The Other Side of the Mirror

Yes, this is a oneshot fiction.


The Other Side of the Mirror

A sigh escaped past slightly chapped lips. Sharp grey eyes watched thin, wispy clouds scuttling across a golden sky. Lush grass brushed across bare arms, tickling tanned skin. Light breezes ruffled wild black shoulder length hair, throwing loose stands into its owner’s eyes. Cai lay in a field, thinking about nothing really. Why should he? He had no reason to. It was the same everyday, not matter what. The same golden sky, the same stupid clouds, the same bland food. Nothing ever changed, ever. Cai himself never changed. Same hair, same clothes, even his age stayed the same. His outward appearance never changed either. Now, his thoughts were a different story. They shifted every few minutes, bringing new ideas and theories. He was constantly trying to find a way out of this so called ‘paradise’ where there was no crime but there was nothing here for him. He used to tell the other people here about his ideas, trying to get someone to listen. Instead of thinking his ideas were great; they just scoffed at his ‘childish ways’. He hated it here.

They called this place Land of the Spirits; or, as he referred to it, a personal hell for him to live in. He had tried numerous times to leave the small rural town he was in. It looked just like the city he had died in, an exact replica. He had gotten in a car once and left the town and drove for what had seemed like hours. There were fields that stretched as far as the eye could see for scenery. He had thought he was going somewhere, out of that town. When he thought he could go on no longer, buildings started to appear instead of endless field. His heart beat sped up and he stepped on the gas, pushing the car to go faster. He got closer and closer and he got more excited with every inch he gained in the car. He pulled into the town in a short amount of time. He had gotten out of the car and took a look around. It was then that he realized he was in the same town that he had started from. The road was a loop, just reconnecting to the town; there was no way to leave.

Cai had basically given up on leaving. Even though he thought this, deep down, he hadn’t really given up. Cai still lay idly on the grass not bothering to move anytime soon. Another sigh escaped past his lips and he shifted his body to a more comfortable position. “Hey, Cai!” he heard coming from a distance. He turned his head and saw the only person that believed his ideas come running toward him. The boy finally reached his side and stood there, hands on knees, panting to get his breath back. A sack was clutched in his hand in a death grip. “I see you decided to steal again,” Cai said. The boy pouted. “I was hungry and didn’t have money to buy anything,” the boy explained. “Jules, you know you don’t need to eat,” Cai told the boy. “Don’t call me Jules! My name is Jay!” The boy shouted. Cai just chuckled and patted the ground beside him for the boy to sit. “Fine, I won’t call you Jules,” Cai said. The boy nodded his head in satisfaction before digging through the bag of stolen food. “What didja get?” The man asked. “Umm… A loaf of bread, three bananas, two oranges, a mango, a small bag of peanuts, and a wedge of cheese,” Jay said as he pulled the items out of the bag. The boy tore off a chunk of bread and shoved it in his mouth. “Ish reawry goo,” the boy said, his words muffled by the food in his mouth. “Don’t talk with your mouth full,” Cai scolded the boy. Jay swallowed the bread and just grinned at the man. Cai sighed and shook his head. “If you choke to death, it’s not my fault,” he informed the boy. “Already dead,” was Jay’s reply. “Ha, ha, ha, very funny,” said Cai. Jay stuck his tongue out at the man and bit into the bread, taking a great chunk full again. Cai lay back down and closed his eyes, listing to Jay eat the food he had stolen. He was soon lulled into sleep from the peaceful surroundings.

***

Cai bolted awake and looked around. It was sometime in the middle of the night, or maybe it was closer to morning. He could never tell with the sky the way it was. A light breeze carried his name, whispered quietly, to him. Cai tilted his head, listening closely. “Cai,” someone was calling, barely even heard. Cai looked all around the field and couldn’t find another person at all. He heard his name whispered again and he stood up. A touch to his cheek startled him and he whipped his head this way and that, looking for the source of the touch.

Cai was still alone in the field, no trace of anyone but himself. He shook his head trying to clear the cobwebs of illusion in his mind. “Cai!” a voice whispered loudly in his ear. He jumped and turned around. Jay stood there a few feet behind him. “You scared the shit out of me,” Cai said. Jay just tilted his head. “Anyway what the hell are you doing here? I thought you went home,” Cai said. Jay turned around and started walking away. Cai shook his head and started following the boy. It wasn’t long before Cai noticed they were out of range of the city and a forest loomed ahead of them.

Jay didn’t say anything, not a word, as they walked for what seemed hours. Cai kept up with the boy’s fast pace, not questioning why they were headed for a forest, it never occurred to him to. They soon hit the dense foliage and Cai had a hard time seeing anything. The thick tree branches full of leaves blocked out most of the light, making his vision falter. He stumbled after Jay, trying to keep up, but the boy’s pace never slowed down and he kept on tripping over underbrush. “Hey, Jay, wait. Slow down,” Cai said. Either the boy did not hear him, or he was ignoring him, as his pace never did slow in the slightest. “Damn it Jay, this is no time to be playing games,” Cai said, hurrying as fast as he could to catch up to the boy. In his haste, he tripped and fell, skinning his palms in the process. Cai sat up slowly, a colorful stream of curses flowing from his mouth as he looked at his dirty, bloody palms. Soon the stinging in his hands turned into a numb throbbing pain and Cai ignored his wounds. He looked around for Jay but the boy had disappeared and he sat sullenly, cursing his luck and the said boy of his torment.

***

Cai groaned and finally sat down after what seemed like hours of wandering the forest. He had no idea where he was or what time of day it was. He still couldn’t find Jay and he was tired, physically and mentally. If he ever found Jay he would strangle him and condemn him to the lowest pits of hell. He sighed, like that was going to happen. Cai looked down at his hands, glad to see the swelling had gone down from cleaning them. He had found an ice cold stream during his trek, he was stupid enough to leave it, and that was where he was trying to get back to. Of course he hadn’t found the damn stream and now he was stuck wandering aimlessly through the trees again. He leaned back into the tree he was sitting next to and closed his eyes. Past images of when he was alive flitted behind his closed eyes, like a movie projector playing the latest film in the theatre. His wife, oh his beautiful wife that was his whole world. She had lit up his life in a way that he couldn’t describe with words. Her sweet smile that she would casually throw him melted his heart and he couldn’t believe he had been with such a caring lovely woman. How he missed her. He sighed and opened his eyes, bringing his straying mind back to the present. There was no point in dwelling on things that were.

“Cai,” sounded Jay’s disembodied voice. He jumped and looked around but spotted no one. Oh hell, here we go again, Cai thought sullenly. “Come this way, Cai,” he heard from his right. He groaned and stood up. “Jay, come on out. Stop with these stupid childish games,” Cai said. His name was whispered again and he gave up. He followed Jay’s voice, trying not to get lost again. “Cai, come, follow me,” he heard again. He continued to follow, not knowing, not even caring where he was going as long as he got out.

Cai wasn’t looking forward so when he suddenly bumped into something, it came as a surprise. He looked up and realized it was Jay that he had bumped into. The boy was smiling at him and it kind of scared him. “Where are we?” he asked. Jay’s smile grew wider and he stepped aside, revealing a giant archway. “What’s this?” Cai asked. “A way out, as you wanted,” Jay said, walking toward the archway. “What the hell is that supposed to mean,” Cai said, thoroughly irritated with the escapade Jay had taken him on. Jay turned and gave him another creepy smile. As the boy reached the archway, a shimmer appeared, making the scenery behind the stone archway wavy and blurry. “Come, you must pass through,” Jay said. Cai just stood there, not knowing what was going on. The boy beckoned with his hand and Cai finally came over to him. He stood, arms folded over his chest, waiting for an explanation. Jay stepped through the shimmering archway and disappeared.

“Holy shit,” Cai whispered to himself. “Come, Cai, pass through,” Jay’s disembodied voice said. Cai paced in front of the stone gateway, contemplating his choices. He could wander around the forest, probably never finding a way out or he could pass through. He lifted his stilled scraped up hands and weighed the choices out. He sighed and decided he was an idiot before he stepped through the archway.

***

Cai jerked awake at the sudden buzzing coming from his left. His heart beat out a staccato rhythm in his ears and he gulped in breaths of air in panic. He looked around quickly and the familiar walls of his apartment greeted him. His breathing finally settled and his heart calmed down. A sudden groan startled him out of his calm state. “Honey, turn that damn thing off before I go insane,” a woman’s voice declared. Cai reached over and shut off the alarm automatically. Cai looked down and was met with the sight of wild brown hair and a thin pale arm stretched his way. A ring was visible on her ring finger and a simple silver bracelet graced her wrist. She shifted and turned her face up to him.

Cai sucked in a sharp breath as he viewed her face. She opened her eyes and smiled warmly at him. It was his wife, there was no mistaking that. His beloved wife lay right next to him, sleep tousled hair flying in every direction and hazy doe brown eyes stared at him lovingly. “Morning,” she whispered. Cai nodded his head. She smiled again and sat up, the sheets pooling on her lap. Cai’s face suddenly flamed red. She was naked as the day she was born and now that he thought about it, so was he. It had been awhile since he’d seen his wife naked. Concern slipped into her loving eyes as she looked at him. “Are you okay?” she asked while putting the back of her hand to his forehead. He just nodded and fought the unneeded blush. She gave him another concerned look; squinting her eyes at him to make sure he wasn’t lying.

“Love you Cai,” she said suddenly, hugging him and nuzzling into his neck. “Love you too Lily,” he said shakily. He felt her smile against his skin and she pulled back. A sparkle lit her eyes as she looked at him. “I’ll make breakfast,” she said and got out of bed, dragging the sheet with her, wrapping it around her bare body. She tucked the sheet in securely and left the room, excess sheet trailing behind her. As soon as Cai heard her taking things out in the kitchen, he hopped out of bed and ran into the bathroom, shutting the door in his wake.

Cai gripped the sink tightly and stared in the mirror. His face was pale and his hair was tousled. He didn’t even bother with his state of undress. What the hell was going on? Was this even possible? Those thoughts and more flew through his mind as he stood there panicking. He continued to look at himself through the mirror, grey eyes disbelieving. He touched his face with one hand, then the mirror with the other.

Cai was suddenly jerked forward and he tumbled out onto hard ground. He lay there dazed, staring up at trees with their great branches and green leaves. Jay’s face came into view and he sat up quickly, smacking his head into the boy’s. He gripped his head in pain and groaned. When he felt a little better, he looked up. There stood the archway, tall as ever and reflecting a scene of his wife in the kitchen. Cai stood up quickly and started for the archway. Jay was suddenly in front of him, blocking his path. “Move, I need to get back to my wife,” Cai said, tone harsh and longing at the same time. Jay shook his head. “There are consequences with going back to that life,” Jay said.

Cai looked down at the boy, wondering for the first time who he really was. The boy stood there looking at him with age old eyes, holding him with a stern stare. “What do you mean consequences?” Cai questioned. The boy let out a sigh and turned to look at the archway, watching his wife cook. She was currently humming, a smile on her face as she scrambled some eggs for breakfast. Cai watched with him, admiring her beauty. “If you go back, she will die,” Jay said heavily. Cai stood frozen at that statement. “Die?” He asked. Jay nodded his head. “She will die of and unknown sickness and you will be left alone to lead a grief laden life,” Jay said. Cai stood there watching his wife, his heart aching. “There’s got to be some kind of cure,” he said simply. Jay shook his head. “There is no cure,” the boy told him. “I would rather be there for her than leave her alone to that fate,” Cai choked out. “That’s the thing,” Jay said,” If you stay here, she will live and eventually forget about you, going on with a peaceful life.” “What has she been doing all this time then?” Cai asked. “Her fate has been frozen up until now. She doesn’t remember the accident, just that she went to bed with you that night,” Jay said. Cai stood there in a torn state, watching his beautiful wife cook. “I will stay here,” he said. Jay nodded. Cai had one more glimpse of his wife’s smile before he turned from the image. “Come, let us leave this place,” Jay said. Cai could only nod in response as he followed the boy. He chanced a last glance behind himself but the archway was already out of his view.

***

“Cai, Cai! Hey Cai, look!” He heard Jay shout. He was running around, a little girl named Amelia sat on his shoulders, squealing in delight at how fast she was going. Cai smiled at the two. Cai was happy that Jay had returned to normal after they left that forest so long ago. He now took care of the many children that wandered here without anyone to care for them. Jay also helped in this task, enjoying playing with the little children. He sighed and looked up at the golden clouds, he grey eyes drifting here and there, his long black hair still irritating his eyes and tickling his nose. He brushed the wild strands away from his face.

A gentle hand rested on his shoulder and he looked behind himself. There stood a little girl with a teddy bear in one hand, wide blue eyes staring into his gray. “Come play with me Father Cai,” she said. Cai nodded and smiled while standing up. He brushed the grass from his pants and the girl gripped his hand and started tugging him along with her. Cai glanced at the sky one last time, seeing his wife’s face lit with a beautiful smile before he was dragged into playing with the little girl.