The other side of the Mirror (boyxboy)

Chapter 3.

To kill the discomfort and half of the fear, I started whistling softly to myself, stepping inside the horrid room. It was cold in there .. and it smelled like the battlefield of homeless men, died dishonourably in a battle against radioactive skunks. Strange sounds, reminding me of a cat, scratching its claws on a wooden surface, could be heard from the floor under my feet, as I cautiously walked forward. My hazel eyes were watching warily the shadows of my own subconciousness, which played tricks on me, making me see them appear and send me cold chills down my spine. I shivered so hard, it felt like my stomach had turned inside out. My heart was shrinking in fear just like my cotton underwear did after being in the washing machine. My heart was feeling sick, my chest - tight ..

"H-Hello?" I knew no one was here to answer my trembling, voiceless question, yet I couldn't miss the opportunity to comfort myself by making sounds, which source I knew. There were too much unknown and hidden things in here ..

That depressed me.

I took a deep breath and grinded my teeth, after which I slowed down my breathing. I wanted to relax my heartbeat like this, but my plan backfired on me, as my heart missed a few beats and compensated them through even harder and faster pumping. I sighed.

At least it didn't took me long to find what I came for.

If you ask me, I was more than happy to go through all sorts of horrible situations as fast as I could, and I was glad, that it turned out like this now. I didn't quite know what would I do when I find the mirror, but .. sometimes things just worked themselves out. Right?

My body stopped in front of a gigantic mantle, covering something big and rectangular. I didn't need to think that much to realise that this was my long-waited mirror, but the fact that it was hidden with a satin veil, and cracked despite that, confused me further.

"There you are.." I sighed in relief and a thankful, tired smile decorated my thin and pale lips. My eyes sinked into the upper angles of the rectangular mirror, onto which was the covering, and I carefully stepped on my fingers, reaching out with my hands. I couldn't just grab the cover - I would've knocked off the whole mirror! I had to be much more careful, if I didn't want to fail my plan.

I sank my nails in the satin, jumping a bit, to help release the angles of the cover safely. I was short for my age, being barely 1,66cm for 9th grade, but then again, I'm pretty small! Fourteen years old, born twenty-first of October. Short, small, lame ..

I finaly managed to take the cover off, revealing myself the glorious sight of the magnificent, old antique mirror. Its surface was dusty and unexplainably-greasy at places, scratched on the left angle and right in the middle of the reflection of my forehead. Below, on my left cheek, there was a little crack, which doubled my reflected mole, turning it into two dark-brown twin spots.

I lifted an eyebrow in confusion, investigating the wooden framework from up close. There were carved swirlings and gentle lines in the form of piggy tails and braids. To me, it reminded of the sea waves ..

"Beautiful masterpiece!" I mumbled under my breath with astonishment, after which I finaly payed attention to my reflection, as well as the unexplainable crack. Could it be that my ears were playing tricks on me, and that this little imperfection on the smooth, but dirty surface was made a long time ago?

Maybe I just heard wrong ..

I sighed quietly. Once again, I proved that I'm stupid. Small, short, lame AND stupid.

"Ugh, how am I going to explain the broken door .. they'll kill me if I tell them it was me!" I whined, disappointed of myself. I looked at my pathetic reflection from time to time, just to see how did I look in such situation. Well .. I wasn't ugly. I like myself .. although it seemed to be just me. I haven't really had a girlfriend yet, I haven't kissed .. A loner, from the elite ones!

I decided it was time to leave. Probably Mrs. Stoeva thought I'd left, for which she'll be nagging me tomorrow. Well, I admit it, it's my fault. I shouldn't have listened to my imagination's whims, pretending to be Rasputin. I shouldn't have expected Narnia when I came for an old, dirty mirror. I'm so naive .. and maybe insane.

I lifted my eyes, looking at the mirror in shock. I felt panick in my body, embracing me like cold shivers; the ones you can feel in a winter breeze at night. I didn't freak out as much, because someone could from the staff could come and find me at the place of the crime. I was actually scared from the weird, cracking noise in front of me. What I had come for was finally happening .. and I wasn't sure I liked it.

My pupils dilated in horror, watching closely as my own reflection was twisting, turning into a grotesque, because of the unexpectedly breaking glass surface.

I couldn't move. My life was passing like a movie - so unrealistically fast, skipping through all of the good and bad events, ignoring the details, reaching only the end .. I could now picture how the glass was spreading in the air, sinking into my skin like an animal's claws agonizingly. I was going to scarred forever, faceless and blind .. Always in pain, both physical and mental.

Why .. aren't my legs running?

Cold sweat oozed from my pale skin, as my body trembled uncontrollably from helplessness. I know it was stupid .. but at least I wouldn't have to answer for the broken door, because everyone would be too busy, looking at my monstrous face. I was going to be the freak of the school and the city, my mom would cry for me, and I would never be able to live normaly. No love, no friends, no family .. Nothing.

.. Nothing.