (they) and Belle. Alyssa and Luke felt just as confused as they had been before. Belle however was ecstatic, "The one has never spoken that clearly before, wow! I think we should write this down. I need my laptop. Hold on." with that, Belle took off at a trot to retrieve her computer from the bedroom. When she returned, she handed the laptop to her sister and said, "You type, Liss. You're faster." and they settled at the kitchen table.
--
When they had the conversation - as best as they could remember - written down, Alyssa had the text to speech program read it back to them. The computerised voice made the words lose their magic, and they just became confusing, seemingly understandable.
""You can help us by moving the mirror to the next host."" Belle quoted aloud, "At first I thought the one meant moving the mirror to somewhere else in the house or something. But now I'm wondering about the word "host". What does "host" mean?"
Alyysa, thinking out loud, said, "A host might be the person who holds a party, it could be something a parasite is on - a dog or a person or something like that. I guess it's, well, it's someone that provides something to someone else. A party, a meal, a habitat."
"A parasite ..." Belle echoed, lost in thought.
"Do you think the ... the one ... needs a host?" Luke said thoughtfully, "Maybe the one needs ... something. Like a parasite, or a party guest, they need whatever it is the host can give to them."
"Yeah," Belle echoed, "If the one - the worries - are a parasite, they need something from us. We already know that, I guess. So we're the host. They need a new host."
"We need to give the mirror to someone else." Alyssa said triumphantly.
"Yeah." Luke agreed.
"But who?" Belle asked, "And if we can't move it, who can?"
--
Alyssa connected Belle's computer to the printer, and printed off the conversation. Belle harnessed Rudolph and, with the piece of paper in hand, they wandered down to the cafe for breakfast. It was still early in the morning, and being a Monday there were few patrons in the cafe. They were shown a seat near the big glass doors that overlooked the deck. They were glad to be inside in the warmth, as they watched the wind whip up frothy white tops on the breakers coming in to the beach. Winter had arrived. They ordered, and the food arrived quickly. Over eggs benedict, pancakes and strong, aromatic coffee they laid out the now crumpled piece of paper, and tried to derive more meaning out of it. The only conclusions they reached were pure speculation, though, and by the time Belle slopped maple syrup onto the paper, obliterating much of the type, they knew it off by heart, but still understood virtually nothing.
--
When they got home, all three decided to have a snooze. Rudolph crept into his bed in the corner of Belle's room, and Alyssa and Luke retired to the flat. When Belle awoke, it was still only 10 o'clock in the morning, and she decided to go back in, with Rudolph only. She shook him awake.
--
Alyssa and Luke made love, and afterwards, fell asleep in each other's arms. Some time later, they woke up together, and made love again. Alyssa felt relieved that they had gotten through their first argument, and made it to the other side.
--
When Alyssa and Luke finally emerged from the flat, freshly showered and inseperable, they were surprised to find Belle still in bed, Rudolph curled up in his bed beside her. Alyssa wondered if they should try and wake her, they were running out of time before Mandy and Jamie arrived back. Luke suggested timidly that maybe they should attempt to contact the one on their own and Alyssa, whose memory was still fresh of what happened last time se had tried to take charge, glared at him, "No way. I'm not trying that again."
They were discussing dinner options, assuming that Mandy adn Jamie would be back late, and Belle would be starving, when Belle suddenly bounced into the room, Rudolph at her heels. Alyssa jumped, then smiled, "Hey, Sis"
"Hello, hello!" Belle fairly bubbled, and trotted into the kitchen. Alyssa could hear her scrabbling in the fridge for drinks, and called out, "Do you need a hand?"
"Nope." Belle replied, her voice muffled byt the fridge, "I'm all good."
Shortly after, Belle emerged with a glass of coke and a ham and cheese sandwich. Rudolph was licking his lips, and Alyssa suspected he had been slipped bits of ham as well. He's been working hsard too though, she thought, and guessed that he, at least on some level, deserved it.
"I'm starving," Belle said, her mouth half full of bread.
"Yeah, thought you might be. We were thinking that we might order pizza for dinner."
Belle made a face, "Nah, let's cook. There's stuff in the fridge isn't there?"
Alyssa frowned, "No, if you're cooking, you'll need my help, and I couldn't be bothered. Besides, don't you want to go and look in the mirror again?"
"Nope." Belle said brightly, "Well, maybe once more, but I need to take Mum."
Alyssa looked incredulous, but before she could speak, Belle went on, "I'm pretty sure I've got it sussed. Come on, help me cook some spaghetti bolognaise, and while we're doing it, I'll tell all."
--
Alyssa agreed, but Belle danced and darted about the issue as they cooked, instead managing to distract her with jokes and stupid stories. Luke hung around in the background, trying not to get in the way, and laughed along with them.
--
When dinner had been cooked and served, and they had all eaten plenty - Belle had three plates full, and even Rudolph got a small amount of mince on top of his regular dog food - they sat around the table, still avoiding the issue. Alyssa was expecting that the door would open at any minute. She wondered if Belle was delaying the issue, waiting for them to get home, or just though reluctance. Eventually, she asked the question out loud.
Belle shrugged in response, "It's still unformed, I guess. But I guess I can tell you most of it."
Alyssa waited for her to go on and, when she didn't, she prompted her, "Well, go on then,"
Belle was silent for a few minutes longer, gathering her thoughts, that were stringing out like beads on a broken necklace, trying to gather the neckace up without losing all the beads, and find the ones that had slipped away. Eventually, she took a breath, and began, "Well, the worries have existed since, well, forever. Like the one said."
Alyssa nodded, remembering "We are from forever. We go to eternity." she said softly.
Belle smiled, "Yeah, "we are from forever". They have existed forever, since before some villagers in Guatemala created worry dolls from scraps of cloth and little twigs. The worry dolls just gave them form. A form that people would understand, and could use. But the point is that worries have always existed, and they always will. Humans, no matter how advanced they are, will always have things to worry about. They might be worrying about the wheel falling off the buggy, or a horse going lame, or they could be worrying about their laptop being stolen, or someone getting promoted ahead of them at work. Maybe one day those worries will be running out of rocket fuel in the space ship, or some other astronaut forgotting to put the seat down up in the space station central. You get the idea, anyway." Belle paused, "Does anyone else want ice-cream?"
"Belle!" Alyssa cried, indignant.
"It's okay," Belle said, rising, "just let me get ice cream, I'll come back. You want some?" she asked, already in the kitchen.
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