Vision, part II

The rain is pouring down now. Thunder claps roar and the sky is ablaze with lightning. Sandra makes her way to the washroom and shuts the door. She leans forward, hands gripping the sides of the sink. With her shoulders hunched and her head down, she gazes into the mirror. Looking deeply into her own eyes as they begin to well up with tears, she whispers to herself, "It's just not possible. It's just not possible."

She knew what she had seen. He was right there, looking right at her. A kindred spirit. He knew her. But how? It wasn't possible.

She inches closer to the mirror. "There's something strange about this glass", she muses. Her gaze closes in. She wants the truth. She wants the answer. How could someone she'd never seen before influence her thoughts like this? Why was this so hard to digest? How can a split second of what might have been a dream change the very landscape of her thoughts? And why did this mirror have such a hold on her right now?

Her eyes are burning. Every blink causes her pain. Why can't she look away?

"Who are you!?", she says to her crystalline likeness. No response. Of course. It's only a mirror. She concentrates on her eyes, those sharp, green eyes and wipes a tear from her face. "Get a hold of yourself! It must have been the champagne. You just need to go back out there and--"

A knock at the door startles her.

"Sandra, are you in there?"

She doesn't respond.

"Sandra??" says the woman as she knocks louder, and with an tone of angst in her voice.

"I'll be out in a minute."

"Alright, I just wanted to make sure you're okay. You looked like you saw a ghost out there!"

"What a strange choice of words. It's just nerves. I'll be out soon."

She steadies herself and tries to regain composure. Afterall, she had the rest of the evening to get through. She looks at herself once more. Her heart begins to race again, just as it did when she saw him. She gazes deeper. Her reflection............. smiles at her.

Wait, smiles?!

She is taken aback. She hadn't smiled. She covers her mouth and so does her reflection. She looks left and right, and so does her reflection. She runs her fingers through her hair, and her likeness follows suit.

"Oh god!" she says in between heavy breaths. "I must be going crazy."

She looks back into the mirror to see that there is no discrepancy between her and the beautiful woman staring back at her. Identical twins. She leans in closer, and feels a tingle down her spine. Nearly paralyzed with fear, she quickly pulls back. Her reflection, does not.

She can hear her heart beating in her ears. The impossible had just taken place.

"You know what you have to do, Sandra."

"This can't be.........it's...it's...you're..."

"Just a reflection?"

"I.....well, yes!"

"Well my darling, as your vision of Victor may have shown you, not everything is what it appears to be. Come closer."

"Why should I trust you?" she says, as she crosses her arms nervously.

"What, you don't trust yourself? How pitiful."

Sandra leans in cautiously. "What are you trying to tell me?"

"You're in great danger, Sandra. These people will eat you alive as soon as pledge themselves to you. They are like dying wolves. They have nothing. And they want everything. You need to get out of their grasp."

"Who are these people?! I don't understand what's going on here!"

"Clearly you don't. Otherwise, you wouldn't be.............talking to yourself like this. Oh, and Sandra?"

"Yes?"

Her reflection's face begins to contort, as she raidly ages and decays.

"RUN!!" she cries out.

The glass cracks down the middle!

She falls back in fear, her heart pounding in her chest, the room spinning, and voices floating about inside her mind. The image of her face is everywhere. The blood-curdling scream echoes endlessly. She stumbles to her feet, opens the door and and falls down to her hands and knees, collapsing onto the marble floor.

A waiter spots her and puts down his tray, hastily rushing to her side. "Sandra! What happened!? Are you alright? Sandra! Can you hear me?" He carefully turns her on her back.

Slowly, her eyes open. Shaking, barely able to make a sound, she looks at him and struggles to speak. The band stops playing, and within moments all flock to her. Muffled sounds of her name being called as they swarm like a sea of locusts around her prone body is the only thing keeping her awake.

The waiter places his hand gently on her face.

"It's okay, Sandra. You're going to be alright. Can you tell me what happened?"

She grabs the sleeve of his shirt and grips tightly. "David.......David...." she whispers.

"What is it?"

"Don't...............look in the mirror........"