A man awaits his end dreading and hoping all

I don't really know where to start next. After the incident with Madam Morrigan, I changed motels, but I never really felt safe. I would stand in front of the covered mirror and dare myself to just uncover it, to look at my sorry reflection, to just get it over with. But then I would remember what happened to poor Frankie and I would go back and lie down and try not to dream about him.

It didn't work. I had dreams all that week with him and other people from my life. They all had the same holes in their head with snakes slithering through. I would always wake up covered in sweat, then walk to the bathroom to wash my face and avoid looking in the mirror.

By the time a week had passed, I was at the end of my rope. Was I going to hide for the rest of my life? No. No, definitely not. But if I was going to die, I was going to die my way. I loaded my gun and then drove to DeSelby's.

The bar was nearly empty, but that was pretty much normal for a weekday. Except I could see the bartender sleeping. And there was Caleb, too, at his normal table, fast asleep. Every single patron in the bar was asleep.

I looked in the mirror behind the bar and saw her. She looked so beautiful, her hair as red as the setting sun. "Hello, Boyd Walker," she said from behind me and I turned and there was she, outside the mirror, in real life. "Ask your questions."

I looked at her. She wasn't biting me. At least that was good. "Why is everybody asleep?" I asked.

"They were tired," the woman said. "We needed to speak alone. I could have killed them all if you wish. Do you?"

"No," I said quickly. "Who are you?"

"My previous name is unimportant," she said. "The name She gave me was Stheno."

"The eldest of the Gorgons," I said. "I've done some reading."

Stheno smiled. "Yes, I was the first to be called by Her. I was scared. I did the things you have done. I hid. I ran. But eventually, She found me and She made me see. She made me see that what I was was not something to run from. Not something to fear."

"What you were?"

"I was the same thing you are." Stheno leaned forward and whispered into my ear. "Cold blooded." I backed away. "And now I serve Her. You will, too, when you see Her."

"Or what?" I asked. "Or she'll kill me? Turn me to stone?"

Stheno laughed and even her laugh sounded beautiful. "She'll meet you in the space between mirrors, Boyd Walker. She has been waiting for you. She is ready. Go to Her."

I turned and ran out the door.