Nameless : Chapter 2

“Leave!” the stranger uttered, “Since you have no ties to the village you can flee to safety.” I scoffed at her and said, “This village is not just their home, its mine too; I will never leave my home.” She smiled at me and said, “Then I will definitely need your help.” 

She appeared after the incident that dyed the outside stone walls red and covered my eyes. Her hands directed me back inside, where Eleni smothered me with a tearful hug. When I regained my composure, a tall woman wearing a white ornate cloak that shielded her eyes stood in front of me. Her black hair fell over a note that came from the other side of the gate in her hand. “We have five days,” she stated. Then, the stranger handed the note to Eleni as I remained in her arms. The note stated Dodasa would claim the land in 5 days and to prepare it for their taking. Upon reading, I clenched my hands in rage. 

“I can save you all!” The stranger promised. “But, not without Hera,” she spoke while turning to me. 

She referred to my inventions, the mechanisms I made for the village, the intricate toys I made for Helios, and the weapons Evander taught me how to forge. She called on me to create a defense for Aigaion. I smiled. That’s all I ever wanted to do. The next few days, I poured myself into my mechanisms. I crafted a variety of weapons that were deadly, yet easy to use. Some I had heard of before, like catapults, and others I imbued with my creativity. The violent intent of the weapons I created did not cross my mind, as I saw them as nothing more than defense measures. The stranger gathered the remaining able-bodied adults and trained them on how to use my creations.  

She trained everyone but the sick, elderly, and young to fight. She lumped me in with the young category, so I was useless to her. Because she viewed me as young and weak, I had to get on my knees and beg, “Let me fight with the others!” The outsider denied me, no matter how much I pleaded. Though, she allowed me to be there when training started to show them how everything worked. However, she pushed me away from her lessons after, my face tightened up in frustration. The object of my desire stood as the only action the village forbade me from pursuing. I wanted to fight. I wanted to get stronger. I wanted to protect my home. That desire stayed unfulfilled because Evander, Eleni, and this new outsider denied it. Knowing my wish, they put me under watch to ensure that it would never come to pass.  

They forgot about the years of masterful evasion that brought me to them. Despite their restrictions, I disobeyed their cruel orders. I would not let them stop me from fulfilling my purpose. I trained due to my many memories of grief for the corpses we buried. I fondly reminisced about Dimitris reprimanding Colin for not following Ajax’s instructions closely and using me as an example for someone who earnestly listened to every lesson. Ajax used to praise my form and will to fight while forcefully pulling me back to Evander. They called my name and encouraged me, despite not wanting me to join their fight.  

“Hera, you are the most determined citizen of Aigaion, but you are not a warrior,” Ajax would repeat again and again.  

“I can fight. I can become a warrior like them. I will prove them wrong,” I whispered to myself. I continued to increase my strength whenever I could. I did not know if my tears came from reliving those memories or the searing pain from my fingers clutching the sword I swung for hours. Everyday before the next calamity, I worked the best I could no matter the toll. Despite my hand wanting to peel off, I continued with glee. I needed to get stronger. I needed to stop feeling defenseless. I needed to protect the family who named me.  

Eventually, Evander allowed me to exit the gate again. I brought an old stool to prop up next to the gate and just reminisce for a little bit. I placed my hand on the red stone walls, questioning where those two last stood. We already buried all the corpses but had yet to hold a ceremony or decorate graves. I wondered what their final thoughts might have been. The sound of Evander hauling over a couple of my heavier defense mechanisms ended my short break. In preparation for the Day of Calamity, the people of Aigaion equipped the walls with my weapons. 

Finally, the Day of Calamity arrived. Everyone stood ready to defend our home, even though death knocked at the door. Dodasa crossed the bridge, expecting us to sit defenseless while they carved their name into our land. The horns screamed the same as before. Our guardian, the stranger, directed everyone to their positions. I took Helios from Eleni as she left to fight with Evander. Before she left, she kissed both our foreheads and whispered, “Hera, Helios, my children, I love you. Everything will be okay. We will protect you.” I loved hearing my name. Of all the words she said, “Hera,” made me smile the most. I ran with Helios in my arms and left him with the elders as I again pursued the gate. I laid down the infant I had cared for as a brother for the last time and left the safe zone to fight. I fulfilled my task of getting everyone not fighting to safety, except me. 

No one stood in my way this time, as everyone who could fought outside the walls. I grabbed my sword and lunged to defend my home. I readied myself for this since the beginning of the conflict. I wished to stand with Colin and Dimitris at the gates of the village and guard it with them. That wish can never be granted now. Like Colin and Dimitris, I aimed to get stronger and stronger to protect our most valuable home. I think I understand what they must have thought on the day I last saw them; “Even if I die here, all my efforts were worth protecting this place.” 

Outside the gates existed a river of bloodshed. The weapons I created hit many of Dodasa’s men, and they contemplated retreat. I stood on the battlefield among our newly trained warriors. However, when Evander saw me, he attempted to bring me back to the gate once more, but I ran from him into the enemy. “Hera! Stay back!” he yelled. I smiled, “I will not!” as I finally got to protect Aigaion with my own hands.  

Upon my entry, I disrupted everyone’s rhythm with their shock of a child coming to the rescue. My eyes met those of our guardian. Her face showed a horrified expression, not the reaction I imagined. Evander and Eleni went hysterical. I continued to swing my blade at the enemies, forcing them away from the gate. Suddenly, a hand grabbed onto me and interrupted my movements. The hand belonged to Evander. He grabbed my shoulders and forced me to face him. He cried, “Hera! You don’t understand! We are not fighting to protect Aigaion or our land. We are protecting you.” The enemies surrounding us began to run away as the familiar sound of one of my projectiles played. I reacted. I pushed Evander as hard as I could and sent him flying a couple feet away from me. The last thing I heard was his scream, “Hera!” 

Battle’s End 

After Dodasa completely retreated, everyone regrouped and celebrated. I approached Evander and Eleni curled over the frame of Aigaion’s savior. Unfortunately, I failed as their guardian. Her eyes remained shut, but her heart still sang. Evander carried the girl back inside the walls for Eleni to address her wounds. They laid her in her bed waiting for her to smile again. As I followed them, I apologized, “I’m sorry, I couldn’t keep my promise.” Aigaion won at a cost. Surprisingly that cost was not life. Not even a single causality could be reported, but Hera was gone.  

Written By: Rachel Caña

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Life Flipped Upside-Down: Chapter 1

“I didn’t mean to kill them…”  

“I didn’t even know what I was doing, I couldn’t have done this. No way. I’m not a monster.”  

Detective Clark stares at me; he remains quiet, and I can tell he knows I didn’t mean to hurt them. 

But he can’t do anything about it. I’m either headed for jail or the psych ward at this rate.  

I had a perfect life: two parents who loved me more than anything and who would give me the world. It’s senior year, one month ‘til graduation, and now I don’t know if I will ever walk that stage.  

48 hours before…. 

It’s eight am when my alarm starts blaring at me to wake up. I peek my eyes open and look around my room, making myself aware of my surroundings.  

“At least it’s Friday.”  

I roll out of bed and head for my bathroom to start a shower and start getting ready. Before I leave the house, I grab breakfast, then head to school; on the way I stop to get my usual coffee order. I swear, this is the only thing that gets me through the day. 

The morning goes by slowly; the first four periods are boring, as usual. Noon comes around, and I wait in the parking lot for Mads, my best friend, to come out so we can go for food.  

“It’s about time; what took you so long?”  

“Well, Dr. Markley wanted to talk my ear off for the entire passing period until her whole class sat down and was waiting for her, and that’s when she let me go,” Mads says. 

“Why didn’t you just walk away? I’m pretty sure if you said you had to go it would’ve been completely fine,” I respond as we get into my car. 

“Yeah, but I’m barely passing her class, Soph. I need to be nice to her so I can graduate it’s less than a month away,” Mads reminds me as she touches up her lip gloss.  

“Yeah, yeah whatever. Are we going to our regular place or somewhere different?” I ask pulling out of the parking lot. 

“I don’t care as long as I get food; I’m starved.”  

“Me too; my mom and dad went to bed early last night, so none of us really ate dinner.”  

Mads turns to me looking confused “What? Mr. and Mrs. Johnson didn’t cook their daughter dinner and went to bed early?”  

“It’s not that weird; my mom wasn’t feeling well. And I mean, it makes sense she does have a big day in court today. She’s trying that huge government case, and today they decide the verdict.”  

“Oooooh so you going to tell me all the juicy details after the trial’s done?” 

“Of course, I am, remember that no one can know, at least until it’s in the papers,” I say, turning into In-n-Out, our regular lunch place. 

“And who would I tell? My cat?”  

We both laugh as I pull up to the speaker to order.  

The rest of the day goes fast. I texted my mom to check if she needed anything from the store for dinner, but she didn’t reply neither and did my dad. Maybe they are both still at work and just too busy, at least that’s what I told myself all night as I waited for my parents to get back home.  

I finished all of my homework and even cleaned the house a bit, but they still weren’t home.  

It was about 9pm when I started to get scared.  

I texted my parents again, and there was still no response from either of them.   

I called Mads because if they were still in court, then there was no way I was going to call and make them lose their cases.  

It rang twice, and then she picked up.  

“Hey girl! Did you finish the Pre-Cal homework because I am completely lost-” 

“Mads…” I said shakily.  

“Oh gosh, what happened?”  

“My parents aren’t home yet, and neither of them are returning my texts.”  

“Okay, have you tried calling them? Maybe their ringer, is off who knows.”  

“Exactly. It means that they are still at work or something. There’s no other reason their ringer would be off.”  

“But it’s already almost 10pm Soph. Why wouldn’t they be home?”  

“I don’t know, that’s why I’m freaking out.”  

“Okay, maybe try calling their office and asking if they are still in court?”  

“Yeah, maybe I’ll call their assistant.” 

“Good, do that and I’m going to come over, too. I’ll be there in five.”  

“Okay, cool, cool. See you then.”  

I took a deep breath…Well, more like seven to steady my breathing before calling the office. If they are still in court, their assistant should still be in the office.  

I dial the number for their office and wait for the ringing to start.  

Ring…Ring…Ring… 

“Come on pick up the phone.”  

Ring…Ring…Ring…  

“You’ve reached the voicemail of Mr. and Mrs. Johnson’s Law Firm. Unfortunately, we are out of the office for the day and will return tomorrow at 7am. Thank you.”  

Click… 

This is when I start having a panic attack. Every possible problem goes through my head: maybe they are kidnapped; maybe they are completely gone forever.  

Tears start streaming down my face, and all I can think about is how they will never get to see the big moments in my life happen. 

I hear a jingle of keys at my front door, I get up and run to the door thinking it’s my parents. But to my disappointment; it’s just Mads…  

She sees me crying and immediately comes to my side and hugs me, asking what’s wrong.  

“The office is closed, which means they should be here, and they aren’t. Mads they are gone. What if something horrible happened to them?”  

“Oh, it’s going to be okay, let’s sit down and take a deep breath and go from here, okay?”  

All I could do was nod. No matter how many deep breaths I took, I knew there was still a possibility that my parents were gone.  

“Maybe we should call the police instead of trying to figure this out.”  

I nodded and dialed 911.  

“911, what’s your emergency?”  

“Hi, yes, my parents have gone missing.”  

“Okay, when was the last time you saw them?”  

“Last night at about 7pm.”  

“Okay, did you text and call to try and reach them.”  

“Yes, I did, and I even called their office and, there’s no response from anyone.”  

“Okay, I am sending a deputy to your address; stay on the line. I need to ask a few more questions.”  

“Of course.”  

“What are your parents’ names?”  

“Dawson and Amber Johnson.”  

“Okay, did you see them go to work this morning by any chance?”  

“No, I get up about 2 hours later than they do for school.”  

“Okay, any other information that you can give us that would help us figure out where they might be?”  

“Not really. All I know is that my mom was supposed to be in a huge government trial today and my dad was assisting.”  

“Okay great, you are giving good information. I will hang up now and the deputy should be at your address.”  

“Okay, thank you.”  

Right as I hung up, there was a knock on the door. 

When I opened the door, a police officer was standing there with his partner. 

“Hello, Miss Johnson, I am Deputy Williams, and this is my partner, Deputy Charles. We heard that your parents haven’t made it back home yet?”  

“Hello, and no they haven’t. I’ve tried to text them all day but no luck.”  

“Okay, have you tried to call either of them today?”  

“I didn’t want to because I thought they were still in court and so I didn’t know.”   

“Okay, why don’t you try to call them, while my partner and I take a look around?”  

I nodded as I looked down at my phone and pressed call on my mom’s contact. I watched them put gloves on and start looking around with flashlights.  

Ring…Ring…Ring… 

RING….  

On the fourth ring I heard a noise from my parents’ room, I started walking closer to their room and pressed my ear to the door.  

It was the sound of my mom’s phone ringing.  

I opened the door to their room and immediately fell to my knees sobbing.  

“This is Deputy Williams. I’m going to need back-up, a lot of it…”  

Written by: Alexis Farino  

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All the World’s a Stage: Part 2

Kessy 

Her eyes opened slowly, fluttering, unused to the dark. Where am I? What happened? Where is the sun?  

“Are you okay?” She realized someone was addressing her, and she turned her head, focusing her gaze on the boy in front of her. 

“Where am I?” she asked before her legs collapsed beneath her.  

The boy lunged for her, unable to reach her in time. She hit the ground hard, the jolt somehow simultaneously waking her up and deadening her senses again. Blearily, she realized the boy was throwing himself down beside her, cradling her gently. “Hey, hey, you’re okay. I’ve got you—Sassa, down!”  

Something wet and fuzzy shoved itself in her face, and she realized a dog was snuffling at her, presumably making sure she wasn’t a danger to the boy who had saved her. Then the dog licked her gently, and she smiled.  

“Are you all right?” the boy asked. He had a nice face—square and angular with kind eyes. She couldn’t make out the color—she couldn’t make out much of anything in the dark. Was she in the Lower Court? How did she get here? 

“I…I don’t know,” she murmured.  

“Can you tell me your name?” His voice was gentle. Soothing. She found herself trusting him, even though she didn’t know if she should.  

“Kassiopeia—I mean, Kessy,” she said.  

The boy chuckled. “Which is it?” 

“I go by Kessy.” 

He helped her sit up a bit more. “Well, Kessy, my name is Kandor, and you’ve already met Sassa. She’s friendly, don’t worry.” 

Kessy rubbed Sassa’s silky ears absently, trying to remember back. What happened before? She knew she came from the High Court, but to her horror, she couldn’t remember why—or how—she left.  

Kandor must have noticed the fear in her eyes. “Hey, it’s okay. I’ll help you. You’re safe here.”  

“I don’t think I’m supposed to be here,” Kessy said.  

“How did you get here?” 

“I don’t know.” Tears welled up in her eyes. “I don’t remember anything.” She pushed herself to her feet. “I have to get home!” 

Kandor stood with her. “I’ll take you home, Kessy. Where…where is home?” 

She looked up, searching futilely for a sun she knew wasn’t there. “I’m…from the High Court, Kandor. I don’t belong here.” 

Kessy dared a look into Kandor’s eyes. He looked as surprised as she felt. “The High Court? You shouldn’t even be allowed to pass through the Medial Court to here.” 

“I know.” A tear dripped off of her cheek, and Kandor must have been able to see it, because he rested his hand on her shoulder. “We’ll fix this, Kessy.”  

She looked up at him gratefully. “How?” 

He gave her a lopsided smile. “Not sure yet. I’ll figure something out; I always do. For now, why don’t you come home with me? Get something to eat, maybe sleep for a while. Tomorrow, I promise, I’ll help bring you home.” 

Kessy hesitated. Every instinct she had told her not to follow a stranger in a strange land back to his house—not to eat his food or indulge in any kind of his hospitality. But Kandor seemed genuine. His hand on her shoulder was gentle and reassuring. And Sassa didn’t seem cautious with her at all.  

She relented. “Okay…thank you…”  

He winked at her. “Sure thing. Can you walk?” 

Kessy gingerly took a step forward, then another. Pain shot up her legs, the spidery kind of discomfort one feels after sitting on their foot for too long. She took a deep breath and tried again. The pain flared sharply, then diminished. “Yes.” 

“You sure?” 

Kessy nodded. “Let’s just…go slow.” 

Kandor clicked his tongue for Sassa, who had wandered off, sniffing along the leave-covered floor, no doubt looking for bugs to consume. “Come on, girl.” Sassa abandoned her hunt and padded faithfully back to Kandor, and he worried her head between his hands affectionately. “Keep your hand on Sassa’s head,” he told Kessy. “She’ll follow me.” 

Kessy let her fingers rest on Sassa’s golden head, scratching the soft fur gently. Kandor turned, and Sassa followed her boy, guiding Kessy out of the dark forest and into the deepness of the night beyond.  

Kandor, it turned out, lived in a small apartment on a university campus. “They pay for my housing while I’m a student here, because I care for my sister full-time,” he explained. “Sorry, it’s pretty tight.” 

“I don’t mind.” Kessy craned her neck, studying the towering spiers above her. “How old is your sister?” 

“She’s five,” Kandor said, and Kessy didn’t miss the love in his voice. “Our parents died when she was three, so it’s just the two of us.” He backtracked. “Well, that’s not entirely true. My best friend and his wife help a lot. They don’t technically live with us, but they might as well,” he added with a smirk.  

“What’s her name? Your sister, I mean.” 

“Amily.” He flashed her that crooked smile again. “And she’s a handful. Just letting you know. I’ll tell her to behave.” 

“No, I don’t mind,” Kessy said, a smile turning up her lips again.  

“All right, well, don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Kandor knocked on the door, rapping a short beat that Kessy guessed was their special code. After a few minutes, the door unlocked and opened, and Amily stood there, frowning. 

“You’re late.”  

Kandor chuckled, scooping her up. “Sorry, Ami. I got a little distracted.”  

Amily glanced over his shoulder. “Who is that?” 

“Ah yes, the distraction in question. Amily, this is Kessy; Kessy, this is Amily. Say hi, Ami.” 

“Hi,” Amily said, “Your hair is pretty.”  

“Thank you,” Kessy said, blushing slightly. “So is yours.” 

Amily had the wispy curls of a toddler just growing into childhood, the same brown as her brother. Her eyes, huge and luminous, almost perfectly matched Kandor’s, grey and sparkling. She bore a contented air about her, probably due to a life with nothing more than her brother’s love and a tiny suite to grow up in. She didn’t know how to want more.  

“Where did you come from?” Amily asked, her face scrunched in confusion.  

“Amily, you can’t just ask that,” Kandor scolded, but Kessy laughed.  

“No, she’s fine. I came from the High Court.” 

Amily’s already round eyes grew even rounder. “Really? Where the sunshine is?” 

Kessy nodded, realizing just how much she took eternal daylight for granted.  

“What does it look like?” Amily’s voice was soft. Full of wonder. 

“Well…” How did one describe what they considered monotonous? Normal? “The colors are so bright, all the time. And it’s warm. The buildings sparkle. The water is so blue and so clear, you can see all of the fish swimming in it.” 

Amily’s mouth was open. “Wow. I want to go—Kandor, can I go back with her? When she leaves?” 

Kandor’s smile was sad. “I don’t think so, Ami girl. I’m sorry.” 

“Why?” 

“It’s not safe.” 

Amily sighed, resting her head down on her brother’s shoulder. “You say that about everything.” 

Kandor met Kessy’s gaze, and she could see how sad it made him to say no to his sister. “What’s the moon like, Amily?” Kessy asked, changing the subject, and Amily haltingly described a night with a full moon as Kandor led them all inside.  

The suite was small but cozy, with a door off to the side that Kessy supposed was the bedroom. Kandor set Amily up on the counter and busied himself with getting them dinner.  

“Can I help?” Kessy asked.  

Kandor smirked at her. “Nope.”  

She smiled back and leaned against the counter next to Amily, listening to the two of them chatter back and forth as Kandor prepped their meal.  

“What did you do today, Amily?” 

“Aunt Hadda came by today and made me lunch.” 

“That’s Hadassy, my best friend Juna’s wife,” Kandor explained to Kessy. 

“And she made me take a nap.” Amily wrinkled her nose. “Uncle Juna never makes me take a nap.” 

“It’s good for you. Don’t touch this, it’s hot.” He moved a pan off of the stove. 

“I’m too big for naps.” Amily stood up, wobbling slightly.  

“No one is too big for naps.” Expertly, he set the pan down with one hand and pulled her back down to a seated position with the other. “Sit.”  

Amily plopped back down dejectedly. “Are you?” 

“Stars, no. I could take a nap right now if I tried.” He smiled at Kessy.  

Remembering they had a guest, Amily turned to her. “How old are you? I’m five.” 

Kessy ruffled her curls. “I’m eighteen.” 

Amily thought for a moment. “Kandor is nineteen. Why are you down here instead of up where the sun is?” 

Kessy hesitated. “I…don’t know.” 

Kandor cut in here. “That’s what we’re going to find out. I…found her in the woods tonight.” 

“Can you not remember?” Amily slowed down on the word remember, and Kessy guessed it was a word she was learning.  

Kessy shook her head sadly. “No, I can’t.” 

“Oh.” Amily scooted a bit closer. “I’m sorry.” 

“It’s okay. I’m…sure I will, eventually.”  

Kandor helped his sister off of the counter. “Time to eat.” 

Amily clamored up into her chair and watched Kandor ladle soup into her bowl. “Blow on it first,” Kandor instructed.  

“Why?” 

“Remember how you burned your tongue last week?” 

“Oh, yes.” Amily blew loudly on her soup while Kandor served Kessy.  

“Careful, it’s hot,” he said, almost as an afterthought. Kessy supposed he said that to Amily at nearly every meal. He probably didn’t even realize he said it.  

“Thank you,” she said softly. Shyly. She felt her blush creep up again.  

“Sure.” Kandor sat down and ladled soup into his own bowl, only to be interrupted by the door opening again. “Stars’ sakes, Juna.” 

“Hi, all!” came a cheery voice, and then someone new strode into the room. He was tall, taller than Kandor, with light brown hair. He punched Kandor in the shoulder, dropped a kiss on Amily’s head, and paused when he saw Kessy. “Kandor, did you bring home a g—” 

Kandor smacked him. “No, I did not. Kessy, this is Juna. Juna, shut up.” He was beet red.  

“Hellewwww, Kessy,” Juna said, shaking her hand dramatically. “You should know that you are the first girl Kandor has ever brought home.” 

“Juna was just leaving,” Kandor said tightly. 

“Juna was not just leaving.” Juna pulled out a chair and sat beside Kessy. “Tell me everything about yourself, Kessy.” 

“Juna,” Kandor warned, raising his voice in pleading emphasis on the last syllable. Amily giggled, reaching over to smack him too.  

Juna clutched his heart. “Even Amily turns on me.” 

Kessy smiled, watching them all interact. “It’s really not what you think,” she said.  

Kandor jumped on this. “Hear that, Juna, you bonehead? It’s not what you think.” 

“It never is, is it?” Juna propped his chin on his fists, looking at Kessy intently. “Well? Details.” 

“I…wish I had details to give.” She really did. She liked Juna. “I’m from the High Court but I don’t know why I’m here.” 

Juna sucked in a breath. “What?” 

Kessy sighed, looking down at her bowl. “I’m just as confused as you are.” 

Kandor kicked Juna underneath the table. “That’s all we know.” She saw him give Juna a pointed look, like Not in front of the child.  

Juna paused, then cleared his throat. “Well then, Kessy from the High Court, let me be the first to say welcome to the void that is the Lower Court. I hope you enjoy your stay. Stars know the rest of us don’t.”  

Behind the Glass

~A continuation of Mirror Mirror~

It’s been 2 hours and I’ve decided that there’s nothing wrong with the mirror. I didn’t look that way. The glass couldn’t have shattered around my reflection only to mend itself perfectly again. It was merely a delusion concocted by my mind. A startled, silly reaction and nothing less. I’d been getting too little sleep and reading too many fantastical stories in my spare time, longing for a life of freedom and magic someplace else as someone other than myself. Clearly, my imagination had been running wild. 

With a quick step of courage, I reached for the mirror again, sweeping it off the ground. See? It was just an object…or so I thought, until I looked into it again. Placing the mirror at an angle meant to avoid my face, I surveyed my room cell through the mirror and found it to be quite different from what I could naturally perceive with my own eyes. The furniture was the same, everything a perfect reflection except… for the faces haunting the dark. Creatures of smokey black and gray with twisted smiles and filmy white eyes laughed at me through the mirror. They clung to the corners of the room with hands like a spider’s webs, attached to bubbling bodies of varying shapes and sizes that breathed with sulfurous yellow breath. 

“Look at your reflection,” One taunted, crawling up on my shoulder and squeezing its webbed fingers into my shoulder blade. “Oh, you’re an ugly one, aren’t you? An ugly body for an even uglier soul.” 

Another phantom creature laughed in response. “That’s right. We know what you’ve done. We know what happened that night. It must have been something like 152 days ago, wasn’t it?” It laughed maniacally. “I won’t let you forget.” 

“You’re to blame,” the phantoms whispered in unison. “Just look at yourself. See who you really are.” 

Forcing my eyes to peer into the glass surface of the mirror, I saw the same reflection as before. The face looking back at me was shattered, but the glass wasn’t broken, the girl was. 

No she wasn’t, no, no… 

She’s fine.
I’m fine.

But the mirror said otherwise. My heart caved in, shivering in misery, and before I knew it, my hands moved on their own and the mirror was thrown into the air. It twisted and turned, my broken reflection passing by once, then twice, the phantoms laughing with each spin before the handheld mirror shattered against the wall. Only then did it truly crack. A ripple spread across the glass, revealing a glowing light underneath the surface. For once, the light was golden, not gray. Something about it felt magnetic, and I found myself leaning into the glow, reaching for the light beneath the surface, the hope that lay behind the mess I’d made of myself. 

The light exploded outward, painting the walls of the room gold and bringing the world back into color. But along with the currents of gold came the world within the mirror. The glass shards flew at me, striking my face one by one with each palpitation of my heart. And in my heart I felt the sting of its pain as the pieces aligned themselves into a moon-like curve along my face, from the tip of my hairline to the bottom of my chin, covering the scars that textured my face. It felt no different from when the surgeries were taking place, a silent pain gone unnoticed, stitching together my imperfections to mirror the shattered reflection I had once seen. The floating phantoms laughed even as they were pushed back by the light of the mirror’s day. 

“This is who she is,” they jeered. “See her shattered face! See the monster she made herself into!” They called as they dissolved into the currents of gold, the last of the mirror’s strength pushing them away. Each word felt like yet another jab to the heart, and as my hand rose to feel the newly textured side of my face, I couldn’t help but believe they were right. Sharp fragments pushed against the fragile skin of my fingers, drawing a single drop of blood from my pointer finger. This part of me hurt everything it touched. It was cursed. I was cursed.  

Maybe that’s why I couldn’t save her that night. 

A voice cut through the thoughts circling around my head. “You shouldn’t listen to that.” 

Looking over to where the remnants of the mirror lay, I saw a spirit like that of a golden dove resting atop of the mirror’s face. Small enough to fit in the palm of my hand, it glowed with light brighter than day. With wings like sunbeams and eyes as bright as the moon, it didn’t take me long to realize where the golden glow of light within the mirror came from. This spirit hid behind the glass the entire time, and its glow now basked my room in light. With a flutter of its wings, it raised its small body into the air and came to rest on my shoulder where it plucked a thin, wormlike phantom from behind my ear. 

“This one nearly escaped,” it said, before swallowing the creature whole. Strangely, once the phantom was gone, I felt like a weight lifted off of me. I was suddenly far more comfortable than I remembered ever being, and in this moment, my heart felt like it was at peace. 

“What is all of this? And what are you?” I whispered to the dove, astonished by all I saw, and hardly able to make sense of it. 

The dove titled it’s head and looked at me with gentle eyes. “Calm your heart; looking into the Beyond takes everyone by surprise when they first see it.” 

“The Beyond?” 

The dove nodded at my exclamation. “Yes, it’s a plane of existence beyond what your eyes can naturally see. Some would call it a spirit realm, others an alternate dimension within your own. The mirror your grandmother gave you allowed you to gaze into this realm, and now it is a part of you. You will continue to be able to see into this realm until each piece of glass falls from your face and you allow yourself to heal.” It replied, raising a gentle wing to grace the side of my face where the glass still lay in fragmented shards. Two pieces fell off into its wing, shining like mosaic tiles. 

“It looks like you’re healing already, now that those dark phantoms you saw are gone,” the dove explained. “The ones you saw earlier are what we in the Beyond call Shrouds. They are dark creatures that feed off of the worst of human emotions. They taunt people by keeping them in a cycle of misery where they continue reliving their worst fears, worries, and despairs. The more you hate yourself, the worse you feel, and the harder it becomes to distinguish your own thoughts from their words, the better the Shrouds feel.” The dove explained. “As for me, think of me like a guide. My purpose is to help you, just as I have done for generations before you.” 

“Help me with what?” I asked, feeling my voice fill with emotion. “You want to help me heal? Well, I’ve been trying and nothing has worked. Nothing can fix what happened to me.” 

“I know what happened 152 days ago,” the dove stated with a boldness I didn’t expect. “The question is, are you willing to face it?” 

I wavered. I didn’t want to face it. I wanted to avoid it for the rest of time. The guilt of what happened, of the blood on my hands, was too much. Yet, away from the presence of the Shrouds, I felt like I finally stood a chance. “Sure,” I whispered, barely able to say any more. My eyes surveyed the walls around me, trying to remember the last time I stepped outside of them, the last time I tried to face my fears. I kept count of everything, everything but that. It was shameful to think of how long I’d been there. Trapped. Cornered. Locked in. So maybe, just maybe, it could be nice, learning to live again. 

~To be continued~

Written By: Naomi Hernandez
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