The Mirror

Amy stopped in front of a window to check her reflection. She did that a lot. She knew her vanity annoyed people; they always told her she spent too much time focused on her looks. They didn't understand.

Could they really blame her? With her beautiful eyes and thick wavy hair, she took pride in her beauty. Anybody else would have done the same in her position.

Her friend let out a gasp and grabbed her arm excitedly dragging her from her admiration.

'We should go in!' She told her pointing to the sign above the window Amy had just been staring at herself in.

Amy looked at the sign with mild interest. 'Obscurum Malum what kind of a name is that?'

Nicole shrugged and dragged her over to the door. 'I don't know but they're having a sale!' She squealed happily and ran into the shop. Amy rolled her eyes but followed anyway.

Though fairly big, there was little room to move around in the store. Items were haphazardly piled everywhere. Clearly the owner had no idea how to organize anything.

She ran a finger over a glass case and winced with disgust. Apparently they couldn't dust either. Nicole had already vanished among the chaos leaving her to find her own way.

'Can we go already? It's just a bunch of old junk.' She called impatiently. All this grime couldn't be good for her skin.

'Old junk?' The dry raspy voice caused Amy to jump and turn around.

The culprit was a stooped over old woman who was now standing behind the glass case. Her skin was wrinkled and worn and her hair pure white.

'No offense.' She said, not really caring if she did offend the old hag.

The woman cackled. 'I bet I have something even you would like.'

Amy doubted it. There wasn't one thing in this shop worth even a cent as far as she could see. She crossed her arms. 'Prove it.'

The woman muttered something and walked to the next showcase, beckoning Amy to follow. She dug through and produced something silver. 'I think this would suit you.'

Amy studied the object carefully. It was a hand mirror with roses and vines or no, snakes? Carved around the reflective glass. She studied herself in it. She had to admit, she looked gorgeous. 'How much?'

The woman considered. 'Twenty.'

She pulled out her wallet and handed over the money without a thought. The woman wrapped it up, placed it in a bag and handed it back to Amy just as Nicole reemerged from the back of the store.

Amy quickly shoved the bag into her purse. She didn't know why, but she didn't want her friend to see her purchase.

A couple weeks later, Amy was having a particularly bad day. The barista at the local coffee shop had messed up her order and if that wasn't enough Nicole had decided to blow her off to see some guy tonight. Friends didn't do that, so Amy had sent a text while Nicole was in the washroom saying she had changed her mind and wasn't interested.

Really she had been doing her a favor. Josh was only using Nicole to make her jealous anyway.

Her mom had also grounded her for stealing money from her purse. It wasn't like Amy hadn't needed it. How was she supposed to survive on only $40 a week for her allowance? She couldn't even get her hair done for that.

She didn't know why but the hand mirror was the only one she wanted to look at now. No other mirror, window or reflective surface called to her the way The Mirror did.

Amy wandered downstairs the next morning to get breakfast before school only to be met with her mothers concerned face.

'Are you feeling alright dear?'

Amy nodded. Since her grounding, she hadn't spoken a word to her. Maybe the silent treatment would make her understand she needed to let her go to the party Friday night. She grabbed a granola bar from the cupboard and headed out the door.

She met Nicole at their usual spot.

'Ames, are you ok?'

'I'm fine.'

Nicole looked at her incrudiously but said nothing else on the three block walk to the school. Once there, they parted ways going to their separate classes.

Amy was used to people looking at her. It happens when you're beautiful but something was different today. The way they were looking at her and whispering to each other unsettled her.

Some looked concerned, others curious and a few looked downright horrified. She ignored it and headed to class even though she still had five minutes to spare. To her annoyance, the teacher hadn't opened the door yet and only one other student stood outside waiting.

Liam Wells was as dorky as they came. Just being near him was enough to make your popularity plummet like a rock. She quickly ducked around the corner before he could see her and ran right into Josh.

'Hey watch it!' he yelled in surprise.

Amy flipped her hair and gave him her best flirty smile.

He eyes widened in shock. 'Amy? What the h*ll happened to you? Are you sick or something?' he recoiled in shock and ran the opposite way.

'Are you okay?' Liam must have heard the commotion and come to see what was going on. He stood looking at her with concern.

'Why does everyone keep asking me that?'

'You don't look too good.'

Amy pulled out The Mirror and checked over her reflection. She looked as gorgeous as ever. Liam obviously didn't know what he was talking about.

'Maybe you need to get a prescription change.' She told him angrily. As she spun away from him, she caught sight of a reflection in the school trophy case and froze.

That wasn't her. It couldn't be. She put her hand on her face and the strange figure in the glass raised a hand to a hollowed cheek.

Those were her eyes, but instead of the beautiful blue they were supposed to be, they were faded. Like old jeans that had been washed too many times.

Her hair was limp and tired looking. No longer the beautiful brunette waves but flat and dirty. As she opened her mouth the reflection mirrored her, the dry cracked lips, opening in a silent scream.