Mirror on The Wall

Ben almost committed involuntary suicide as his head crashed into the wall. Fortunately he was not running at full speed and the gods saw it fit to bestow him another chance at life through their mercy. He had buttoned his shirt almost all the way to the top in attempt to wear it quickly like a tshirt. He scowled and cursed himself for a failed attempt at exiting the door and putting on a shirt at the same time. He took a step back and forced his favourite short sleeved, sky blue shirt down with a jump. Soon as his feet touched the ground his trousers fell to the ground with a loud clang as his belt buckle hit the floor. Ben looked up at the ceiling pleading for Gods mercy in his heart. He reached down to pull up his checkered black trousers when he noticed a little scar on his left knee. He paused and felt guilty that he was actually happy to see the scar. It meant everything had truly happened. A loud honk and blaring music brought him back to reality. He pulled up his trousers, made a deliberate effort to open the door and waddled out like a penguin before finally tying his belt.

Douglas was impatient and made sure to display every furrow of impatience. He honked loudly again as Ben crossed the two lane street that separated the two. He reached out to the passenger seat and opened the door so that Ben could drop into the seat in one swift motion after ducking his head. “Dude! Why do you like you just escaped a brothel without paying your bill?” Douglas asked without looking at Ben. “Damn bro!” Ben complained as he slumped back in his seat with a jolt because Douglas pressed the accelerator as if they were in a race. “U should see yourself man,” Douglas retorted. Ben took a glance on the rear view mirror and was mortified by his own reflection. “Doug, we need to buy a mirror. Right now!” Ben demanded. Douglas burst out laughing and playfully shoved Ben while holding on the steering wheel with his other hand. “I got you bro, there’s that antique store few blocks from here. It’s cheap as hell too. Don’t even think about suggesting a place off the route to work,” Douglas said with a stern look on his face.

They weaved their way through traffic like bank robbers evading the police and screeched to a halt at an antique store. “Make it snappy bro,” Douglas called out as Ben scampered out of the Lexus. The air was charged with the dynamic rhythm of a thriving urban center. The sidewalks teemed with pedestrians in a hurry, weaving through a kaleidoscope of storefronts adorned with vibrant signs. Some Cafés were overflowed with patrons sipping coffee amidst animated conversations, while street vendors added their calls to the lively symphony.

The shop looked like the only one that did not get a face lift in comparison to the modernised buildings it was surrounded by. The weathered sign with no visible markings creaked gently in the breeze. The hustle and bustle of the outside world was cut short the moment he walked into the shop. The shop exuded an old world charm. The shelves were laden with treasures from bygone eras. The counter had aged furniture and was decorated with vintage trinkets and sepia-toned photographs. The air carried a hint of mustiness, blending with the scent of polished wood. Soft sunlight filtered through dusty windows, revealing the history embedded in each carefully curated item.

Ben walked slowly to the end of the store as if by instinct only to find himself face to face with his own reflection from head to toe. It was an immaculate mirror he felt as if it were calling to him. The immaculate mirror reflected flawless clarity, its surface a pristine canvas untouched by blemish or flaw. Silvery and smooth, it captured and threw back the world in perfect symmetry. The edges polished to a high sheen, framed the looking glass like a portal to untarnished realms. Not a smudge or fingerprint dared to mar its reflective purity, rendering it a pristine portal into one's own reflection. It was just a mirror but somehow he felt a connection to it a desire to own it and keep all to himself. He touched it and for a second felt as if some part of him had been sucked into the mirror. He jerked his hand back suddenly and spun around to look for the store keeper. He looked around the dimly lit room. A very small old woman was nonchalantly dusting a vase. The withered old woman appeared as a testament to the passage of time. Her frail form was draped in layers of faded fabric and her skin, etched with countless lines, told stories of bygone years. Strands of once-dark hair had turned to a silvery white. Her eyes, deep and mysterious, held secrets untold and her gnarled hands bore the marks of ancient spells. Bent with the weight of experience. He walked up to her and before he could speak. “If it’s the mirror you want,” she said without turning to look at him. “You can take it.” Her words seemed to dance with a spectral resonance, casting a spell that lingered in the air. A touch of darkness intertwined with a hypnotic charm, as if each syllable held the secrets of forgotten realms. Ben was flabbergasted, “How did you know what I came for?” He asked. She gave a wry smile and said, “It is the mirror that has made the decision to come to you.” Ben didn’t have the luxury of time to make sense of what he thought he had heard her say. He cleared his throat and said, “Granny I am in a hurry. I have money. I can pay, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself knowing I stole from you,” he reached into his pocket to pull out his wallet. “Don’t,” she replied calmly. “For it is I who will bear the responsibility of potentially taking everything from you if your mind is weak.” Ben was dumbfounded wondering whether what he was currently experiencing was actually true or he was stuck in a dream somewhere. He pulled out a few notes from his wallet and placed them on the counter before picking up the mirror which was surprisingly light for its size. He felt as though he did not see his reflection for a second at the time he picked it up and turned to leave but he convinced himself otherwise. As he was about to leave the store the old woman called out, “You will find your money exactly where you left it when the time comes that you feel the need to return the mirror.” Ben shrugged and left without a reply.

He woke up with a start. He was in his bedroom, everything was normal but at the same time something did not feel right. Ben was still trying to piece everything together when his phone rang. It was Kay. Why was she calling him so early in the morning after that humiliating encounter. He was a grown man aged twenty five and he had failed just to land a kiss on an attractive woman that actually liked him. She liked him, him of all people and he blew it. He threw himself back onto his bed and buried his face in his pillow dreading the call. The phone finally stopped ringing and he breathed a sigh of relief. The loud buzz of a message notification followed a few minutes after. It was from Kay. He held his breath as he opened it. I have never had such a romantic Sunday in my life. And here I was thinking chivalry had died. I can still feel your lips on mine. Thanks for inviting me over. I had to rush for work but I made a little something for you in the kitchen. Xoxo. See you soon! Ben stared at his phone is if it were not his own. He was disturbed by a loud honk and loud music. He sat up slowly, got out of bed and walked to his bathroom too dazed to understand what was happening. He found himself staring at his reflection in the immaculate mirror he had bought the previous day. For an instant it looked as if his reflection winked and flashed a wicked smile. When he blinked and looked again it was only his dumbfounded face staring back at him. Most notably he had no scar on his left knee.

Another loud honk made him dash back to his bedroom. He opened his wardrobe in search of an outfit for the day and was surprised to his favourite short sleeved, sky blue shirt dangling from a hang wire. His checkered trousers was neatly folded below. Ben was on the verge of having a nervous breakdown. He dressed up quickly and rushed outside.

Douglas was impatient and made sure to display every furrow of impatience. He honked loudly again as Ben crossed the two lane street that separated the two. He reached out to the passenger seat and opened the door so that Ben could drop into the seat in one swift motion after ducking his head. “Dude! Why do you like you just escaped a brothel without paying your bill?” Douglas asked without looking at Ben. Ben was silent. Douglas was dressed in exactly the same clothes, picked hin up in the same spot and was clearly behaving the same way.

He slumped back in his seat and quickly fastened his seat belt anticipating Douglas slamming his foot on the accelerator as if they were in a race. “U should see yourself .. ” Douglas bgan. “Doug, we need to get to that antique store along the route to work,” Ben interrupted while staring straight ahead. Douglas burst out laughing and playfully shoved Ben while holding on the steering wheel with his other hand. He opened his mouth to say something to Ben who flatly stated, “I know you got me bro.” Douglas stared at Ben quizzically, “How did you know what I was planning to say?”

Strangely te door to the antique store was wide open as Ben stepped in cautiously. He immediately noticed the money he had left was untouched on the counter. “What did you sell to me?” Ben questioned vehemently the moment he set his eyes on the old woman. “As you can see, I have not touched your money,” she replied calmly as she dusted off the same vase he had seen her attend to the last time he was here. “I have noticed you have chosen to keep the mirror, living the same day twice doesn’t seem to affect you, does it?” Ben’s jaw dropped in astonishment, “So you knew what was going to happen? Why didn’t you warn me?” ... how she walks ...

“Like many others, you fancy yourself a good man. There are thoughts and desires that you banish to the basement of your heart and put a lid in the name of maintaining an image that befits a good man. Unfortunately, that lid is so fragile that just the right amount of force will prise it open. Tell me, my child. If you ignored what society would think of you if you pursued your desires, what kind of person would you be?” Ben defensively took a step back. “Even now you are at war with yourself,” she continued. “You know nothing about me!” Ben screamed. “Indeed I don’t child. But the mirror does.” She took a seat behind the dusty counter and began to count the money Ben had left. “Quite a generous offer,” she nodded in approval. “Yet there is no price you can put on your soul,”she said with a crooked smile.

“What’s going to happen to my soul?” He asked anxiously. “And how does the mirror know what I want or desire?” She shrugged and replied, “The mirror works mostly on your regrets, the desires that are unfulfilled for reasons best known to the individual.” Ben gasped. “The mirror has the power to take you back to that moment and relive the moment as per your desire or fantasy. Like a reset button if you like,” she chuckled as she went on. “The mirror will possess you and use your body as you would have wished you did yourself and return to the point where you had initially felt and acknowledged your regret. You will not be conscious when it all happens but moving forward you have the power to continue with your amended past or remain stuck in an eternal loop of living the same day because you held on to your regret.”

Ben closed his eyes in deep thought. For a moment he could see her smile, the glint of the diamond studded nose ring she wore. This cursed mirror had given him a second chance with Kay who apparently spent the night at his house and made him breakfast. There was definitely no turning back. Ben was often mocked and called weird. He had strange interests in things like astrology and was very knowledgeable about animals especially snakes. He didn’t consume alcohol or smoke at all. Douglas was his only friend who at least acknowledged his existence. It had never been a female as beautiful as Kay.

Ben was a Star Wars fanatic, he knew Star Wars lore better than the back of his hand. He vividly recalled how she had interrupted his excited chatter with Douglas who was a hot head that argued simply because he could sometimes. When he was losing an argument about facts he would resort to teasing Ben. As they were adding salt to their pop corns, Douglas was making fun of the shorts Ben was wearing and was making a strong point that never in a million years would he be used as the original model for the clone troopers because his legs were too feminine. “I think you have beautiful legs,” she had chimed in. She slurped her smoothie loudly through a straw nonchalantly as she allowed them to be caught in the trap of the beauty she exuded. She wore a denim short that barely made it below her bum and knee high boots. Her low cut top emphasized a well endowed chest that Ben could hardly keep his eyes off. She stepped in between Douglas and Ben. Placing a firm hand on Ben’s chest she remarked, “You seem like a guy who knows this franchise inside out.” She melted his heart with every touch. “Let’s sit together.” Ben had pulled back cowering at her confidence. “I am actually sitting with someone already,” he replied. Douglas raised his arms in mock surrender. “Its definitely not me,” he said with his arms raised as he took a few steps back. “Actually I have even lost interest. I’ll try a different movie.” He gave Ben a thumbs with a huge smile and a wink. “Wow!” I’ve never been turned down for a guy before she mused. “Looks like your date has bailed, I’m all you got. Let’s go.” She picked up Ben’s popcorn and headed to the cinema without waiting for his answer.

Ben had no idea what was going on. But whatever it was he liked it. He was not into popcorn as much and let her have most of it. She claimed to enjoy how he had spiced it up. She let it rest on her lap and Ben would occasionally dip his hand. Then one moment his hand did not collide with soft squishy pop corn. He felt the smooth firmness of her thigh. He tried to pull his hand away but she caught his hand. Placed it in her thigh and put her hand on top of his interlocking their fingers. He turned to face her in shock and he met her gaze. He remained like that, lost in the deep well of her alluring beauty. She cupped his cheek and pulled him towards her. Ben was a pure novice who had never ben so close to a female. His heart was beating uncontrollably. She leaned forward and he leaned forward with his eyes shut, anticipating to feel her soft moist lips press against his. This was his moment at last.

Then suddenly he felt a quick sharp pain on his left knee. His eyes flew open and realised she had turned away and was smiling at him. “I left u a small reminder to take the lead and be sure of yourself next time you try to kiss a girl,” she whispered. “Did you think it would be that easy?” She giggled silently. “Dont be so shy,” she encouraged while placing his hand back on her thigh and interlocking her fingers with his. Ben knew she was being nice and was perhaps amused by his naivety. His heart sank with embarrassment.

Ben looked at the old woman who glanced up and gave him a knowing smile as if she knew what was going through his head. Without uttering a word. He walked out of the store. Whatever was going to happen to his soul in the long run was none of his business. If Kay was going to stay so was the mirror.