The Other Side of the Mirror

Head in the Clouds

10 years and 3 months later

Vivian's PoV

I sat bundled up in a thick, fluffy blanket in my  mismatched pyjamas in my bedroom. It was well past my bedtime but I had to find out what happened in my book. If my grandma caught me up at this hour she would go spare, hence why I was using a flashlight to read as opposed to using the lamp next to my bed. I didn't want her to see a strip of light beneath my door should she get up and wander past my room for whatever reason. She's always stressing how important it is to get a good nights sleep. She's not wrong, but I felt that finding out the ending of my book warranted a late night, just this once.

The flashlight cast an eerie glow over my face as I read, the brightness almost blinding me if I moved it too close to my face. It wasn't until I was on the last page of my book that I heard footsteps creeping down the hallway and descending the stairs. I recognised the steps as my grandad's.

I held my breath and didn't return to my book until I was sure he was downstairs. Even though my light wasn't on, I was still paranoid he would pop his head round the door to make sure I was asleep.

I finished my book and flicked the flashlight off before quietly placing it back on the wooden shelf in my cupboard. I climbed back in to my bed, feeling satisfied having completed my mission to finish my book, yet slightly sad that I had come to the end of a really good story.

I lay down on my pillow, my hair completely  spread out across it, tickling my face whenever I moved my head. I pulled my duvet up over my body, wrapping myself up in it. It had my favourite duvet cover over it, a sunset for the background, and lots of fluffy clouds in front. I settled down and began making up random stories in my head to help me fall asleep. When I was younger, I used to pretend I was in the setting of my duvet cover, hopping between the pale pink and lilac and lemon coloured clouds. Sometimes I would imagine it so vividly it would feel like I was almost there. I smiled at the memory of my younger self, before making up an adventure story instead.

I was in the rainforest, the rain pelting down so much so that I could barely see my dripping hand in front of my face. I walked around in hunt for shelter when I heard the unmistakable footsteps of a forest elephant.

THUD

THUD

THUD.

I quickly sped off in the opposite direction, not wanting to have a run in with an elephant. But as I ran, the thuds seemed to be getting louder and louder.

THUD!

THUD!

THUD!

Oh no, it's not just one elephant, it's a whole herd of elephants. I increased my speed, doing my best to get out of their way. I looked around as best as I could through the rain and spotted the outline a climbable tree not far away. I ran towards it as the noise got louder.

THUD!!

THUD!!

The herd were right behind me now, I could see the outline of the elephants. I was almost at the base of the tree when I slipped in the mud and landed face first in the dirt. I tried to pull myself up, my hands struggling to grip the flooded forest floor.

Suddenly, a shadow was cast over me and I turned my head to see one of the elephants towering over me. I scrambled to get up and run away but it's trunk started reaching out towards me and I knew I couldn't get away from it. I cowered as it's trunk wrapped around my body and then-

BANG!

The loud noise from downstairs brought me out of my exciting story. I sat bolt up right, startled by the noise. I didn't know what had caused the bang, but I could hear a lot of cursing from my granddad.

I saw the soft yellow glow of the landing light beneath my door and the sound of rushed feet as my grandma came out of her room to see what was going on. I thought she would go right downstairs, but her feet stopped outside my door. I snapped my eyes shut and steadied my breathing as I head the door handle turn and the squeak of the hinges as my door opened slightly. The light streamed in from the landing right onto my face and I had to do my best to stop my eyelids from fluttering in the sudden brightness. Thankfully, she only stayed for a few seconds before she went downstairs.

The sound of my grandparents' voices travelled up the stairs and I sat up, ears sharp, trying to hear what they were saying.

"What are you doing blowing up balloons at this hour! You could have woke up Vivian." My grandmothers voice sounded extremely agitated, most likely because she had been woken up.

"I forgot to do it yesterday, and we can't have a birthday celebration without balloons." His voice was smooth and calm, a trait which always helped calm my grandmother down.

It worked a treat tonight, for the next thing I heard was my grandmothers muffled laughter as she agreed with him.

"I suppose you're right. I think you've got enough now though."

"One more, it's her sixteenth birthday, and so she will have sixteen balloons."

I could feel my grandmother rolling her eyes at this, but I was filled with joy from the fact my granddad was making such an effort with the balloons at such a late hour. Well I say it's a late hour, but at this point it's so past late it's early.

A few minutes later, I heard both of them padding back up the stairs and across the landing towards their bedroom.

I lay back down after I heard their bedroom door click shut and looked at the small alarm clock on top of my oak bedside table. I rarely used it as an alarm clock seeing as it made such a racket that it would wake the whole street up, not just me.

It read 2:31.

Tick
Tick
Tick

I was born at 2:32am, one more minute left of being 15.  My eyes blurred slightly as I stared intently at the clock, willing the minute hand to move.

Tick
Tick
Tick

I focussed on the second hand, wishing it would pick up the pace and move a little faster. However, no matter how much I willed it to, it's speed did not appear to change, if anything it's speed decreased, each second passing slower and slower.

Tick
...
Tick
...
Tick
...

2:32.

Yes, finally. I am a whole year older. I smiled softly before quietly whispering happy birthday to myself. I gently hummed the tune to 'Happy Birthday' as I turned over and closed my eyes. I decided to finish my rainforest story another night, and instead returned to the clouds which I had become so familiar with in my childhood memories.