The Mirror by Anna Anykiienko

Monday.

I was rushing through the house, doing daily boring stuff and ignoring all things around. The moment I wanted to catch my breath-the silhouette haunted me from the side.  Tired, almost glass-like eyes looked back at me through the mirror. That gaze was empty and scared at the same time. I wanted to ask that Stranger who she was, but she was standing still, just silently analysing my face. Her clothes were messy, as well as here thought, I guess. We locked our eyes, and even the slight beats of dust on the mirror did not spoil that confused reflection. She was bored, I didn’t want to look at here, as I felt humiliated.

Thursday.

I grabbed a cup of coffee and started working on my homework. The sun reflected the shine from the makeup table and lit up my face. I looked up and noticed her again. Here eyes had become softer and… surprised? I decided to ignore another uncomfortable communication, but she popped up on my phone. I felt chills on my skin. Was she spying on me, or just trying to say something? But she remained silent. 

Night. The thought of a seemingly unknown figure did not leave me for the whole day.

Wednesday. 

I wanted to understand here and was tired of hiding from the reflection. I took a deep breath and went to brush my teeth. Here she was again… That time, she looked truly curious and reminded me of something. I was eager to speak, and maybe she was thinking the same. But we quietly went on our morning routine. I felt some kind of rooting with that person….

Night. I wanted to drink some water before sleep, grabbed the glass and She caught me. We were shocked. Not because we can see each other, but it felt like a deep connection. She was not scary or judgmental, without any attitude. My mind was both empty and full. I drank the water, and she disappeared, leaving only the reflection of her gaze at the bottom of the glass. The dream took me and my thoughts into our first dialogue.

The dream.

It all started as usual: the same location, the same garden that I've been seeing in my dreams since I was five. However, things didn't feel the same. Surprisingly, the sense of strangeness did not make me anxious, and I continued walking through the garden. I saw the feature. She sat in the gazebo and raised her hand from a nearby place, inviting me. I quietly approached her and sat down nearby. There was no awkward pause between us, like when we first met, just knew that we had something in common. The discussion was…mental? I felt the love and understanding just my looking at here and hope, She felt the same. 

Thursday.

She was running away from me, dripping down from my palms like fast water. Before, I wanted to grab her by the hair, reach for her body and soul, but now I want to love her, to love myself.