Hall of Mirrors

...and suddenly the picture was distorted

The atmosphere was still. All that could be heard was his breath and steady heartbeat.

Yesterday, he came to the circus and went through the hall of mirrors only because the attractive female host lured him in with her quirky advertisements. He always hated his appearance, but his happy nature always hid his pessimistic view of himself. When he entered the hall of mirrors, he didn't see himself at first. He saw an attractive man, but only for a second. That man gave him a sense of pride he had never felt before. He had to leave soon after because it was a one-person-at-a-time attraction. But the moment he glanced at that handsome man, he knew he had to see him again.

Today, he walked into the circus calm and casually - like he owned the place. He had one goal in mind: to go through the hall of mirrors. He quickly met the hostess outside the attraction, who gained a smug smile on her face when she saw him.

You saw him, didn't you? You need to see him again. 

She asked confidently. He nodded and was prepared to beg if he couldn't go in. The hostess opened the entrance to the hall of mirrors and he rushed in. More than 50 mirrors were around him and his ugly reflection was all he could see. Fear and confusion quickly consumed his mind. Where was the man? Where was the man that made him look beautiful?

Right here

He jumped by the sudden voice, but was relieved to find the man standing tall and proud next to him. The man shook his head gently side to side, as if ashamed.

You greedy bastard. If you need me again, why don't you just live with me?

The same confusion slowly grew inside him. The man was able to reach his arm out of the mirror and into the real world. The man's arm was there. He started to sweat nervously. He didn't realize the man was this powerful - this alluring. Reluctantly, but also curiously, he grabbed a hold of the man's gentle hand. The crooks of the man's smile deepened as he reeled him into the mirror. He was scared he was going to crash and break the glass, but the man's harsh pull somehow didn't cause any destruction. Instead, he went through the mirror into a different world.

The atmosphere was still. All that could be heard was his breath and steady heartbeat. He was floating mid air in the ebony dark. He looked left. He looked right. When he looked forward, he saw the man floating before him, smiling.

Are you happy, now? You wanted to look attractive. You wanted to look like me. But, that just wasn't possible. So, I removed you from your world, where no one will ever see your ugly form again.

Chills dove down his spine like a roller coaster. His heartbeat grew faster like a coming train. His palms grew sweaty like dew on grass. This is not what he wanted. The man quickly disappeared after saying what filled him with such fear. He spun around and saw the mirror that got him here. He crawled his way towards it, kicking and "swimming" as frantically as he could. Once he could reach, he started pounding on the glass. He expected it to shatter, but the fragile material held its place. He screamed for help, hearing his frightened voice echo around his very soul. Tears began to run down his cheeks from his desperation.

Shortly after his tantrum, a different and younger man walked into the hall of mirrors. He had the urge to pound on the glass or call for help, but instead his instinct was to stay still. The young man eventually turned towards him while looking at each mirror in the hallway. Their eyes met. There was a click - a need. He knew this young man was not going to save him. Instead, the young man was going to join him.

The End