You/Me

I am a shadow; a glimpse in the night. I belong to you, attached to your soul, and yet I am my own being. Eyes that cannot see do not notice me, though I stand in plain sight. When you look in the mirror, you see not your reflection, but a refraction of yourself. I am the you that is not me; the you that cannot be.

Our worlds parallel. As time in yours moves on, so does mine. We live in the same town, eat the same things, have the same friends. But we act fundamentally differently. While you hardly dare step outside your boundaries, I leap and play far beyond those lines. While your friends are skittish and inconsistent, mine are loud and loyal. The laws of your small consistent world are laughable to my kind.

I am of the Fae. Each human in your world has a magical counterpart in ours, and it has been this way for millennia. All things are created in pairs. Two universes, two earths. Two Adams, two Eves. I am your second; your twin created equal and yet better. Usually, our worlds don’t connect further than this. However, once upon a full blue moon, our worlds align as stated in the legends of old. Mirrors become portals, and those unsatisfied with their life cross over into the other world.

Thus, how it came to be that on a cold winter morning as you brushed your hair before the mirror, I stared back and slowly allowed the illusion to fade. I lowered my arms and stood still, confusing your small human mind. Though I could not hear you, I knew by how you backed away in alarm and the subtle way your lips moved, that you were uttering a surprised curse. Making the decision to change my life and yours was too easy. The surface of the glass mirror shimmered as I loped through it gracefully and my skin tingled as fresh, new air blessed my skin. Your face paled of colour as I stretched my arms towards the ceiling with a predatory grin.

“Hello, me.” Your stammers of disbelief as your eyes stretched wide with terror amused me, and I laughed airily. “Now, now, calm down. I won’t bite.” I paused for a tantalising second, enjoying how aware I was of the situation compared to your perturbed ignorance. “Yet.”

You reached for the nearest object, your hands coming into contact with the lamp on your desk. The way you brandished it, shaking like a leaf both surprised and bored me. So predictable that it was funny.

“Stay away!”

I threw my head back with laughter, knowing that the way my pointed ears would flitter would unnerve you. “Do you really think that will keep me away?” I took a step toward you as you took a step back.

“I-I don’t know what you are, but stay away!”

Another step forward, another step back.

“I’m warning you!”

I only smiled as you backed against the wall with my final step. You flung the lamp at me, and I caught it with one swift movement. “Don’t break things. I want to settle in comfortably.”

“Settle in?” The words seem to leave your lips faster than your brain could comprehend them.

“Yes. See, my world is…” I examined my nails nonchalantly, “old. You humans, as tiresome as you are, are alway moving forward. You’re innovative, I’ll give you that. I envy your life, your world. It is cleaner. Brighter. And full of fresh meat.” I placed the lamp on the bed carefully and grinned, flashing sharp white canines. I was enjoying this moment. For years I had wondered what it would be like to step into your world and wreak havoc on it, and so far it has been wonderful. I could replace you easily. It would only take a little glamour to hide my Faeish features. The fresh youth of your world would suit me well.

I would make your life mine, and enjoy every second of it.

The way you screamed and shoved yourself away from the wall, leaping and rolling over the bed in a mad dash for the door was entertaining. I jumped over the bed with ease and landed in front of you. It wasn’t hard to dodge your shaky punch, and I casually threw an arm around you though my strength was a thousand times more than yours. “Now, now. I won’t hurt you, I promise.” My voice was a whisper. Your violent struggles ceased as I casually stroked a finger up your neck, sending thousands of magical signals to your nerves and forcing them to relax. “I’m sure you understand. Maybe next millennia, I’ll go back, hmm?” I pulled you to the mirror with a twisted smile, and tears spilled from your eyes. After one last sweeping glance, I gave you a gentle push, and you toppled through the mirror. The surface of the glass rippled like water for a moment before solidifying. I rested my hand on it and smiled. The mirror shattered into a million tiny shards. From downstairs the sound of a door swinging open greeted my ears, and seconds later, a sweet voice that made my mouth stretch into a wide grin.

“Honey, I’m home!”