Reflecting Our Emotions

Chapter One

I can see why the seller was so adamant on selling this mirror. It's a bit outdated, but that's what charms me. Such a beautiful mirror, rich with some kind of history, for only thirty dollars is a steal no one could pass.

I hear my phone vibrate from my bed, and wrap my towel tighter around me to sit down. I see my reflection in the mirror, tilting my head to admire the works of my new skincare routine.

Answering the call, my phone rests between my shoulder and ear while I go to my closet to pick out some clothes.

"...and I told him I'm not going to put makeup over my sleeve just because we are meeting his parents. This is the fourth time they're meeting me. I'm going to start using his credit card to buy my cosmetics now, let him see how expensive they are..."

I hum in agreement every couple of statements, to let Aisha rant without interruptions. I place my clothes in the dent my body left on the bed and silently start to change while my friend continues screaming into the phone.

The towel on my hair slips down, and I release the hand holding my body towel to quickly catch it. Of course, my towel covering my body falls to the ground, but I just throw it on the chair and tie my hair towel again.

"Hmph!"

I whip my head around, my eyes looking towards the door then the window. The noise was too clear and deep to be from my phone.

Finding nothing but my mirror in my line of sight, I place the phone on speaker mode and toss it on my bed. Inching forward in nothing but my jeans, I step closer to the mirror.

"...I can't believe he thinks I'm the embarrassment to him?! After I saved up so much money to help him pay for his exams, that son of a—"

Placing my hand on its frame, I retreat for a moment, astounded by the heat it's radiating. The reflecting element itself seems to move but in a slight boomerang motion. I slowly crouch, putting my ear onto the frame, my torso squished onto the side.

"Hmm!"

The mirror gets even more warm, and I graze the edges of the frame, looking for any buttons or electronic components. I feel a small bump on the back of the right side, and I tilt the mirror forward to get a better view.

A few more noises arise from the mirror, but everything completely clears up after I see a small strip of a speaker on the back.

I flip the mirror along so it's facing the wall, and I pat it down for any power switch. Deciding to check the front again, I turn it around, but instead of seeing my own face, I see a man staring back at me.

I scream, and startled by the sudden appearance, I throw the mirror back. Right after me, the man in the mirror starts screaming as well, as I scramble to put my top on.

"...Naomi? Naomi! What happened? Answer me or I'm coming over," Aisha firmly says, and I lunge for my phone from the floor.

"No no, don't worry I just," I glance at the mirror— the man— no, the mirror, "dropped a pan. Made a huge mess. Eggs are all over the floor. Hey, I'll call you back in a bit."

"Alright, you sure—" I quickly cut the phone, and glare at the mirror— the man.

We both stare at each other, out of breath from screaming. I shut my eyes, and sit criss-crossed in front of it— him. I take a deep breath and open my eyes, but grimace after seeing him still. I crawl towards the mirror, as the man inside the frame steps back.

Tilting my head to the edge, I blur my eyes, looking for red and blue pixels. I glance towards the man, but jump back quickly from the sudden close proximity he set to my face.