Chapter 3.12 A Not Very Awesome History Lesson

 

“Crazy, but that’s how it goes. Millions of people living as foes” I sang as I jammed on my air guitar.

It reminded me of when I was a kid I would play air guitar in my room for hours. This time I am jamming in my new living room, wearing my boxers, with my new best friend the magic mirror.

“Maybe it’s not too late to learn how to love, and forget how to hate.”

 

Confused about what is going on? Well, let me catch you up on all that has happened since last time. I quickly learned that Moonlight Falls is not like any other place in the world. And things that I once thought didn’t exist ​actually do exist; like witches, vampires, and talking magical mirrors. Once I accepted these truths, life became easier.

I understood that there were supernatural elements outside my door, and although these newly found truths didn’t scare me, I didn’t have any desire to leave my house. I was glad to have the magical mirror after all, even though he can be a sarcastic jerk some most of the time.

I found it creepy to have that face in the bedroom watching me while I sleep at night, so I moved him into the living room. That magical mirror became someone to talk to; the only someone to talk to. But, I couldn’t keep calling him My Magical Mirror.

 

“Why don’t I call you…. Marvin?” I asked him one morning, “Marvin My Magical Mirror.”

“You have some nerve, you know that?!” Mirror reacted in offense to my question. “You can’t just name me. I’m not your pet!”

I didn’t mean to upset Mirror. It wasn’t my intention to be rude. He is just being overly sensitive. On the other hand, I was in no position to offend my only source of communication. If I didn’t have the mirror to talk to I would go insane. I needed to make things right, for my own sanity.

“I am sorry if I offended you,” I turned on the Charming Charm as I faked my way through the apology, “I didn’t mean to make you mad when I decided to give you a name. I don’t want to call you just Mirror.”

“Whatever,” Mirror saw right through my fake apology, but accepted it anyway. “You need to know that I am more than just a face in the mirror. I had, I mean have, a name. A long time ago I was referred to by the name of Bertwalten.”

“Alright then, I’ll call you Bertwalten.”

“No, I’ve always hated that name. Just call me Bert instead.”

 

That is how my friendship with the talking mirror Bert all started. I figured that it would be safe to tell Bert about my past so I told him all about the events that brought me to Moonlight Falls. He is a man who got trapped in a mirror by a gypsy’s curse, so who is Bert to judge me? Still, when I asked him about whoever owned this house before me Bert quickly changed the subject.

And that leads me here, dancing around with my air guitar while Bert sings backup.

“Mental wounds not healing. Life’s a bitter shame” I sang as I danced. “I’m going off the rails on a crazy train.”

“And now it is time for my badass drum solo,” Bert made drumming sounds that sounded almost like the real thing, “bam ba da da ba da.”

 

Bert finished his drum solo, and said, “I gotta tell ya, this is the most fun I have had in a very long time, but… don’t you want to go outside the house and meet people?”

I swear, Bert can be such a buzz kill at times.

“Oh come on, my singing isn’t that bad, and don’t complain about the boxers. So what if I happen to like comics,” I joked hoping to avoid the subject, “We can play ​Thunderstruck next. I know how much you like that song.”

“​Thunderstruck does show off my amazing drumming skills, but the point remains that you need to get out of the house. It has been what, three weeks since you got here? Not once have you opened that front door.”

“That is not true, I open that door every time the pizza delivery guy leaves. And I opened the door to pick up my packages that I ordered on Simazon.”

“That is not what I meant and you know it. Opening the door after the pizza guy leaves the pizza on the front step, does ​not​ count.”

I accept the fact that Moonlight Falls is the home to all different kinds of supernatural creatures that I never knew existed until now. But I am not one of them. I am a beastly looking freak who was cursed by a jealous psycho witch. I just recently made Moonlight Falls my home, and I really don’t want to be driven out of town by a torch wielding angry mob.

 

Bert was somber and serious when he spoke, “I get that you are nervous, things are scary out there. Osiris and his thugs own the night, but you need to think of Moonlight Falls as the supernatural Island of Misfit Toys. No one in this town is perfect, and they might be not as freaked out about how you look as you might think that they will be.”

I know that Bert means well, but he doesn’t know what he is talking about. I don’t wantto leave this house, and thanks to the internet I don’t have to. Everything that I need I can order off of Simazon and have it delivered to my home. From food, to XXL clothing, and even giant, thick, dark green curtains to cover all of the windows. I am perfectly happy right here.

“I’m not saying that you should visit the Seasonal Festival or anything like that,” Bert could tell that I was still anxious, and he was trying his best to be supportive, “start out small. Why not go to the library? You wanted to find out more about the spell that you are under, right? Well, the old library is the best place to start. Besides, no one ever goes there.”

Bert got me there. Any hope of breaking this spell lays outside of these walls. I conceded with a sigh, and tried to mentally prepare myself for going outside the safety of my house. Bert displayed a map of Moonlight Falls that showed me the quickest way to the library. No more stalling. It was time to man up (or should I say beast up), and venture outside.

 

Bert was right, no one ever goes to the library. Aside from the librarian working the front desk, who gave me a strange look but didn’t say anything, I was all by myself. I walked up and down the aisles of books searching for something that might give me any insight into the curse Becca used on me. I wasn’t too optimistic about finding a book, but soon I realized that my search was going to be less like finding a needle in a haystack and more like finding a needle in a hay silo.

Most of the books were in an ancient foreign language that I didn’t recognize. They looked older than dirt, and I feared that they might disintegrate when I touched them. I was quickly getting frustrated, and fought to keep my composure. The last thing I wanted to do was make a scene, even if there was only one other person here with me.

I berated myself for letting Bert talk me into coming to this stupid library. What did I expect to find; a book titled Reversing Spells 101 or Spells to Cast on an Ex-Boyfriend, and How to Break Them?

 

I was on my way out when I was stopped in my tracks by a familiar sounding voice. It belonged to my annoyingly cheerful neighbor. I peeked my head around the corner to watch her interaction with the librarian.

“I would like to check these books out please,” my neighbor said in her signature upbeat tone.

“You checked these same books out two week ago,” the librarian sneered. At least I am not the only one who finds my neighbor insufferable.

“I understand that,” my neighbor was relentlessly optimistic, “but I have read everything in this place.   Now, I am going back and rereading my favorites.”

I looked around the library. It wasn’t as large as the one in Twinbrook, but there must be about a million books in this dusty old place. And my neighbor has read them all. What a nerd!

 

“Why don’t you just keep the stupid books then?” the librarian spat. His attitude went from slightly annoyed to downright nasty in a matter of seconds. “That way I don’t have to have your Immundus infecting my library.”

I admit that the overly cheerfulness can be obnoxious for sure, but there was no need for such a hateful attitude change. My neighbor tried very hard not to let those comments get to her, but I could have sworn that I saw a tear escape her eye. She ran out of the library, leaving the books on the desk, before we could see any more tears fall.

What made the librarian become so hostile like that?  I really felt bad for the poor girl.  Crap, now I feel bad for when I yelled at her a few weeks ago. And for calling her a nerd. I could hear both Bert, as well as Grandpa Ryan, telling me to run after this girl and apologize. Without saying anything to the librarian I grabbed the books off his desk and ran out the door to catch up to my no longer upbeat neighbor.

 

“Hey, wait up, you forgot these,” I called out when I caught up to her a few blocks from the library. “Is everything okay?”

“I’m fine,” my neighbor smiled, but I could tell that she had been crying.

Her nose was red and her face was puffy. Despite her sad looking appearance I couldn’t help but notice her captivating rainbow colored eyes. I have never seen rainbow colored eyes before. Those were the kind of eyes you could get lost in.

If you were into that sort of thing, which for the record I would like to say that I am not.

“Do I know you?” she asked when she felt I had been gazing at her eyes for too long.

“Kind of,” I said sheepishly. I have never been good at apologizing, even on the rare occasion when I have meant it. “You and your friends came to my door a few weeks ago. I have to say sorry about the way I yelled at you. I was just having a really bad day that day.”

“Apology accepted,” she smiled at me as she took the books from my hands, her cheerfulness starting to return.

 

“Well, now we can properly introduce ourselves. My name is Mira. Mira Crumplebottom.” Mira held out her hand for me to shake, but I was nervous about her touching my furry paw. Instead I shoved my hands in my pockets.

“My name is Linc…Ryan. I am Linc Ryan.” I didn’t want Mira to know my real name, because I didn’t want her, or anyone else, to know who I really am. Besides, what if she knows Becca and her family?

“So, how do you like Moonlight Falls so far, Linc?” Mira tried making conversation. If she was put off by my standoffishness she didn’t let it show.

“It’s fine, I guess. To be honest I really haven’t been out much.”

“Really? Well then, why don’t you come out tonight with me and meet some of my friends?”

 

Meet her friends?!?! I couldn’t do that. I look like a beast. I should avoid crowds at all cost.

“There are a few people you should meet.” Mira smiled at me. Her rainbow eyes were pleading with me to say yes. “Just say that you will think about it.”

“I don’t think that is a good idea.” I said as I tried to think about what would happen if I met Mira’s friends.  All I could picture was an angry mob.

“Well, the invitation is always there,” Mira didn’t let my rejection of her tarnish her smile. “Here is my number just in case you change your mind. And you know where I live. Stop by anytime.”

I watched her walk up to her house, but before she entered she turned back around to me and smiled. Those rainbow eyes shining in the sun.

 

“You got her number?” was Bert’s reaction when I told him all that had happened, “Way to go stud!!”

“Be serious,” I was in no mood for Bert’s sarcastic jokes, “still, there is one thing that I don’t understand.”

“What is it?”

“Bert,” I asked with all seriousness. “What does Immundus mean?”

“Sit down,” Bert’s demeanor changed from jovial to stern once I said that word ​Immundus. “There are some things that I gotta tell ya.”

 

Side Note: ​Just in case you weren’t sure, or if you haven’t read it already, I posted a special chapter explaining the history of Moonlight Falls, and some of the residence of the town. Bert tells Lincoln all about the history, and the current conflict between Grendel & Osiris against the Immundus. Basically, the same thing that I have already outlined for all of you.

I am excited that we get to meet more characters in the next few chapters. I didn’t want to overwhelm the chapter by introducing too many people all at once. I wanted to show Bert as Lincoln’s confidant and advisor. While Mira is a way for me to introduce some of the other characters. If any of this is hard to understand, let me know. It all makes sense in my head, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it makes sense on paper.

And did you recognize the librarian? Well, if you are a fan of Neverdoitagain, then you may have recognized my favorite Rosenthal, Dellie, playing the part of the librarian. I cannot say enough nice things about Jowita and her amazingly awesome story. Thank you for allowing me use Dellie for my story. 🙂

And as always, have a great day or night depending on when you are reading this.