Mirror

What lies on the other side of a mirror? An alternate universe, perhaps, where all of our dreams come true? A universe in which every speck of life is bent to serve you for an eternity? Perhaps in the mirror’s world there is a happiness which fills the hearts of everyone until we are forced to succumb, forced to succumb to the joy.

But there is no such mirror.

There is simply…yours truly.

You think I reflect what is really there? Darling, you have a lot to learn. On the other side of the mirror lies exactly what you can glimpse in your own universe. But what you see in the mirror, well, I didn’t say that was exactly true to life.

I’m a bit of an exaggerator. Being trapped within a piece of reflective glass for an eternity, well, it gets old. And who am I to deny myself a bit of fun when the rest of you humans are contenting yourselves with manipulating each other to your hearts’ desires? I am no one…but the face in the mirror. The mirror that tricks you, that conjures the image you stare at. And what image you see, well, that’s up to me. Are you pretty? Are you ugly? Fat, skinny, short, tall? It’s all up to me. Only because you leave it up to me. You know what you look like, you can see your internal worth, yet you still try to use your image to reflect your worth.

And I show you what I want you to see.

The girl who stands before me now…she is you. She is beautiful. I know that she is. But what fun is perfection? So I show you what you are not. I show you the weaknesses you need to hate yourself. Look there, at the fat clinging disgustingly to your stomach. Of course you realize that you haven’t eaten for days. But what does that matter, if you still aren’t skinny? But, oh, darling, you are. You are so thin I can see the ribs poking through your chest, threatening to break your skin. Perhaps they will. That will be quite an image for you to view in the mirror, won’t it?

Deep down, you know. Your friends and family have told you time and time again that you’re so thin, just so thin. So why do you trust my opinion over theirs? You know them. But me? I’m just a piece of reflective glass, cold and unfeeling and unloving. So why trust what I tell you over what the people you love most insist upon?

I don’t want to kill you. I don’t want my fun to go so far that you feel the need to prove to yourself that you mean more to them than a pretty smile. Because, let’s face it, when you do die, it won’t be a suicide. I can be a murderer. Sometimes, I can be cruel.

Locked inside a mirror, what a lonely existence. All I can do is lie. What a wonderful world. Are you dead yet? It’s trying to kill you, you know it is, and it’s going to win. It’ll pull you under. A lie from my mirror and a whisper from the world and you’re drowning, deep beneath the waves already. It’s not so hard to pull you deeper below the surface.

Close your eyes. Take a deep breath. You can’t escape me. You think you’re staring at yourself but you’re staring straight into my eyes, the eyes of the mirror.

Another lie, so dreadful, but so lovely. When it comes down to it, beautiful lies are so much prettier than the truth. Even if they do steal the life away from you. What a small price to pay that is for the word of a liar.

Turn off the lights, honey. I want you to see yourself from the inside out.