Is this Rare?

Chapter 16

Once all the boxes are placed near the stairway, I think that Andrea will be satisfied. But, I couldn't be more wrong. She wants me to move the boxes up into the attic now. Box by box, step by step, I move each box of unknown contents up into the dim dank attic room. I push them as far as possible to the wall and stack them neatly on top of each other, forming a stack of boxes.

Hours later, I am nearly finished. It has taken me a little while because my ankle and all, but I eventually manage.

Stupidly and bravely I ask, "Andrea? What's in these boxes anyway? Why do you want them upstairs?"

Surprisingly, she answers, "You don't need to know what's in them. But, I already told you why I want them up there. I want to use that room for something special."

Now I have something to think about while I work! Eventually, I finish and I guess that is around four in the afternoon. Before Andrea leaves, she gives me pink blanket and tells me, "Put this in the attic and open the window." Without any further explanation, she vanishes.

I go up the ladder one last time and do what she asked. Before I venture out of this attic, I gaze out the window where I had placed the pink blanket. Somehow, the window had been placed so that a person of any height should be able to look out, over the tops of the leafy trees. From this position, I expect to see hundreds of trees, obviously. And, that's when I notice something.

The only thing I can see clearly, is myself. My reflection. But, the girl in the window looks the opposite of me, in fact. Never in my life would I be able to recognize myself, if it weren't that I was the only person here. The girl in the mirror, well me I guess, my hair is matted and tangled, but still a light blonde color. The shape of my face is the same, but not the color. My complexion has lightened considerably. My lightly tanned skin is now so pale it's nearly white like a ghost. The freckles which are sprinkled across my nose and cheeks have also lighten. Instead of medium brown, they're closer to a yellowish color. It's as if they're rotting. This isn't me. It can't be! How could I have changed this greatly in less than 24 hours? It seems impossible in my mind. It's as if someone from old pictures has traded features with me. The only thing that remains as it was, is the color of my bright fierce blues eyes. But that's all. Even the shape of my eyes is shrinking and reducing from the lack of sleep. Not to mention, the countless hours of crying and constantly rubbing the tears away.

Not able to comprehend this, I turn away from the window reflection of myself. My fingertips brush against the sill as I turn away. Underneath them, I feel a small pile of glass: shavings and tiny shards. It's as if a thought is literally shoved into my mind. The glass piece from downstairs! It's both reflective and translucent! Just like this window. The next thing I know, I breeze reaches my skin, but the window is closed. That is, the whole window, except a small piece in the bottom corner, right near where my hand rests. The closer I examine it, the shape becomes more familiar. It's the place where the glass I found in my sleeping bag has come from. I'm sure it is. It's strange. Why isn't the the entire reflective window cracked? Isn't that what happens when you try to cut out a small section of the glass?

"Wow." I think out loud, "When did I become so observant? And, I'm starting to sound and awful lot like Jenn with all these questions! Gee goodness!" I finish with a small giggle, which seems almost foreign at the moment. 

When I come back down from the attic, Andrea is gone. All that she has left behind for me were some muddy footprints. The nursery door is now closed and suspected to be locked. I decide to just head downstairs, without checking because, more than likely, Andrea would have locked it. No doubt about that. When I manage to make it downstairs and into the living room, I see the glass piece is gone. It has vanished. Completely.