Back in the early 1980's, my now ex husband (we'll call him Ed), my then 3 year old son, and I moved into our first house. It had started out as a one room school house (I discovered proof when the removal of layers of wallpaper revealed old slate chalk boards) and had grown into a monstrously large farm house type structure, due to folks adding on over the years. The place had a lot of 'quirks'; for instance the main floor had two full bathrooms, a very large country type kitchen, and a smaller galley type kitchen in what had one time served as a mother-in-law apartment (this is also where the second bathroom was). Inside that 'apartment' was also a Murphy ironing board that folded up into the wall. What I found very odd, was at some point someone had removed the interior doors that would have shut the two units off from each other. As a result, you could literally do laps around the ground floor. The front door led into a nice sized living room, from there you could see the staircase that led up to the two bedrooms upstairs. Another quirk, the upstairs rooms were not separated by a hallway of any sort; the top stair split into two triangle stairs, one on the left, one on the right and these faced the bedroom doors. I won't make you suffer through a lengthy description of the place, however, I thought these were points of interest that may aid with understanding the events that would take place there.
Our first night in the place, I distinctly heard someone rummaging through the moving boxes downstairs. I sat up in bed, and listened, deciphering normal house sounds from those that seemed like someone moving around. I looked over at my sleeping husband, and slid out from under the covers and cautiously crossed over into my son's room. I lifted his sleeping form and returned with him to my room, depositing him on the bed. Someone downstairs coughed. I shook Ed awake, "Someone's downstairs!" I hissed, "Go check it out."
After a few groggy swears he informed me that I could go check it out myself. Something downstairs toppled over. I about wet myself. If we'd had an upstairs phone (we would in later years, and this was pre-cell phone days) I would have stayed put and called the cops. As it was, I gripped my ball bat and made my way down the stairs, flipping on the lights as I went. I didn't want to surprise whomever had broken in, and I really hoped they'd just run away. I could see into the living room, boxes were strewn about giving voice that someone had been going through them. I made my way through the entire lower floor, leaving lights burning in my wake as I checked every nook and cranny, while straining my ears. While I didn't wish to confront whomever it was, I didn't want them surprising me either. On my way, I double checked the doors and windows to be sure they were shut and locked tight. Finally there was only one room left; the bathroom in the 'apartment'. I pushed the door open hard and in the dimness saw someone staring back at me. As I reached for the light-switch I saw them move towards me - I bellowed loudly, swinging the bat with all my might! There was a tremendous crash of breaking glass, as shards went flying in all directions. I fumbled for the switch again, and as it came on realized that I had slain a mirror, that Ed had perched on the toilet tank. (I wish he had told me.) I fetched the broom and dustpan feeling very foolish and had just swept the bulk into a pile when there was a very loud banging at the front door.
Neighbors hearing my scream had called the cops. Just try explaining that your own reflection had scared you that badly. At least they didn't laugh in front of me, but they grew very somber learning that Ed at 6'4" had stayed upstairs during the entire time, and had only come down when their knock summoned us.
I still recall them looking down at me, then over at him, and back again with something that seemed to be a mixture of disbelief and disgust. "So you," one pointed at me, "came down to investigate, and YOU" he looked at Ed, "stayed upstairs?" Then things got weird.
Cop 'A', decided to see where this mirror was, and check out the house to be sure it was 'secure' taking me in tow. Cop 'B' stayed with Ed. I learned later they had their own little chat, which left Ed feeling somewhat badly.
As we approached the bathroom, I said, "Be careful, that glass went every where," but there was NO glass to be seen! Not a shard! The mirror sat on the toilet tank. Seeing it, in the light I realized I had never seen this mirror before. But I knew I had broken it! I had heard the glass smash. The broom and dust pan still sat in the door way where I'd left them. Weird, very, very weird.
After the cops left, I asked Ed where the mirror had come from, he said he'd found it in the basement. He went back to bed, and I went back to check the mirror out better.
It was rectangular in shape, the glass itself a bit wavy looking, with a few light spots and tiny clear areas. Its framing was very ornate: tiny, interwoven vines interspersed with leaves and flowers. It was obviously an antique, exactly how old, I wasn't sure but guessed early to mid 1800's. I wanted to examine it, look for a manufactures mark, or possibly a date, but something about it made me feel strange. I reasoned that given the whole weirdness that had happened, the hour, and the move, perhaps it would be wiser to wait for the light of day. I closed the door and went up to bed, but not before saying a prayer of protection, and adding that anything unkind was not welcomed in my home.
The next day was anti-climatic. At least in the weird department. Ed's family had swooped in on us 'to help'. If you ask me, it was more of a way for his mother to dictate the way she thought we should decorate, complete with paint chips she thought would be 'just the colors' we should use, and wouldn't that chair look better over there advise. She expressed an interest in the mirror when she saw it. The woman absolutely gushed over it, and before I could say word one, Ed gifted it to her. I never saw it again, and oddly, when ever I'd bring it up, the subject would be changed.
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