The Mirror's Captive

The mirror showed a reflection that wasn't my own. At first, I thought it was just a trick of the light, or perhaps a smudge on the glass. But as I peered closer, I realized that the person staring back at me was someone I had never seen before.

She was a woman, much older than myself, with deep lines etched into her face and a haunted look in her eyes. Her hair was long and gray, and she wore a plain white dress that seemed to glow in the dim light of my bedroom.

I stepped back, my heart racing as I tried to make sense of what I was seeing. The woman in the mirror didn't move, but I could feel her eyes on me, watching me as I watched her.

For days after that, I couldn't stop thinking about the woman in the mirror. She haunted my dreams, and I found myself returning to the glass time and time again, hoping to catch another glimpse of her.

And then, one night, something strange happened. As I stared into the mirror, I felt a sudden jolt, as if something had pulled me forward. The glass seemed to shimmer and ripple, and then I was falling, tumbling headfirst into the other side.

When I came to, I was in a strange room, surrounded by walls of polished marble and glittering jewels. The woman from the mirror was there, standing in front of me, her eyes filled with a mixture of fear and wonder.

She explained to me that she was a prisoner in this place, trapped by an evil queen who had stolen her youth and beauty. The queen had created a mirror that showed an alternate reality, one where the woman could see the world outside of her prison.

But the mirror was also a trap, drawing in unsuspecting victims like myself and trapping them in this strange world.

I tried to find a way out, but every time I looked into the mirror, I could see the queen's minions closing in, ready to capture me and drag me back to my own world.

Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months. I was trapped in this strange world, forced to serve the queen and her twisted whims. But I never forgot about the woman in the mirror, and I knew that if there was any hope of escaping this place, it lay in finding a way to free her from her prison.

Finally, after months of planning, I made my move. I snuck into the queen's chambers, where I found the mirror, guarded by the queen's most loyal minions.

With a deep breath, I reached out and touched the glass, feeling the same jolt that had sent me tumbling into this world. But this time, I was ready. I fought against the pull, using every ounce of my strength to break free from the mirror's grasp.

When I opened my eyes, I was back in my own bedroom, surrounded by the familiar sights and sounds of home. The mirror was still there, but this time it showed only my own reflection.

I never forgot about the woman in the mirror, and I like to think that she was finally able to find her way back to her own world. But every time I look into the glass, I can still feel a strange pull, a reminder of the alternate reality that I had once been trapped in.