บทถอดความฉบับเต็มของ Reflection 6: The Marker

MUSIC CUE INTERIOR HOSPITAL ROOM AMBIENCE WOMAN When a casino fronts you money to bet at their tables, that’s called a marker. They are betting you’ll lose it all and be obligated to pay them back with interest. That obligation is what Websters defines as debt. The bible implies a debt is equal to a sin. The Urban dictionary pretty much nails it: Debt is “Selling your soul and basically flushing your dreams, hopes and life down the toilet.” The mirror myth, the endless reflections, they are hypnotic click bait. They tease you towards your first touch of the 13th reflection, and that’s when you take a marker, a free trial, a taste of euphoria, but at the ultimate price. MUSIC THEME ANNOUNCER This is 13 Reflections.  Reflection 6: The Marker NARRATOR Ashley enters Piece Unique Clothing Boutique and heads to the counter near the dressing rooms. She runs her hand over the designer jeans until she locates a store tag. She compares it to the tag from Lucy's mirror. They are the same. HEATHER Can I help you? ASHLEY Yes. A girl was in the other night and tried on these jeans. PAPER RUSTLES FOOT STEPS ASHLEY She’s about twenty one. Sharp dresser. Lucy Carter? HEATHER Is she okay? She seemed very upset. ASHLEY In what way? HEATHER She said there was a man in her dressing room, but we were the only people in the shop. Then she ran away screaming that something was wrong with the mirror. But what can go wrong with a mirror? It either works or it doesn't. ASHLEY Which mirror? INTERNAL WOOD DOOR OPENS HEATHER It’s this dressing room and as you can see everything is fine. And she never paid for those jeans. ASHLEY Here. All I have are twenties. PAPER MONEY RUSTLES FROM A WALLET HEATHER Are you sure? ASHLEY Lucy is...was my babysitter so it’s fine. Mind if I stay here for a bit? HEATHER No problemo. I’ll go ring you up. FOOT STEPS MOVE AWAY DOOR CLOSES NARRATOR Ashley reaches for the dressing room mirror. Her hand hovers over the surface for a moment then it’s sucked to its shiny surface like a magnet. Silver tendrils dig into her skin. The reflection in the mirror swirls revealing its recent past. Ashley watches as Lucy enters the dressing room with an arm full of clothes. Lucy places her cosmetic compact directly in front of the full length mirror. She positions it carefully creating endless reflections. Lucy touches the thirteenth reflection on the dressing room mirror. A wave sweeps across the large mirror. Lucy starts pushing new shoes, belts, and t-shirts through the Jell-O like surface. The reflection swirls to show Lucy's hand poke out of the full length mirror in her bedroom. The shoes and belts drop to the floor. ASHLEY She's shoplifting. Always wondered how she could afford all those new clothes on a baby sitter’s salary. NARRATOR The reflection swirls to a new memory of Lucy facing the mirror. A man’s silhouette looms just over her shoulder. Lucy's reflection begins to blur and fade. Lucy screams and runs out. The reflection swirls then clears to Ashley’s reflection. The tendrils dissolve and Ashley’s hand pops off the surface. ASHLEY Lucy was right. Someone was behind her, but who... and how? NARRATOR Ashley exits the dressing room rubbing her hand and wincing in pain. DOOR OPENS HEATHER Wait. Don’t you want your change? BELLS JINGLE FOOTSTEPS FADE AWAY DOOR CLOSES HEATHER FOOTSTEPS DOOR OPENS What’s gotten into people lately? NARRATOR Heather pokes her head into the empty dressing room. The mirror is broken into a spider web of cracks as if someone had punched it. CUT TO MUSIC CUE DARK MAGIC HOSPITAL AMBIENCE OCCASIONAL CRAZY SCREAM FOOTSTEPS ON LINOLEUM NARRATOR Agent Lee walks into a small dorm room. Billy is sitting at a table. His eyes droop from sedation but he is alert enough to recognize Agent Lee. BILLY What do you want? AGENT LEE Just to talk. Nothing more. BILLY I got nothin to say. AGENT LEE I can make things more comfortable for you here if you help me. BILLY Got nothin to say. AGENT LEE Or I can make things very uncomfortable. BILLY Can’t get much worse than it is. AGENT LEE I could have the orderlies install one of those big mirrors on the wall. Wouldn’t that be nice? BILLY No. Don’t do that. AGENT LEE Then just tell me how this started. BILLY It was Mina. She figured it out. We went to a club downtown but she was too young and they wouldn’t let her in. She had me go in on my own. AGENT LEE And where was she? BILLY She went home. AGENT LEE So what happened in the club? BILLY She had told me what to do but I was skeptical. I went into the bathroom and with a hand mirror. I did what she said. AGENT LEE Which was what? BILLY Touch the 13th reflection. AGENT LEE And what happened after that? BILLY Mina popped out from the bathroom mirror. Like it was some sort of door. I couldn’t believe it. AGENT LEE So, she was able to get into the club? BILLY Yeah and no cover charge either. The next night we both did it. AGENT LEE And that’s all? That’s all you used it for? BILLY Well, no. She and her roomie steefed some clothes and shit. Dressing rooms are perfect for this. AGENT LEE Then where is she? Mina? What happened to her? BILLY We got all fly and mirrored into a club. We partied for awhile then mirrored home only something weird started to happen. AGENT LEE Weird? How? BILLY Her reflection. It started to fade out. AGENT LEE So, what did you do? BILLY We used the mirrors as always but this time... BILLY’S VOICE SHAKES HEAVY BREATHING BILLY (CONT'D) We hold each other’s hand when we leap. I made it through but something got a hold of Mina. Something grabbed her. Only half of her got out. I tried to pull her out but whatever it was in there, it’s strong, really strong. In the tussle I knocked over our second mirror. Mina was still holding my hand. I figured she got through but when I looked down. I was only holding her arm. AGENT LEE So something pulled her into the mirror?