Blue Moon, Chapter 4 -- Dimensions
The men quickly surrounded the car, then began moving slowly towards it, their guns raised. A few of them stayed back but still kept their weapons trained on it. Along the street, other persons celebrating the New Year had begun to see that something was happening. Many stopped to watch curiously, a good distance from the men with guns. Some pointed and chattered excitedly. Others brought out their smart phones and began video recording immediately.
Samuel watched from the store, wide eyed. He no longer felt the least bit cold. Whoever these men were, they had not only traced his call, but knew exactly who had received it down to the make of his car. He had no doubts --if they found him, it would be over quickly. They would kill him for a secret he didn't even know yet!
A strange movement caught his eye. It was coming from the mirror in his hand. He had forgotten all about it.
He stepped away from the window and raised it. Edwin was back in it, waving frantically. At the same time, he seemed to be arguing strongly with someone in the background. When he saw Samuel looking back into the mirror, he let out a breath of relief and raised the ipad once again. A new message was typed on it: 'Get out of the store and get to the river through the woods. Use the back door. Dump your phone in the trash and don't lose the mirror!'
Samuel didn't bother trying to object. It wouldn't make any difference, would it? Whatever was happening, he was already in too deep, and the Edwin in the mirror knew it. And it would take the men at the car only a few seconds more to realise the car was empty and begin searching for him around. He really needed to go. He took one last look into the mirror, but was shocked when he saw that it was now reflecting absolutely nothing. A moment later, he had left the store and was dashing through the woods on the other side.
The light of the full moon passed easily through the naked branches of the trees, but didn't penetrate the slight mist as well. Samuel found himself shivering as he alternatively ran, wobbled and jogged through it. He had never been superstitious, but after communicating with a man he knew was dead through a mirror of all things, everything seemed creepier than usual. Was it really only a few minutes since they crossed into the New Year?
He didn't look into the mirror until he could see the river, frozen solid and gleaming like a silver snake, and was certain there were no gunmen following him. He almost expected it to be blank again, but Edwin was apparently waiting, along with his own mirror self. In a moment of understanding, he suddenly realised that was who Edwin had been arguing with when he was in the store. Now that he was out of immediate danger and he was getting used to the weirdness of the entire situation, his scientifically analytic mind was beginning to kick in. He was not a physicist, but he was already formulating a theory about what was going on with the mirror. It was a bit farfetched, but certainly more plausible than voodoo and magic. And Edwin had mentioned it that day he came to see him --he just hadn't listened.
Who would? The man had been ranting about alternate dimensions, not even universes. It was the stuff of comic books! It was insane! And apparently, it was real. Unless he really had cracked, the mirror in his hand was proof.
Edwin had pocketed the ipad. Instead, he now held an ordinary compass to the mirror. Samuel watched closely --he was turning the 'N' mark to the same direction repeatedly and tapping it with his thumb. He understood and nodded into the mirror when Edwin appeared again. The mirror man was giving him directions.
