MUSIC THEME

ANNOUNCER

This is 13 Reflections. 

ANNOUNCER

Reflection 9: The Unpleasantness of Christie

CUT TO:

MUSIC CUE SHERIFF STATION SHERIFF STATION AMBIENCE POLICE RADIO CHATTER SHOULDER BAG UNZIPS COMPUTER PLACED ON DESK

AGENT LEE

You want to know everything, then I shall reveal all. But it will not be pleasant for either of us.

8 months ago, before coming here, I was in Monterey where I was told to investigate the strange things happening there.

AGENT LEE

A seventeen year old named William Frye went missing after he made a delivery to an antique store. This is where I met Christie. I could barely look her in her the face the first time we met. She was heavily disfigured. She had been driving through the sierras trying to get home after a long weekend.

MUSIC CUE FLASHBACK

KATE

Christie slow down.

Christie

Don’t worry I’m on it. Go back to sleep, Mom.

AGENT LEE

It was the middle of spring and the woods were thick with deer. Christie was doing 65 in a 45 mile an hour zone through curving mountain roads.

Christie GASPS 

Deer BUGLE TIRES SKID CRASH

GLASS SHATTERS 
HEAVY BREATHING 
DEER BUGLE 
BELLOW 
THRASHING

BODY THUD 
BLOOD SPLATTER

HIGH PITCH RINGING FADES TO SILENCE 
DEER BREATHING SLOWS TO A STOP 
Christie STRUGGLES TO GET OUT

Christie

No. Mom? Mom?

PHONE DIALS RING ANSWER

OPERATOR

911 what is your emergency?

Christie

I’ve been in an accident. I hit a deer.

OPERATOR

Who am I speaking to?

Christie

Christie.

OPERATOR

Where are you Christie?

Christie

On the 168.

OPERATOR

Do you know where exactly?

Christie

I don’t know.

Christie GRUNTS

Christie

The deer it’s too heavy. I’m stuck.

OPERATOR

Can you recall where on the 168 you were driving? Where had you come from?

Christie

Oh. Yeah we had stopped at Table Rock crossing and I took over driving.

OPERATOR

And how long ago was that?

Christie

I don’t know maybe twenty minutes.

OPERATOR

Okay that would put you near Aubrey.

Christie

Yeah. I think Aubrey was coming up. My mom needs help. She’s bleeding a lot.

OPERATOR

Is she conscious?

Christie

No.

OPERATOR

Is she breathing?

Christie

I don’t know. I can’t get to her I’m stuck under the deer.

OPERATOR

Okay. I’ve got a rescue crew and paramedics on the way.

Christie

Oh no.

OPERATOR

What’s wrong Christie?

Christie

I smell gas.

OPERATOR

Don’t panic. The rescue team are almost there.

FIRE IGNITES Christie SCREAMS SIRENS APPROACH

TIRES SKID TO A STOP MEN YELL

MUSIC CUE AGENT LEE

AGENT LEE

Just as the paramedics arrived the car caught fire. As quick as they could they cut Christie out with the jaws of life but she was already badly burned.

SHERIFF

What happened to the mom?

AGENT LEE

Her throat was gored by the thrashing deer. She bled out before the fire.

SHERIFF

That’s a blessing in disguise. But it’s still tragic.

AGENT LEE

Indeed. Christie suffered 3rd degree burns on her face, arms and hands. She went to recover with her grandfather. He lived over his antique shop.

SHERIFF

Don’t tell me, the same place where William Frye vanished from?

SHERIFF

Well?

AGENT LEE

You told me not to tell you.

SHERIFF

I changed my mind. Tell me please.

AGENT LEE

Ok. Since you asked. Yes, William vanished from the grandfather’s antique furniture shop the House of Mirrors.

SHERIFF

Quite a name sounds, more like a carnival attraction.

AGENT LEE

It was a rather nice place, filled with mirrors from all over the world.

SHERIFF

What happened to William?

AGENT LEE

Unknown but what I did ascertain was that his vanishing had something to do with the item he delivered. It was a red cabinet from China. Inside was a mirror framed by a metal dragon. Christie had been tasked to clean it before its restoration. The previous owner had shot themself in the head. The mirror had been splattered with brain matter and such. But this was unknown to Christie at that time.

AGENT LEE (CONT'D)

All she knew was she had to wash the mirror before her grandfather could restore it and hopefully sell it at a profit. As she sponged the face of the mirror her finger ran across the glass. She later came to believe that she touched the 13th reflection. Upon her next pass her hand dipped below the surface of the glass which had become soft and jelly like.

SHERIFF

Don’t tell me she pulled out a plumb?

AGENT LEE

She pulled out nothing but her hand.

SHERIFF

Jelly mirror is sort of new but not very magical.

AGENT LEE

That’s exactly what Christie thought but upon inspecting her hand she discovered all of her scars had vanished.

SHERIFF

You don’t say?

AGENT LEE

But I do. You seem preoccupied with what I should or should not say.

SHERIFF

It’s a manner of speech. I’m making a subtle point of my disbelief.

AGENT LEE

Ah I see. Well needless to say, Christie did not hesitate nor did she stop to consider the consequences of her actions. She plunged herself into the dragon mirror.

SHERIFF

What was that like?

AGENT LEE

That’s a good question, I should have asked her.

SHERIFF

What happened after she plunged in?

AGENT LEE

She woke the next morning and discovered she was scar free. All of her disfigurement, her melted flesh and her permantenly sad expression had all vanished.

SHERIFF

For real or was is some sort of trick?

AGENT LEE

A trick? Like a magic trick?

SHERIFF

Yeah. A smoke and mirrors sort of thing? Make up?

AGENT LEE

If you had seen her after the fire you would know there was no make up that would hide her level of disfigurment. It seemed real enough for me and yet unbelievable.

SHERIFF

I agree with that last part. I’m finding most of this story beyond my ability to comprehend let alone believe.

AGENT LEE

Even after the arm? The severed head? The heartless corpses?

SHERIFF

There’s a logical explanation for all of that, I’ve just not seen it.

AGENT LEE

And yet you pray to a god that you’ve never seen, read from a translated book that is centuries old? To Christie this was a miracle. To her this was more real than the shroud of Turin.

SHERIFF

What I believe is holy. What I believe millions of others also believe.

(MORE)

SHERIFF (CONT'D)

This has the markings of Satan and most would believe this is not a miracle or magic or a blessing.

AGENT LEE

Well, you may be correct with that last statement. The repaired Christie’s blessings as you call it came at a cost.

SHERIFF

They always do.

AGENT LEE

People closest to Christie began vanishing.

SHERIFF

William Frye?

AGENT LEE

He was the first. Christie had an obsessive crush on him. He was young, well built and funny. With her new found beauty I believe he returned her affections. But then he vanished without any clue of what happened.

SHERIFF

Where there others?

AGENT LEE

Christie’s grandfather was next. One moment he was in the warehouse framing a mirror, Christie heard him yell, then gone. No trace of him anywhere.

SHERIFF

What about the mirror he was working on?

AGENT LEE

It was whole. But here’s something strange, when I inspected that mirror I found the grandfather’s greasy thumb print in the upper right hand corner.

SHERIFF

How is that strange?

AGENT LEE

The thumb print was on the inside of the glass.

SHERIFF

Peculiar that’s for sure, but the more you tell me the more questions get asked. Where are the answers?

AGENT LEE

Here are a few. After three weeks and three missing persons, a rather defeated Christie sat down with me to talk. This is the video from that interview.

STARTUP TONE KEYBOARD CLICKS

AGENT LEE

This was recorded eight months ago.

NARRATOR

A video window pops open on the laptop screen. The video jumps to an interview room. A girl with dark hair slick with perspiration speaks in a hushed and cautious voice. She is Christie, mid twenties, gothic, junkie desperate for a fix.

Christie

. . . Two mirrors. If you open the gate you let one of them free.

AGENT LEE

One of them?

Christie

A soul taker. A demon spawn. A winged wraith.

AGENT LEE

Explain the broken mirrors.

Christie

You have to break both mirrors to close the gate, but that doesn't eliminate your obligation.

AGENT LEE

Obligation?

Christie

Your debt. Things have to stay in balance. Tit for tat. An eye for an eye. Quid pro quo.

AGENT LEE

I’m not following.

Christie

Like a dealer, ya know? The first tastes are always free but once you’re hooked they start jacking the price up. When it gets too high, you do what you have to do.

AGENT LEE

Like what?

Christie

Bring them others.

AGENT LEE

Or?

Christie

DIE

VIDEO AMBIENCE CUTS OUT BACK TO SCENE

AGENT LEE

I found Christie a week later. No cuts, no wounds but her heart was missing.

SHERIFF

Just like Mina. But Lucy and Billy had their chests ripped open.

Things are escalating.

AGENT LEE

I didn't believe Christie then.

SHERIFF

But eight months later you’ve come around?

AGENT LEE

Solving a mystery such as this is a very long process.

(MORE)

AGENT LEE (CONT'D)

Answers, like diamonds don't lie on the surface. They have to be mined.

SHERIFF

That’s what led you here? You’ve been chasing answers?

AGENT LEE

Yes but in your case I’ve had to let things evolve at their own pace.

SHERIFF

I still think this is a load of bullshit. Ancient bullshit but it stinks just the same.

AGENT LEE

Do you have a better answer?

SHERIFF

Nope. I don’t.

AGENT LEE

If you need proof then come with me. Shall we test it together?

SHERIFF HARUMPHS DOOR OPENS FOOTSTEPS

FOOTSTEPS DOOR OPENS

AGENT LEE

Which way to the locker room?

SHERIFF

Last door on the right.

LOCKER ROOM AMBIENCE

NARRATOR

Agent Lee pulls off the mirror from over the sink. He holds it opposite the full length mirror that covers half the wall behind the lockers.

AGENT LEE

I’ll hold this. You count.

SHERIFF

If you tell anyone about this I’ll break your jaw.

AGENT LEE

I can assure you, this will be our secret.

SHERIFF

One, two, three, this isn’t as easy as it sounds. Thirteen right?

AGENT LEE

Yes Thirteen.

SHERIFF

...eleven, twelve, thirteen. What’s supposed to happen now?

AGENT LEE

Just watch.

SHERIFF

Hey. Where’s your reflection?

NARRATOR

Just as the Sheriff realizes Agent Lee’s reflection is strangely absent, a demon’s clawed hand whips out of the large mirror and plunges into the Sheriff’s chest.

The Sheriff struggles to pull her service revolver from its holster but a second demon hand grabs at her shoulder. A third hand grabs at her face. More demon hands pull the Sheriff into the large mirror.

AGENT LEE

I told you this would not be pleasant.

NARRATOR

A demon dog pulls itself from the large mirror. Its goat like horns still velvety, its snake like eyes glance about, its needle sharp teeth gnash as it stretches its jaws. It crawls across the bathroom floor and joins five other demon dogs at Lee’s feet.

AGENT LEE

Come on. We have work to do.

MAIN THEME

ANNOUNCER

13 Reflections.