by Estevan Vega
We were still laughing when he ran out of the bathroom, and Mom turned and caught my eye with a chuckle still in her throat. It died there, as he cleared it out, harrumphing in seeming embarrassment.
“Thanks, Liz,” she said softly, and then bent to gather up the towels and washrags.
“Mom, I—” I didn’t know what to say. She’d never in a hundred years believe what had happened and trying to explain would only make it worse. I clammed my lips shut. She stood up and opened her mouth as if to say something further and then kind of shook her head a little, turned and left the room, leaving me sitting on the floor.
I knew what I was going to have to do. It was plain as a Friday night pimple that I was never going to undo the damage Miss Blue Eyes had wrought upon my once peaceful existence. Jim, Liz’s Jim, had shown me what had to be done, without knowing he had done so. It was something he had once said. About Junior. When he talked about the past and how Junior would be at home in the mirror since he could always live in the past.
That was when he’d told me about time travel and explained how to do it. It was easy. Or so it sounded. I hadn’t tried it, but I had no reason to believe it wasn’t exactly as he said. Somehow, I knew that Jim never lied and somehow I knew that he had told me about the phenomena for a reason. This reason.
There was only one tiny drawback. Time travel could only be achieved in Mirror World. And there was that other little snag. You might end up without your entire body unit, at first.
I had to do it. There was no other choice. My life was ruined unless I could go back to that moment when I had traded places with Miss Blue Eyes and reverse my decision. I would be on the opposite side of the mirror this time and the farthest I could go back would be to the exact second I entered the mirror. But something had happened at that moment that told me my plan would work. Miss Blue Eyes had stared at me for nearly a full minute, gloating, before she turned and ran out of the bathroom. I was counting on her exhibiting the same obnoxious behavior in the same way, once again.
That was it. I was going back into the mirror.
On purpose.
Ohboyohboyohboy…
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
MY HANDS WERE SWEATING and my mind churned over what I needed to do and how to accomplish it. By going back to that exact moment, I would have time to shout the words out before she averted her gaze. And, I would be out again, back in my own world before she had the opportunity to do anything to wreck my life.
The only thing that could go wrong would be that she wouldn’t stand and stare in triumph at me like she did the first time, but flee the bathroom immediately. If that happened, I’d be trapped for good, since it was unlikely she’d ever place herself in a position to be tricked again. It was a chance I had to take. I wanted my life back. I wanted my family back. I wanted Jimmy back.
I was betting that she would remain true to her nature.
If all went well the whole thing would take less than an hour.
I’d be back in time for supper. If I remembered right, three weeks ago Mom had planned roast beef for that night. My favorite.
I knew I’d have an appetite, regardless of all the chocolate chip cookies I’d inhaled.
I stood up.
I walked to the bathroom.
I took a deep breath.
I looked into the mirror and deep into my eyes.
They were blue.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
IT WAS HORRIBLE AT first. I was back in the mirror—of my own volition-don’t tell me how crazy that was!—and I wasn’t even sure time travel actually worked.
It had to. It just had to!
I found myself in the mirror at Derek’s. Behind the dog painting. Mirror Jim was there, too. At first, I just stood there and stared out. I thought I could see someone’s feet disappearing up the stairs. Whoever it was had on my shoes. There wasn’t anybody else there, but the place was a mess. I looked at Jim and could barely keep myself from crying.
“It’s two days later,” Jim said. I’d forgotten he could read my mind when I looked at him.
“She just came by to pick up a sweater.”
So it was my shoes! And my nemesis.
“You just had to come back, didn’t you?” he said, his eyes sad. “How do you think you’re going to get back out now? Liz is going to be a hundred times harder to trick now.” He shook his head, like he was supremely disgusted. I guess I knew how he felt. Here he had his girlfriend back and then I’d done this.
“Jim...” I explained to him why I’d come back.
“It might work,” he said, but he sounded unsure.
“It has to work,” I said. “You told me time travel was easy.”
“I did, didn’t I,” he said. “Well, it is,” he went on. “For me. But then...I’ve been doing it all my life. I’ve got lots of practice. You’ve never done it before.”
“I learn quick,” I said. “Especially if I concentrate and focus.” And boy! Was I focused!
“Okay,” he said. “Give it a stab.”
I did what he’d told me you had to do. Closed my eyes, picked out the spot I wanted to arrive at and the time—the exact time—that was crucial—and simply wished.
I could feel something happening to my body, something indescribable. I hadn’t thought you could feel anything in here, nothing physical that is, but there was something very physical happening to me. It felt like...what? The closest I can describe the experience was it felt like swimming in Jell-o. Not that I’ve ever swam in Jell-o. It just felt like what I could imagine that to be like.
When the feeling stopped and I felt normal again, I still kept my eyes closed. I was so afraid I’d still be standing there with Jim, in the picture in Derek’s basement. If I opened my eyes and he was there I was going to die. I might as well.
Finally, I opened my eyes, first one, just squinting a little and then the other, and then I opened them wide.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
SUCCESS!
I was in the bathroom mirror. And at the right time. I knew it was the right time because there were Mom’s pink towels right in front of me. Ever since Liz and I had traded the first time, she’d been putting the yellow ones in the bathroom. And Liz was standing there, looking in the mirror, a smirk on her face. I remembered that smirk. It was the same one she’d worn right after we’d traded places the very first time.
I looked down at my feet. Hooray! They were both there! I’d arrived in one piece!
Or had I? I checked my other body parts, my legs, my arms and hands. My hands! My right one was there, but my left one...my left one was missing. My left arm ended at my wrist. Oh, my gosh...
Liz was saying something. “Yes, Elizabeth, and your eyes are blue now. Didn’t...”
This was the time! I had just a few seconds to say the magic words and reverse everything that had happened. But I couldn’t go back out missing a hand!
“...you always...” At the end of this sentence I had to make my move. I had to make a decision. I brought my left arm up. It was coming back! I could just see a ghostly outline, not the whole hand but it was reappearing. I had to go, hand or not. I had to say the magic words right now. I could only hope the rest of my hand would appear in time.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
“...WANT BLUE EYES?”
I just stared at her.
I had to say the words.
I couldn’t.
I was frozen.
I opened my mouth.
Nothing came out.
Then…
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
“I…I…”
I was stuttering!
I gulped air back, made my mind go blank.
Spoke.
“Iwanttotradeplaces.” I said it fast. No, I said it with the speed of light.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
AND THEN I WAS OUT.
I looked at Liz, trapped inside the mirror and a look of shock and surprise passed over her face and then her features scrunched u
p into a look of absolute rage and she started to say, “I want...” I slammed my eyes shut and turned away quickly.
I heard Mom come in the front door and call my name. “Elizabeth! Where are you, hon?”
I felt like crying, I was so happy.
“I’m coming, Mom. Be there in a minute.”
Then I did the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. I forced myself to look at my left hand.
It was there! Only...something was missing. At first, I didn’t know what was wrong. All my fingers were there. And then I saw. I was missing a fingernail! Just one. My index finger. The complete nail was gone. In the mirror someplace, I guessed. Floating around. My finger didn’t hurt or anything. It was just missing a nail.
I could live with that.
“Bye, Blue Eyes,” I said, glancing briefly at my twin. She was scowling. I caught a glimpse of Jim standing behind her. He was smiling.
So was I.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
IT’S BEEN THREE MONTHS now and everything’s fine. My fingernail has even grown back, only it’s not the same as it used to be. It’s turned a kind of pale silvery color. Weird!
Other than that, it’s almost as if the whole thing never happened. Almost…. The rest of it went pretty much the way I’d hoped and planned. I was able to get her back into a six-sided mirror again—since we’d gone back in time she didn’t remember how I’d tricked her before—and this time, I took the bucket out right away and buried it deep. Very deep. In the woods alongside Gravity Hill. That sure brought back some memories!
At the time I buried her, I figured I’d be safe for always, but I heard Dad say something disturbing the other day. Something about a new housing project scheduled for out by the airport. Out by Gravity Hill. I don’t know if it’s in the same place where I buried the bucket, but I’m going to find out. If it is, I’ll just dig her up and bury her again. If I have to keep moving her the rest of my life, well, then I’ll just do it. It’s a small price to pay for my freedom.
Lots of great things are happening. Jimmy surprised me with the nicest ring. It’s a pre-engagement ring, with an opal, my favorite stone. We’ve decided we won’t even think about marriage until we both get out of college, but that won’t take that long. A measly four years. Well, for me, anyway. The way Jimmy studies, it could take him six, but I figure I’ll help him all I can and get him through on time. No way I’m waiting six years to become Mrs. Elizabeth French. That boy’s fate is sealed.
I got accepted at Indiana University. The letter came last week. Our whole family went out and celebrated over in Fort Wayne, at this really great restaurant that has the best onion rings. They call it an “onion loaf” and it looks just like a loaf of homemade bread when they serve it. The only thing that tastes better in the entire universe is the perfect pizza, the way they do it at Oley’s Pizza.
I’m going to study English and folklore. That way I can write stories about all those things I’ve suddenly gotten interested in. You know, elves and fairies and gremlins. And Mirror People. I want to tell their story. Maybe there are others who’ve had the same experience I have. I want to tell Mirror Jim’s story. And Betty’s, from Fairmont. When I look back on it, there are some awfully nice people trapped inside mirrors. I have this idea that the more I study folklore and the more I learn, I may discover a way to help them escape, come out into the real world. Even Liz. Maybe if she had a true friend, she’d change, become a regular person.
That’s all a long way off. First, I have to study for my finals or there won’t be any college and I definitely don’t want to end up at the age of sixty with a name tag over my shirt pocket, pressing a spatula down on a greasy burger. I still remember my dream about Jimmy!
That reminds me. I have to find a dress for the prom. And yes, I’m going with Jimmy. The only problem is, he wants to double with Susie White and her new boyfriend. It turns out Susie’s started dating Junior. You know, Joe’s boy who runs the gas station? If he so much as begins his story about his stupid football block, I’m going to break his other leg.
I mean it. Or, I may just play a little prank on him. I may just have him stare into the mirror and say this little phrase I picked up. Five little words. Who knows? He may have his own mirror twin. We may just find out.
Wouldn’t that be sweet!
THE END
About the Author
Les Edgerton is a full-time writer and writing teacher. He formerly taught creative writing in the famed UCLA Extension Writer’s Program, was the writer-in-residence at the University of Toledo for three years, and enjoyed the same position for a year at Trine University. He obtained a B.A. from Indiana University and an MFA in Writing from Vermont College. Currently, he teaches creative writing classes online for Writer’s Digest and Phoenix College and is in demand nationally for writer’s workshops and conferences. Les lives in Ft. Wayne, Indiana with his wife Mary, a talented hairdresser, and their son Michael Bud.
He currently has fourteen books in print, including two writer’s how-to’s, a novel, two collections of short stories, two baseball books, several thrillers, and three business books focused on the hair design business.
Connect with Les Edgerton
Blog: lesedgertononwriting.blogspot.com
Twitter: twitter.com/HookedOnNoir
Mirror Mirror
Les Edgerton © copyright 2012
All rights reserved as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
StoneHouse Ink 2012
Boise ID 83713
http://www.stonehouseink.net
First eBook Edition: 2012
ISBN: 978-1-62482-012-0
Cover art: Damonza.com
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to a real person, living or dead is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Published in the United States of America
StoneHouse Ink
Table of Contents
Praise for Les Edgerton
Title Page
Also by Les Edgerton
Acknowledgements
Dedication
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 28
CHAPTER 29
CHAPTER 30
CHAPTER 31
CHAPTER 32
CHAPTER 33
CHAPTER 34
CHAPTER 35
CHAPTER 36
CHAPTER 37
CHAPTER 38
About the Author
Copyright Information