Mirrors

Raggedy Anne

Chapter Four:

Raggedy Anne

I turned away from the mirror. Both hands covered my eyes, holding the tears captive. I couldn't stand to look at myself—not like this. A sigh came out of my mouth; the water flowed in a gentle current. My surroundings turned dimmer; the sun above my head was gone, replaced by gray clouds. My hands pulled away from my face, and I observed the ocean.

Various objects floated all around me, stretching as far as the eye could see. It was no longer empty.  

The objects made a mess, causing pollution to scatter all around. I swam through them, realizing their worth. These were familiar objects of my previous life. Some I previously had, and some were lost in time. I turned around to face the mirror. It vanished. I shook my head in disbelief; my eyes wandered off into different directions.  

Could I have imagined that mirror? Was it nothing but a figment of my mind?  

I turned around to face the floating objects ahead of me. I swam forward and saw my tablet. I reached for its slim body, staring at it. I frowned, feeling empty. This object made life feel materialistic. There was no sentimental value hidden behind its screen. All around me were clothes from the wardrobe I had left in my life. These were other ridiculous things. I shook my head in disgust, pushing the clothes away from me.  

Something caught my eye; further down the bottom of the sea was a toy I hadn't seen in years. It was a rag doll—a Raggedy Anne doll. She was my baby. I had given up playing with her when I was around ten years old. I couldn't handle it—I had to embrace it. She was one of the few things left that could keep me company—keep me sane.  

The doll wrapped her arms around me, accepting the hug that she yearned for years. She consoled me, making me cry out. It was the loudest noise I'd ever made since I'd arrived here.  

I let go of Raggedy Anne, observing its fine condition. She wore a yellow rain jacket with her hoodie hiding her red hair of yarn. Her smile warmed my heart, along with her cute triangular nose. I grinned at the small pockets along her jacket, remembering how I used to open and close them. I buttoned the buttons; I zipped the zippers; I secured the belts. A blue polka-dotted dress with a skirt as white as snow hid underneath the yellow jacket. I opened the jacket to reveal the cutesy dress. I always wished that the jacket was removable so I could replace that dress with a gown, PJ's, or anything else suitable for my mood.  

I looked inside the dress, unbuttoning its buttons. On her chest was an enormous heart with the words 'I' and 'You' written above and below it. I love you. My cheeks started burning, my eyes poured out tears, and my body trembled in agony. I whispered, "I love you, too."

Anne floated in front of me, looking at me with her pleasant smile. Then she swam away, pulled by a sudden current. My eyes widened, my heart leapt in the air, and my hands tried reaching for her. I clumsily fumbled along the water. I stretched my arms to reach and grab a hold of her, but my hand slipped through the doll.  

Raggedy Anne floated away, swimming towards the mirror that I thought I had imagined a while ago. The doll floated to its surface, going through it like it was made of water. She suddenly disappeared. I swam as fast as I could. When I saw the doll disappear before my eyes, I tried to stop myself from going any further. However, I didn't stop gliding across the water. It seemed as if a strong current pulled me towards the mirror. I closed my eyes and braced for an impact; that mirror was going to break into a million pieces.

I could feel something different—something that made me feel alive. A bright illumination distracted me, making me squint my eyes away. I was neither wet nor swimming. I found myself standing upright. It felt different here. It made me question whether the ocean world was a dream or not. Could I possibly be in heaven? It couldn't be; not until I found my peace.