Chapter 11

PICTURES WILL NOT TRANSFORM TO THIS PLATFORM: 

11

Once home, Jordan scrutinized the odd jumble of symbols. What could it mean? Riddles again! The eight Norse runes panned out like this:

þurisaz : giant

hardship, painful event, discipline, knowledge, introspection, focus

eihwaz : yew

change, initiation, confrontation of fears, turning point, death, transformation

MAGICAL USES:

to bring about profound change, to ease a life transition

algiz : protection

protection, assistance, defense, warning, support, a mentor, an ethical dilemma

MAGICAL USES:

for protection

teiwaz : Tyr

duty, discipline, responsibility, self-sacrifice, conflict, strength, a wound, physicality, the warrior path

MAGICAL USES:

protection, victory, strength, strengthening the will, healing a wound

laguz : water

emotions, fears, unconscious mind, things hidden, revelation, intuition, counselling

MAGICAL USES:

enhancing psychic abilities, confronting fears, stabilizing mental or emotional disorders, uncovering hidden things

ansuz : Odin

DIVINATORY MEANINGS:

authority figure, leader, mind & body balance, justice, shaman, clairvoyant

MAGICAL USES:

for wise decisions, success, leadership; to help in divination and magic

raiðo : journey

DIVINATORY MEANINGS:

journey, pilgrimage, change, destiny, quest, progress, life lessons

MAGICAL USES:

protection for travellers, to ease or bring about change, to reconnect

mannaz : man, humankind

DIVINATORY MEANINGS:

significator, self, family, community, relationships, social concerns

MAGICAL USES:

to represent a specific person or group of people; to establish social relationships

Cited: The Runic Journey. http://www.tarahill.com/runes/runemean.html  visited 10/24/05

And Jordan was no closer to understanding the meaning than when she began. All afternoon she had searched the internet, brainstormed, even punched her pillow a few times, but she simply had no idea what the symbols might mean collectively. What’s worse, she knew she had seen at least one or two of these symbols repeat themselves in the mirror before Kayla’s accident- if she had studied them more closely, maybe these symbols would make more sense to her now.  Sighing, she crammed the paper into her desk drawer and decided to have another look at the mirror. Maybe there was something she was missing. She hadn’t really examined it closely enough.

     Thankfully, her parents were in their PJ’s, watching a movie. She knew it would be about over… it was almost 10 PM. Jordan took the steps two at a time and quickly entered the attic, softly closing the door behind her, as if somehow she might arouse unwanted attention. She felt along the wall until she felt the light switch, dimly lighting the room so that shadows were cast in eerie shapes and sizes. Shuddering, Jordan Grasped the sheet, pulling it from the mirror, stepping in closer to examine the wood, the glass, the stand and the back, finding nothing more- no other clues.

     Frustrated, Jordan paced the floor, carrying on a mental debate. Should she rub the letters on the mirror again, or should she walk away? Jordan recalled Stacey’s heart throb, Rocky, and the little girl across the street; she knew that those types of things happened every day. What if she had the power to stop it? Would it even be possible to stop it?

     Taking a deep breath, Jordan strode to the mirror, tilted it forward, stood on her tiptoes and ran her fingers across the engraved runes, smelling the chlorine, feeling the slight breeze waft across her face, and seeing the mirror change until the symbols began to flash across the glass. Each symbol started small and rushed toward the mirror as though it would pop out of the glass, but it just blinked out once it reached the forefront.

     Jordan quickly jotted down the symbols that she saw; thankfully, after the first episode with the mirror, she had remembered to grab a notebook and pen, stashing them in the attic earlier that week.

     She made sure to really focus this time and once the symbols were down on paper, her next step was to brainstorm every possible solution. The task seemed almost impossible, and Jordan wished that she could tell Stacey or her mother. Two heads are better than one, Her 10th  grade English teacher would often say. In this case, Jordan agreed. If she screwed up in the interpretation, it would result in a lot of wasted time and energy, not to mention a possible tragedy.

     Casting the sheet back over the mirror, as though it were a net and could keep the monster at bay, Jordan slipped from the attic and back to her room, where she quietly shut the door behind her. Plopping on the bed, she leaned against the headboard and pulled her feet up so that her knees served as a desk for the notepad.

     Each symbol consisted of everyday objects. This time Jordan had seen a multitude of children as though they were all in one place, flashing lights and swirling nonsense that reminded Jordan of a circus. The next images included cards and dice, indicating games of some sort. Finally Jordan saw the same image that had appeared just before the little girl across the street had been hit by a car, a bright red splash of color that obviously indicated injury or maybe even death and the Purisaz Rune indicating painful event.

     Jordan thought back to what Bethany had said; how she had seen her own mother’s death, yet she did nothing. Jordan understood the weight of that, especially since she had no idea how to read the mirror to begin with, therefore, she felt a little less responsible for the earlier tragedies around her.

      Then Jordan wondered, how ethical is it to do this? Her Journalism teacher had discussed ethics in detail this past school year, and Jordan finally understood that sometimes there is no black and white; so far it seemed that the gray areas in life were more difficult to navigate through than Jordan had thought. Each day brought fresh realizations to Jordan. This mirror had totally changed her life. Never again would she be the same. Shaking her head, Jordan sighed and carried on with the deciphering.

     For two hours Jordan poured over the symbols, brainstorming every possible meaning. It was now midnight and her parents had long since gone to bed. She had several ideas, but her head pounded furiously and finally she had to quit. She knew she had approximately 12-13 hours before the event would occur. She also knew it was a place where many kids hang out. She began to click off the places: the skate park, the mall, the movie theater, and sometimes the local McDonald’s. Then Jordan focused on the flashing and swirling array of colorful lights that swept across the mirror. What could they mean? The circus? Jordan hopped on the internet and searched- “Circus +Independence.” Nothing. The circus was not in town and by the looks of the schedule, Independence must not be important enough for  possible future visits. Okay, so let’s look at the cards and die. Games, right? She said aloud to herself. So where do kids hang out, where lots of lights or some type of commotion is going on, and games of some sort are being played? Frustrated, Jordan knew she would never figure this out on her own!

     Quickly, Jordan logged onto her Yahoo Instant Messenger and IM’ed Stacey.

     Shortcake: Hey, Stace you there?

Luckily, Stacey was online, although Jordan knew it had nothing to do with luck; Stacey was online most of the time.

     Wildie13: Hey, what’s up?

     Shortcake: I’ve got this riddle that I can’t figure out. I’m gonna give you the clues and you work on it to see if you can guess. It is a place.

     Wildie13: A riddle??!! I am out of school and my brain is on vacation!

     Shortcade: Come on Stace. I need this figured out cuz… (here Jordan, paused. What reason could she possibly give? Thankfully, she didn’t have to think too hard.)

     Wildie13: Is your dad doing that brain teaser, let’s exercise-the-mind thing again?

      Shortcake: yeah. So can you help me?

     Wildie13: <sigh> sure.

Jordan quickly typed in the clues, hoping that Stacey wouldn’t ask any more questions.

     Wildie13: k. got it. I’ll get back to u cuz my sister needs to use the computer for some stupid school project she has to have done by first day of school.

     Shortcake: k. b good and thanx for ur help.

Jordan logged off and decided to make herself a snack. Food always makes things better, and she just happened to know that there was some sausage and mushroom pizza left over in the fridge. She contemplated running the clues by her mother or father, but thought better of it. Too many questions and not enough answers.

      As she descended the stairs, Jordan mulled the matter over in her mind. If Stacey couldn’t help, then Jordan was doomed… or rather whoever that was in the mirror was doomed. All the while, as she munched on cold pizza, in the back of her mind she was trying to decipher the code before it was too late.