Transforming Reflections

Transforming Reflections is Chapter 9 of How I Met My Echo On Big Wolf Cliff

“When it hit me that Jenny wasn’t in another cave or just around the bend, but had truly left me in her world, my brain froze. I couldn’t call out; I didn’t know what I might summon with my voice. I stood paralyzed in the glow of the crystal-lined walls, fear spiraling through my mind. My eyes bounced around the cave—the crystals were vibrating. There was no sound, but the cave felt alive. This energy built inside me. My skin tingled with tiny sparks, and the hairs on my arms rose. My mind cleared. I forced myself to move. As my foot lifted from the stone, a jolt of energy shot through me, and I sprang down the trail behind the waterfall. It felt like I’d had ten cups of coffee. I flew through the tunnels but never reached the end. The way in had been short, but the cave had changed.”

She stops, sipping her tea, eyes fixed on the cup. Liz sits at the edge of the old couch, unsure how to comfort her mom, who is clearly disturbed. It’s her fault her mom has to relive this. She wants to say it’s okay to stop, that she won’t go to Jenny’s cabin, but she can’t. Liz needs to know what happened.

The cup drops to the side table. “I don’t know how long I was in the tunnels—maybe hours. My body buzzed with energy, my mind racing. At some point, I realized I’d been running blindly, with no plan or sense of direction. I stopped to gather my thoughts, leaned against a mossy wall, and fell straight through it, into a small pond. The water was clear and fresh, and the bottom was soft sand. Sunlight still poured through the trees, and the forest was as beautiful as ever. But as I swam to shore, my energy drained with every stroke, like the pond was drinking me. By the time I reached land, I could barely pull myself out. I don’t know if the water took my strength or if I was exhausted from running. I passed out on the soft moss.

“It was dark when I woke. Two moons reflected on the pond, lighting up the entire glade. The cliff I’d come from was gone, so I must’ve traveled through the water. I knelt at the edge, trying to make sense of it. The surface was so still I could see my face, backlit by the moons. Then my reflection flickered. Even in shadow, I could tell—I was getting younger. My hair curled softly over my shoulders like it had when I was twelve or thirteen. As I stared at the younger version of myself, she rose from the water. I felt an unexpected comfort—I wasn’t alone. She was beautiful, glowing, dressed in a light copper gown of gauzy fabric. Her skin shimmered gold in the moonlight.”

She stops and sucks in a ragged breath.

“The surface flickered again, and the younger me sank back into the water, still youthful, but once again just my reflection. Then it began to change. My face tightened, stretched, and warped. My silky curls thickened into twisted branches. My eyes sank and glowed gold; my cheekbones and chin sharpened. I gasped—I was becoming a tree. I stumbled back from the water, frantically running my hands over my face and hair. It was still me. It was only a vision. I looked again. My reflection was normal, but a shadow stood behind me.”

Liz gasps.

“This wasn’t a vision. A twig broke when the shadow moved. Something was hovering at the edge of the woods, watching me. I didn’t know what to do. I grabbed a stick and whipped around to face it. It wasn’t a monster or a big animal, it was Jenny.”

With shaky hands, her mom takes a small sip of tea. She grips the cup tightly in her lap, body stiff and upright—so rigid Liz can almost imagine her turning to wood.

“She didn’t hurt me. She said I vanished in the tunnels—one moment there, then gone. She searched everywhere but couldn’t find me. She finally headed back to her cabin. That’s where she saw me, staring into the pond. She was relieved but had no explanation of how I disappeared.”

“Well, that’s good then,” Liz offers. “Jenny hadn’t abandoned you. Maybe it wasn’t her fault.”

Her mom’s jaw tightens. “She was lying, Liz.”

“How do you know?”

“She had relief on her face, but her voice was cold.”

“Cold?”

“When you’re older, you’ll know the difference between a real reaction and a fake one. You feel it in your chest—fight or flight kicks in before your brain can catch up.”

“Maybe you were just overwhelmed by what happened?”

“No, Liz. She was acting—believe me. I just wanted out, so I played along. I hugged her, pretended I was relieved, and we walked hand in hand back to her cabin. She walked me as far as she could on Big Wolf. I told her I’d come back.

“Your dad met me on the main road with his quad. He’d been searching for hours. I was so happy to see him. I told him everything, from the moment I first met Jenny.”

“You did?”

“Yeah, and you know what? He wasn’t surprised. He’d heard stories about Jenny and believed them. He said he could see her cabin from the water, but never found it on Big Wolf. I made him promise not to look for it. He said he wouldn’t. I’ve never gone back.”

“Yeah, but we’ve been on Big Wolf Cliff.”

“Sure, but only when your dad’s with us and never past that blueberry patch at the base of her domain. I don’t think she can come down from her high perch. Each time she walked me back, she never climbed down that rock face at the patch. She can only be found if you seek her. So, don’t seek her, Liz.”

I drop my eyes to my lap.

“Liz, don’t go there. You’re curious, but there are other adventures. If Jenny lets you in, you might never come back.”