Sort of how the mirror looks when Mikyla first sees it ^

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Mikyla stumbled back in shock. A sharp object presses into the small of her back and the shelf behind her sways precariously with a warning clatter. As if part of the ensemble, the shop owner's voice chimes in without skipping a beat.

"Nice to see, nice to hold, once broken considered sold."

Mikyla rolls her eyes but her heart still hammers in her chest. Did the mirror really just speak?

"That's not possible." She shakes her head. "You didn't just talk."

"But I did." The voice appears once again causing Mikyla to further prod herself against the shelf behind her.

"Th-that's not possible though. Mirrors don't talk but y-you just did. You can talk!"

"Wow really?" The mirror gasps. "I haven't noticed! Did you know you can talk too?"

"Umm," Mikyla tries to blink the disbelief from her eyes. If this is real then there's no point in staying dumbfounded. The best thing to do is remain calm and try to act normal. "So do you want anything?"

"A body would be nice or if that's not possible how about a martini?"

"Well... The thing is..." Mikyla scratches her head. "I don't think I can get those, especially the body..."

"Yeah, no shit Sherlock."

Mikyla stammers, "W-what?"

"Forget it. Just know that good conversation is hard to find nowadays, especially with-" The mirror pauses and Mikyla could almost feel its transient eyes looking over towards the shopkeeper "-that guy. So I'll do you a favour."

Mikyla's face develops a lopsided grin. "Can you grant me a wish?"

"I'm a mirror, not a genie with seven magic balls."

"So no wish?" Mikyla asks in disappointment yet with a tinge of hope stemming from the mirror's ambiguous sarcasm.

"That would be what I was trying to imply..."

"Oh. So what can you do then?"

"Oh, quite a few things actually. I can juggle, fly an aeroplane, sing the bohemian rhapsody, cook brownies, all sorts of things but what I think you'll find most interesting is that I can show you the real you, or rather show you what you can become."

Mikyla smirks deciding it was her turn to retort with a witty comeback. "What? A pile of ashes or perhaps a corpse six feet under?"

The mirror sighs before falling silent. At first, Mikyla thought she had overstepped her boundaries but as a faint wheezing became apparent it became clear that the mirror wasn't ignoring her but rather being preoccupied with a bout of silent laughter.

"I like you. I really really do." The mirror finally says between thin gasps of breath.

Scratching her arm awkwardly, Mikyla shuffles between her feet. "Um, thanks?"

"No need to thank me. Just let's get this over with, if anybody saw me out of retirement then they'd dock my pension and no way am I going to let that happen."

Mikyla nods slowly and the mirror gives out a throaty cough as if he were a minister preparing for a solemn speech. "It's simple really. All you have to do is command me to show you something but it has to rhyme. Why not try something like 'Mirror, mirror, in front of me, show me what I could be'?"

"That's it?" Mikyla asks, scepticism lacing her words.

"Mm, hmm. Yup."

"Alright then," Mikyla rubs her hands anxiously, "Mirror, mirror, in front of me, show me what I could be."

Suddenly, the mirror's dull sheen is replaced by a flash of silver and Mikyla catches a glimpse of a person in the mirror. Immediately, Mikyla recognises the person as herself. They both have the same freckle underneath their eyes and the slight crook in her nose is unmistakable. It's almost a perfect replica, a reflection of who she is but for some reason, her skin has been bleached and her hair cropped short. The change is perplexing and Mikyla shifts forward to get a clearer view but, before she knew it, the figure had shifted once more to the Mikyla she already knew - the Mikyla she caught sight of in the short sideways glances in the shop windows; the Mikyla she hated.

She willed the mirror to return but clearly, she willed too much because with each desperate desire the mirror did return. It returned back to its dormant state, dust accumulating on the surface like sharks to blood.

"Mirror! Mirror!" Mikyla called desperately, "Can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear my dear." A voice says back but it did not come from in front of her. "What seems to be the problem? Wish didn't come true?"

Mikyla spins around to see a pair of silver eyes flash underneath the green and white bucket hat. She could almost feel his eyes peering straight into her and she swore she could see the sharp-toothed smile from underneath the fan covering the other half of his face. Mikyla could feel her face flush red. Was this all an act? Did he draw her own just to make a fool out of her?

"That's not very nice." Mikyla clenches her fists. She's already punched one person today so she couldn't really afford to punch another.

The shop owner snaps the fan shut to reveal a row of pointed teeth. "And what do you mean by that? Did I do something to upset you or did you happen to see something you didn't like?"

The words roll off his tongue and although the shopkeeper is at least an arms distance away, Mikyla could almost feel the sickly sweetness of his voice wrapping around her shoulders. What made it worse was that they weren't threatening like a snake. The vowels didn't constrict her nor did they apply any outward pressure yet the uneasy weight of them sent a shiver down Mikyla's spine. It was at this point Mikyla realised fear with a reason is gentle yet real fear has no reason. Real fear is the unknown.

"You know very well what you did!" The sternness of Mikyla's voice surprises herself and the shock of the almost royal tone displaces her current wariness. "It isn't appropriate to treat your customers like that and if you'll excuse me I will be taking my leave!"

Mikyla's voice quivers towards the end and she wonders what suddenly came over her. It was almost as if she were a completely different person. Nevertheless, her words seemed to have taken effect because, with a curt bow, the shopkeeper steps aside yet maintain the plastered grin on his face.

"Yes, sire. Would you like me to show you out?"

Mikyla almost chokes at the comment but abruptly clears her throat instead. She learned long ago that it's best not to play into people's games, especially when you're in an unfamiliar situation.

"No. I can see myself out."

With that, Mikyla brushes past the shopkeeper hoping to escape as soon as possible. The experience was more than a little uncomfortable but for some reason, she feels as if it's changed her somehow but how she does not know.

Within seconds Mikyla has reached the other side; this distance once again having shrunken or, more realistically, having returned to its original length. With a push of the door and a ring of the bell, Mikyla thought she had finally managed to evade the shopkeeper's vulturous stare but in the end h,e still has the last laugh.

"Thanks for visiting Kismet's. We hope to see you again!"

Before she could retort the door slams shut behind her, trapping her in the outside world once again. A ghost shiver tingles throughout her body at the strange encounter but as she turns to leave and return to normalcy the sky bleaches white and her eardrums pop at the sound of rolling thunder. With a jolt, Mikyla loses her footing yet as she picks herself up from a puddle she landed in, her eyes go wide and it's not due to the grime nestled in forbidden areas. It's because of what she see's in the murky water.

She sees a boy.

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Word Count for Chapter 6: 1342
Total Word Count: 9997

Authors Note:

Hope you liked the UNEDITED chapter 6! Don't forget to press on those magical stars to light up Mikyla's future path and leave a comment telling me what you like so far or what you don't like. Thanks for reading so far.

Happy reading
~ Dracollavenore