Categories > Original > Fantasy > Mirror Actions
Mirror Actions
Chapter 2
"Marion Smith, wake up!" an unknown female voice ordered.
"/]Smith is my maiden name[/," Marion thought as she slowly woke up.
"Crazy fool to be so poorly dressed in an cold room like this," the female voice said. "What if she doesn't wake up. Will the city guard keep looking in the other direction if she is not around any more?"
Marion opened her eyes. Still the same filthy room as before, yet, now warm. The woman speaking stood by the warm heater, busy with making some tea. The grey hair and wrinkles showed her age, but she still gave the impression of someone busy with hard labour.
"I am all right," Marion said, her voice only trembling a tiny bit.
"Good, I feared the cold had robbed your life," the woman said. "You want some hot tea?"
"Tea, would be nice," Marion responded as she glanced towards the heater.
"Don't worry. I used coal from my store. Will in fact not charge you for it either," the old woman said as she extended a cup of tea.
Marion took the cup and politely nodded.
"You have more manner than I knew," the woman commented. "I came here to collect the rent since I heard you had a customer tonight."
Marion's blushed and continued to sip on the hot tea.
"The mirror is something else on the other hand," the woman Complained. "I can't believe that you broke after I all trouble I had to find it for you."
"I'm sorry," Marion mumbled.
"I know that you complain that it hard to find customers in the middle of the winter, yet I must put the cost of the mirror on your future rents," the woman said.
"I will find the money to replace the mirror," Marion said.
"Damn right you will!" the woman spat. "Remember that none else in the city would accept your line of business in their house. You would not want to return to working the alleys, would you?"
Marion only managed to shake her head weakly.
"Time for me to go and do some honest work," the woman said.
"Wait a moment. What is you name?" Marion asked.
"My name is Elisabeth, you are not sick or something?" Elisabeth asked. Her shoulders growing tense.
"No not all. My memory is just foggy from the cold," Marion responded. "Thanks for the help Elisabeth."
Elisabeth just grunted something impossible to hear and exited the room.
Marion left the bed to fetch a shard from the mirror. She down on the bed with teacup in hand and looked into the mirror. It looked perfectly mundane, just the reflection of herself and the worn painting on the wall behind her.
"Did I really switch place with a Marion living here or it this some kind weird mind trick of mine since I can't stand this lousy existence?" she asked.
Trembling she slowly sipped on her tea. Her fingers desperately clutched the teacup.
"The memories are too real," she finally mumbled. "If magic did not made me switch place with a Marion here some magic must have invented my memories from the mansion. In either case the magic must be possible to reverse."
She put down the teacup and went over to the wardrobe to examine the Contents. In a drawer she found food supplies that would last for at least a week and a half.
"Good there is food, but there are no coal or wood to cook the food," she noted to herself and continued the investigation.
In a small pouch she found a couple of coins, but it seemed at most to sum to a quarter of a full crown. Even with the coins left on the bed it would not be enough to fill the coal bin beside the heater.
Finally she sorted through the clothes, they were as expected. The lingerie looked descent, at least compared to the rest that had seen better days. Marion gave the lingerie a dark stare before she dressed for the winter weather outside.
Outside there were big piles of snow. At least the snow had stopped falling but it looked like more could come before the evening. Marion's breath quickened as she struggled until she reached the alley. Many people leaving the slum had already created a path in the snow that she could follow with ease.
Finally the alley opened into a street. On a small shop a large yellow sign told "Humingway & Sons Trading Guild". Marion recognized the name, as Baroness she had made a very successful investment in that little trading guild. The application trader Humingway's sent to her had been very confusing, but she had needed something to do after the murder on Baron Winter and had invited him to explain his ideas.
Marion entered the shop to buy coal. Behind the counter the bald Huminway himself stood. At first he gave her welcoming smile, but the smile dropped fast as he recognized her. With a grunt of dislike he tugged at his long moustache.
"Remember that I prefer if you don't use front door. Would not want my store associated with your kind, would I?" Humingway finally Complained.
"I am sorry I forgot," Marion mumbled and lowered her gaze.
"What supplies do you want?" the trader asked.
"A full sack of coal," Marion responded.
"That's a lot more than you use to buy," mister Humingway commented as he fetched the sack.
"The price for full sacks are better than for lesser amounts," Marion responded as she extended the coins.
"Seems like you developed a sense for business over the night," the trader said.
"Actually I am smarter than most people suspect," Marion said. "You wouldn't by any chance have any work for me? I am meaning real work of the kind you and your sons do in this store."
The trader's mouth remained opened as he frozen stared at her. Finally he sharply shook his head.
"You want to ruin my business?" he spat. "Already that I sell stuff to a prostitute like you is a jeopardize. To hire somebody with your reputation would be madness. Leave the store now and use the back door."
Marion didn't dare to not heed his order and moments later she was standing on the backyard with the heavy sack of coal.
"How Could this Marion end in such a misery?" she asked as she struggled through the snow piles. None answered, yet an idea formed in her head. The church ledger listed all deaths and births in the City. Perhaps she could learn something from comparing that list to what she remembered from her own background.
After struggling with heavy coal sack for more steps that she could count she reached the cathedral. With slow steps she walked inside, trying to strengthen herself for how she would be greeted.
Inside lit candles spread their light over a mostly dark hall. The only sound came from a priest that swept dirt from the floor. A frown passed over his face as he saw her.
"Child, have you come to confess your sins?" he asked in a serious tone.
"No, I humbly ask for information from the church ledger," Marion replied.
"If you think that could lead you away from your sinful life I would be happy to assist," the priest commented.
"Indeed I think it may help me find peace before god," Marion responded.
They moved over to little office at the side of hall.
"What is listed about me. Marion Smith, daughter to the fletcher Adam Smith?" she asked.
The priest spent a while looking through the huge volumes before he answered.
"Are you interested in the dates?" he asked.
"No, more the events mentioned," Marion responded, barely able to Contain her nervousness.
"You were born at the first day of spring and baptised 6 days after. When you was eleven when your parents perished in the fire of Copperstreet, the city council handled the situation for you and many other orphans by finding places you could stay."
"Is it listed where I was sent to?" Marion asked.
"Placed as maid in the service of Baron Winter," the priest responded. It was just as Marion remembered.
"At age 16 you aborted a pregnancy by using Yellowroot tea, father unknown," the priest continued.
"Wait, did you say aborted and not stillborn?" Marion asked.
"Yes, I said aborted. It happened after you was thrown out from Baron's household if I remember correctly. After that there is no more entries. Yet I guess you have made more than a couple of abortions since then with your line of profession."
"She was thrown out when she put demands on him. Not like me that kept silent until he changed his mind months after the stillborn child," Marion mumbled.
"What are you talking about child?" the priest asked.
"Nothing special," Marion mumbled. "What about the Edward Winter? What is listed about him?"
"I Can hardly give you such information even if you at one time was employed by the baron," the priest responded. "You need a written approval note from baron Edward Winter himself if I should reveal what is listed about him."
"He is alive," Marion whispered and then turned and ran towards the exit. The weight of the coal sack totally forgotten.
"Wait! What about your confession?" the priest called after her, but she did not listen.
Chapter 2
"Marion Smith, wake up!" an unknown female voice ordered.
"/]Smith is my maiden name[/," Marion thought as she slowly woke up.
"Crazy fool to be so poorly dressed in an cold room like this," the female voice said. "What if she doesn't wake up. Will the city guard keep looking in the other direction if she is not around any more?"
Marion opened her eyes. Still the same filthy room as before, yet, now warm. The woman speaking stood by the warm heater, busy with making some tea. The grey hair and wrinkles showed her age, but she still gave the impression of someone busy with hard labour.
"I am all right," Marion said, her voice only trembling a tiny bit.
"Good, I feared the cold had robbed your life," the woman said. "You want some hot tea?"
"Tea, would be nice," Marion responded as she glanced towards the heater.
"Don't worry. I used coal from my store. Will in fact not charge you for it either," the old woman said as she extended a cup of tea.
Marion took the cup and politely nodded.
"You have more manner than I knew," the woman commented. "I came here to collect the rent since I heard you had a customer tonight."
Marion's blushed and continued to sip on the hot tea.
"The mirror is something else on the other hand," the woman Complained. "I can't believe that you broke after I all trouble I had to find it for you."
"I'm sorry," Marion mumbled.
"I know that you complain that it hard to find customers in the middle of the winter, yet I must put the cost of the mirror on your future rents," the woman said.
"I will find the money to replace the mirror," Marion said.
"Damn right you will!" the woman spat. "Remember that none else in the city would accept your line of business in their house. You would not want to return to working the alleys, would you?"
Marion only managed to shake her head weakly.
"Time for me to go and do some honest work," the woman said.
"Wait a moment. What is you name?" Marion asked.
"My name is Elisabeth, you are not sick or something?" Elisabeth asked. Her shoulders growing tense.
"No not all. My memory is just foggy from the cold," Marion responded. "Thanks for the help Elisabeth."
Elisabeth just grunted something impossible to hear and exited the room.
Marion left the bed to fetch a shard from the mirror. She down on the bed with teacup in hand and looked into the mirror. It looked perfectly mundane, just the reflection of herself and the worn painting on the wall behind her.
"Did I really switch place with a Marion living here or it this some kind weird mind trick of mine since I can't stand this lousy existence?" she asked.
Trembling she slowly sipped on her tea. Her fingers desperately clutched the teacup.
"The memories are too real," she finally mumbled. "If magic did not made me switch place with a Marion here some magic must have invented my memories from the mansion. In either case the magic must be possible to reverse."
She put down the teacup and went over to the wardrobe to examine the Contents. In a drawer she found food supplies that would last for at least a week and a half.
"Good there is food, but there are no coal or wood to cook the food," she noted to herself and continued the investigation.
In a small pouch she found a couple of coins, but it seemed at most to sum to a quarter of a full crown. Even with the coins left on the bed it would not be enough to fill the coal bin beside the heater.
Finally she sorted through the clothes, they were as expected. The lingerie looked descent, at least compared to the rest that had seen better days. Marion gave the lingerie a dark stare before she dressed for the winter weather outside.
Outside there were big piles of snow. At least the snow had stopped falling but it looked like more could come before the evening. Marion's breath quickened as she struggled until she reached the alley. Many people leaving the slum had already created a path in the snow that she could follow with ease.
Finally the alley opened into a street. On a small shop a large yellow sign told "Humingway & Sons Trading Guild". Marion recognized the name, as Baroness she had made a very successful investment in that little trading guild. The application trader Humingway's sent to her had been very confusing, but she had needed something to do after the murder on Baron Winter and had invited him to explain his ideas.
Marion entered the shop to buy coal. Behind the counter the bald Huminway himself stood. At first he gave her welcoming smile, but the smile dropped fast as he recognized her. With a grunt of dislike he tugged at his long moustache.
"Remember that I prefer if you don't use front door. Would not want my store associated with your kind, would I?" Humingway finally Complained.
"I am sorry I forgot," Marion mumbled and lowered her gaze.
"What supplies do you want?" the trader asked.
"A full sack of coal," Marion responded.
"That's a lot more than you use to buy," mister Humingway commented as he fetched the sack.
"The price for full sacks are better than for lesser amounts," Marion responded as she extended the coins.
"Seems like you developed a sense for business over the night," the trader said.
"Actually I am smarter than most people suspect," Marion said. "You wouldn't by any chance have any work for me? I am meaning real work of the kind you and your sons do in this store."
The trader's mouth remained opened as he frozen stared at her. Finally he sharply shook his head.
"You want to ruin my business?" he spat. "Already that I sell stuff to a prostitute like you is a jeopardize. To hire somebody with your reputation would be madness. Leave the store now and use the back door."
Marion didn't dare to not heed his order and moments later she was standing on the backyard with the heavy sack of coal.
"How Could this Marion end in such a misery?" she asked as she struggled through the snow piles. None answered, yet an idea formed in her head. The church ledger listed all deaths and births in the City. Perhaps she could learn something from comparing that list to what she remembered from her own background.
After struggling with heavy coal sack for more steps that she could count she reached the cathedral. With slow steps she walked inside, trying to strengthen herself for how she would be greeted.
Inside lit candles spread their light over a mostly dark hall. The only sound came from a priest that swept dirt from the floor. A frown passed over his face as he saw her.
"Child, have you come to confess your sins?" he asked in a serious tone.
"No, I humbly ask for information from the church ledger," Marion replied.
"If you think that could lead you away from your sinful life I would be happy to assist," the priest commented.
"Indeed I think it may help me find peace before god," Marion responded.
They moved over to little office at the side of hall.
"What is listed about me. Marion Smith, daughter to the fletcher Adam Smith?" she asked.
The priest spent a while looking through the huge volumes before he answered.
"Are you interested in the dates?" he asked.
"No, more the events mentioned," Marion responded, barely able to Contain her nervousness.
"You were born at the first day of spring and baptised 6 days after. When you was eleven when your parents perished in the fire of Copperstreet, the city council handled the situation for you and many other orphans by finding places you could stay."
"Is it listed where I was sent to?" Marion asked.
"Placed as maid in the service of Baron Winter," the priest responded. It was just as Marion remembered.
"At age 16 you aborted a pregnancy by using Yellowroot tea, father unknown," the priest continued.
"Wait, did you say aborted and not stillborn?" Marion asked.
"Yes, I said aborted. It happened after you was thrown out from Baron's household if I remember correctly. After that there is no more entries. Yet I guess you have made more than a couple of abortions since then with your line of profession."
"She was thrown out when she put demands on him. Not like me that kept silent until he changed his mind months after the stillborn child," Marion mumbled.
"What are you talking about child?" the priest asked.
"Nothing special," Marion mumbled. "What about the Edward Winter? What is listed about him?"
"I Can hardly give you such information even if you at one time was employed by the baron," the priest responded. "You need a written approval note from baron Edward Winter himself if I should reveal what is listed about him."
"He is alive," Marion whispered and then turned and ran towards the exit. The weight of the coal sack totally forgotten.
"Wait! What about your confession?" the priest called after her, but she did not listen.
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