The Mirror Girl - 鏡の少女

Chapter Three

CHAPTER THREE

Handprints

Friday Evening, 8:45 PM // Mirror Realm

Izumi couldn't help but stare and wonder at the dark room through the other side of the mirror, eventually getting lost in her own thoughts she felt herself nodding off.

"What in the hell!?"

She jolted awake to a voice. Izumi's eyes darted around as she squinted to see the source of the noise.

Her heart dropped to see the boy shadowed in dim light, staring right at her in disbelief and shock.

Neither said a word, and yet the silence was deafening. Izumi's mind was racing, and she was wondering what to do.

Should she try and run or should she stay calm and wait it out? The silence continued for a minute, or so it seemed. Finally he spoke.

"For real though, what the hell?" He asked in a dubious tone.

Izumi didn't reply immediately, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of an answer. Her mind continued to race, still shocked at being discovered.

"Don't tell me you're one of those ghosts! Was I not supposed to give my toothbrush away or something? The boy asks indignantly, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow.

Izumi blinked at him confused after a quick moment. "Ghosts...? I'm not a ghost!" She yelled through the glass. "What makes you even think that?! And what's a toothbrush?"

The boy stared at her dumbfounded, as though it were a stupid thing to say.

"What do you mean? It's a thing where you... Wait a minute!" He interrupts himself. "We're getting ahead of ourselves here! What are you doing in my house?!"

Izumi started panicking, because even she didn't know how to answer that.

"I- My.. I-" She stammered before shaking her head slightly.

"Look..." She starts over. "I promise I won't hurt you, and you're not in any sort of danger. This experience is just as strange to me as it is to you. It may or may not be contrary to what you're thinking right now but truth be told, I'm not even sure how I got here."

A blank expression washed over Keizo.

"Please don't get the wrong idea, I don't think I'm supposed to be here and I really don't know why I ended up here either..." She pleaded softly.

He stared at her skeptically through the mirror. After another long silent pause he responded, "Well, there's no doubt that you're not supposed to be here..."

"I think I believe you... But then, what exactly are you?" Keizo followed up.

"I'm a human, like you... I think..." She says hesitantly. "Your world looks exactly like mine, but more advanced or something. I have no idea how, but I've seen things in that room alone that are impossible to me." Izumi says, pointing behind him.

"Like that."

He turns and stares at the spot Izumi pointed at.

"My hair dryer by the wall?" He asks, a bit confused.

Then after a second, he turns towards her and speaks. "So let me get this straight, you're a human like me, but from another world and somehow you've unexplainably ended up in my mirror?"

"Yes..." Izumi nods, unsure what to do next.

"You're serious?" He asks.

"I swear it. I've never been more serious in my life." Izumi says confidently, her eyes locked on his.