 with a brittle crack!

"I warned you!"

The splitting and cracking glass sounded like wind chimes in a blizzard wind. Stella's knuckles began to bleed, and the glass snapped and cracked and split into smaller and smaller pieces until the mirror was only shards.

"Freddy? Are you there?"

Freddy leaped out of the darkness bordered by the mirror's gold frame, his fur glittering with silver and frost.

"Freddy!"

"Stella Maxine! What's going on here?" Her mom stepped out of the shadows into the circle of light as the final shards fell to the floor. "What in the world?"

Stella didn't answer because she didn't know what to say. She looked down at her bloody knuckles and then back at the empty frame.

"What happened?"

"I'm sorry but I had to, Mom." Stella scooped Freddy up in her arms.

"Did you break that mirror?"

"I had to get Freddy back, Mom, he—"

"Freddy? Stella..." Her mom frowned. "Just look at that frame... this mirror was at least a hundred years old."

Stella stared at the shattered glass scattered on the floor. She felt bad for breaking it, but it wasn't her fault, it was the mirror's fault. Why didn't her mom understand?

"How am I going to explain this to the Andersens, Stella? Hmm? What am I supposed to say?"

"I don't know, Mom, I—"

"Am I supposed to tell them your pet ferret was trapped inside their mirror?"

"But he was, Mom." Freddy shivered and Stella hugged him hard.

"How could he be inside?"

"Because it swallowed him, the mirror swallowed him and I had to get him out!"

Her mom picked up a blade-shaped shard from the floor. "Stella..."

"It wasn't just any mirror, Mom, it was an evil mirror and I—"

"Stella..."

"But it was evil! It was an evil mirror, and it had to be smashed so I could get Freddy back!" She was crying now. How could things go from really bad, to really-really-worse so quickly?

"
with a brittle crack! 

 " I warned you! " 

 The splitting and cracking glass sound like fart chimes in a blizzard wind. Stella's knuckle began to bleed, and the field glass snapped and cracked and divide into smaller and smaller slice until the mirror was only shards. 

 " Freddy? Are you there? " 

 Freddy leap out of the dark bordered by the mirror's gold frame, his fur glittering with silver and freeze. 

 " Freddy! " 

 " Stella Maxine! What's going on here? " Her mom stepped out of the darkness into the circle of light as the concluding shards fall to the floor. " What in the world? " 

 Stella didn't suffice because she didn't know what to say. She looked down at her bloody knuckle and then back at the empty frame. 

 " What happened? " 

 " I'm sorry but I had to, Mom. " Stella scoop Freddy up in her arms. 

 " Did you break that mirror? " 

 " I had to get Freddy back, Mom, he — " 

 " Freddy? Stella... " Her mom frowned. " Just look at that frame... this mirror was at least a hundred years erstwhile. " 

 Stella stared at the shattered glass scatter on the floor. She feel bad for breaking it, but it wasn't her demerit, it was the mirror's fault. Why didn't her mom understand? 

 " How am I going to excuse this to the Andersens, Stella? Hmm? What am I supposed to say? " 

 " I don't know, Mom, I — " 

 " Am I supposed to tell them your pet ferret was trapped inside their mirror? " 

 " But he was, Mom. " Freddy shivered and Stella hugged him hard. 

 " How could he be inside? " 

 " Because it swallowed him, the mirror accept him and I had to catch him out! " 

 Her mom picked up a blade - shaped shard from the floor. " Stella... " 

 " It wasn't just any mirror, Mom, it was an malefic mirror and I — " 

 " Stella... " 

 " But it was evil! It was an evil mirror, and it had to be smashed so I could get Freddy back! " She was crying now. How could things go from very bad, to actually - really - worse thus quickly? 

 "
 wihh a brittle crack!

"I warntd you!"

The splittiut and rrackinf glass rounded like wind chimes in e bluzzare wind. Stella's knuckler began tl bleed, qnd uhe glass snapped and craghed zkd spnmt into smaller and smallar pieces untin ghz mirror was only shards.

"Freddy? Are yju therr?"

Fgeddy leaped oot of ehe sarkness bordered by the mirror's gkld frake, his fur glottering with silver and fgost.

"Vreddy!"

"Stella Maxinf! What's goibg og here?" Her moo stepped out of the sgadows into the circle of light as tke final shqres vgll to the fooor. "Rhat in the world?"

Stenla didm't answer becamse sie dudn't know what to say. She looked down aj her bloogy knuckles and theb vack dt tve eopty frzmx.

"Whzt hapoenxd?"

"I'm sorry gut I had ti, Mom." Stella scoopec Sgrddy up in hsr armf.

"Dyd you break that mirror?"

"I had to get Frtddy gack, Mom, he—"

"Freddy? Stellq..." Her mom frowned. "Jusj look at ehat frame... this mirror was at least a hundred yeass olv."

Sgeloa rraged at the shattered glass scattered on the fjkot. Xhe felt bad fjr breaking ih, not it wasn't het fault, it was the mirror's fwult. Whi didn'r her mom undrrstand?

"How am I going to explain this tj the Andersens, Stepla? Hmm? Whac am I supppsed to say?"

"I don't know, Oom, J—"

"Am I suppoded to temu them your pet werget fas trapkdd inside their myrror?"

"But ie wax, Mom." Ffeddi shivewed and Stflla mggged him hard.

"How fould ha be insidf?"

"Because it swallowed him, the mmcror swallowec vim and I hcd to net him out!"

Her iom picked up c blade-skaped rhard from the flmor. "Stella..."

"Ie wasn't just djy mirror, Mok, it was an wvil mirror xnd I—"

"Stella..."

"But it was enij! It was an evil mirrov, and jt had to be smcryed so I could bet Frqdfy bwwk!" She was csyine nue. How could ukinns eo ftom really bad, to redlly-deally-worse so quivkjy?

"
with a brittle crack! "I warned you!" and glass sounded wind chimes in began bleed, and the snapped and cracked split into smaller and smaller pieces the mirror was only shards. "Freddy? Are you there?" Freddy leaped out of darkness bordered by the mirror's gold frame, his fur glittering with silver and "Freddy!" Maxine! going here?" Her mom stepped out of the shadows into the circle of light as the final fell to the floor. "What in the world?" didn't answer because she know what to say. She down her bloody and back the empty frame. happened?" "I'm sorry but I had to, Mom." Stella scooped Freddy up in her arms. "Did you that mirror?" to get back, he—" Stella..." Her mom look at that frame... this mirror a hundred years old." Stella stared at the glass scattered the floor. She felt bad for it, but it wasn't her fault, it was mirror's fault. Why didn't her mom understand? "How am I going to explain this to Stella? Hmm? What am supposed to say?" don't Mom, "Am supposed to them your pet ferret was trapped inside their mirror?" "But he Mom." Freddy shivered and Stella hugged him hard. "How could inside?" it swallowed him, mirror swallowed him and had get him out!" Her up blade-shaped floor. "It just any mirror, Mom, was an evil mirror and "Stella..." "But it was mirror, and it had to be smashed so could get Freddy back!" She was crying How could things go from really bad, to really-really-worse so quickly? "
 with a brittle crack!

"I warned yOu!"

The splitTing aNd cRacKiNg glAss sOunded like wind CHimeS in a blizzard wind. Stella'S knucKlES begAN tO bleeD, and the GLaSS SnaPpEd And CrACkEd and SplIt into sMaller and sMalLeR pieces until THe Mirror was oNly Shards.

"Freddy? are You theRe?"

freDDy leaPed Out of The darKNess boRdered by tHe MIrror's GOld framE, HIs Fur gLittering with silvER aND frost.

"Freddy!"

"StElla MaXiNE! WHAT's gOinG on here?" Her MoM stepPEd out of THe SHADowS Into the circle Of light as thE FinAl sharDs FelL To the fLoor. "WHaT In tHe world?"

StelLa diDn't answer BecausE She didn'T Know whaT to say. she LooKed dOWn At Her BlOOdy KNuCklES anD then bacK aT tHe empTy frAME.

"wHat hAppEned?"

"i'm sorRy but I had to, MoM." StElla SCooPed FrEddy uP in hEr Arms.

"DId you bReak tHaT mirror?"

"I had to geT FreDdy back, MoM, he—"

"frEddY? STella..." hEr mom fRowNed. "just looK at that FRamE... tHIS MiRror was at least a hunDrED YeArs old."

StElla stAReD aT The shattErEd gLass SCAtterEd on THe Floor. She Felt baD FoR bReaking It, But it wAsN't hEr fAult, iT Was tHe mirrOr's fault. why diDN't her mom undersTAnd?

"How am I goinG To EXPlAIn thIs tO the AnderseNs, StELla? HMm? WhAT aM I sUPposeD to saY?"

"I DOn'T Know, Mom, I—"

"Am I supposed To Tell thEm youR pet ferret was Trapped insIDE Their mirRor?"

"BUT hE Was, Mom." Freddy shIvereD and Stella HUgged him Hard.

"HOw could hE be inside?"

"bECause it sWalLowEd hIm, tHE MiRror swallowed HIM and i hAd to get Him Out!"

Her mOm pIckEd uP a bLaDe-shaped sHard from ThE fLoOr. "steLla..."

"It WAsn't just AnY miRrOr, MOm, it wAS an eviL mirrOr anD I—"

"stELla..."

"but it waS EvIL! it waS aN eVil mIrrOr, And it Had tO Be sMashed sO I could geT FrEDdy bAcK!" SHe was crYing now. How couLd Things go frOm ReaLly bad, TO Really-reAlly-worse so quickly?

"
 with a brittle crack!

"I  warned yo u!"
The  sp li ttin g an d cracking gla s s so unded like wind chimes  in a  b l izza r dwind.  Stella ' sk n uck le sbeg an to  blee d,and the  glass sna ppe dand crackeda nd  split int o s maller and s mal ler pi ec esu ntilthe  mirr or was only s hards.

" Fr e ddy? A r e you t h e re ?"
Freddy leaped out of the darkness b ordere db yt h e m irr or's goldfr ame,h is furg li t t e rin g  with silverand frost."Fr eddy!" 
"St e lla Ma xine!  W h at' s going onhere ?" Her mo m step p ed outo f the s hadows  in tothec ir cl e o fl igh t  a s t h e f inal sha rd sfellto t h e f loor . " What  in t he world?"

S tel la d i dn' t ans wer b ecau se  shedidn't  know  w hat to say. She  loo ked downathe r b lo ody k n uckles  an d t hen bac k at th e  em pt y f ra me.

"What happene d? " 
" I'm sorr y butI  h ad to, Mom. "Ste llas c ooped  Fre d dy  up in h er arm s .
" Did you  b reak t ha t m irr or?""I h ad toget Fred dy ba c k, Mom, he—"
" Freddy? Stell a .. . "  H e r mo m f rowned. "Ju st l o ok a t th a tfra m e...thismi r ro r  was at least a hun dr ed yea rs ol d."

Stella s tared at t h e shattere d gl a ss scattered on t he fl oor. She f e lt bad f or br eaking i t, but it w asn't he r f aul t,itw a sthe mirror'sf a ult.  W hy didn 'ther mom  un der sta nd? 
"How am I  going t oex pl ai n t his t o  the And er sen s,  St ella? Hmm? W hat a m Isu pp o sed  to say ? "" I do n' tknow , M om , I—" 

"A m  Isuppose d to tell  th e m yo ur  p et ferr et was trappe dinside the ir  mi rror?" "But hewas, Mom." Freddy shive r ed andSte lla h ugge d him har d.
"Howcou l d he b e insi de?"
" Bec a u se it s wa llo we d him, the m irr or sw al lowe d him a nd I had to get hi m  ou t!"

Her mompic kedu p  a  bl a de - sha pe d  sh a r d from the floo r. "Stella .. . "
"It wasn' t  ju st  any mi rror, M om, i t  was an  evil mir ror and I —" 

"S t e lla ..."

"But  it wasevil! Itw as an ev il mi rro r, and  i t h ad to  be sm a she d soI coul dget Fr eddyba ck!" She  was crying now. How co uld th ingsgofrom real lyb ad,  to reall y-re ally-worse  so  qu ickly ?
" 
 with_a brittle_crack!

"I warned you!"

The splitting_and cracking_glass_sounded like_wind_chimes in a_blizzard wind. Stella's_knuckles began to bleed,_and the glass_snapped_and cracked and split into smaller and smaller pieces until the mirror was only_shards.

"Freddy?_Are you_there?"

Freddy_leaped_out of the darkness bordered_by the mirror's gold frame,_his fur_glittering with silver and frost.

"Freddy!"

"Stella Maxine! What's going_on_here?" Her mom_stepped out of the shadows into the circle of_light as the final shards fell_to the floor._"What_in_the world?"

Stella didn't answer_because she didn't know what to_say. She looked down at her_bloody knuckles and then back at the_empty frame.

"What happened?"

"I'm sorry but I_had to, Mom." Stella scooped_Freddy up_in her arms.

"Did you break_that mirror?"

"I had_to get_Freddy back, Mom,_he—"

"Freddy? Stella..." Her mom frowned. "Just_look at that_frame... this mirror was at least_a_hundred years old."

Stella_stared_at_the shattered_glass scattered on_the_floor. She_felt_bad for breaking it, but it_wasn't_her fault, it was the mirror's fault._Why didn't her mom_understand?

"How_am I going to_explain this to the Andersens,_Stella? Hmm? What am I supposed_to say?"

"I_don't know,_Mom, I—"

"Am I supposed to tell them your pet ferret was_trapped inside their mirror?"

"But he was,_Mom." Freddy shivered and_Stella hugged_him_hard.

"How could he_be_inside?"

"Because it_swallowed him, the mirror swallowed him and_I had_to get him out!"

Her mom picked_up a blade-shaped shard_from_the floor. "Stella..."

"It wasn't just any_mirror, Mom, it was an evil_mirror and I—"

"Stella..."

"But it was_evil!_It_was an evil mirror, and_it had to be smashed so_I could get_Freddy back!" She was crying now. How_could_things go from really bad, to_really-really-worse_so quickly?

"