Reflections

Did you ever look in the mirror, and see someone who was not you? Perhaps I am going crazy to stare so long and think my hair looks black. My eyes seem green, wickedly evil.

A shot rings out. A bullet moves through a hole I don’t remember. Ducking holding my hands over my head. Why is someone attacking me in the bathroom? Everything seems so strange. The walls, they do not sport those white tiles. Instead, they are wooden.

I rub at my eyes, jumping up. All these sleepless nights must be getting to me. My heart thudded in my chest. I seemed to be in a living room, how did I get here? My head hurts. I feel dizzy, the stinging of a bullet in my arm.

I wake up in the hospital, looking in the mirror. My brownish-red hair is back. So much time was missing. What is going on with me?

A doctor walks in, looking over at the chart on my bed.

“Ah. I see your up. Surprised with the condition you were in when you came here.”

“Just what happened to me?” A look at my arm. No bullet holes.

“You don’t remember? Well, we are unsure of just what happened. All we know is your mother called. She said you were laying on the floor in a pool of blood.”

I glanced in the mirror yet again, quickly for fear of seeing the green eyed girl again. “So if I was in such bad shape, where are my wounds?”

He gives a motion to the back of my head.

“You bashed your head in pretty good. We had to give you stitches. Now lay down, you need your rest. You lost a lot of blood.”

I wanted to tell him about the girl with green eyes. Helpless I watch as he starts up the IV drip. So tired...

Morning brings sunshine into my window. Wait a second. I don’t remember one being there before. Twisting, I get a good look at my arm. Aha! A bandage lay on my soft pale skin. Or should I say whoever’s body I happen to be in at the time.

Rubia Mendez. I wonder if she is in my body while I am in hers. How did this happen? Maybe it is just a dream. It hurts to much to be a dream. The doctor walks in with a clip-board.

“Good morning Rubia, how are you doing today?”

I start to speak, but my words are in Spanish. What the...I failed that in high school and here I am like I have spoke it all my life. The doctor taps the pencil on the board patiently as I explain.

“I am not Rubia Mendez. I am Bailey Scott. I know this will sound strange. I am supposed to have a wound on the back of my head, not my arm. It’s funny I can remember how Rubia got injured...”

He just nodded and smiled, seeming not to understand what I said.

“Good, seems as if your making a lot of progress Rubia.”

I was frustrated. How was this happening, and why? The day went by slowly. Strangers flitted into my room every once in a while. I ate the food that seemed to have no taste. Then my eyes closed, waking from a dream into myself.

Who could explain it? Every time I tried to speak of it, people didn’t even seem to really listen to what I said. It made me fear sleep. I didn’t wish to be Rubia Mendez again.

I look in the mirror once more. I may as well get used to it. It wasn’t worth having a nervous breakdown.

-

Somehow I had to figure out how and why this was happening. I had a hard time believing the whole thing was imagined. The possibility of Rubia Mendez being an alter ego of mine seemed possible, but it didn’t explain why everyone ignored me whenever I tried to speak about her.

Maybe if I am lucky, if I look up her name on the internet I might find some answers. Bad luck! Seems like most of the entries here are in Spanish. My rudimentary grasp on it just won’t do.

Does Rubia understand English? Was the doctor speaking in it? I held my head, needing some rest from all this thinking. Slipping into bed, I drift into a dreamless sleep half-expecting to wake up as her agian.

Getting up feeling refreshed, I brushed my brown hair back smiling weakly at the girl who stared back at me. Well guess I was wrong. I couldn’t help but wonder what triggered me leaping into Rubia’s body.

Suddenly I burst out laughing. I remembered that old show Quantum Leap. Did what was happening have to do with it? Was I supposed to save Rubia from something?

“Well, where is Al when I need him!”

“Al, Al who? Is that a friend of yours dear?”

So lost in my thoughts was I that my mother passing by was unnoticed. My cheeks flushed. She probaly had an idea “Al” was some guy I had a crush on or something.

“Um nobody mom. I was having a private conversation with myself. I wish you wouldn’t sneak up on me like that!”

“Oh come on Bailey. You been acting strangely the last couple of weeks. Is this Al have something to do with it?”

I rolled my eyes.

“Mother, no!” Maybe I could get clues of this girl from my mother, assuming she had been in my body when I was in hers. How was I supposed to talk about it without rousing her suspicions though. “I haven’t been acting any different.”

The old denying trick. She should be starting to list off just what she had noticed now. I felt rather clever.

“Well, for one thing I know you hate Mexican food but you been asking for it a lot. Did this Al character get you knocked up?”

I sighed, well if this girl was Spanish that was a given. Mother didn’t tell me anything I didn’t know already.

“I just wanted to try it. Maybe my tastes had changed. You always say some day I will like fish, why not Mexican food? And I don’t know anyone named Al. He was someone on a television show.”

She raised an eyebrow hanging up towels.

“So you have a thing for some television star now? I guess it was just the drugs you been on, but you seemed rather confused about things at home. Just how did you hit your head on the towel rack in the first place?”

Now I knew what I did to smash my head in but how was still a mystery.

“I don’t remember. I have a headache mom. I think I am going to lay down a little while”

She gives me a look, and a nod.

“Certainly. Try to get some homework done. It just won’t do if you end up being behind everyone else.”

What a nag. Rubia’s family didn’t seem like her. Probably because she had a lot of brothers, sisters aunts and uncles around all the time. I squeezed my eyes shut trying to remember any personal effects but started to fade into sleep the drugs taking a toll on me.

-

In the morning I wake up, look in the mirror and guess what? I am Rubia agian! She must be taking over my life when she is in my body. So, why isn’t she trying to find out about me? Maybe she is, but I don’t know it. I wish I knew what she was thinking right now.

I dig though her drawers, hitting pay dirt. A diary! Maybe this might give me a clue of just why and how we got into this mess. Damn! It’s locked? Where’s the keys? Hopefully she will understand me breaking the lock, but I think how would I feel about her messing around in my personal stuff?

Heck, if it meant this whole body change thing stopping, I wouldn’t care if she totally wrecked my room! There, finally got this lock open. I flip through the pages trying to find something related to this whole mess. Aha! A clue.

Dear Diary-

Something strange happened today. I looked in the mirror, seeing myself with this awful brown hair, and plain blue eyes. Eh, that is what happens when you wake up too early in the morning!

I flipped ahead, grumbling about her comments about my eyes and hair. I had thought her eyes had seemed wickedly evil when I first saw them but I hadn’t put that in my diary.

Dear Diary-

So many weird happenings. Somehow I got in the way of a gang fight, and after I blanked out I was in someone else’s body! I am not lying. This is not a dream I am pretty sure. When I saw myself in the mirror, I fell over bashing my head open on a towel rack.But when I woke up as myself once more, I just had a bullet wound on my arm, and no injury to my head. Am I going insane? I need help, but how do you get help for something like this?

Well now I knew how I got the injury on my head. I thumbed backwards in the diary, hoping for some clue of what started this. I guessed it happened before the whole mirror incident. Wait, it happened on the same day. I saw her, and she saw me! Curiouser and curiouser..

-

Suddenly, I got an idea. If the mirror is the thing that changed us around maybe it had something to do with it! If that was so, how come none of the brothers or sisters or aunts or uncles had the problem. Maybe it was because the mirror responsible was the one in Rubia’s vanity. I ran my fingers over it. Those golden swirled roses, were just like the one in my

bathroom! My parents never used that one so I had claimed it as my own. I used a mirror my father gotten on one of his business trips since I liked those tiny golden roses. Now I wish I never took it. But then my parents might be in this same situation.

I should ask my father where she got it whenever I returned in my body since it would be a little strange to ask about it from Rosia’s mom. Maybe I could try to causally bring it up. Walking over to the kitchen, I leaning on the chair watching as “mother” cooked up some tortillas.

“Hey mom, you remember the time we got the mirror for my bedroom?”

She blinked looking over at me surprised.

“Aye. That was when you were about seven years old and we visited Mexico to visit the family there. Your auntie spoiled you like crazy! You went shopping, saw that mirror and wouldn’t stop begging until we finally had to get it.They said it had a mate once, but it was sold to some American family. Oye. Seems a same, I bet your little sister would of loved it in her room. Course, she was only a sparkle in your papa’s eye then!”

Mate was a weird term for two mirrors. I nodded softly to the prattle of her words wondering if the questions were worth all the chatter. I had to somehow get things back to normal. This was the only clue I had to work on.

-

“Was anything weird about the person who sold us the mirror?”

I asked, hoping that didn’t sound too strange. Rubia was seven when it happened. Rubia’s mother must be wondering why I was asking this. Maybe she thought I was just remembering my trip with my aunt in Mexico.

“I don’t know I wasn’t there. Is this some way of trying to get me to let you call your auntie? You could of just done that without the silly mirror questions.”

I slowly nodded. Maybe she could tell me more about the guy who sold the mirror to them, and remember anything that he said that might be strange besides that mirror mate comment.

“Go ahead. You remember she is on speed dial? Just don’t talk too long. We don’t need a bill on the phone like last month!”

I shook my head.

“Which one on speed dial is she?”

My mother sighed, grabbed the phone pressed the button and gave it to me before returning to dinner. I walked into my bedroom with the phone glad that it was a cordless.

“Hello, auntie? I have a few questions that may seem a little odd to you. I just was thinking about that mirror we bought in Mexico. Did the guy who sold it to you seem strange, or say anything that may of alarmed you?”

The voice on the other end seemed to be broken in surprise at the question.

“Aye. That was twenty years ago Rubia. Why are you asking me about it? It’s strange how clearly I remember. You begging. Me thinking the man seemed shifty, and the mirror not so natural. I couldn’t stand the tears so I bought it for you anyway.”

I took a deep breath.

“Something strange is happening to me auntie. I am unsure if you would believe it. The only thing I can think of to do to stop it is to break the mirror, throw it away. But who knew what the shards of it might do even in the trash.”

The woman started to shout on the other end.

“I knew that mirror was wicked! Breaking it will just make more things happen! Just what is happening? You know I will believe you!”

Actually I didn’t because I wasn’t really Rubia.

“Well, you see me and this girl named Bailey Scott are trading places. Right now you are speaking to Bailey, not your niece. The mate to the mirror you bought, my father also bought on a buisness trip to Mexico.”

There was silence on the other end for a long time.

“So the mirror is cursed! We have to find the guy who sold it. You need to come up here pronto! I remember his face, it’s hard to forget it. How will I get your mother to send you here though? Plane trips are very expensive. I could pay your way, but still we need a reason for the trip or your mama will not be up for it!”

I blinked, why couldn’t she just search herself? Perhaps the guy was dangerous. Though she wasn’t my blood aunt I felt obligated to protect her.

“Is any birthdays or holidays coming up soon?”

Silence for a while, I guessed she might be looking at a calender.

“Not soon enough. I have an idea. I can say I won an award and wanted to share the wealth with my favorite niece. I think she would buy that!”

I really had no idea. I walked into the kitchen with the phone holding the mouthpiece.

“Momma! Momma guess what? Auntie won a big prize, and she wanted to treat me to a trip to Mexico. I hardly see her. Please momma, let me go!”

She looked at me, serving up dinner with a thoughtful look on her face. Calling over the family, they all took places. I sat down waiting for her answer.

“Well, seems like Rubia wants to go to Mexico. What do you guys think of that eh?”

There was a smattering of protests from the siblings. It looked like I was just going to get a no.

“Please mom. I will do anything to be able to go. I will clean the bathrooms every day, and take out the trash, and dish duty. I really need to go there.”

The others perked up at me doing most of the chores. I saw a small smile from her.

“I guess you will be taking a trip to Mexico!”

I always wanted to go there. Just never thought it would be like this.

-

Time goes by, I got off the plane feeling bad the real Rubia didn’t get to visit her aunt since it seemed like they had a really close relationship. I can’t help but wonder what she is doing with my life. I should write what is going on down so me and her can share this experience more closely. I saw a woman standing with a sign bearing the name Rubia Mendez. I ran up and gave her a hug.

“Ah, maybe you should get some rest before we go searching for that salesman. I bet your a little jet-lagged after that long airplane trip you had. No?”

I nodded slightly, my cheeks flushing in excitement and worry. I wanted to explore all over this place. Yet I feared meeting the one who sold the mirrors. He could be a normal fellow, selling stuff from someone shady. I needed to rest and not worry.

“I am starved. I always wanted to visit here. I hope we won’t start straight into looking for that dude.”

Laughing, she strolled into a cozy little cottage, the smell of something good cooking wafted to my nose.

“Of course not, what sort of hostess would I be if we did that? We have business to do but it is still a vacation. I hope your hungry, I made you one of your favorites. Um, well Rubia’s favorite.”

I nodded, all I had was a bag of peanuts on the plane. Rubia seemed to have good taste in food. What her aunt made was delicious

When I had rested after eating, Rubia’s aunt took me out to explore the sights of Mexico. But during the whole trip I kept thinking about the mirror. What was the whole story with it? I should be enjoying my sightseeing and it was ruined by that. I tried to focus on having fun but things kept getting in the way. What was Rubia doing with my life? Did my family believe she was me? I sighed and faced my hostess.

“It’s no use, I keep thinking about the mirror. We might as well see the salesman now!”

“Well if your sure dear. It’s hard to enjoy the trip when other pressing matters are on your mind I guess.”

We went to where the stall was, but instead of someone selling mirrors was someone else. After all these years did I really expect the same person to be there? I was crushed. but what someone said next caught my attention. A boy was looking at all the wares seeming confused.

“Excuse me, were you selling mirrors at one time?”

As the shopkeeper gave his negative response, I headed towards the boy. Why was he looking for the same thing I was? Maybe he was in the same situation that I was in.

“I’m also looking for mirrors. Did something odd happen to you?”

The boy gave me an odd look and grabbed my arm.

“I think we should go somewhere private and have a talk.”

“Er, you mind if my aunt comes along with me? She knows what is going on.”

It was easier to say she was my aunt then explain what was happening, anyways I didn’t know why this guy wanted to have a private chat with me. For all I knew, he might be attracted to me or something and it had nothing to do with the mirror.

“If you must take her, I rather we be alone though.”

I looked over at her, wondering if it would be OK to go without her. I didn’t think it would be since it was a strange boy and I would be alone with him in an unfamilar place. She took my hand and smiled sweetly.

“Sorry, but leaving her is something I cannot do. I have to look after her, and I don’t know what your intentions are..”

The boy frowned as he lead me and Rubia’s aunt to a safe place.

“I wanted as little people to know about this as possible. I knew once the mirrors got out we would have to explain what was happening to the people who got them.”

I sat down waiting for whatever the boy was going to say to be said. Rubia’s aunt got herself comfortable watching the boy with an uneasy look on her face. It didn’t seem like she trusted him very much. I wasn’t sure what to think of him myself.

“You will probably not believe what I have to say, but...if odd things are already happening to you maybe your mind is more open.′

He paused, and I glared at him. Just say what was happening to me!

“Well...I am not what you see. I am an alien. Those mirrors were first developed so we could study your race without being detected. The person who’s body we are in usually were knocked unconcious so they wouldn’t know what was going on. But something went wrong, it went terribly wrong.”

So, the mirrors were made by aliens. I nodded at him to continue with his story.

“One of the people that we went in the body of was not knocked out by the transfer, and was in the body of one of my people. Never to say, he was very surprised by his new life. He wanted to show people that life was on other planets. He tried to find a way to get off the planet to reveal the truth to everyone on Earth.But the only thing he could find was the mirrors. If he changed places with somebody important everyone would know about us.”

Well...if he succeeded, whoever the boy changed places with probably was just taken as crazy since everyone wasn’t talking about how aliens really existed.

“Anyways, what happened is he changed places and forgot all about his old life but for some reason the mirrors came with him. Seeing them, he thought that he must be someone who sells mirrors. Anyways, we would of just forgotten about them but recently we had found a prophecy about the people who found them.”

I was following the story pretty well until then.

“A prophecy? About little old me? There’s nothing special about me though. You must be mistaken!”

The boy gently smiled.

“So you take the fact I am an alien well, but do not believe you are a part of a prophecy? You are so much more than you know. And also the girl you changed places with. We must find her. I figured people would be coming back to find out what happened to them once they changed places with somebody”

I shrugged.

“She is probably back where my home is. I can’t imagine she’ll take everything that you said very well either. But I really don’t know too much about her. I guess we’re going to go back to California. But I think I’m going to want to do a little more sightseeing since I’m not so preoccupied with what’s up with the mirrors. And since your new to this planet I guess you’ll agree with me!”

He nodded and together we went to enjoy the sights. It was a lot more pleasant now that I knew about the mirrors, but I wondered what this prophecy could be all about. Was I to fight something? Would I be able to visit this alien’s home world? I had so many question, and boy was I excited about the future!