{"id":7972,"date":"2020-05-17T02:21:58","date_gmt":"2020-05-17T02:21:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/leighgrissom.com\/?p=7972"},"modified":"2020-05-17T02:21:58","modified_gmt":"2020-05-17T02:21:58","slug":"mirror-man","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/leighgrissom.com\/2020\/05\/mirror-man\/","title":{"rendered":"MIRROR MAN"},"content":{"rendered":"
Mirror Man<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a9 2020 by Leigh Grissom<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \n May 1, 2021<\/p>\n \n \u200bI think I\u2019m losing my mind.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u200bI must be. Diaries are stupid and I don\u2019t have time for this. I\u2019d love to talk it out with someone, but they\u2019ll just eyeball me like I\u2019m a loony and I don\u2019t have time for that, either.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u200bI\u2019m going to be dead soon. I\u2019m sure of it. Please, whoever finds this \u2013 I need you to understand that I didn\u2019t do this of my own free will. I\u2019m a loser, but I\u2019m not suicidal. I just don\u2019t think I have a choice anymore.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u200bI can\u2019t keep going.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \n \n **<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \n Friday nights were the worst. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u200bEddie told himself every Friday morning that this one would be different, but it wasn\u2019t. He\u2019d clock out from work, go home, <\/span><\/span>and <\/span><\/span>have his first beer while he changed into his jean<\/span><\/span>s. L<\/span><\/span>ess than two hours later, he\u2019d be in a cab heading downtown for a night of binge <\/span><\/span>drinking and picking up someone who would drive him home<\/span><\/span> if his best friend didn\u2019t show up to rescue him<\/span><\/span>. After last call, he was usually too broke to take a ca<\/span><\/span>b. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u200b\u201cBut at least I don\u2019t drink and drive.\u201d Eddie muttered to himself, hoping it would make him feel better. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u200bIt never did.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \n **<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \n The bartender at Sweeney\u2019s cut <\/span><\/span>Eddie<\/span><\/span> off after only four beers.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cEnough is enough, Eddie. You\u2019re done for the night.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOh, come on, Denny, I\u2019ve had a hell of a week.\u201d Eddie protested. He thought about making a scene, but he didn\u2019t. <\/span><\/span>He never made waves. Ever.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u200b\u201cDude, I\u2019ve been doing this forever.\u201d Denny told him. \u201cAnd I know people who come here to be social, and <\/span><\/span>people who come here to drown something. You\u2019re trying to drown something, and I won\u2019t be a part of it.\u201d He slid Eddie a basket of fries. \u201cOn the house. Eat, drink some water, and go home, Eddie.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u200bEddie snorted in half-drunk disdain. \u201cA bartender with a conscience. You\u2019re so \u2026 damn \u2026 right. Thanks, Denny.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u200b\u201cYou need cab money to get home?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u200b\u201cNah. Some jackass bartender cut me off early, so I have enough.\u201d Eddie grinned.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u200b\u201cBite me, Eddie.\u201d Denny walked off to help another customer.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u200bEddie shook his head and laughed. \u201cGoodnight, Denny!\u201d He <\/span><\/span>slid the fries to the couple next to him, <\/span><\/span>dropped a twenty on the bar<\/span><\/span>,<\/span><\/span> and headed out into the night.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \n **<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \n The <\/span><\/span>evening <\/span><\/span>air was a cool relief from the stuffy, smoke-filled <\/span><\/span>club<\/span><\/span>. Eddie took a deep breath and his head cleared a little. He decided to take a short walk and sober up for a few, then he\u2019d hail a cab.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u200bFor the first time in months of Friday-night carousing, he looked at the other store fronts in the club district. Sandwich shops, a couple of full-scale restaurants, <\/span><\/span>one sex toy shop, <\/span><\/span>dive bars by the block, <\/span><\/span>and<\/span><\/span>\u2013 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u200bPSYCHIC READINGS BY MADAME AGNESSA.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u200bEddie stopped and stared at the purple neon <\/span><\/span>flickering<\/span><\/span> in the window. He\u2019d never noticed the sign before; how long had a psychic been so close to his favorite <\/span><\/span>place to drink<\/span><\/span>?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u200b\u201cAh, what the hell.\u201d <\/span><\/span>It was early, he still had cash on him, and he\u2019d never been to a psychic. Maybe she could <\/span><\/span>help him get the lottery numbers so he could start a life somewhere else<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n He <\/span><\/span>straightened<\/span><\/span> his T-shirt, smoothed his hair, and stumbled into the shop.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u200b\u201cHello?\u201d<\/span><\/span> he called.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u200bThe room was cozy, <\/span><\/span>lit only by one small touch-lamp on a stand near the door and several pillar candles on an old wooden table in <\/span><\/span>front of a bay window<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u200b\u201cHello?\u201d<\/span><\/span> Eddie called again.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u200bA woman\u2019s voice called from a darkened doorway opposite from where he stood. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u200b\u201cHello! Sign the guest book by the door and I\u2019ll be right there.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u200b\u201cUh, sure.\u201d He scrawled his name and waited, not sure why he didn\u2019t just turn around and leave.<\/span><\/span> He noticed a list next to the guest book and read the services she offered. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u200b\u201cHuh. Past life readings.\u201d Maybe he\u2019d ask for one and figure out if he\u2019d always been a loser, or was it just this lifetime.<\/span><\/span>\u200b<\/p>\n \u200b\u201cHere I come!\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u200bShe was older, but Eddie couldn\u2019t determine her age. Silver hair stretched down past her shoulders in thick waves. She was dressed in a blue and white sarafan <\/span><\/span>that left everything to the imagination. <\/span><\/span>She moved like a dancer, and Eddie found it strangely charming when he realized she was barefoot.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u200b\u201cHello, traveler! Have you come to find answers?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u200b\u201cUh, well, yeah, I guess so.\u201d One answer he wanted was where she was born. Her accent was soft and almost lyrical. The longer Eddie looked at her, the more he wondered if she was really as old as he\u2019d originally thought. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u200b\u201cGood, good, come and sit.\u201d She <\/span><\/span>indicated a small table in the middle of the room. \u201cMy readings are done here.\u201d She pulled out a chair for him<\/span><\/span>. \u201cI am Madame Agnessa. Welcome.\u201d She sat down on the opposite side of the table and regarded him <\/span><\/span>with wide, gray eyes<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span> Eddie felt like she was looking straight into his soul.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat is your first name, traveler?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u200b\u201cEddie.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u200b\u201cHello, Eddie.\u201d She took a deck of cards from a pocket of her dress and laid them on the table. \u201cI can show you the answers you seek. Present, the past, and even the future. Tell me yo<\/span><\/span>ur desire<\/span><\/span>.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u200b\u201cHow about a past<\/span><\/span> life reading?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u200b\u201cAh yes, past lives, past lives.\u201d Agnessa shuffled the cards and laid five face-down on the table. \u201cWho were you, Eddie? Close your eyes, breathe deep, and clear your mind.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u200bThis was ludicrous and he knew it, but he was still a little drunk, and he had no reason to go home. He closed his eyes.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u200b\u201cMind clear, heart clear, soul clear, let me hear. Clear the clouds so I may see who my friend Eddie used to be.\u201d A short pause. \u201cI see a man.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u200bWell, that\u2019s good. At least I wasn\u2019t a duck or something<\/span><\/span>. Eddie almost laughed, but thought better of it. He shivered, but didn\u2019t open his eyes. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u200b\u201cYou are good-looking, well-dressed, dark hair, darker eyes. You are adored throughout the country. I see voting booths. A politician? No, wait \u2026 higher than that\u2026 don\u2019t open your eyes, Eddie, and reach your hands toward my voice.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u200bHe leaned forward and reached out. Her cool hands took his, and he felt a sudden shockwave up both his arms. He tried to pull back, but her grip was firm.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u200b\u201cI see \u2026 no \u2026 this isn\u2019t before. This is coming. This is who you will be. I see\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/span> Her hands shook. \u201cIt\u2019s you. You\u2019re the one\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n