Mirror Mirror – Jade Survives

 

Mirror Mirror – Jade Survives

Jade Coigley returned to the room that would in her time be Jo Tiegan’s room. ‘Or it will no longer be,’ she thought as she came up to the Mirror. She hesitated, despite the old man saying that she had to come back straight away. ‘I could look around and then go back.’ Her mind made up, she turned around.

 

 

As she climbed down the stairs, she heard Jo, Tama and the other girl enter the house, along with a boy.

 

She hid in the kitchen.

 

“Who are you?” an older lady asked. “What are you doing in my kitchen, here in the Iredale’s house?”

 

“What is it to you?”

 

“Insolent child! You are trespassing!”

 

“So, I am,” Jade countered.

 

The lady grabbed onto her. “Come with me!”

 

“No!” Jade said. She then used a Judo move to get free.

 

 

Primrose Iredale looked at where the Mirror had been, then at Louisa. She could tell that the past few days had had an effect on her daughter. However, she could then hear a commotion.

 

 

“What’s going on here?” Primrose asked as she entered the kitchen.

 

Mrs. Whitelaw held out a girl with red hair. “I caught her snooping in the kitchen.”

 

Louisa gasped. “Jade!”

 

“Is she from Jo’s time too?” Primrose asked.

 

“Or was,” Louisa said.

 

“What do you mean, was?” the girl asked.

 

“The Mirror is gone,” Louisa answered. “You’re stuck here.”

 

“You’re lying.”

 

“What are you going on about?” Mrs. Whitelaw asked.

 

“Leave us for the moment, Mrs. Whitelaw,” Primrose ordered.

 

“Yes, Ma’am.”

 

“Jade, is it? I’m afraid Louisa isn’t lying,” Primrose said.

 

“No! You’re hiding it,” Jade denied.

 

“No, it’s gone.”

 

 

Jade took that in. “You mean, I’m stuck here?”

 

“I’m afraid so,” Lousia answered.

 

Her mother added. “We will have to take you in.”

 

“No where else to go,” Louisa added.

 

“I guess so,” Jade said.

 

 

“Are you serious?” Joshua Iredale asked.

 

“Yes,” Primrose answered. “She has nowhere else to go.”

 

“Has this to do with that other girl, Jo?”

 

“Somewhat, but Jo has left and isn’t coming back.”

 

“It’s going to be very complicated to adopt her,” Joshua said.

 

“If we go about it formally.”

 

“Are you saying we just let her stay here? How would we explain it?”

 

“That we are helping someone in need, which will be the truth,” Primose answered.

 

Joshua thought about it for a moment. Louisa and Titus were a handful already, but they were their children. He knew nothing about this Jade. But Primrose wouldn’t have brought the matter to him without a reason. “Alright,” he said. “But she has to know her place.”

 

“I’ll make that abundantly clear to her.”