A girl sits naked in the corner of a darkened room feeling alone, scared, confused and angry all these emotions swirling around her fragile body making her limbs unable to move she looks up, her eyes red and cheeks soaked in her tears she tries to stop them coming but she can’t a beam of light shines down onto a golden mirror she forces herself to stand and walk up to the one thing that she doesn’t want to see her reflection what she sees makes her frown and want to smash the smooth glass to scream NO! She doesn't want to see, but she can’t look away her eyes fixed on her long thick hair, her neck, her shoulders she looks to the side quickly as her eyes fill with even more tears her shoulders drop as she forces herself to look back into the mirror at her breasts her stomach her hips her thighs and her legs tears now falling freely another beam of light a table a pair of scissors a shaking hand picks them up her eyes sparkle just a tiny bit at what she’s about to do an exhale, a nod to herself then she starts snipping away at her hair a smile slowly appearing the shorter and shorter her hair goes with hardly any hair left at all she stops and looks at what used to be the floor now covered in a blanket of her hair she looks back into the mirror at her smiling face then her eyes fall onto her breasts and the smile fades she crosses her arms across her chest as her body is hit with a fierce sob she falls onto her knees crying uncontrollably beside her on the floor another beam of light shines frowning she forces herself to look a small smile appears as she picks the items up slowly, she steps into the garment and slides it up her body once in place she adjusts slightly then slides on the next garment she walks up to the mirror she looks at her reflection his short hair his now bounded chest the boxers he stands straight, his head held high no tears fall from his eyes a genuine smile appears his eyes sparkle the whole room lights up the mirror melts away his family in front of him a mix of emotions play on their faces he steps forward cautiously clears his throat and forces the words out “this is who I am, who I’ve always been..” mind and body now filled with instant calm and determination and acceptance of ones true self he takes another stop forward “a man, a son, a brother, a husband” |