Silver Mirror

by Konova Maria

to imitate the style of the author you like & write the story or dialogue (Edgar Allan Poe)

The story I am going to tell you happened many years ago. Nobody has ever heard it. I feel that the
time of my departure is near and I don’t want to pass away with my conscience unclean. Only few
people in this town remember that I haven’t been always as lonely as I am now. Those days my
family consisted of a beautiful niece, whose name was Julia. Her parents were both doctors and
died when the last epidemic of plague struck. She was the loveliest girl you could ever imagine.

Her youth and beauty charmed everyone who walked near her. Ailing and calm, with her pale skin and
delicate features, Julia looked like an angel. However, there was something in her character that
alienated people from her. You always had a feeling of desperation while being with her. That was a
time when one understood how fragile and unprotected true beauty was. For that reason, Julia
didn’t have many friends, but one. That girl’s name was Margaret. Unlike Julia, she was always vivid
and full of life. It seems to me that Margaret was the energy Julia needed to keep up with this world
and her inspiration. The girls spent as much time together as they could. Everywhere they were
together. Often they were sitting in the summerhouse in our garden and talking for hours until
midnight. To tell the truth, I was happy for Julia those days. I had rarely seen her smile, but since
she met Margaret she looked delighted. One could have thought that life came back to her and her
beauty blossomed. But what blossoms has to perish one day. And that day didn’t make us wait.
One day Margaret didn’t come to our house as usual. Julia looked worried, but I tried to calm her
and convince that everything is fine. In fact, Margaret could be busy with some assignment her
mother had given to her. She might have been working in the garden or making her way to one of
the shops in the neighboring town. Nevertheless, Julia couldn’t help being anxious. She decided to
go straight to her friend’s house and find out about Margaret herself. “If Margaret is busy with
something, I will offer my help”, - she said and opened the front gate. Time was passing, but Julia
was still absent. Now it was my turn to start worrying. After waiting for a while, I went after her.
When I came to Margaret’s family house, I understood that something was wrong. Half of the roses
in her garden, which she was very proud of, was cut. A piece of black cloth was hanging upon the
front door. I knocked three times, but no one opened. The door wasn’t closed and I came in. It was
dark and quiet in the house. It appeared to me that I hear someone singing in the undertone in the
remote room. I went where the voice was. Near the door which led to one of the distant rooms I
noticed a maid sitting on a chair. Her face was swollen and eyes were red. I asked her what had
happened, but she couldn’t help crying and wasn’t able to say a word. Her look expressed sorrow.
With a small nod she pointed on the door. When I turned the door handle, the singing became
louder. In addition to it I heard some mourns and sobs. I saw Margaret’s family sitting around the
bed and a priest singing funeral dirges. Nobody turned to the sound of the opening door or stood up
to greet me. Now everything became clear to me. I rushed to Margaret’s bedroom. Somehow I
knew that Julia was there…
Short of breath, I reached the bedroom. Julia was lying on the floor with Margaret’s silver mirror in
her hand. Instead of glass, there was Margaret’s picture, which Julia had taken from her locket she
always carried with her. There were red roses and mirror splinters all around the room. Julia’
hands were in blood. Both of the girls were dead.