Hillary and her new friend Wallace continued to tumble over and over through the emptiness. She was quite pleased to have company, but still worried very much about Rupert. They called out his name several times before giving up.
Just then Hillary noticed a flickering light in the darkness. It was the smallest spark of illumination, but it seemed to grow ever closer. As it came up to Hillary’s face, she instantly recognized the creature. The tiny fairy was bluish in colour and wore a petal shaped luminous blue dress. She carried a tiny wand in her right hand.
Hillary noticed that Wallace too had seen the fairy. “It looks a little like Tinkerbell from Peter Pan…except its not her…she’s slightly different. She has black hair. We should think of a name for her. How about Lilith…that sounds like a fairy name-doesn’t it? She’s trying to tell me something, but I can’t understand it.” Wallace was amazed by the sight. “Is that thing real? I thought Tinkerbell was just a character in some old kid’s book.” Hillary felt slighted by the off-putting remark.
“What do you mean? Peter Pan is the best book ever! It’s real- and all the people 212
in the book are real too! You’ll see!” The flitting creature beckoned them onward through the darkness. The two friends followed closely through the blackness.
After several minutes they came upon a green door. It was not hinged upon any wall, and seemed to merely float in mid-air. The exotic raven-haired fairy creature waved her wand and the door opened. It seemed obvious that she wished for them to enter. Hillary stared into what looked like a normal bedroom in any child’s room. She coaxed Wallace into following her through the door. As the tiny fairy flew in behind them, the door promptly shut and disappeared. They looked around in awe at their new surroundings. Hillary spoke first. “Doesn’t this look a little like Wendy’s bedroom…you know, from Peter Pan?” Wallace considered the question seriously and walked about the room. “Well, in the book I read, it did look a little like this, but not quite…something is off. I wonder if that means you’re like Wendy? Then maybe I’m like Micheal from the book!” Hillary danced happily around the familiar room. It looked a lot like it did in the wonderful book. She flung open the huge bay windows and gazed out into the clear bright moonlit night. The magnificent storied skyline of late 19th century London stood out invitingly before her wide eyes. The innumerable cobbled red rooftops below were covered with a light frosting of snow. Hillary watched as the bundled up shoppers traversed the streets in the warming glow of the bright street lamps. The cloudless night sky was suffused with a myriad of twinkling stars. It was every bit as 213
wonderful a sight as Hillary had imagined it while reading the amazing story.
Wallace came to join her by the window. His unrestrained enthusiasm was evident.
“Look, Hillary! Is that really London down there? I’ve never even been out of the country before. Is this really happening, or is this some kind of dream?” Hillary put a finger to his lips to cease his talking. “Isn’t it beautiful?” The glowing blue fairy flew up between them and flapped her tiny fragile wings. Hillary was overcome with wonder, but still worried herself over the fate of Rupert. She questioned the fairy as to his whereabouts. “Our friend Rupert did not make it with us. Do you know where he might be?” The capricious creature provided no answer, and merely fluttered away out the window.
Samantha called out to Ronald Boggs who was busy in the kitchen preparing a snack for her. “I’m just going to lie down…I’m very tired.” Mr. Boggs replied in a cheery tone. “You go right ahead! You’ve been through quite a lot young lady.” Ronald realized that he should have called the police immediately upon his arrival home, but was desperate for the cheerful company. He had decided to call as soon as the young girl woke up from her rest. Despite all the craziness and chaos of the last few days, he considered it the best Christmas he had known in years. He 214
poured himself a mug of store-bought eggnog; spiked it with rum and sat down before the twinkling multi-coloured lights on his festive tree. For the first time in months, he did not feel the need to turn on the TV. Samantha shut the door to the bedroom and gazed around searchingly. The object of her attention was found when she spied a large mirror mounted upon the dresser. She proceeded with her devious task. She climbed up upon the dresser and stared deeply into the shining surface. The object of her search presented itself as she stepped gingerly up and into the mirror’s surface. Samantha caught sight of the image of Carolyn Penrose briefly trapped within the glass. In one quick movement the pernicious girl was gone into the looking glass; with the bedroom left empty. Mr. Boggs got up and played an old Christmas record from his childhood. He sat back and sipped on his soothing holiday libation. He closed his eyes and recalled a happy Christmas day from his barely remembered youth.
Detective Gardner reached the apartment building on Sauniere drive to find several squad cars laying in wait. He approached one of the high-ranking officers.
“Okay, is everyone ready? Now, remember, let’s not go in with guns blazing.
We’re still just working on the tip from some old landlady. Anyway, the 215
description of the girl sounded right, so who knows?” Gabriel Gardner stealthily lead the way up the stairs of the building. He knocked lightly on the landlady’s door and waited. Mrs. Avignon directed the officers up the stairs and was told to remain within her apartment. She begrudgingly agreed. Gabriel Gardner found his way up to apartment 302. He banged loudly on the door and loudly declared himself. He waited a moment until he heard a stirring inside. Ronald Boggs was unceremoniously yanked out of his reverie by the loud pounding at the door. He had not the slightest inkling as to the reason for the disturbance. He lazily sauntered up to the door, removed the chain and stared wide-eyed down the barrel of a gun. The detective immediately instructed Ronald to remain motionless. “Are you Ronald Boggs?” The terrified man stammered out a choking response.
Gabriel continued his interrogation. “Sir, we were given a tip that you were recently seen in the company of Hillary Penrose, a missing girl. Is this correct?” An expression of faint hope graced the expression of the accused man. “Hillary?
Oh…yes. I was just going to call you! It just slipped my mind. She’s in the bedroom right now. You don’t have to point those guns at me. Here, let me take you to her right now.” The detective and his entourage were less than convinced by the calm explanation. Gabriel kept his gun drawn but lowered as he followed Ronald through the shabby apartment. For his part, Mr. Boggs was utterly unconcerned. He called out Hillary’s name as he opened the door to the bedroom.
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“Hillary, there are some gentlemen here to see you. They’re going to be taking you home.” He swung open the door and cast his eyes to the bed. Finding it empty, he proceeded to call out her name with increasing impatience. “Hillary! We’re not playing hide-and-seek now. You really need to come out!” He began to search the room with a growing sense of anxiety. He pulled open the closet doors and then crawled down to the floor to look under the bed. Mr. Boggs wore an expression of profound confusion. “Detective…she really was here…unless…unless she somehow slipped out the door while my eyes were closed. I just don’t understand it.” Gabriel grabbed the man roughly and threw him to the bed. He roughly handcuffed the trembling man, then spun him around. “Let me tell you something, scum-bag. If I find that girl has been harmed in any way, you will not want to know what happens to you. Prison will be the least of your worries, my friend.” Ronald’s face was ashen and blank. Several heavy tears began to fall from his tired, sad eyes. He was lead away and down the stairs past the stabbing dagger eyes of Mrs. Avignon and several other curious voyeurs. As their accusatory eyes met his, he shook his head in denial. “I swear…I didn’t do it…” Carolyn felt very strange about herself as she walked easily into the mirror.
As she pulled herself all the way inside, she gazed around at a vast black emptiness.
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She tried to grasp in the dark for some sort of landmark. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her keys. Attached to the ring was a small flashlight. Carolyn shone it aimlessly around until she noticed a glint in the darkness. She proceeded forward to the source of the reflection. She walked closer and realized that she had found another mirror, different than the one which she had just passed through.
Carolyn was unable to peer through the mirror and so carefully pushed her head through. She gazed through the mirror’s surface at the hospital room where her body lay prostrate. Beside her body a little girl held the comatose woman’s arm.
Carolyn instantly recognized her daughter, but realized at once that it was Samantha, not Hillary. The very sight of her daughter’s face, after such a long separation caused her to gasp. Samantha quickly looked up from her task.
Samantha had in fact anticipated Carolyn’s plan and had acted accordingly. She had earlier carefully climbed through Ronald Boggs mirror into Carolyn’s hospital room. She then had proceeded to steal a vial containing dangerous medicine and a syringe from a nearby nurse’s station. “Hello Carolyn. Have you come to rejoin your body? I’m afraid you’re too late for that.” The little girl laughed as she shoved a large needle deep into the cold, still body. Carolyn looked on in horror.
As she watched the needle plunge into her arm, she felt a sympathetic pain within her own appendage. She shrieked out loud. “Stop it…stop it now!” The commotion caught the attention of an attending nurse making her rounds. Samantha heard the 218
approach of the woman and sank quickly under the bed. The nurse walked in quickly as Carolyn still watched the terrible events unfold from inside the bathroom mirror. She collapsed in shock. The dangerous syringe jutted out precariously from the bedridden body. The shocked nurse removed it hastily and smashed at a blue button on the wall. An alarm sounded within building. Within moments, several other physicians came dashing into the room. “What happened?” The flustered nurse gave a quick explanation of her discovery. The senior doctor called out loudly, “Code blue!” The doctor acted rapidly and began attempts to revive the poisoned body of Carolyn. He stared at the monotone heart monitor. Only a flat, dull uninterrupted hum filled the room.
Charles awoke several hours later in a small detention area within the precinct. He reached up to rub the throbbing pain in his neck and arm. He lay staring half-asleep at the top bunk’s metal-spring bottom when he heard the approach of several men. He instantly recognized the voice of Detective Gardner.
Gabriel barely noticed Charles lying in the bunk. The disheveled man lying in the cell bore no resemblance to the distraught father he knew. “Who’s that guy,in the cell?” The other officer with Gabriel explained. “That’s just some nut-job we found loitering at a restaurant downtown. The shrink had to pump him full of happy juice.
Speaking of that, it looks like he’s due for another dose of the stuff.” Just then a 219
sergeant walked in with Ronald Boggs in hand-cuffs. The first laconic cop removed the handcuffs of Mr. Boggs. The new arrival had been most uncooperative during his interrogation. He shoved the tearful man forcefully into the cell and locked it.
Gabriel Gardner was still intrigued by the identity of the vagrant in the cell. He stared back at the shabby looking man with genuine curiosity. “Who did you say that guy was?” Charles Penrose’s mind was still foggy from the powerful sedatives administered to him previously. He was barely able to raise himself up from the bunk to gaze at the new prisoner. Mr. Boggs sat down heavily upon the cold cement floor and began to sob inconsolably. He stole a glance at the dirty, hapless fellow sitting across from him. “I…I don’t want any trouble…this is all a mistake, I’m not even supposed to be here.” Charles instantly recognized the familiar voice.
He struggled to recollect the time and place he had first heard that voice. Suddenly a flash of realization seized him. His introduction was a bare, throaty whisper.
“I…know you…you’re the clerk from the mall…where my daughter Hillary went missing.” The remark caused Ronald to rouse from his miserable torpor. “Well, yes…I do work at that store…but ,you said you’re Hillary’s daughter? How is that possible? You’re not him.” He continued to stare at the grimy lined face in disbelief.
“Yes…that’s me…I’m Charles Penrose. What are you doing here? Does this have anything to do with Hillary?” Mr. Boggs stood up and walked over to 220
examine the man’s face. “You sort of look faintly like him…but something is different…not quite right… I can’t explain it. I’m here because they think that I kidnapped Hillary…and some other kid named Wallace. I don’t know…I’m confused.” Charles was suddenly insistent. He roughly grabbed Ronald by his shirt. “Hillary? Did you or did you not have anything to do with my daughter’s disappearance?”
“No…but I did see her. It’s all a little foggy. I was in the basement of the store…you know, where Hillary was last seen. Last night I was down there…then I remember seeing Carolyn Penrose…but I know that’s not possible, because she was in a coma at the time. Then I don’t remember anything for a long time. I was just down there in the basement…standing…I don’t know why. Then I noticed Hillary stepping out of the elevator. She did something to me…touched me…and then I started remembering again. I was so happy that I finally found her. All I did was bring her home with me. I was about to call the police, when they came and found me…I don’t know what happened to Hillary…she was in the bedroom…and then she just disappeared into thin air. I don’t know why she would do this to me! She seemed like such a nice girl. I swear…listen, whoever you are, I did not touch a hair on her head. How could I? She was so lovely, with her long blond hair, and her pretty pleated green tartan dress. She looked just like a princess.” After the long explanation, he again broke down and cried. Charles was 221
still somewhat groggy. His drug-addled mind faded in and out. He had difficulty following the strange tale told by his cell-mate. Some salient feature of the description of Hillary stuck like a sliver in his mind. He concentrated hard on trying to understand what exactly was going on.
Hillary and Wallace stared out dreamily at the London skyline. Hillary broke the peaceful silence that had descended upon them. “I wonder where Peter Pan is?
I feel like he’s around somewhere…like he’s looking at us right now, you know?” Wallace concurred with the girl’s assessment. “I know what you mean. It’s like he can see us, but we can’t see him. Maybe if we yell really loudly, out the window, he might hear us and tell us what to do.” Hillary agreed and began to shout out the name. “Peter Pan? Peter Pan? Where are you?” They continued to shout for several minutes until their voices were hoarse. There was no reply to their hopeful cries. Hillary decided upon a different tact. “Maybe we’re supposed to find him ourselves. If only we could fly like Lilith, we could search the city below. He has to be somewhere.” Wallace listened intently to her plan. “Peter Pan doesn’t live here though, he lives in Never-never land, remember? How can we get there if we don’t have him to guide us?” Hillary was stumped again.
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“Obviously we need to find Lilith again. She’ll know the way, and she has the fairy dust so we can fly. I wish we could find Rupert. I hope he’s okay.” Wallace seemed to be content with the idea. “That sounds good. Maybe Peter Pan will know how to deal with Samantha too! If he could deal with a Captain Hook, I’m sure that he can handle a little girl!”
“I wonder where that tiny Lilith went? Lilith? Lilith?” They called her name loudly out the open window. A light dusting of snow drifted down past the window.
Rupert awoke to find himself lying down in a pitch black emptiness. The ground beneath him was cold and hard. He stood up and felt around for anything at all that seemed familiar. He wandered around blindly in the silent void. His heart beat furiously from fear of the unknown. He called out the name of his companion Hillary several times. Once again he was completely alone and adrift. He felt powerless and insecure as he searched for some escape from the numbing darkness. He still could see absolutely nothing, and was at a loss as to how to proceed. He reflected upon the fact that his present predicament was nothing at all like anything he had faced before. He began to question his decision to follow 223
Hillary to her world. Rupert wondered if he would ever get used to the idea of the real world. He closed his eyes and prayed for guidance. Opening his eyes, he was perplexed by the sight before him. A tiny fairy wearing a peculiar blue dress and holding a wand fluttered her tiny wings merely inches from his nose. The fanciful looking creature filled Rupert with wonder. “Hello there. Now you look like somebody from my world. I really need your help. I’m totally lost. Could you show me the way out?” The bright blue hued fairy nodded her minuscule head and beckoned the young prince onward. He fervently hoped that the way out was close.
Rupert noticed that Lilith had stopped just ahead of him. He noticed a large mirror whose outline could barely be seen in the faint glow emanating from the tiny creature. He followed the light until he was standing before the mirror. He reached out to feel its slick, shiny surface. He found that the glass of the mirror was actually composed of a silvery liquid. It was wet to the touch. It was much like the magical mirror that existed in his father's castle. Rupert wondered what he was next supposed to do. Lilith demonstrated for the young prince. She flitted in and out of the surface of the mirror, making tiny splashes and ripples. Rupert at once gleaned her meaning. He realized that he needed to pass through the mirror to escape from the dark abyss. He wasted no further time and began pulling himself through the mirror. The sensation of moving through the liquid was strange, thought Rupert. It lasted but a moment or two. He was moving backward and felt his foot again on 224
dry solid ground. He stood inside a stranger’s bedroom. He turned around and saw both Lilith, and another older woman sitting cross-legged before him. She smiled and greeted him warmly. “Hello. My name is Annie Koestler. Welcome to the real world.”
Samantha was genuinely concerned . She cowered under the bed as she heard the physicians and nurses frantically attempt to revive the lifeless body of Carolyn Harrison. “Does anybody know who administered this syringe to the patient?” The supervising nurse responded with dismay. “Mrs. Penrose hasn’t had any visitors for hours. I don’t see how anybody could have possibly slipped by the desk without me seeing.” There was still no sign of life in the motionless body. Dr. Singh removed the needle and handed it to one of the nurses. “Take this down to toxicology and have it analyzed right away. I have no idea what we’re dealing with here… it could be anything.” Samantha listened intently to the anxious conversation going on above her. She could easily have told the doctor the name of the venomous substance coursing through Carolyn’s veins. The doctor applied a set of electrically charged paddles to the woman’s chest. The powerful burst of electricity caused the body to jump in spasm. After several attempts, the doctor shoved an adrenaline filled needle deeply into the heart of the Carolyn. The 225
desperate gambit failed as the doctor sadly shook his head. He looked up at the clock on the wall and turned to the nurse. “Let’s call it…time of death…eleven eleven pm…Dec. 25th…I’ll call the detective and the husband…not looking forward to that call…” Ten minutes later the hospital staff had vacated the room leaving Samantha alone with the lifeless body. She slipped out from under the bed and stared down happily at the results of her terrible actions. Satisfied that her task was accomplished, she prepared to leave Carolyn’s room through the bathroom mirror. For some reason she found that the bathroom door was locked from the inside. Samantha quickly decided to attempt another means of escape. She crept quietly up to the main doorway and pulled it open. She slowly peered out the door, checking the way up and down the hall. With the coast clear, she departed walking briskly toward the exit. The supervising nurse looked up from her desk just as the young girl walked out. “Hello! You there…stop!” Samantha could not help but turn her head. She stumbled and fell. The heavy-set nurse immediately gave chase. “Please stop or I’ll call security!” The agile girl was rapidly back on her feet and headed for the door. Just then Dr. Singh appeared in her path. He stared quizzically at the girl whom he vaguely recognized. It took him a moment to see the nurse behind following the girl. Samantha quickly assessed the situation and realized that a conventional means of escape was impossible. She darted into the first door in front of her. An very elderly gentleman was awoken from his groggy 226
state. “Is that you Marilyn? Who is that…I can’t quite see you.” Samantha grabbed a chair and stuck it against the doorknob to prevent entry. She made for the bathroom and the mirror contained therein. Samantha flipped on the light and began to crawl into the silvery liquid surface of the glass. Both Dr. Singh and the nurse struggled to gain entry to the room. The old bed-ridden man foggily watched the bizarre scene unfold. Finally the chair crashed to the ground as the physician burst into the room. He looked once at the patient, then all around the private room. The nurse was down on the ground checking the floor as Dr. Singh checked the bathroom. There was no sign indication of any intruder. He resignedly walked over to the confused octogenarian. “Sir…how are you feeling? It’s Dr. Singh. Mr.
Gardner…did you see a young girl in this room…we thought she ran in here…” The gentleman took a moment to consider his answer. “Was that my daughter’s girl…Marilyn? She ran in here…then I saw her go into the bathroom…she must still be in there.” Both the nurse and doctor shared an uneasy moment. The physician again walked into the bathroom and examined it more closely. He found himself drawn to the bathroom mirror. He stared intently at the reflection of his fatigued face. His hand reached out to touch the image in the glass, then quickly recoiled as if repelled by some unknown force.
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After ensuring that Ronald Boggs had been processed and securely held, detective Gardner decided to return home to his distraught wife. He provided instruction to several officers with him in the precinct. “Now I thought this Boggs character might know where the missing Penrose girl was…and my son…” One of the younger cops seemed surprised. “What do you mean your son? What happened?” The older detective seemed reticent to elaborate. “Listen…with everything that’s been going on…I don’t know…I didn’t know how to explain it.
Wallace was up in his room…then he literally vanished into thin air…I know it doesn’t make any sense…”
“None of this makes any sense. First this Boggs guy seems like he’s our guy…we’ve even got an eye-witness that saw him together with the missing girl.
Then she’s suddenly gone…and something about him…he just doesn’t seem the type…you know what I mean?” The wise detective nodded and considered his response carefully. “Something weird is going on…nothing like I’ve ever seen…and what about this vagrant? You tell me he says his name is Charles Penrose? It’s funny…the coincidence of picking this guy up, with the same name as the missing girl. Obviously there’s a connection. There’s something wrong about him…can’t quite put my finger on it. I’ll tell you, I don’t know how…but all of this mess is tied together somehow. Now, I want a forensic team over to my house, and I want somebody watching on those two in the cell every second…in 228
fact, I want somebody to see if they can get any more information out of either of them. Press them hard if you have to…this could be my son’s life at stake here.” The younger officer listened intently and headed over to check on the two prisoners. The shabby homeless man and the middle-aged accused sat close together in deep conversation. Detective Gardner left the precinct with another police vehicle following him. He made his way onto the parkway leading to his home when his cell-phone rang. “Hello. Dr. Singh, yes of course I remember.
Yes…about Carolyn Penrose. What? Good lord…yes, thank you for calling. Don’t bother trying to reach the husband, he’s missing also. Yes, it is strange. I’ll contact Carolyn’s mother. Thank you for calling, doctor.” Gabriel decided that there was no more to be done at the precinct. He knew that his wife would be quite frantic by now. He made his way home. The detective drove into his driveway with the squad car close behind. His wife was standing by the door to greet him. Her normally beautiful face was lined with deep heartache.
“Any news Gabe? Please tell me that you found Wallace…” The detective held his wife in a warm embrace. “We have to be strong now honey…I know this is going to be difficult…but I swear to God I will bring your baby home safe.” Several officers with large boxes of equipment rushed by the couple and into the house.
Evelyn Gardner sat comforting her worried grandchild Cain upon the sofa.
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“Grandma, where did Wallace go?” The matriarch rocked the boy gently in her warm arms. “I don’t know boy, I’m afraid this might be the devil’s work…and he’s a tricky man indeed.”
“Grandma…are you sure that the devil is a man?” Chapter 11
Rupert looked around confusedly. He watched as the tiny aqua blue fairy hovered just inches from his head. “Where am I and what is this place? Who is this fairy that led me here? ” Annie looked at the strange very formally dressed boy. “Her name is Lilith…she is actually quite a wonderful fairy. That is why she 230
can easily travel between the two worlds. Most people have a clear image in their minds of what a fairy looks like. This is my house, in answer to your question….” Rupert’s face finally showed signs of some sort of recognition. “Is Hillary okay?
We went through this odd yellow door, then we were falling…we became separated. Does Hillary live here?” Annie realized the creature before her was not quite real. “You’re from Nibiru, I know that much. What is your name?” The well-spoken young man proceeded to introduce himself. “I am prince Rupert of Nibiru. I have come to learn how to be real, like Hillary.” Annie seemed pleased by the boy’s response. “Welcome to my home and the real world, brave prince.” The regal son shook his head. “I’m afraid it is Hillary who is the brave one…not me.”
“Nonsense…you had the courage to journey this far from the safety of your home.” Rupert was cheered by the kind words of encouragement. “Thank you.
..Hillary…is she going to be okay?” Annie’s face suddenly grew very somber.
“Hillary is in great danger…in fact we all are. We must stop that vile changeling Samantha. She is trying to take Hillary’s place in the real world, you know. That would be very bad indeed.” Rupert nodded in acknowledgment. “How can we stop her…and how can we tell them apart? They look identical.”
“It will not be easy. Somebody…or something or someone is helping her…something evil. Samantha wears a different dress, it’s blue and green, 231
Hillary’s is red and yellow. It’s the one thing she has difficulty changing about herself- her outward appearance. Don’t be fooled by her. Now I’m sure you have many questions, but we have much to do. Will you help me?” Rupert was enthusiastic in his response. “I will do everything in my power to help your granddaughter.” Annie thought for a moment. Lilith danced in the air around