บทถอดความฉบับเต็มของ Reflection 9: The Unpleasantness of Christie

Frye vanished from? SHERIFF Well? AGENT LEE You told me not to tell you. SHERIFF I changed my mind. Tell me please. AGENT LEE Ok. Since you asked. Yes, William vanished from the grandfather’s antique furniture shop the House of Mirrors. SHERIFF Quite a name sounds, more like a carnival attraction. AGENT LEE It was a rather nice place, filled with mirrors from all over the world. SHERIFF What happened to William? AGENT LEE Unknown but what I did ascertain was that his vanishing had something to do with the item he delivered. It was a red cabinet from China. Inside was a mirror framed by a metal dragon. Christie had been tasked to clean it before its restoration. The previous owner had shot themself in the head. The mirror had been splattered with brain matter and such. But this was unknown to Christie at that time. AGENT LEE (CONT'D) All she knew was she had to wash the mirror before her grandfather could restore it and hopefully sell it at a profit. As she sponged the face of the mirror her finger ran across the glass. She later came to believe that she touched the 13th reflection. Upon her next pass her hand dipped below the surface of the glass which had become soft and jelly like. SHERIFF Don’t tell me she pulled out a plumb? AGENT LEE She pulled out nothing but her hand. SHERIFF Jelly mirror is sort of new but not very magical. AGENT LEE That’s exactly what Christie thought but upon inspecting her hand she discovered all of her scars had vanished. SHERIFF You don’t say? AGENT LEE But I do. You seem preoccupied with what I should or should not say. SHERIFF It’s a manner of speech. I’m making a subtle point of my disbelief. AGENT LEE Ah I see. Well needless to say, Christie did not hesitate nor did she stop to consider the consequences of her actions. She plunged herself into the dragon mirror. SHERIFF What was that like? AGENT LEE That’s a good question, I should have asked her. SHERIFF What happened after she plunged in? AGENT LEE She woke the next morning and discovered she was scar free. All of her disfigurement, her melted flesh and her permantenly sad expression had all vanished. SHERIFF For real or was is some sort of trick? AGENT LEE A trick? Like a magic trick? SHERIFF Yeah. A smoke and mirrors sort of thing? Make up? AGENT LEE If you had seen her after the fire you would know there was no make up that would hide her level of disfigurment. It seemed real enough for me and yet unbelievable. SHERIFF I agree with that last part. I’m finding most of this story beyond my ability to comprehend let alone believe. AGENT LEE Even after the arm? The severed head? The heartless corpses? SHERIFF There’s a logical explanation for all of that, I’ve just not seen it. AGENT LEE And yet you pray to a god that you’ve never seen, read from a translated book that is centuries old? To Christie this was a miracle. To her this was more real than the shroud of Turin. SHERIFF What I believe is holy. What I believe millions of others also believe. (MORE) SHERIFF (CONT'D) This has the markings of Satan and most would believe this is not a miracle or magic or a blessing. AGENT LEE Well, you may be correct with that last statement. The repaired Christie’s blessings as you call it came at a cost. SHERIFF They always do. AGENT LEE People closest to Christie began vanishing. SHERIFF William Frye? AGENT LEE He was the first. Christie had an obsessive crush on him. He was young, well built and funny. With her new found beauty I believe he returned her affections. But then he vanished without any clue of what happened. SHERIFF Where there others? AGENT LEE Christie’s grandfather was next. One moment he was in the warehouse framing a mirror, Christie heard him yell, then gone. No trace of him anywhere. SHERIFF What about the mirror he was working on? AGENT LEE It was whole. But here’s something strange, when I inspected that mirror I found the grandfather’s greasy thumb print in the upper right hand corner. SHERIFF How is that strange? AGENT LEE The thumb print was on the inside of the glass. SHERIFF Peculiar that’s for sure, but the more you tell me the more questions get asked. Where are the answers? AGENT LEE Here are a few. After three weeks and three missing persons, a rather defeated Christie sat down with me to talk. This is the video from that interview. STARTUP TONE KEYBOARD CLICKS AGENT LEE This was recorded eight months ago. NARRATOR A video window pops open on the laptop screen. The video jumps to an interview room. A girl with dark hair slick with perspiration speaks in a hushed and cautious voice. She is Christie, mid twenties, gothic, junkie desperate for a fix. Christie . . . Two mirrors. If you open the gate you let one of them free. AGENT LEE One of them? Christie A soul taker. A demon spawn. A winged wraith. AGENT LEE Explain the broken mirrors. Christie You have to break both mirrors to close the gate, but that doesn't eliminate your obligation. AGENT LEE Obligation? Christie Your debt. Things have to stay in balance. Tit for tat. An eye for an eye. Quid pro quo. AGENT LEE I’m not following. Christie Like a dealer, ya know? The first tastes are always free but once you’re hooked they start jacking the price up. When it gets too high, you do what you have to do. AGENT LEE Like what? Christie Bring them others. AGENT LEE Or? Christie DIE VIDEO AMBIENCE CUTS OUT BACK TO SCENE AGENT LEE I found Christie a week later. No cuts, no wounds but her heart was missing. SHERIFF Just like Mina. But Lucy and Billy had their chests ripped open. Things are escalating. AGENT LEE I didn't believe Christie then. SHERIFF But eight months later you’ve come around? AGENT LEE Solving a mystery such as this is a very long process. (MORE) AGENT LEE (CONT'D) Answers, like diamonds don't lie on the surface. They have to be mined. SHERIFF That’s what led you here? You’ve been chasing answers? AGENT LEE Yes but in your case I’ve had to let things evolve at their own pace. SHERIFF I still think this is a load of bullshit. Ancient bullshit but it stinks just the same. AGENT LEE Do you have a better answer? SHERIFF Nope. I don’t. AGENT LEE If you need proof then come with me. Shall we test it together? SHERIFF HARUMPHS DOOR OPENS FOOTSTEPS FOOTSTEPS DOOR OPENS AGENT LEE Which way to the locker room? SHERIFF Last door on the right. LOCKER ROOM AMBIENCE NARRATOR Agent Lee pulls off the mirror from over the sink. He holds it opposite the full length mirror that covers half the wall behind the lockers. AGENT LEE I’ll hold this. You count. SHERIFF If you tell anyone about this I’ll break your jaw. AGENT LEE I can assure you, this will be our secret. SHERIFF One, two, three, this isn’t as easy as it sounds. Thirteen right? AGENT LEE Yes Thirteen. SHERIFF ...eleven, twelve, thirteen. What’s supposed to happen now? AGENT LEE Just watch. SHERIFF Hey. Where’s your reflection? NARRATOR Just as the Sheriff realizes Agent Lee’s reflection is strangely absent, a demon’s clawed hand whips out of the large mirror and plunges into the Sheriff’s chest. The Sheriff struggles to pull her service revolver from its holster but a second demon hand grabs at her shoulder. A third hand grabs at her face. More demon hands pull the Sheriff into the large mirror. AGENT LEE I told you this would not be pleasant. NARRATOR A demon dog pulls itself from the large mirror. Its goat like horns still velvety, its snake like eyes glance about, its needle sharp teeth gnash as it stretches its jaws. It crawls across the bathroom floor and joins five other demon dogs at Lee’s feet. AGENT LEE Come on. We have work to do. MAIN THEME ANNOUNCER 13 Reflections.