The Land Behind the Mirror | ONC 2022

Chapter 5

Carefully prying her eyes open, Alba noticed that she felt better than she did since the moment she fell through the rabbit hole, or in her case, the mirror. It made her hopeful that everything was just a bad dream and that she was finally about to wake up safely tucked in in her own bed.

However, the second she opened her eyes to the lush greenery and clear blue skies, her hopes shattered into tiny pieces. Nevertheless, as her eyes scrutinized her surroundings, she was relieved to see that at least her friend was really there with her. It was the only good thing in the whole ordeal.

"How are you feeling?" Ana asked the moment Alba's eyes fluttered open.

"Better," Alba said, briefly, still having trouble accepting that it was actually her friend standing there with her, lost in a land that was not their own. "Didn't you say you'll take me to Grandma Bertha's place?"

It wasn't the most critical question she had to ask. Nonetheless, it was the first thing that came out of her mouth as all that she could see was the same forest with the identical trees that she had been running through earlier. She expected some sort of structure to mark the place of residence of a giant dinosaur.

"Ahem, Alba, are you sure you didn't hit your head?" Ana asked, looking Alba over to check her for injuries.

"No, I didn't. Why would you think that?" Alba asked with a stubborn note in her voice.

"Because I can't imagine what you thought her place would look like. Did you think a dinosaur would live in a box or any other structure like our houses that limits their freedom?" Ana asked.

"Yes, I did. What else was I supposed to think?" Alba said, starting to get annoyed with her friend.

She wasn't sure if she was mad at her because of the current situation or because of all the residual anger over her leaving and never even saying goodbye. Alba's emotions were a swirling mess, and even though she knew there were more important things to worry about, all she wanted to know was why Ana turned her back on her.

"I am sorry, you are right. I keep forgetting that this is all new for you," Ana said apologetically. "What I meant was that this is her territory, that other dinosaurs mostly respect. So, it's safe enough for us to rest and prepare you for what you are about to see when I take you to my home."

Instead of sarcastically asking if her home was another random part of the forest, Alba posed the question that was always on her mind. It was the one question that had nagged at her for years.

"Why did you leave me behind without even a goodbye?" Alba asked.

Ever since Ana disappeared from her life, Alba kept wondering what she had done wrong. She kept thinking that she must have been a lousy friend if her best friend left and never called her or wrote to her.

Ana was dumbfounded by the question because the first question she asked when she arrived was about the dinosaurs and where exactly she was. However, it made sense that Alba would ask something unexpected. She was always the unpredictable one.

"I didn't abandon you," Ana said, taking a deep breath. "It wasn't my choice to leave."

"Still, you could have written, you could have come to visit," Alba said doggedly, sitting up straighter, her back leaning on the tree behind her.

"Alba, you don't get it. I couldn't do either of those things," Ana said, firmly, surprised that someone as clever as her friend hadn't figured it out yet.

"Of course, you could have. You just didn't want to. It's okay, you can tell me. I can take it," Alba said as tears gathered in her eyes while her heart got ready for the final blow.

"Alba, I couldn't make contact with you because I was swallowed by the mirror in my basement and ended up here, just like you," Ana clarified patiently.

Alba opened her mouth then closed it again without saying anything. She blinked rapidly as if that would help her put pieces of information together more effortlessly, as there were so many things she wanted to say, to ask. However, she didn't know where to start.

"I guess I better start from the beginning," Ana said, even though she hoped to prepare Alba for the new world she was in. "Do you remember that night when we snuck out to go to the park and watch the stars?"

"Of course I do. That was the last time I saw you," Alba said as a tiny tear crept out of her eye and rushed down her cheek. "I always thought that I said something wrong or that I scared you away."

"No, nothing like that," Ana said, affectionately patting Alba's hand. "My parents caught me as I tried to sneak back in. They got really angry with me, and we got into this huge argument."

Alba nodded her head, remembering how strict Ana's parents were. She could clearly imagine how furious they must have been when they learned that Ana had broken her curfew. Still, she couldn't connect how that story ended up with Ana in the world filled with dinosaurs and other extinct plants and animals.

"They sent me to my room. However, I was upset, so I ran to the basement to my favorite spot to read that book you lent me," Ana said, her eyes clouding at the memory. "Yet, I couldn't concentrate, I was so angry with my parents. I remembered what you said about exploring. That it helped you relax. So, I decided to give it a go."

Something rustled nearby, making Alba jolt in fear but soon settled down when she saw it was just grandma Bertha pulling some fruits on a large leaf to where they were sitting.

"Thank you," Alba said, accepting the kind dinosaur's offering before returning her attention to Ana's story.

"I ended up finding this really cool antique mirror, and while I was tracing my fingers across its beautiful frame, something bizarre happened. It was as if the mirror came to life, and I was suddenly yanked into it. The next thing I knew, I was standing here fighting to catch my breath in the thickness of this air."

"Wait a minute, if you disappeared, how come your parents never said anything? Why didn't they file a missing person's report?" Alba asked. "They just moved away, and I thought you moved with them without so much as a goodbye."

"Oh, they moved?" Ana said, her voice quivering. "I guess that makes sense. They probably thought I ran away, and they didn't want other people to know about it. It was far easier for them to just to start over somewhere else than to explain that their daughter had run away from home."

"Why would they do that?" Alba asked, seeing sadness take over her friend's usually happy countenance.

"My parents were always more concerned with keeping up appearances than anything else. They probably thought it would hurt their reputation if people knew their daughter, a minor at that, left their house. It would bring shame to the family name," Ana said, swallowing hard. "This way, they can get a fresh start without people ever knowing that they once had a daughter."

Before Alba could ask any of the questions that started flooding her mind, Ana suddenly broke out in tears making Alba think her questions could wait. For the time being, her best friend was going through hell, and she needed her.

Alba couldn't even imagine how it would feel learning, after years of absence, that your parents just moved on with their lives without you. Even worse, that they didn't even acknowledge that you ever existed.

"Shh, it's okay. I am here," Alba said, clutching Ana tightly, hoping to give her at least some semblance of comfort.

Although she never liked Ana's parents, Alba only realized at that moment that they were far worse than she thought. It was heartbreaking, but she knew she could do nothing to completely erase the pain. All she could do was be there for Ana in the here and now.

Ana, my dear, I am sorry, but it's getting late. You know it's not safe for you here after dark. You need to go.