Secret behind the evil queen’s mirror

Carlos got off the bed and put on his pants before turning to glance at Gloria, who was fast asleep after their intense session. He had suggested they meet at her place to add excitement to their encounter.

Gloria agreed readily since her husband and son were out for the day. Carlos had worked hard to tire her out, aiming to achieve his hidden agenda.

Approaching Gloria, he waved his hand in front of her face. Seeing her deep in slumber, he quietly made his way to the closet, where he witnessed the unusual event captured in the video.

As Carlos stepped into the closet, he found himself surrounded by rows of dresses neatly arranged on shelves, with various accessories adorning the cupboards. Paying them no mind, he approached the full-length mirror fixed to the wall, the same mirror Gloria had been talking with earlier.

Running his fingers over the smooth surface, he sensed nothing out of the ordinary. Trying to dislodge the mirror from the wall, he attempted to shake it, but it remained firmly held by the wooden frame encasing its edges. Frustration gnawed at him as he searched for any potential gaps that might allow the mirror to be separated from its frame.

As Carlos crouched to examine the mirror's lower part, his heart pounded in his chest, each beat echoing in the silence of the closet. His eyes widened as he discovered a small, rusted lock clasping the mirror's edges to the frame, as if sealing in something ominous.

With trembling fingers, he fumbled with the lock, his breath hitching in his throat. As the lock clicked open, a chill ran down his spine, sending shivers of dread through his body. Slowly, he straightened up, his hands shaking uncontrollably as he gripped the mirror.

His hands shook with dread as he slowly lifted the mirror, careful not to make a sound.

As the mirror swung open, his eyes widened in horror, and he recoiled in disbelief. His mouth fell open in a silent scream, but he quickly clamped his hand over it, fearing that even the slightest sound would wake Gloria from her slumber.

Unable to tear his gaze away, Carlos fell to the ground in terror, crawling backward as he saw the terrifying sight before him.

There stood a man, frozen in time like a living statue. His features were too lifelike to be mistaken for a mere mannequin, encased within a glass box fitted snugly into the cavity behind the mirror. 

There was a small knife plunged into the chest of the man and dark patches of frozen blood adorned the area around the knife. Sweat trickled down Carlos's face as he observed the sight before him, his heart pounding with a mixture of horror and unease.

To his dismay, the man's features bore an unsettling resemblance to his own, sending a shiver down Carlos's spine. The realization that this frozen figure shared his likeness stirred up a whirlwind of questions and fears in his mind.

But realizing this was not the time to delve into such unsettling questions, Carlos urgently locked the mirror back in its place and swiftly exited the closet. Upon seeing Gloria still in slumber, he breathed a sigh of relief and grabbed his shirt and mobile before quickly leaving the room.

The terrifying sight he had witnessed left him shaken to the core, and he had no desire to spend another moment in that woman's presence. The thought of what she had done and was capable of doing turned his stomach, filling him with a profound sense of disgust. 

Simultaneously, on the other end, a large screen displayed Carlos hastily exiting Gloria's bedroom.

"Damn! What in the world was that?" Sam blurted out, his shock evident as he witnessed the terrifying scene behind the mirror.

Ruth's expression turned grave as he observed Carlos's hurried departure on the monitor. They had been observing the entire sequence of events at the Hutson mansion. 

The primary purpose of sending the video to Carlos was to unveil the mystery concealed within the mirror. Despite suspecting that something like this lay beyond its surface, he was taken aback by the startling resemblance of the figure to Carlos.

"What do we do now?" Sam asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty due to the unexpected turn of events.

Ruth looked at his perplexed boyfriend and couldn't help but chuckle. Moving closer, he tenderly kissed Sam's soft, silver hair.

"All we need is a bit of field work," he reassured him with a smile.

Sam pouted and threw his upper half into Ruth's arms and wrapped his hand around his neck for support.

 "Ruth, didn't that man inside the glass box look like a little older version of Carlos?" he queried, his eyes searching for confirmation.

Ruth frowned, holding Sam securely to prevent him from slipping. "Maybe," he replied nonchalantly.

"If this were a soap opera, I'd bet Gloria was in love with Carlos's father and stabbed him to death when she discovered his affair with another woman," Sam mused, his eyes sparkling with excitement as he let his imagination run wild.

Ruth contemplated Sam's wild theory for a moment. Considering Gloria's obsession with the person behind the mirror, Carlos would indeed be a fitting replacement, given their striking resemblance.

An idea sparked in Ruth's mind on how to further investigate the matter. He glanced at Sam, who was quietly chuckling at his impromptu soap opera script. 

Pulling Sam close, Ruth planted a big kiss on his pouty lips and praised him, "You're so clever, babe."

Ruffling Sam's silver hair affectionately, Ruth then made his way out of the basement. Sam stood there, blinking in surprise at Ruth's sudden praise. He couldn't help but wonder why Ruth suddenly praised him clever when he is always the cleverest.

Shrugging his shoulders, Sam shut down the monitor, switched off the lights, and followed Ruth out of the basement.