The Witch, The Wizard, and The Out-Worlder

A Pretty Mirror, A Charming Story

Jake was quick to notice that I had been distracted, "Are you ok?" he asked, signaling Tami to stop and wait as well. Jake was always good at picking up on when I have lost myself, which I had happened to.

"I'm fine; do you see that mirror though?" I asked as I pointed towards the mirror in the window, though it was unquestionable as to what else it could have been. Though the store seemed full of various items, the mirror was a clear standout in the window.

"The mirror?" Tami repeated to me, her voice puzzled. She was probably shocked that I took an interest in something like a mirror.

"Yea, the mirror, it looks, I don't know. There's just something about it." I made my way to the entrance with a brisk pace. I was excited to lay my hands on it. I wanted so badly to get a closer look, though I could not explain why. There was this nagging feeling in the back of my head, it was telling me that I had to have this mirror.

The sound of a tiny bell rang as I opened the door. The smell of dust and the silence filled the room. I quickly maneuvered past a few large items placed on the floor and found my way to the display case at the front. Just before my hands were to grasp the mirror, a rather loud cough sounded behind me.

"Can I help you young girl?" An old man came out of the shadows of a nearby aisle, startling me just a little. His wispy white hair rested at his shoulders. His posture slightly deteriorated, leaving him ever so much hunched over. He clutched a walking stick in his right hand as he came closer. The sound of the wooden stick clacking against the wooden floor sounded rather loud in the small shop otherwise devoid of noise.

He didn't distract me for but a moment, then my gaze fell back on to the mirror, "I saw this mirror from outside. It definitely caught my attention. Could you tell me a bit about it?" I asked the man as I pulled my hands back and waited for the man to tell me more. All the while, Jake and Tami had started to meander through the store, looking at the various odds and ends.

"Ah, the mirror you say. This mirror has been with me for many years," He answered as he slowly grabbed the mirror, gazing into its reflection. It was almost as if the reflection was cast from a rippling pond, "There is, in fact, a story that comes with it."

I was hooked, I had to know more, "Could you tell it to me? I would love to hear it." I pleaded softly, my attention was all his.

The man smiled, seemingly happy to have someone to share his story with, "Well, it all started out with a princess, a princess so beautiful, all she wanted to do was look at herself in the mirror all day. She grew blind of the kingdom she was to eventually rule over. Because of her vanity and shortsightedness, the kingdom feared what kind of ruler she would be. On the night before the princess's coronation to become queen, a witch, posed as a foreign courier, presented the princess with a coronation gift, a mirror so beautiful, it took the princesses breathe. Little did the princess know, the witch had placed a curse on the mirror. The mirror would curse its victim, exploiting their worst flaws. The witch also gave the princess a cautionary word, 'Be careful my princess, for this mirror will show you true beauty, but it will also take it away if you are unworthy'. The princess thought nothing of the caution and took the beautiful mirror and began gazing at just how beautiful she was through it. Late that same night, the princess was lost within her vanity, gazing deep and long into the mirror. Before she knew it, she was being transformed into a hideous woman. Her clear, smooth skin wrinkled and became riddled with freckles, warts, and liver spots. Her golden hair was drained of its color, leaving only wispy grey and white strands. Even her vibrant blue eyes lost their vitality, darkening considerably. Hearing her screams of anguish, the guards came rushing in, however, they arrested the princess, mistaking her for a witch herself. After the king ruled that she was lying about her being the princess, he sentenced her to be executed for the capture of his daughter. The morning in which she was to become queen and rule over the land, she was executed by her very own flesh and blood. The mirror eventually became lost in time." There was a quiet pause as his story finished. The story was nearly as interesting as the mirror itself.