go down to ice man to score some deep freeze, outside it's hot and sticky, the scenery is melting, walking  passed those nice homes that families live in behind collapsing walls just like old gods used their swirly distortion tool. once those walls were straight lines, now they kinda look like homes from a smurf kingdom. gardens stretched out like fractal frontiers, flowerbeds spiral out in curves a psychedelic pattern of colour and smell, look at that bee, it's the size of a yorkshire rat.
i get down to ice man, he's wearing his green suit and deerstalker hat, looking like a jaded time traveller from victorian times, he's slumped in his armchair reading the 'atlantian book of the dead', drinking from a china tea cup, 'ah mission, let me just make you some darjeeling old chap.'
'okay, thanks,' i look around nervously, 'i hope i didn't disturb you.'
'no, no, it's always good to see you, always a pleasure. now, do you take milk, and sugar? i can't quite remember.'
'no, no thanks, black and hot is fine.'
ice man returns and hands me a cup while he carries a huge purple alice in wonderland tea pot in his other hand. he then gestures to a chair, 'sit down and i will pour.'
i sit down into a fine leather armchair, my body eases in perfectly, it relaxes and sinks deep into the plush fabric.
i sip the tea, 'why, this is splendid tea.'
'yes, yes i have it sent to me from darjeeling directly, ever been?'
'no.'
'really, you have never been to india old chap?'
'no, i got to sri lanka but never india.'
'sri lanka hey, did you know that was called ceylon. a fine tea growing country. did you sample their virgin white tea, it's one of the most expensive tea in the world. it's sublime although acquired.'
'i've never heard of it, i usually drink a mint tea or ginger and lemon.'
ice man makes a face, so i quickly add, 'fresh ginger and mint.'
he's not impressed, i can tell he's a purest, 'well this is nice,' i say, taking a sip.
ice man and i share a moments silence, 'i suppose you want some deep freeze, i have some fresh stuff in the freezer if you're interested in quality.'
'sounds great.'
i buy a small pack.
i make small talk,'so, you enjoying that book?'
he picks it up and shows me the cover, 'this is the most incredible book mission, do you know about it?'
'yes i do, i wrote it with a friend.'
'what, you wrote it!'
'co wrote.'
'who...how..., my god mission, you are full of surprises.'
'ah yeah, i even surprise myself sometimes.' 
i lean into the chair, the tall back is comfortable and i bring the cup to my nose and inhale the strange smell. my eyes feel heavy and close briefly. 
'i had no idea you had such an interest in the occult.'
'yes, it's not something i advertise, that's why i published under a different name. people get the wrong idea about these matters.'
'yes, quite. well, i'm still reading your book, up to the part on sigils, very interesting, informative.'
'well i'm glad your enjoying it.'
'i say, can i show you something?'
'sure.' 
ice man smiles and stands up, walks into another room and returns carrying something wrapped in a scarf or shawl. he places it upon my lap and sits back in his chair smiling, 'open it up.'
i unwrap it carefully. it's a black mirror. 
'ahh it's in good condition, looks pretty new actually, how old is it?'
'it's new. i had it made but i don't know how to use it and i was wondering if you could show me, seeing as though it appears you are something of an expert.'
'well i can't claim to be an expert but i can show you how to use it. it's quite an ancient technique. it began with water. the surface of a dark pool was used, then stone usually obsidian. now i think mirror is the preferred technique.'
'i have never used it, do they work?'
'well i will need a stable base on which to place this.'
'ah yes come, let's go to my study.'
we return into the room from where the mirror came, it's not a huge space but it is enough to work in comfort and the desk makes a good platform. i position the mirror and draw the curtains. i ask ice man for a candle and he lights a small tea light.
i position ice man in front of the mirror and begin to talk him through a relaxation technique, part hypnotic but mostly creative visualisation. 
in his mind he relaxes, his body follows suit and his breathing takes a nice rhythmic flow.
he must be looking into the mirror now as everything is silent, and a stillness unfolds within the apartment, even the gentle hum from the fridge fades away in the void. light from the single candle just flickers across our faces and for a moment it feels like we are in a giant floatation tank. i look into the mirror as well.
a tiny gasp, as dark clouds form somewhere behind the mirrors surface. does it even have a surface, it feels more like a depth.
the clouds move faster now, floating across the mirror in blackness. suddenly one big cloud appears and swirls around, slowly taking the shape of a face and then it fades away replaced by a unicorn in the distance galloping towards us, it gets closer until we see it's eye filling the mirror. it's gone, blackness remains. whatever vision we have been granted is over.
'did you see that?'
'indeed i did, it was intensely real.' ice man needs reassurance, he's suddenly become aware nothing is as it seems, 'was it real?'
'it's the same as the cat in the box, is it alive or dead. you saw something, therefore it's real.'
'let's go sit down again, i'll make another tea.'
we return to our seats in the lounge room, a lamp gets switched on. a few moments later we sip from our cups and begin deconstructing.
'it's a projection right?'
'i don't know, isn't everything?' 
'mission, you are an obtuse bastard.'
'i don't think everything is accurate. our perceptions are just fractions. that horse...sorry unicorn seemed real to me, yet perhaps it was not a unicorn at all.'
'unicorn!'
'yes, that's what was in the mirror, a face that became a unicorn.'
ice man laughed. he sipped his tea and smiled.
'i saw a ship not a unicorn.'
'ah, well that proves my point.'
'it was a huge old clipper ship under a full moon. i seemed to fly over her, looking down passed the mast and rigging and then it faded away.'
'so we each saw completely different things, our mind must have projected them upon the surface.'
'then what was that face, we both saw a face and clouds.'
'yes, that's true, the face flashed there after the clouds passed away.'
'maybe the mirror has a face mission.'
'maybe. i didn't see much detail but enough to know it was a face.'
we sit in silence for a moment.
'the unicorn, it was white right?'
'yes, very white, with blue eyes.'
ice man gave a slight sigh, 'oh. oh my.'
'my grandchild, madaline, she died aged 6 in a car crash. i used to call her my unicorn. she had, big blue eyes. oh my.'
'jesus, i'm sorry man, i had no idea.'
'it must be her, it must be.'
'it just ran passed me, big and bold, right up close to me, big blue eye filling up the whole mirror. although it felt like the mirror was not even there anymore.'
'oh maddy, poor maddy.'
there's not much to say, what can i do. let the old man weep over his lost grand daughter. leave him in peace. i take my cup and saucer to the sink, prepare to leave.
as i walk out into the corridor ice man whispers, 'the black ship, it means something?'
'i don't know, don't upset yourself thinking about it, i should never have showed you how to use it. put it away, seal it up and get rid off it.'
'i saw the ship, it was a big black thing, and the moon shone down upon it. i saw them, the crew of the liberty, that's what the ship was called. i could see the name pained in white upon it's side. it flew two flags the white blank flag and the pyrate flag mission. it was your ship wasn't it? we must have seen each others visions.'
i leave him alone with his thoughts, and outside feel a cold wind upon my face, and it's whisper calling out.