Mirrors

Headband

Chapter Ten:

Headband

Choose, choose, choose; it was time to pick which item to choose. There really was no hurry. And there really was no reason to wait. I could have chosen anything I wanted in this gallery of lost items. The easel I saw a while back would have been one of my top choices. I swam in circles, trying to locate it. After minutes of searching, I found the wooden structure harboring close to the tennis ball that held my first walkthrough of Jaren and Oliver. My legs kicked up and down, propelling me towards the easel. My hands cupped together, while my arms pulled in and out. This was my purgatory; I at least should have some control of it. Maybe perhaps growing a mermaid’s tail to swim faster?

My fingers stretched apart as the gap between me and the easel grew smaller and smaller. I was inches away. What’s hidden there? I asked myself, hoping I would find an answer. At the corner of my eye, I spotted one of the Great Whites completely halted. They never stopped, not even to sneak a single glance at me. My head instinctively turned towards the beast. I observed its meaty body; its nose pointed towards me. Its dark eyes glared at me without emotion, making my heart sink to my stomach. Its stare caught me off guard; I was too afraid to move a muscle. What was this monster going to do to me?

Suddenly, it rocked its tail back and forth. Its dorsal fin swayed along with him. It lunged towards me. Well, I thought to myself, this is it. I closed my eyes, forearms in front of me as I braced for the shark twisting my body into half portions. The water moved into a current that followed the shark. That current ran passed me; the shark barely touched me. I opened my eyes, wondering what happened. Then, I found the shark again on the opposite side from which it started. It pushed the easel away from me as if telling me to choose something else.

The other shark pushed an item towards me. Though it was intimidating, I had the urge to hold my hand out to pet it on the tip of its nose. It jerked slightly for it was one of its most sensitive spots. What a beautiful creature it was. In front of it was a headband covered in a silver-colored, laced pattern. On its side was a simple, pale pink rose. The shark slowly swam away; the sharks had wanted me to choose this item first. It was best to follow them. I reluctantly held the headband, pulling it towards my head. I placed it perfectly, feeling like I was in elementary school again. Those days seem to rush through me, leaving me breathless.

The mirror appeared in front of me. I saw myself with the hair piece. My body began to rejuvenate once more, growing fat and muscles around my brittle bones. They grew and grew, as if watching everything take place in a faster time lapse. I smiled at my regenerated image; healthy youth is priceless. The mirror’s surface began to move in a circular fashion. I watched it turn into a black hole, sucking in everything closeby.  Its spinning vortex pulled me in, and I followed.

“That’s an awesome headband! Where did you get it?”

“I got it from the mall.”

“What store?”

“Oh, I don’t really know. My mom got it for me.”

“It’s so adorable.”

“Yeah! I want one! I want one!”

It was my first day of school for second grade. This was a few weeks before I met Shane. This was before I even talked to Colton. In fact, I didn’t even know that he existed at the time. Girls flocked all over me, wanting to make a new friend. This private school made us wear uniforms. I saw little Irene itch her skin; she wasn’t comfortable with her outfit. The girl’s uniforms consisted of a white blouse with a blue necktie to put it together. The collars were rounded, lined with black and white stripes. The blouses had to be tucked underneath the plaid patterned skirts which reached past the knees.