Mirror Me

5: A Fearful Chase

"I see you wiped away your mark though it still doesn't change the fact that you are a dirty rotten Mexican," came the obnoxious voice of Tom Bolton as I stepped onto the bus. "Why don't you ride the short bus like all the other special kids? My parents say you people are what's wrong with America. You illegals crossing over the border and taking our jobs." His remark was followed by the snickering of his peers. "Now get off our bus, ugly! This is for Americans only."

"Don't worry about him," said all-too-popular Nancy Meyers as she sucked on her green apple flavored lollipop. "We girls think you're pretty." The popular girls giggled at one another as they crossed their legs to show off their ridiculous fleece-lined boots.

"No we don't, Nancy," viciously corrected Brandy Coups shaking her head.

"Oh you're right, Brandy," agreed Nancy, "but you should have let me finish." Nancy turned to me with a snarky grin. "We girls think you're pretty," she said, "pretty ugly." They all laughed. "You should crawl back under that wall and go back to where you came from. We don't want your kind here. And besides you're weird. No one likes you. I'm surprised you haven't killed yourself yet, or that bathroom creep hasn't attacked you. I wouldn't last a day looking like you. Just give up. It's pointless to go on living."

"Okay, Nancy, now that is too far," said Trinity Marks.

"No, I mean it. Now get your ugly self to the back. I don't want to see you anymore, much less talk to you." I paused for a moment biting my lip and tugging nervously at my ponytail. "Come on, Rosa Parks! We don't have all day."

"No, don't send her here!" cried the boys in the back. "We don't want her either! She will just read and be quiet and stuff. Stupid nerd!"

After the day I had gone through, I was not in the mood to deal with more of these taunts. So I decided to take my chances with my mother's wrath for being late and walk home instead. The remains of someone's lunch flung at my head. I quickly dodged the half eaten sandwich and rushed off the bus. My classmates' repulsive insults continued out of the windows until they were drowned out by the loud humming of the engine. Soon the bus drove away leaving me bully free for the weekend. Many girls in my situation would have burst out crying after such ridicule, but as sad as it seems, I was used to it and did not shed a single tear.

The long and tiresome walk home beat a horrid bus ride any day. Unlucky for me, storm clouds had formed overhead. A faint drizzle had started collecting on my glasses, and the wind had picked up. I stuffed my head under my yellow coat hood.

"Today is a good day for a shortcut." I thought. "I'd hate to get wet and be home late on the same day."

Jogging hastily down the street, I came upon three large abandoned office buildings. Each of the buildings beheld walls containing tinted glass panes. Some windows had broken from kids throwing rocks and seeing how high they could reach. As a kid I was fascinated by the imposing structures remembering fondly the colors they reflected in the setting sun.

I sighed. While saddened to see the buildings fall into disrepair, I understood why the offices moved to the other side of town. My neighborhood once a roaring center of culture and commerce now declared itself a ghetto, a slum. A fate all great places in the city would one day face when the money moved elsewhere.

Deciding my best options, I contemplated whether taking the narrow alley between the buildings or the sidewalk around. My apartment complex rested just beyond and cutting through would be the quickest route. I had done it plenty of times before. Today should have been no different. I tucked my hands into my pockets and squeezed through the gate.

I was not looking forward to going home. The fight I had that morning with mom was sure to come up. She had changed so much since my father died. She used to smile a lot more and cook some amazing Latino dishes. Now it was rules and take out, all the passion gone.

I still blamed her for my father's death as it was her continuous yelling and bickering which drove him into the car that night. Sure it was an accident, but he would have never run off the road had she never fussed at him, had they never argued, had it never rained. My father had such high hopes for me. Why else would they name his daughter so?

My jaw tightened in anger just thinking about my mom. Wishing to distract myself from it, I pulled out my cracked cell phone and swiped to the home screen. Marcus had texted me.

"Just reminding you to be ready for 7," he said.

I smiled and pressed my thumb down to respond. I stopped. I did not know what to say. I was always afraid of saying the wrong thing in case I upset him or sounded dumb. I texted, k, and instantly regretted it.

It began to rain harder as I walked across the abandoned parking lot. A FOR LEASE sign swung in the chilly wind. It tapped against the building's glass windows. My feet kicked up clumps of dirt with each step. I stopped for a moment to tie my shoe when all of a sudden a scratchy voice called out from the shadows.

"Hey, little girl! Where do you think you're going?" A large rugged man stepped out from behind a rough patch of trees blocking my way. I jumped in fright.

"Wh....wh...what do you want?" I stuttered.

"What I want is an answer to my question." The man took a step forward caressing his tattered beard. "Where is a little girl like yourself going in weather like this all alone? Looks like bad rain a coming. Might get wet."

"None of your business, creep!"

"Feisty little one! Come here." The man licked his lips. I screamed as the man lunged towards me. I turned around ready to run. He grabbed my backpack.

"Let go of me!" I screamed.

He chuckled and tugged. His yellow crooked teeth sneering at me. Struggling to free myself from his grip, I pulled my arms out of my backpack straps and rushed away leaving my school stuff behind. I had never felt so scared in my life.

I could hear the man gaining on me. His staggered footsteps not far off. My feet flew with all the speed my legs would allow. I turned down an alley between the buildings only to find I had chosen the wrong one, a dead end. I was trapped.

Desperately I scanned the mirrored walls for some sort of escape or perhaps some large rock to shatter the glass. The only thing I could find was my frightened reflection staring at me, not knowing what to do. I leaned back against the glass, hoping the man had not seen me come down the alley. But that was not to be.

"There you are." The man began running swiftly down the alley. I looked at my reflection again. An image of myself repeated in a forever loop between the two reflective walls. I hoped they would break like all the others, but they did not.

I knocked on the windows. "Help!" I yelled. "Help me, please! Is someone there? Please help me!" The buildings were abandoned. The pounding wind removed all chance of my words carrying to helpful ears. It was hopeless. I turned back around and closed my eyes wishing of a place I'd rather be than here at this dead end.

To my surprise something answered my pleas and whatever it was, it breathed on the back of my neck. My body stiffened as an unnerving feeling tingled my spine. Someone else was there, breathing against me. I swore it was a solid pain of glass, but when I opened my eyes and looked to see, a twisted face with bright purple eyes and horns protruding out of its cheeks reflected back. I blinked, and the creature vanished. Weightlessness flowed through my body. The glass behind me faded. I screamed as what felt like a thousand demanding hands lurch forward from the empty space and tug me backwards into a dark oblivion. I grabbed on to the sides of the wall trying to pull myself back into the alley.

"Help!" I managed to scream. "Someone help me!" I could see the man stop in his tracks and back away. His face appeared as frightened as my own. Then for a brief second a bright flash filled the air followed by a thundering crack. My fingers let go of the wall, and I submerged into a dark abyss. Like a door to another place, the opening sealed shut.