The Mirror

I awoke from a nap with a feeling of sharp discomfort. I peered lazily out the side of my window blinds and caught a glimpse of what appeared to be the midday sun. I had obviously slept in later than usual but despite this, it was a typical Monday in my household during school holidays.

I have always daydreamed after a good afternoon nap. Today, I was feeling uneasy, kind of like I was trapped in a never-ending loop about the size of the Universe. Is there an end to what is by nature endless? What would it be like to live in a two-dimensional world?

“Why am I having these thoughts?” There was no response that would satisfy my strange curiosity.

I could hear a faint murmur from the living room and despite being unable to make sense of the words, I knew who was speaking by the pitch of the voices. My brothers fast paced questions and my mother’s melodious responses. They sounded happy. I sighed as I attempted to find a more comfortable position on this bed but the old mattress was unforgivable. I lay awkwardly as I stared at the same sight I awoke to every morning. My mother’s paintings covering the walls of my room, the last rays of midday sun now shining violently against their golden frames. My chess club ID tag hung from one of the frames “Carlos Dominguez, player number: 213473” written in bold. I jerked up rapidly from the bed with the dawning realization that I was incredibly late to chess practice.

I would often use my holidays to play chess. A fascinating game of strategy and analytical thinking. Maybe all the existential questions living in my mind were the result of too much concentration. Last year I came second place. Not bad considering it was my third year of membership.

“How would it be to play chess if I lived in a 2D world?”

“Would I be able to distinguish the multiple pieces?”

2D is a very interesting concept. You can only move up and down, right or left. There is no sense of depth between objects.

Could a 2d world exist? It is very difficult to imagine, particularly if our imagination is modelled in 3D perceptions. Maybe our own human nature limits us in understanding any concept that is not 3D. We are 3D wired I suppose. Then we have time, an added dimension of complication.

As I paced to get changed, the living room voices moved closer, accompanied by a crescendo of footsteps. They were nearing the front door which was beside my bedroom. the jingle of keys, followed by a creak of the door and a rapid metallic door slam. I wondered who would be visiting my home as since the pandemic started, we did not get many visitors. “How was school Carlos?” my mother inquired. An odd question given that I was still in my room. I was about to call out to her when a voice identical to my own responded “Very good Mum”. I was only half changed into my uniform when I cautiously opened my bedroom door.

My mother was speaking to another boy who had his back to me as he stood by the front door. “Mum?” I called out, but she appeared so immersed in the conversation that she didn’t respond. “Mum!” I shouted, and this time, the boy looked back at me. Deep brown eyes and short black hair, I was shocked to behold a spitting image of myself standing in front of me. He opened his mouth to speak and with a slight humour to his tone he asked “Mum, who put the mirror in the hallway?”.