The Mirror In The Lake - Excerpt

What if you could wish for anything in the world?

What if your wishes caused your death?

The sun blinded Alyssa's eyes when she opened them. Where was she?

A boat. She was on her own in a rowboat. How did she get there? She didn’t remember anything about her past, only her name. The years of her life had disappeared in an instant.

She was looking for something. She loved mysteries, unexplainable things. Was that why she was here, to try to trace the origin of a legend? People died because of it. Even though she couldn’t remember a lot, she knew it was important.

She gazed into the endless deep of the dark ocean. The reflection staring back wasn’t hers. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. If she didn’t find land, she would starve or die from dehydration. Taking the oars, she attempted to paddle underneath the scorching sun. Slow and steadily, the boat began listening to the movement of her oars.

Time passed but she didn’t notice. Before she knew it, the moon rose. She curled up in the boat, tired and miserable, and tried to sleep. She didn’t know how long it would take for someone to find her. With her lack of skills, she doubted that she would manage to reach land if there was any.

“The mirror in the lake.”

A nightmare jolted her awake. For a moment she forgot where she was, but it all sunk in. Rain started to pour. I will die, she thought. She tried to remember what she was looking for. The people that had died because of it. How? Why? Their bodies were never found, but their deaths had been confirmed. Alyssa's friend had told her something before. She remembered their face, but not the words that had left their lips. It was important. Something about an island. A mirror. A lake.

An island. The wind whispered her thoughts. If only she could find one now. If only she could find help.

An ominous rumble of thunder cracked in the sky. The sea began to tip. The waves pounded against the sides of the boat. The dull sound of splintering wood alerted her to the presence of a frighteningly large gash at the bottom of the boat. With nothing at her disposal, there was no escape.

A current of water rushed towards her as the sea climbed into the boat. The thought of death didn’t scare her - it was the thought that no one would remember her. Lightning flashed the sky overhead as she stood on the edge of the boat and dived into the sea before it could sink.

Her clothes weighed her down as she struggled to keep her head above the water. The churning sea grabbed her and dragged her into the darkness, filling her lungs, stopping her heart.

The last thing she saw was the outline of an island above the water.

                                          *                       *                        *

The wind caressed her hair. Consciously, she felt the gentle kiss of the waves on her feet. When she moved to stand, the golden sand underneath her shifted.

An island. By some miracle, she had been saved. She didn’t know how or why, but it didn’t matter. As long as she was alive and had access to food and water, she was safe.

“The mirror in the lake.”

The voice from the trees was soft and soothing. Although something at the bottom of her heart reminded her to stop, she wanted to follow it instantly.

“Ask what you wish. Whatever you want, you will get.”

Something about the island is different. She wasn’t the smartest person in the world, but she wasn’t stupid. When she bent to scoop the golden sand, it evaded her fingers. A spark reminded Alyssa of something her friend had told her before the incident.

A lake. A mirror. A tree. An animal. A fruit. A wish.

How could she forget? It was something they repeated over and over. They warned her that she had to remember, she had to be prepared. She hadn't understood what they meant at the time. Frightened, she darted into the forest, not knowing where to go.

Before she knew it, she came across a lake. The glimmering water was mesmerising in the sunlight, but something was wrong with it. She stepped forward and looked into it with vigilance, only to see no bottom.

“Welcome to my lake.”

She spun around, but no one was there.

“I remember you, though your face is different.” The voice chuckled softly. “I wonder how long it will take you to figure this out.”

She wanted to turn around and run, but somewhere deep down told her to stay. A part of her longed to eat the fruits, drink the water, and sink into the sand. “Where are you? Who are you? Can you help me get back home?”

“I am the mirror in the lake. Come closer. Look into the water. I can tell you anything.”

She didn't move.

“A wise choice. That at least, you remember. Everything else should be forgotten.”

One by one, her muscles unfroze and she took a step back. “Remember what?” Curiosity took the better of her.

“I didn’t think you would. If you can pass my tests, you can return to your home, as you wish. Whatever you ask will be granted.”

Something about the mirror’s voice told her that wasn’t true. Something at the back of her mind warned her not to trust it. Still, she had no other choice but to play its game. “What trials?”

Before she heard the reply, she saw a glimmer of metal beneath the lake. When she took a step forward to look in, she saw a large, ornate mirror with intricate details. She wondered why it hadn’t been there before.

“Before you start your trials, I must warn you. Do you want to know what happened to the others before she?”

“Yes.” The word left Alyssa's mouth without her permission. When she blinked, she woke up in the lake next to the mirror. Her body was still up on the ground, but somehow, her conscious mind had moved. How?

“Let me tell you a story . . .”

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“Everyday, I wait patiently for you. You’ll have different faces, but I always know who you are. You find me when you’re lost. I am the island of hope, I save you from your deaths. You come, begging to be saved, to have water, food, and shelter. Sometimes you find me because they want to. Sometimes you want to be here. Sometimes you want to have your wishes granted.

All have the same wishes; food, water, shelter, rescue. I can grant any wish in the world, no matter how big or small. Most ask for the cost, but there isn’t any. I only want for them to pass my tests.

First, I ask them to take me out of the lake. I tell them I want to be free from the water. I can hear and see them clearer above ground. When they jump into the water, I laugh. In my reflection, they witness their every mistake and failure, every consequence they will suffer. They drown, full of misery and regret. The lake of despair.

Some use the vines to pull me up without touching the water. They’re smart, but not clever enough to stop me. I show them their victories, everything they have ever won, everyone they have ever beaten. The doorway of false truth reflects in the water, and they too die thinking they can reach it. The fabricated image of hope.

Those that remain undeterred through all this are congratulated. The next test is to get a fruit from the trees, eat it, and throw the seeds into the lake. And I’m sure you've noticed that the trees cannot be touched or caught. They run around for centuries trying to climb one, but never even get close. Some pick up the rotten fruits on the ground and try to grow a new tree. It’s a rare thing, to have the courage to grow such a tree. It feeds on their blood and attaches itself like a leech around her hand until it bears a fruit. If they haven’t died of blood loss by then, they take the beautiful fruit. What they don’t know is that although it smells sweet, it is poisoned and acidic. Death in an hour. But always, there are those extraordinary people who know what to do. They tame the animals around the island - whether they are squirrels or birds - and feed it to them. The seeds can be taken from their droppings, which are given to me. The animal dies. The human lives. The tree of exertion. The fruit of misconception. The animal of sacrifice.

After all this trouble I grant their wishes. I’m not cruel. I do what they ask me to do. I give them everything they want. They ask for food and water. Working with what I have, I give it to them. Not my fault they’re poisoned. They ask to go home. I drop them off. Not my problem if they’re hit by a car or killed on the way. Some even live for a while, but their sanity is completely destroyed. They ask for wealth. I bury them in it. They ask and ask and ask and never stop. I give them everything, and they don’t understand. Occasionally, I’ll get the request of destroying myself. They’re the ones that know what I really am, what I really do. I shatter in front of their eyes, the shards piercing them. I reconstruct. I cannot be destroyed. I am the mirror of truth. I grant wishes of illusion.”

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Alyssa sat at the edge of the lake, staring into the water. For a moment, she thought she saw the shadow of a person standing by the mirror, holding it.

“What will you do?”

“Nothing,” she stood and stared into the water. “You told me everything I needed to know. I’m not doing any of your tests.”

The shadow smiled. “The island of false hope. Do you remember anything about your past? The friends you might have had, the ones that died. The words you remember. A lake. A mirror. A tree. An animal. A fruit. A wish. When will you finally get your memories back? How many times have you come here? How many more will it take to realise you will never escape? When you die, where do you go? How many trees have been made from your bones, grown from your blood? The number of trees marks the number of times you have died here. I await for your next visit.” It flickered and disappeared, and somehow she knew that it wouldn’t return.

She had been here forever, and she had never noticed. Time would repeat itself, and she knew what would happen after she died. For the rest of her life, she stayed on the island, which wasn’t as long as she had hoped. The only fresh water on the island was poisoned, and she didn’t trust the fruits, trees, or animals. She died at the edge of the lake, becoming part of the island. Her bones built trees, and fruits were grown out of her organs.

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The sun blinded Alyssa's eyes when she opened them. She was on her own in a rowboat. She gazed into the endless deep of the dark ocean. The reflection staring back wasn’t hers. Her face has changed. She didn’t remember anything except her own name. She remembered a list of words, something important. A lake. A mirror. A tree. An animal. A fruit. A wish.

She saw an island in the distance. Before it disappeared in the fog, she saw the glint of the mirror in the lake, and the shadow of a person waving at her.