“You were never a burden on Mae. She loved her girls. Even if Eliza and
Elliott had not disappeared, your grandmother would have been just as much a part of your lives. Our families were blessed with a gift, but it is, also, a big responsibility. You are just learning what it means, and I regret any part I had in
holding that from both Cole and you. We did what we thought was best at the time. Now, it is your responsibility to unite the families and honor the gift.”
Taking her words to heart, I felt guilty for my meltdown. “Sarah, I spoke out
of anger. I just don't understand why everything is such a mess. My sister is scared but putting on a brave face for that little boy. How am I supposed to feel
about him? He must be the reason Eliza left us if she really is his mother.”
Sarah's blue eyes filled with tears that she blinked away. "Miles is your half-
brother, Mara. Eliza was always rash in her decisions when it came to Cedric.
You can't blame the boy for your mother's mistakes."
"I don't blame him. I will take him away, too." I crushed my fist into my leg.
"You cannot face her full of fear and anger, Mara. You must go with strength,
love, and trust of the Goddess that is inside you. Don't rush off to save Meg and
lose yourself.”
With those last words, her image disappeared, and I found myself staring at
my own reflection. My own brown eyes seemed sad and lifeless. The dark
circles surrounding them were deep and somewhat alarming. Seeing what Sarah must have seen, I felt determined to be the person that Gram raised, not this broken shell before me.
Gram would never sink into sadness and anger. She would say, “No time to
worry, we have much to do,” and then tackle whatever was in her way. I would
become the person she believed I was. Furthermore, the Goddess saw something
in me that was special. I would honor the gifts she gave me.
As I felt my determination build, my reflection changed to rippling water.
The image reminded me of the choppy waves on Sparrow Lake. At first, the
small swells were calm, but the speed and intensity of the water grew. I found myself being splashed as the waves slapped against the mirror.
I shouldn't feel water, I thought.
I moved away just in time to watch the mirror shatter, and the violent flood
burst out towards me. The room filled with rushing water. Frantic, I searched for
an exit. Behind the broken mirror, I only found solid rock. Anger built inside me
as I banged on the hard walls.
“Damn! Damn! Damn it!” I cried.
Soon, it reached my knees and, what seemed like seconds later, I was wading
through waist-high water. I struggled to keep my head above it. It was bad enough that the water was filling the room so rapidly, but then, it felt alive. The
cold waves were like hands tossing me back and forth. I was in a game of Ping-
Pong, and I was the ball.
Eventually, I found myself pulled under the icy fluid and surrounded by
thousands of bubbles. I frantically kicked my feet to escape.
When I broke the surface, I focused on the times I spent with my grandfather,
learning how to swim. I began to feel less scared as I recalled his calm voice and
gentle words, telling me I would be safe. As I floated in the rising water, I realized it was responding to my emotions.
"Let me out!" I screamed in anger.
A massive wave crashed on top of me. I laughed at my foolishness and the
