Mirror Mirror

Chapter 1

Ana drove the black ’69 Camaro through the darkened streets of the dangerous west side of the city like a bat out of hell, she loved driving it...although it wasn’t hers and if she didn’t get back to HQ before Vincent she knew she was going to be in for all sorts of ass-kicking.

She saw Chinny’s Pawn Shop and Antiques and knew it had been some time since she had stopped in there. Chinny must owe Vincent some money by now. She pulled the car over to the curb outside the pawn shop, with its flickering neon sign in the window, and got out, stepping up onto the curb she had a quick look around the dark street. Just the usual mix of homeless vagrants, ever since the take-over humans had been suffering more than they did before, as much as everyone tried to deny it, the rich especially as they still went about their daily lives and jobs conveniently oblivious, but the needy had increased exponentially – even with losing more than half the world’s population -with no relief in sight, they were just food now after all, and she had already lived and seen it all.

She was only 18, just turned two days ago and as a birthday treat Vincent had given her access to drive his car…she was thrilled. Only rule was to check with him first, which she hadn’t done before she had offered to do a mission to downtown for Matt, Vincent’s second. But as long as she was back before 8pm she knew she would beat Vincent back to HQ.

She was not someone people would look at and think to mess with. She had long hair dyed pitch black with dark blue underneath, her eye makeup was thick black kohl and she liked it when it ran and left dark rings and streaks down her face. She had several ear piercings and wore a black t-shirt with an old grunge band on the front, black leggings and a black hoodie with a terrifying mask, knee high black combat boots with thick two inch tread completed the look. She also had the skills to back up a look this badass. Vincent had made sure she trained every day in combat skills and martial arts. They were monster hunters after all, and she always carried her extendable night stick. Monster hunters and extortionists…it worked out well…they contracted to kill the monsters that appeared out of the rifts, getting paid by the Vampire Nation, via the Warlock Council – who were like police, and they also extorted a ‘fee’ from local shop keepers to keep their streets safe.

As she stepped into the pawn shop she saw Chinny look up with a smile, then scowl deeply as he saw who it was. She lowered her mask and smiled at him as that confirmed he obviously owed Vincent money. If she was late back at least she could hand Vincent some cash. She checked her watch. 

19.20pm.

“What do you want?” Chinny asked.

“What you owe.”

“I don’t have it.”

“Well what do you have?” Ana asked feeing a strange vibe making her turn around and wander through the shop and out the back. She walked past the small office to where there were several boxes piled up in the back loading bay. She came upon a large dressing mirror standing in a corner only half unpackaged. It looked old, antique, with an ornate metal frame blackened with age and it had obscure etchings down it. It stood six feet tall and was nearly three feet wide and was exactly the type of thing Ana loved and collected….anything gothic looking.

“What’s with this mirror?” She asked as she turned back and looked up the hall to where Chinny was muttering. He looked up.

“It arrived yesterday…I don’t know where from…it’s a mystery.”

“So, what do you want for it?” She was completely intrigued by it, something about it just said to her it was meant to be hers, she was meant to find it here today.

Chinny looked surprised. “You want to buy it?”

“Yeah, I like it.”

“Ah…it looks cursed to me, that’s why it’s only half unwrapped.”

“Ha! So let me take it off your hands.”

Chinny had his hands in the till and was counting money out as Ana walked back to the shop front. “Here.” He handed her a wad of cash. “It’s all I got right now, take it and the mirror, call it quits.”

“But, I don’t even know what you owe.” Ana grinned at him.

“What? So Vincent didn’t send you?”

“No.” Ana chuckled as she counted the money. Five hundred. “I’ll let Vincent know I took the mirror but it’s up to him on its value versus what your debt is.”

“Fine.” Chinny said grumpily.

“Give us a hand getting it in the car.”

Chinny grumbled as he went out the back and rewrapped the mirror in its bubble wrap and put it on a sack barrow and trudged it out to the Camaro.

“It’s not going to fit in that!” Chinny grumbled.

“We can make it fit, on the back seat, with the window down…it doesn’t have far to go.”

“Don’t smash it.” Chinny said as they lifted it and manipulated it into the back seat of the two door car. It stuck out the window by a foot. Lucky the windows were pillar-less. “Seven years bad luck.”

“Yeah…I’ve had pretty shitty luck in my life…I think I’m in credit on that. Thanks Chin.”

“Take care of yourself pretty girl.” Chinny smiled. He really did like her…she was better to deal with than any of the men in Vincent’s gang. He turned and went back inside as Ana laughed and waved a single salute at him and got in the car.

She was running against time now. She could only hope Vincent was running late too. She pulled up to HQ and looked at the time. 

20.08pm.

It was just on the outskirts of the CBD and was a large Victorian manor house, now in disrepair on the outside, but Ana loved it…it looked like the Munster house. It had a quarter acre of grounds to it, although there were no gardens anymore it probably looked quite lovely in its day. Replacing the gardens were garaging and gravel and several vehicles and motorbikes. The whole section was surrounded by twelve foot high solid iron fencing with barbwire wrapped around the top like a prison with surveillance cameras everywhere.

The guards on the main gate had it sliding halfway open already when they saw the car approaching. Ana wound her window down and grinned at the guy standing with his arms folded.

“You only just made it, Ana.” Matt said. “I was getting worried for you.”

“It’s okay, I stopped at Chinny’s, got some money and a mirror.”

“A mirror?” Matt looked at the item protruding out the window.

“Yeah, can you give me a hand with it?”

“Where’s it going?”

“In my room, of course.” Ana grinned a beaming smile at him.

“Let me guess, it’s covered in cobwebs or something?” He laughed.

“Not quite.” Ana drove the Camaro into Vincent’s slot in front of the house and got out as Matt walked up.

Once it was in her room upstairs, Matt unpacked it and stood it against the wall at the foot end of her bed.

“Perfect.” Ana smiled as she dusted it off with a cloth and looked into it.

“It’s bloody ugly!” Matt muttered.

“It is not!”

“Goes perfect in this room…” Matt mumbled looking around at the old styled furniture Ana had. She had an ornate four poster bed, but the fabric had been removed, so just the posts remained with a large intricate wrought iron bedhead. The bed itself was dressed in a deep burgundy red duvet and sheets with lots of red and black cushions draped over the top, half way was a large faux wolf skin blanket that made the bed look medieval. Her dresser was wooden and had an oval mirror on it and she also had a desk and office chair in one corner with her laptop on it, lastly a wing backed antique chair sat in the other corner. One side of the room was the bathroom and walk in robe that had been all rebuilt in the refurbishment done last year when they had moved in.

The outside might look like a junk heap but the inside was modern and sophisticated. Vincent had strange mature tastes for a monster hunter gang leader and the money to pay, but Ana was glad of that because it meant she got the best of both worlds…a spooky kooky house with all the mod cons.

“So, while I’m in here…” Matt said with a smirk. “…how about a kiss?”

“How’s about I kick your ass?” Ana replied.

“Easy Ana…so are we heading out tonight for your birthday drinks…Saturday night...”

“Yes…and I need to get ready before Vincent shows up.”

“Okay, so change then…” Matt smirked again.

Ana gave him a filthy look. He was six foot tall, muscular with sandy blond hair, brown eyes and was decent looking, but Ana knew him too well…he was a womaniser and there was no way he would ever seriously try it on with her…Vincent would kill him.

“Alright…I’m going…” Matt laughed and left the room.

Ana ran into her wardrobe to get changed. They had decided to celebrate her birthday tonight, since it was Saturday, rather than two days ago and she intended to have a great time.

She was in the bathroom just fixing her makeup when she heard a thump on her bedroom door and someone enter.

“Anastasia?”

“Coming…” She walked out of the bathroom to find Vincent waiting for her. His eyes widened when he saw the little string strapped black dress with a slightly flared skirt that barely covered her to mid-thigh. As she sat down on the bed to put her black four inch stiletto heels on he saw the tease of suspenders. He rubbed his eyes with the fingers of one hand.

“Christ Ana! Must you wear that?”

“Why, what’s wrong with it?” Ana looked herself over.

“What’s f*****g right with it? You better stay right beside me all night.” Vincent grumbled folding his arms.

Ana laughed. Vincent was like her older brother and in fact she called him ‘big brother’ as a fond nick name. He had taken her in when she was only thirteen and mentored her. He was tall, mean and hard looking. Girls who loved bad boys loved Vincent, with his long dark auburn hair and golden skin with green eyes, he never wanted for a woman. He was thirty four and had several scars to show for his hard life monster hunting. He also had several tattoos which just aided the bad boy image. But to Ana he was just annoying and over-protective.

“Whatever, big brother…I’m eighteen now, there’s nothing you can do.”

“There’s plenty I can do, young lady….don’t worry about that.” He grumbled deeply at her.

Ana screwed her nose up at him as she stood up and grabbed her coat.

“Come on let’s dance.” Sam said grabbing Ana’s hand and pulling her up. Vincent looked on disapproving. Sam was a girl of twenty who was part of their gang too. A mean black belt in karate she had a definite way about her. She had a short bob of blond hair and grey eyes with a killer body. She wore a bright yellow mini skirt with a white halter neck top and had guys lining up to grind against her on the dance floor.

“Don’t look like that, Vincent, you’re not her father.” Sam scolded as she dragged Ana off.

In no time the two girls had a circle of hot guys dancing around them, several of them interested in Ana. She was a bit surprised when one guy came up behind her and placed his hands on her hips and whispered in her ear. “Hey there sexy…you move well.”

Ana had turned and shoved him away with a snort. “Oh my god! Does that line seriously work for you?”

The guy had called her a b***h and disappeared into the crowd of pulsating bodies.

Another guy that started dancing with her stroked her cheek. “You have gorgeous eyes.” He leaned in and said. They were her main feature…piercing sky blue…and surrounded by the kohl and black hair they really stood out.

As the night progressed a couple of other guys ventured to give her their phone numbers and as she walked back to the table for a thirst quenching drink Vincent grabbed her arm and pulled her down into a seat.

“Enough dancing for you.” He said with a deep resonating voice.

“What, why?”

“You’re going to get yourself in trouble fairly soon…”

“What do you mean?”

Vincent turned and gave her a haughty look. “Exactly…you have no idea of the trouble brewing on that dance floor around you.”

“I’m just having fun...dancing.”

“You might be…the guys are not.”

Ana pressed her lips together and sat back into her seat, folding her arms.

“You’re getting drunk, Ana…best to head home.”

Ana knew what he was saying was right, the main reason she had left the dance floor was because one guy had taken the liberty of putting his hand up her skirt and cupping her s*x. She had punched him hard in the groin and left him, doubled over, on the dance floor.

“Fine.” She said quietly, much to the satisfaction of Vincent.

As she walked into her bedroom she stopped in front of her new mirror and looked herself over. She grabbed the zipper at the back and pulled it down and wiggled her hips slightly so the dress dropped to the floor. She stepped out of it, kicking it up on the bed.

“What was that?” She muttered as she looked around.

She was sure she heard someone hiss a sharp intake of breath of surprise. She shrugged it off as being a bit drunk and looked back at the mirror. She ran her fingers through her hair as she stood in her heels, stockings, garters and corset. She had been desired tonight…more than one man had given her his number…quite a few actually. She stepped closer to the mirror and looked closer at her face, she rubbed under her eyes where the kohl had smudged. Sam had told her, her eyes were her best feature…and some of the men had too…other men had said her body was amazing…the one who had put his hand up her skirt said she was scary hot.

She smiled to herself as she kicked off her heels and sat on the end of the bed.

“Morons.” She said to herself as she took the pieces of paper and business cards out of her corset and dumped them all on the floor. She had felt no attraction to any of them. Sam had even told her in the car on the drive home to stop dying her hair and using so much black eyeliner, that she could be an absolute stunner.

“Who wants to be a stunner?” Ana scoffed as she stood up and walked to the bathroom.

“You are a stunner.” A voice whispered unheard behind her as she closed the bathroom door.