Two Way Mirror

Ch. 1- Monotony

"Again!"

Passè. Passè. Glissade. Point.

"Again!"

Passè. Passè. Glissade. Point.

"Again!"

I almost gave in to temptation and sighed, wanting to let my governess know how tired I was of the boring repetition, but I knew that would get me a lashing, in more ways than one, and a hundred more repetitions. Literally. You'd think I'd be used to doing the same thing, over and over again, for hours on end, but it's still just as tedious as it's always been. Instead of sighing, I went back to my starting position and did it again. I made sure to watch myself in the mirrors this time, trying to deduce what my problem was.

Passè. Passè. Glissade. Point.

Each time I performed a different move, I looked into one of the four wall mirrors, hoping to catch my mistake. I slowed my movements, just slightly, to analyze my every minuscule movement.

"Again!" I was despairing, I couldn't see my mistake and now I was going to be doing this forever! I stared at my endless reflections harder, willing the problem to jump out and scream at me. I looked at the ceiling mirror this time, hoping it would offer a new angle.

Passè. Passè. Glissade. Point.

Nothing. I saw nothing in any of the mirrors. In all my reflections, I could not detect anything out of sorts.

"Stop. Just stop," Governess Gertrude said slowly.

I didn't have to be told twice and instantly stopped, wiping the sweat from my brow and turning to face her.

"When I say to do things again, why do you think I ask in the first place?" She stalked toward me, with her tense body stick straight.

"Because you are looking for improvement," I answered meekly. I lowered my head but kept eye contact, knowing she hated it when you didn't look at her when she spoke to you.

I'm not going to lie- Governess Gertrude scared me. She was a tall stiff lady, with a degrading voice to match her beady, narrowed eyes. Her greying brown hair was always pulled into an extremely tight bun, which only made the sharp angles of her face look even more severe and cruel. Her whole body language screamed cold and ruthless and that's exactly what she was. She hated everything, and I mean everything, and she didn't except anything less than perfection. If you tried to give her anything less than that, or back talked her on your way there, her bony hand would be across your face, faster than you could blink, while her sharp tongue grounded you into the pathetic rubble she saw you as.

"Exactly." She articulated slowly, as if I was stupid, "Then why aren't you improving?" Her voice was ice and her eyes were so narrowed you couldn't see the freezing blue irises that rested in them, always shooting icicles and mentally piercing you when her hands could not.

"I don't know, Governess," I whispered, having no other answer and trying to cover up my slight pause.

The stinging sensation on my cheek brought tears to my eyes. I tried to keep them at bay though, knowing my cries would only anger her more. I slowly lifted my eyes back to hers, trying to keep my body from trembling, and trying to reduce my time in front of her and lessen the pain I was no doubt going to receive.

"How many times have I told you... 'I don't know' is not and answer?" Her voice whipped across me faster than the second slap.

"You are useless, Bryony! Why do we even bother with you?" She sneered in my face.

It took all my willpower to not cower away from her, or hold my reddening cheeks to massage away the heartbeat I felt there.