The Lantern's Light

1

Amber POV

The person in the mirror isn't me. Sure, they do the same actions as I do since it's a mirror, but the person doing these actions isn't me. For all my life, I've had black hair cut to my shoulders with gray-green eyes and pale skin. I've never been described as ugly or pretty. I've had a plain appearance since I had grown out of my baby cuteness. The person in the mirror was beautiful. She was the kind of person that everyone would stare at even if they didn't like her romantically. She had the type of beauty that bordered on unnatural, like a fairy or elf. She had long, wavy honey brown hair without even a hint of frizz. Her lips were a shade in between pale pink and blood red. Her cheeks retained a natural blush that really outlined her near perfect facial structure. She had a rose beige skin tone that reminded me of earthy soil. The real kicker, however, the shining jewel of this human being that sat in the mirror before me, were her eyes. They were the color of gold, shimmering as if it were the genuine metal. There were touches of yellow and orange creating painter's lines across the surface adding to the sheer gorgeousness of the woman. At first, I was struck with withering jealousy until I realized that this woman in the mirror must have been me. She did everything I did, and looking down, my skin and hair color were the same as the girl in the mirror.

I thought I was dreaming. It must have been a realistic dream or something. That theory fell apart when I had begun reading things around the room I had woken up in. I had read somewhere that a person can't read in their dreams, and even if that wasn't the case, this dream seemed far too real. With that out of the way, I wondered if I was drunk or high. I wasn't the kind of person who would normally do that, but I had never been pressured into doing it. I didn't know how I would react in that situation. Maybe someone had been adamant of getting me to drink or smoke something, and I wasn't strong enough to refuse. I wasn't sure about that, though. I don't think being drunk or high creates a hallucination this solid and unchanging. I didn't know what the next logical conclusion was. I sat down on the mat in the small room that I had woken up in. I wrapped my arms around my knees as I tried to think through my situation. It couldn't have been a kidnapping since even plastic surgery couldn't change someone's appearance as much as I've changed. I guess this could be the afterlife? Would my appearance change in the afterlife, though?

"Amber, you are about to go on. Are you ready or should I just fire you now instead of later?" A voice said, someone walking down in the room without knocking. I looked down to make sure I was dressed, and realized that I was wearing something that I had never seen in real life before. I was wearing this bra thing made from a ribbon-like orange cloth. It matched with the puffy pants that I wore of the same color. My wrists were adorned with painted gold cuffs with a jewel shimmering on the surface. I was barefoot, and my hair was loose all around me. I had never worn anything like this in my life. I had never seen anyone wear something like this! The man who walked inside didn't look the least bit startled by my odd choice of clothing. In fact, he wore something that wasn't as strange but definitely still weird. He had an off-white button up shirt with dark purple pants and vest. He had beige skin like me, but his eyes were brown and his hair was much darker. And those eyes were staring at me with impatient exasperation. "Need I remind you that if you fail tonight again, I am going to have to fire you?"

Well, I guess I had a past in this new world. I resisted the urge to cringe in front of the man. What was worse than this? These people have probably been affected by what I've said and done. They could be mad at me, and I wouldn't know why. I don't even know what I'm not supposed to fail at tonight! There was one thing clear, however. These people knew some things about me. If I asked around, maybe I could get answers about what happened to me. Even more pressing, however, was that it seemed my lifestyle depended on this man. In this strange world, I needed to keep my living space and some amount of money. I wouldn't survive without knowing anything! For that reason, I stood up to face the man with the brightest smile I could muster. "If it is success that you desire, I will deliver it tenfold. Watch me, my good sir, and you will not be disappointed."