The Mirror

 I find myself walking round town at 9.00 in the morning. Soaked to the bone. Normally I am in my rocking chair with a drop of whiskey, that’s all I have usually but today is different: I plod round the shops. When I come by an unfamiliar cobble path, something pulls me towards it.  The shops and the bustle disappear. The pavement bendy and dark. It stops just as quickly as it came. I look behind me: the path has disappeared, then I look straight in front of me, there is a shop. It’s covered with wind chimes. The noise hurts my ears! I wish it would stop.

I have had enough of this so I turn around, I don’t want to go in there, it looks very peculiar. As I am about to go, I hit my head on the brick wall which was not there before. There’s nowhere to go. Oh fiddle sticks; I am going to have to go in this spooky old shop. Well, I had better get some Dutch courage first.  I perch myself on the floor just staring at the shop; it does not look like there is anyone in there. I fumble about in my bag. Oh blast, you had better be in there and eventually my bony hands locate the bottle. I take the lid off and take a big, massive gulp and wipe my mouth with my hand to remove any excess whiskey.  Then screw the lid back on: oh, one more would not hurt, would It Pearl, so I take another gulp. Now I am ready to go in this freaky shop. Come on, Pearl, hop to it. I start to stumble as I get to the shop and end up falling through the door.  Maybe I should not have had that last drop I chuckle to myself.

There in the shop is a beautiful mirror with diamonds all around it.  I can’t keep my eyes away. I hear a voice from behind me, saying:

 ‘Come in and take a look around.’

I glance around quickly but there is no one to be seen and I can see  sparkling in  the corner of my eye, so I go  towards  the  mirror and  see me; but is it me, I look different .  I have long, black hair flowing on my shoulders, with striking, green eyes and my skin does not look wrinkled anymore. I look young and radiant and I am wearing a long, black dress with a black pointed hat.  I look beautiful and mysterious.  The voice comes back soft and quiet:

‘You came here for a reason; you were looking for something in particular?’ Weren’t    you, Pearl?

I feel like I am under some sort of spell but it feels wonderful; maybe I am drunk and I shall wake up in a minute: go with it, girl , it won’t harm you.  I nod my head.

I am drawn to the mirror again .The voice tells me to look at my hand through the mirror.

There, in my hand is this vial bottle. It’s red with pearls all around it: it looks so small and dainty.

I take my eyes away for a minute and look at my hand and it has disappeared: what’s happening?

The voice tells me to drink but there is nothing here, so I grab my bottle  from my bag and take a  gulp of  whiskey but when I look in the mirror I am holding the vial bottle and this time I take an even bigger sip  . It tastes nasty.  I fall to the floor, crashing on the mirror.

OH!  My head hurts; I rub my head then my eyes. Where am I?  My eyes start to clear and then I realise where I am. I am on my rocking chair, nursing a hangover and it is still raining outside. I glance at the clock and it’s 1.00 in the morning .Blimey!  I have been a sleep for ages. I must have been dreaming, how weird. Maybe I should stay off the whiskey. I laugh; don’t be silly, Pearl, that is a crazy idea.  I go to grab my bottle out of my bag but instead I am holding the vial bottle, just like in the dream. It’s bright red with pearls, exactly the same. I throw the bottle to the floor. I must be dreaming again.  I run to the mirror .Oh my, what’s going on?

I look in to it and instead of my old face and grey hair; it is the woman I saw earlier with black hair, soft silky face and striking green eyes. I put my wrinkled hand to my face; it still feels dry and old. Then I hear the voice:

’ Pearl, look closely in to the mirror’.

‘What’s going on’?

‘Look, deep and hard,’ the voice fades.

Ok, Pearl look. There I am sitting in a chair, fast asleep with a bottle in my hand and in my old body and there, standing over me, is a man in uniform talking to a woman.  All of a sudden they are violently shaking me but I don’t seem to be waking up and the bottle falls out of my hand. I turn away. What’s going on? I can’t help myself but look again. My skin has changed colour and my body looks lifeless. I glance at the bottle; it is the red vial bottle. I hear the voice again:

 ‘Pearl, don’t you get it yet? You’re dead, you poisoned yourself!’

‘What, no I am dreaming again’. I don’t understand.

The man and woman walk straight past me and there’s a group of old people coming out of their rooms in their dressing gowns. It’s my friends. Thank goodness.  I run over and shout at them but no one’s listening to me.

‘They can’t hear you Pearl, you’re dead.’

‘No, I can’t be!’

‘Come and join me.’

‘How?’

‘Go to the mirror and walk into it and your questions will be answered’

This is silly. I walk right up to it and put my hand through first.  It disappears and then I feel something forceful pulling me through the mirror.

NOOOOOOO!