#tgfm

"You don't have to go..." I assured my mum as I was helping her with the zip of her dress.

"No." She sucked in air. "She was my sister, I have to go."

And she did, but I saw she was still hasitant. I turned to her. "We can go home, there's still time." I took her hands in mine.

She squeezed my hands in my grip. "No, let's do this for her, for Alice."

I nodded and my gaze softened. "Alright, mum." I could see she was about to cry, but held strong. My mum returned my nod and gave me a soft smile and another squeeze. I gently led her down the path between the other graves.

It looked normal, at first glance. A normal funeral with people dressed in black. Family, friends, acquaintances. Even the sky was dressed in black today as the storm clouds sprinted above our heads.

But if you looked closely, there was one thing missing. The body. There was no one to put in the casket.

So, why are we holding a funeral if the grave is empty? Because aunt Alice deseved this, she deserved all of this after all the injustice.

I remember the day like it was yesterday. My mother announcing Aunt Alice was gone, just like that. I was a dumb, clueless kid and did not think of it harder than that I lost my Aunt that day.

But years later I started finding clues that showed there's more to Aunt Alice's disappearance than we ever thought or the police ever found out. It started with something drawing me toward Aunt Alice's old house, which was left to rot because none of us had the heart to sell it and it was the only thing that kept her memory alive.

So now, ten years later, I am the first member of my family who set foot in Auntie Alice's house for the first time since that dreaded day.

And I don't remember how many days passed or if I even left her house as I found myself stuck behind the glass of a magic mirror. With a spirit of a dog by my side and a town that looks just like mine back home, both have seen better days.

And as I believed I started to understand what was going on, a familiar voice called out to me.

"We knew you'd come, miss Geist. It's time."

Mr. Koch?

Aunt Alice's house was basically debris and mold, but not her room. Her room was in a really good condition. As if something kept the room tidy and alive. It's been 10 years and no one had the guts to step foot here. And then everyone mostly forgot about Aunt Alice's disappearance. I was 15 and a clueless kid, but as I got older something started to sound fishy. So here I am - trying to find my long-lost Aunt.

But wait. Are these flowers? How are they alive? The place where the flowers grow is a mirror. I don't recall Auntie Alice owning a mirror. At least not this big and at this place, in the exact middle of the room.

I went closer. The flowers started to flicker gold and the last thing I remember is that I found myself on the reverse side of the mirror.

I have no scenes to write yet, so I'll make it about the cast of my WIPs.

Thanks to Lexi (@lexiklecksi) for tagging me!