Mirror Girl
Eva was having a very bad day. It seemed like every day was a bad day, but this one was particularly so. Eva had already retreated into the sanctity of her house, hiding from the world outside. She went into her bedroom, took an ivory comb off her vanity, and ran it through her tangled hair. The mirror was right in front of her, so she couldn’t help but look into it. The somber, dark-haired girl stared back at her, looking as bitter as she felt. She gently touched the reflection, admiring the way in which her actions were mirrored. It was backwards though, always backwards.
You’re lucky. She thought, but her pale counterpart didn’t respond. Maybe everything is different over there. It looked the same, but she secretly thought life must be better for the mirror girl than for her. If the furniture was backwards, then it seemed possible that other things would be also. Eva wished she could switch places, just to find out.
The wish sent a spark through her hand. She thought it was static electricity from touching the cool glass. Suddenly her fingers sunk into the mirror, up to the second knuckle. Eva let out a gasp. If she hadn’t been looking at it, she wouldn’t have believed it. Panic came first, then curiosity. She pushed her fingers to the third knuckle, and it felt pleasant, like sinking into jello. She pushed farther, until her whole arm was immersed. The expression in the mirror girl’s face urged her forward, to push her other arm in as well. Eva wondered if her wish was coming true, and felt a surge of excitement. She eagerly forced the rest of her body into the mirror, a shiver running through her body as her face pushed through the surface.
Eva was still staring at her reflection. Everything was the same, except not backwards. She had switched with the girl in the mirror, and now she was looking into her own room. It was just as she left it, but it wasn’t empty. Her counterpart still stood opposite her, still a reflection. But when Eva tried to move, she found that her body stayed motionless. Her reflection lifted a hand, still holding the brush. Eva found her arm moving against her will, perfectly copying the action.
The mirror girl smiled, her features rearranging pleasantly, and finished running the brush through her hair. She looked happy, something foreign on such a familiar face. She wished it was her own expression, but Eva was frozen, unable to move except to mimic her reflection’s actions. She couldn’t turn and look at the new world behind her. She couldn’t touch the glass to try and get back. All she could do was copy the other girl, a lifeless reflection. The mirror girl ran the brush one last time through her hair before putting it down on the vanity and turning around. She exited the room, leaving Eva all alone -- trapped.