Mirrors & Shadows

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝐈𝐕

յօ 𝔪𝔬𝔫𝔱𝔥𝔰 𝔭𝔯𝔦𝔬𝔯~𝔞𝔱 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔠𝔬𝔫𝔣𝔢𝔯𝔢𝔫𝔠𝔢

From the moment she lay in her bed fully dressed and stared at her ceiling unflinchingly all night with Marie Curie snoring peacefully on her belly (yes, cats do snore and in occurrence, Marie Curie a little louder than others of her species), Luna was conscious of her manic condition. Around 5:00 am, she couldn't wait in bed any longer. She slipped on her pair of old running shoes and faced the city in its wake.

The streets were more peaceful at this time. The city that just a couple days before, seemed dull and gray, took on vivid colors. The trees, the graffiti, the boutique signs all seemed brighter. Although she had forgotten her parka, the cold morning air somehow did not bother her. To be manic made a simple day extraordinary. And yet, she reminded herself that after a manic episode, depression was never far ahead. Working on a project would help distract her from her moments of sadness. But she refused to consider the offer of a professor she had mistaken for a hallucination. At this resolution, she broke into a run. A surge of excitement washed through her. The feeling of the sharp wind on her cheeks, the exuberant beats of her heart, were simply thrilling and brushed away any notion of time while wiping her clean of her worries. Although she had barely slept, she was immune to any symptoms of fatigue. She continued to run for about half an hour before stopping at a café for a coffee.

On her way back, she passed a homeless old man that seemed to be missing several teeth. Approaching him, she pulled a 100 euro bill out of her wallet. The man was so stunned by this act of generosity that his eyes could have bulged out of their sockets. Luna was sure she would regret this later, she was far from rich and she was still paying Jeremy back for educational fees, but in that moment she didn't care. The old man tried to force the bill back into her hands in vain. She left him, a huge smile extended on her face.

Later that afternoon, she was determined to attend this week's physics conference that took place at the university. When setting her notepad at the seat she had chosen, she noticed that her hands were trembling. Was this due to her excess excitement or rather to her lack of sleep?

    "Why? Hello Dr. Enwright. We meet again." She didn't need to turn to identify her interlocutor as Professor De Revel.
    "What a pleasant surprise." She muttered irritably between gritted teeth. He was about to ruin her day. She was sure of it.
    "Indeed." He agreed while bending his elegant frame into the seat to her left. She didn't think he had heard her sarcastic remark.
    "Are you here to find a physicist to work with you?" She asked on a more polite note.
    "I found someone already. Now, it is only a question that she accepts." His silver gaze glinted with malice. Luna was pretty sure he was speaking of her.
    "Maybe you should give her more time to consider your request." she suggested hotly, setting her laptop rather brusquely on the wooden surface next to her notepad. She did not like being messed with. Constantly being the youngest in a room-full of older sophisticated intellectuals, she'd grown accustomed to how condescending some could be.

    "Excuse me, are you Professor Enwright?"
Her last name was pronounced with such a strong French accent that she might not have recognized it. On her right side, a woman of about thirty, with shoulder-length blonde hair leaned towards her enthusiastically and a bit too closely for Luna's comfort. "I'm Cendrine Valdret."
Without warning, Cendrine's hand was clasped around her own in a welcoming shake, which naturally sent her spiraling into another one of her visions.

Her head was throbbing so painfully she thought it may have split in half. Her body was shaking uncontrollably. Someone was repeating the same determined words. "Je suis là." The person kept stating, as if to reassure the both of them. Finally, she pulled the covers over her aching head. The bed squeaked as a sign that the person had decided to sit by her. This time though, was different. The pain became so acute that it seemed to fade away and sleep welcomed her.