I was out for a walk one sunny afternoon. I turned down a street I had never been on before. I was in unfamiliar territory, or was I? There was a pub at the end of the road called “The Meeting Place”. I was intrigued, so I went in. Inside, it was so dimly lit that I had to wait a minute for my eyes to adjust. Eventually, I saw a long bar with green padded stools, and a few tables and chairs. In the corner was an old jukebox, playing “What’s It All About, Alfie?”, sung by Cilla Black. There were a few people talking in whispers at the tables. But there was only one lady sitting at the bar. She was staring at herself in the huge mirror behind the bar. Her dark eyes focused on me, it was as if she was drawing me over to her.

I sat next to her and ordered a glass of red wine, which was what she was drinking. The bartender served me and eyed me up and down. I took a sip of my wine and stared at the lady in the mirror. She was an attractive, mature woman dressed entirely in black, with dark brown eyes, high cheekbones and red lips. Her long grey hair framed her face. Her low cut dress revealed a gold chain with a pagan cross dangling down her cleavage. She had a profound expression on her face, like she had seen and experienced many things. Maybe she could help me, I hoped.

“Hello, my name is Dave. Do you come here often?”

“No, this is my first time. I got lost and ended up on this street, so I wandered in here for a drink.” Her voice was sultry and mysterious. We both looked into each other’s eyes in the mirror.

“What do you do when you’re not getting lost?” I smiled.

“I’m into meditation,” said the lady, still looking into the foggy mirror.

“That’s interesting, when I turned down this street, my mind was drifting. I felt like I was in a meditational state, halfway between being awake and sleeping. It seemed as if I had been down this street before but I couldn’t remember when.”

The lady in the mirror smiled at me. It was weird, we were conversing while looking at each other’s reflection.

“Have any strange things happened to you?” I said, mesmerized by this beautiful lady.

“Oh yes, one time, at midnight, I got a phone call from someone asking me out on a date. I asked him what a young man like him, was doing asking me out. He then asked me how I knew he was young. So I described his looks on the phone. He hung up and never called again!”

“That’s scary! Maybe the young man thought you were some kind of witch.”

The lady in the mirror laughed. “No, I’m not a witch. I’m just able to see things. Do you understand?”

Someone played “What’s It All About?” again on the jukebox.

“What do you think it’s all about? What’s your purpose?” I said, wanting to hear something extraordinary.

“Well Dave, for me personally, it is to live consciously and courageously, to be compassionate to others and to awaken the spirits within others.”

“That’s a wonderful purpose. I find you very interesting. You could probably help with some of my problems. By the way, what is your name?”

“You may call me Lorelei, but I have gone by many names. I believe I could help you. We all experience what we believe.”

She smiled and touched my knee. We both emptied our wine glasses. I ordered two more. When the bartender served us our wine, Lorelei put her hand on mine. It was an electric moment. Her eyes were smoldering in the mirror.

“So, you’re into meditation,” I said, taking a sip of wine.

“Yes, meditation for the body, mind and soul. Now, what’s your problem?” she whispered, her face close to mine, her intoxicating perfume making me dizzy.

“Well, I get frustrated and anxious when I wonder what’s my purpose in life, what’s meaningful to me and what’s the point of it all.”

“What you need to do, my friend, is open up your chakras.”

“What are chakras?”

Lorelei squeezed my hand and I felt a tingling sensation in my fingers.

“Chakras are a concept featured in the traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism. They are centers of energy located on the midline of your body. They govern your psychological properties, instinctual and high mental.”

I drained my glass of wine and signaled the bartender to bring us a BOTTLE of wine.

“If you open your crown chakra, you will release the wisdom to figure out your problems. But you must meditate hard and look for the answer. I promise the answer will come to you.”

“What should I do?” I said, as I refilled our glasses.

“We will hold hands and close our eyes and be still, very still. You will think about your problem while breathing deeply.”

I felt as if I was floating. It was like an out-of-body experience.

Lorelei whispered into my ear, “Be still, be still,” and then she brushed her lips on my cheek.

A few minutes of silence followed. Then she broke the silence and said: “It was not into your ear, I whispered, but into your heart. It was not my lips that kissed you, but my soul!” She kept holding my hand. I felt warm vibrations throughout my body. It was surreal!

“Did you come up with an answer to your problem?” Her eyes were burning me through the mirror.

“Yes, I think I have come up with my purpose and meaning in my life. I’m a writer, and through my writing, my readers might come to a better understanding of themselves and the world. There is truth in fiction. Through my writing, things will become clearer to me, also. But how did you bring this thought into my mind?”

She didn’t answer, she just looked at me in the mirror with her mysterious smile.

“I’m so glad I met you, I feel better in my skin now. I don’t want to lose you. I need your support. You could be my muse.”

She touched my cheek with her warm hand and said: “Close your eyes, Dave, and just think of me and I will always be walking with you through life!”

I opened my eyes and looked in the mirror and the only person I saw was myself. Lorelei was gone!

The bartender came over and said, “You owe me £20 for the wine!”