Cassandra awoke to find she had reached the week's end. With no work, she was free to do anything she pleased.
Possibilities raced through her mind, seemingly endless. But one particular thought kept reappearing, constantly taunting her.
Why don't you try to Portal?
It was risky, but wasn't that what Cassandra wanted? Hadn't she been dying to try it out for the past few days? Surely, she deserved a reward for having her world turned upside down.
Mind made up, Cassandra got to work figuring out what she would need to do.
Luckily, the Mirrors in the lounge and the dining room were almost the same size. If she traveled using the lounge Mirror, the one in the dining room could be used as the decoy. The only problem was her mother. It seemed to be that Cassandra would need to lie in order to get Adhita out of the house for awhile.
After the morning meal, Cassandra pulled her mother aside and asked her to travel to Sector A3 for extra ration points. It wasn't abnormal to beg for extra rations in the wealthier Sectors, as people would do anything to ensure the week's food. Obligingly, Cassandra's mother shuffled out the door and set off towards the A Sector.
Aching to begin, Cassandra shut the door and raced into the dining room. On the wall, an older Mirror hung, untouched for years. Dust coated the frame's edges, yearning to be wiped away. When Cassandra lifted it, she was surprised at how much it weighed. At first glance, the Mirror seemed light as a feather, easy to lift and move. But in reality, it seemed to pull Cassandra's arms down as it sank towards the floor.
Heaving, Cassandra pulled the bulky Mirror across the room and into the lounge. It was difficult to make it stand without falling, but in the end she found an old, unused stand to prop it up against.
From the sidelines, Cassandra patiently watched her Parallel's reaction to the imposter. Much to her surprise, the trick had worked! However, the next part was the most confusing, and Cassandra wondered if she could pull it off.
Just have to finish this last thing before I'm free to go, came her new mantra over and over again.
Time was working against her, unrelenting even in the face of miracles. It's steady tick-tock wound through the air like a twisting vine, consuming everything without bother.
Making her way over to the Mirror, Cassandra cautiously moved to test whether the theory worked. She tentatively touched the sides of the frame and then slowly made her way to it's surface.
Instead of the cool, unyielding hardness that she was so accustomed to, her hand gave way. The surface of the Mirror was now crystalline toffee, rippling beneath her touch, soft and gentle.
Cassandra took a deep breath, in and out. She plunged her hand slightly farther in, now to the elbow. There's no rush, Cassandra thought. Steadying herself once more, she put her arm as far in as possible without completely disappearing into the depths of the Mirror.
This is it. I'm really going.
"HALT! You are under arrest under authority of her Majesty, Queen Pandora!"
YOU ARE READING
Mirror, Mirror {#Wattys2016}
Fantasy{Highest ranking: #1 in Fantasy} In a world where Mirrors serve as a link between dimensions, Cassandra had always found herself fascinated with the Other side. In particular, she had always been curious towards her Parallel, the carbon copy that c...
