Mirror, Mirror

My finger traced letters across the fog covered mirror, as was my nightly ritual. “Love You Babe! XOXO.” Pleased with my work, I grabbed my towel and wrapped it around myself.
A cold burst of air met me as I opened the door and stepped out of the bathroom. As I walked through the living room, I became self-conscious when I realized I’d left a window open and the blinds up.
I quickly walked into my room and put on my fluffy Tweety Bird pajamas. I climbed under the covers and closed my eyes. I quickly drifted off to sleep.

I woke up the next morning with the sun shining through my window and Damien by my side.
“I got your mirror message, babe.” He said, as he rolled over and kissed my forehead. Could anything be more perfect?
I got up out of bed to go wash my face and get ready for the day. It was finally here! My wedding day! Soon Damien and I would trade in this apartment for a beautiful house. Start a family even! The rest of life started today.
I reached up and touched the coolness of the mirror. Today, I was a bride! A sudden shock ran up my fingers. I blinked in surprise.
“That was weird.” I whispered. I looked down and turned on the water. A pitch black putrid smelling liquid was falling from the faucet.
“Damien!” I screamed. “Damien!” He came rushing into the bathroom.
“What now?” He asked.
“The water! Look at the water!” I shouted.
“What about it?” He asked. I could tell he was getting annoyed.
“It’s black, Damien. BLACK. What isn’t it clear?”
“You know the water only runs clear on the other side of the reflection. Lucky bastards. Now quit playing around.” He replied.
“Other side of the-“ I whispered. I was so confused. Damien left the room shaking his head.
“Damn woman.” He whispered.
I ran back to my room and found my cellphone. I called my best friend Victoria. After a few rings, she picked up.
“Hello. Victoria speaking.”
“Yeah, this is Annabelle.” I said. I heard a click. She’d hung up on me! She was supposed to be my Maid of Honor today, and now she was hanging up on me?! Today was so weird. Everything was opposite. Opposite! That was it! I dialed Iris’s number.
“Hey girl.” Iris answered. This was weird. Normally me and Iris didn’t get along. But then again, nothing else was really following the normal swing of things today, either.
“Iris, it Annabelle.” I said. “Something weird is going on today, and I was hoping you could help. It’s my wedding day, after all.
“That’s right!” She exclaimed. “It is your reflections big day! Mine is just going in for a routine checkup. Nothing exciting.”
“Reflection.” I whispered.
“Yeah,” Iris said, “Keep an eye on those mirrors and make sure she doesn’t cross over. We wouldn’t want her to end up in a place like this on her big day. Which reminds me, have you and Damien worked things out yet? He was being a total jerk last time I was over. Anyways, I got to go. Keep an eye on those mirrors!
As she hung up, I took a moment to let it sink in. Mirrors. Somehow I’d come to this place through the mirror. And that’s how I would go back.
I walked into the bathroom and slowly shut the door. I walked up to the mirror. But I was surprised to see there was no one in the reflection. I reached my hand out and touched the glass. Nothing happened. Of course it didn’t. What was I thinking? You can’t travel through mirrors.
But, how’d I get here? I had to find myself, I decided. I left the apartment and started walking down the street. Everything was covered in trash here. There were fires blazing in the street. There were homeless fighting for scraps of food and the amusement of others at the promise of a few dollars.
I kept my head down and walked on. I stared hard at every reflective surface I could find. But I wasn’t on the other side. Where was my reflection?
Hours passed. Distraught, I stepped into a church to pray. I sat down in the pew, and the tears started to roll. My wedding day, and I wouldn’t even be there to experience it. What else could I do?
I walked to the bathroom and was surprised to see my dolled up self on the other side. My dress was beautiful. And that pin in my hair, my mother had worn it at her wedding.
I reached out. I longed to be me. That’s when my reflection mouthed, “I’m sorry.”
As I touched my fingers to the glass, a familiar shock ran up my arm.
When I opened my eyes I was in a beautiful snow white princess dress. I was back. Just in time to walk up the aisle and say, “I do.”

That night as I stepped out of the shower in our hotel, I looked at the mirror. Traced across the fogged up mirror were the words, “I had to experience your world. Just for a day.” I nodded, dropped my towel, and walked to the bed where my new husband was waiting for me.