CADEA

ONE: CONCERN

She's only in the mirror. Stuck, confined, trapped. I'm the only one that can see her. She speaks to me, but her voice is echoed. She's far away, and I wish I could pull her into my world but I don't know how.

Could she survive in the broken and buried planet we call earth? Or would she crumble apart the moment that I touched her? Is she real, or is she my imagination? I long to know her more, for her to feel peace. But then again, our world may be worse.

Her room looks exactly like mine. If I forget to make my bed, her covers are messed up too. It's almost a perfect reflection. But there is one difference between her side and mine.

Her side is falling apart. Sometimes it appears to be burning. Other times, bruises cover her small body. Her room is extremely dim compared to mine, yet it's lit by her. She glows. Light surrounds her and nothing else. I cannot ask her about these things every time I begin to, she fades away and it's just me again sitting in front of the mirror.

At school I can't see her in the bathroom mirrors. I try to whisper her name, but all I get is stated from others.

Cadea. It suits her. Her skin is perfect. Her dark chocolate hair covers part of her face and reaches down to her forearm. Her cerulean sapphire eyes sparkle.

I've never seen her smile. I want to bring her to my world. She seems almost lost. But I don't want to break her. I can't break her. There are so many places I want to take her and so much music I want to listen to with her. But how?

Today I sit in front of the mirror. I call to her, to try and wake her. Still, I only see myself. I don't call for long. My father appears in the doorway, and only I can tell that my mirror is getting darker. I stare at him through the mirror. His fists are clenched like every time I see him. This time, he yells my name. Screaming. Asking why I speak to my mirror, as if I have committed a terrible crime. One, two, three, four, five. He stikes me over and over again until I am weak. His footsteps echo into the hallway. I can't tell when he stopped hitting me. I cannot cry. I am so used to this drunken pain, it doesn't do anything anymore.

I look back at my mirror. There is nothing to see. My mirror is obsidian black. A faint light appears a moment later. It's her. She's looking down, and her hair is draped over her face. My mouth can't form the words, so instead I think of them.

Cadea...are you there?

She does not move, and her breath is faltering. Before I can't stop myself, my hand touches the glass. A blue light like lightning ripples in her side of the mirror, over her body. She extends her hand and touches the glass, sending blur lightning through my body. It doesn't hurt, instead it seems to remove the shield of pain over my broken and bruised body.

I am here, Caden.

This is new. She speaks through my thoughts this time, not through her voice. This is the first time she has spoken my name. She looks up and into my eyes, as hers seem to glow. I begin to question who she is. I think through my questions, and through my thoughts she answers all of them.

Who are you?

My name changes as you change.

How can only I see you?

Your family and friends do not know me.

How do you have my bruises?

I can take them away.

Why do you shine?

Because I am what keeps hope living.

Again the question likes and prods at ny mind. Who is she really? Why is she here? It's not long before answers are given.

Caden, you were given your name for a reason. Do you know what it means?

No.

And for a moment, she speaks out loud and utters one word.

"Fighter."

Cadea shines brighter.

But who are you?

Caden, I am you. I am your chain. I hold you together. You have something in your body, something from when you were young. I cannot stay here long. But you must run, Caden. Run from everyone. Run from your father. And don't stop until you find me again.

She begins to fade and a touch the mirror again, begging her to stay. This time Cadea's eyes glow and I hear her yelling in my head.

Run!

The electric energy pulses through the mirror, sending my body backwards. I smack into the edge of my bed. It hurts, but the pain disintegrates and the blue lightning radiates through me again. I look back at my mirror.

But she is gone.