A string of pearls decorate her neck, fall past her chest, and create the illusion of length.
Before the mirror, she holds a brush with a geometrical pattern in blue, silver and white; this precious brush holds sentimental value money cannot buy.
What is the sadness she feels darkening the patches of light from the overly rectangular windows?
Cassandra sits on the bed looking at the beauty in front of the mirror and the brush in her lovely hand, yet she does not know what to do; when she reaches out to touch the beauty, her hand moves straight through the pearls, her chest and nothing makes sense.
Then, without warning, the apparition looks at Cassandra with a longing so sad. Her mouth moves as she says, “Come to me so that I can brush your hair. It is so beautiful.“.
The words grip Cassandra, and she feels an overwhelming urge to be with this beautiful, familiar lady. The feeling intensifies, then it is unclear what happens next; One moment, she was longing for this beauty, and then she felt the brush running through her hair.
No longer feeling herself, she says to the apparition, “Why are you so familiar to me?“
The apparition says, “Cassandra, I have been watching you brush your hair for so long. I’ve grown very fond of you.“
“Who are you?“
“Don’t you know?“
Confused, Cassandra looks around. Her body lays deathly still on the floor. Her lips of blue and her eyes of cloudy nothingness frighten her so much, yet she must ask a question. “What is your name?“
“Cassandra, I am Rebecca.“
Something jolts Cassandra’s memory as she remembers the mansion her husband refused to live in, for his wife died down by the cliffs. Her husband gave her that brush and sometimes watched her brush her hair. Something about the way he watched her seems relevant now, as she says, “Were you my husband’s first wife? Did he kill you?“
“Yes, he pushed me off the cliffs and into the sea.“
“Why am I dead?“
“You have been poisoned over many months. Perhaps it is a cleaner way to die.“
“I can do nothing now.“
“Perhaps you can come with me, and we can make things right.”
They walk from the room together.
C & K 