Queen Of The Mirrors

• Ava Mcgee, Grade 9
• Short Story
• 2018

Only an extreme narcissist would look in the mirror for as long as she did.
Seven mirrors in her bedroom, one on the roof, four on both sides of the bed, one at the foot of the bed and the last, on her bedroom door. It always seemed as if she was looking for something, that she couldn’t find. Everyone had always thought she was just obsessed with herself. But when she’s looking in a mirror, there is something different, like she loses herself in concentration. Her eyes go still, and she doesn’t seem to blink. And her mouth opens just the slightest, like she’s going to stick her tongue out, but she never does.
It’s no wonder why everyone dislikes her, she’s the most beautiful girl in school, with her perfectly soft brown hair, and her golden rimmed blue eyes. Even her lips are a perfect rose colour, and there is not a single imperfection on her skin. Nothing.
She never seems to care for the boys flocking over for her attention, or the girls giving her threatening glares.
All through lunch and recess she would look at herself with a pocket mirror, always the same dull expression, until one day she saw something. She saw something in that mirror that scared her enough to leave school and never come back.
She sat quietly, surrounded by the mirrors she loved, feared so dearly. After looking at herself for so long, she thought they would never come, and the only thing she began to fear was her reflection. But they did, they found her, and they would destroy anything in their way to get to her. She was always so lonely in school because of that. She didn’t want to leave, she didn’t want to say goodbye to the world she had grown to love.
The door creaked open and their footsteps were heavy enough that they kicked up dust from the dirty carpet. She saw the lady first, her hair, a pale pink, the tips of her hair faded into mist. The next one to come in was the man, the protector. His wings were told to be spectacularly deadly, but the were tucked away somewhere by magic. Then he walked in, his eyes fixed on her, his gold rimmed blue eyes didn’t dare look away. In the mirrors each of them was even more beautiful than in real life, blindingly beautiful. “It seems spending one hundred years in the human realm has made you paranoid.” The protector mumbles, staring at the mirrors.
“That is no way to speak to your Queen.” The lady hisses back at him.
“Time to come home, Eralia.” The third man says. The girl shakes her head and backs into the mirror behind her. “It’s not a choice.” he says while approaching her.
With the swiftest move, he pushes her into the mirror.