I glanced at the mirror, briefly scanning over my face. My eyes lingered over the reflection, taking in my cheekbones, and the glint in my eyes. It sparkled just a bit more, dancing around. I could see my reflection’s lids move, the glint now more of menacing, and harsh. Cold, compared to the warm light filtering through my blinds. No, not today. I blinked away the sensation, and let out an exasperated sigh. Still, as I laid out my uniform, I couldn’t help but look back at the mirror, at the copy of myself watching me leave in the cold hard glass. Trapped, forever in its cage…

“Cassie! Your breakfast is going cold, and I need to go to work!” A voice called up, breaking the spell and making me jump slightly. God, why am I so jumpy today? Shaking my head, I went downstairs.

“I’ve got to get going to work, but I’ll see you later sweetie!” my mum said, her eyes crinkling at the corners, smiling at me.

“Bye mum, have a good day.” The door shut quickly, and with my mum gone the bright reflection of her scarf left the doorknob, leaving the metal cold and dark. I sat down heavily, sighing. Picking up my fork, I dejectedly stabbed it into the eggs. My mum was right. The eggs were cold. The metal of the fork was cool in my grasp, the shiny silver flashing at me in a wink. I found myself staring into my eyes in the cool metal, the angles sharp and shattered with the scratches on the surface of the fork. Deep in my eyes I could see a dark, glow. It filled up the void that the greyness of the metal confined it to with a cruel, sneering gaze. I felt a chill up my spine, as if the cold metal was all around me, not just in my hand. Suffocating. I snapped my gaze up only to be met with a pair of eyes staring out at me. Smirking.

The fork slipped, clattering on the floor. It shook off the vision, and when I looked back to the eyes I only saw a scared teenager gaping at the mirror on the mantelpiece. No smirk, no nothing. I rubbed my temples, and frowned. I think I’ll go to school early, I muttered to myself, quickly running up the stairs and changing.

Soon, the door slammed behind me. Honestly, it felt good to be finally out, although as I was nearing school I still didn’t know why I couldn’t shake off the feeling that someone was watching me..?
The figure watched Cassandra go, taking in her confident strides, bursting with energy and emotion. Each step vibrated with sheer, pure life. Not like the cold reality. The ache to grab her, to try that life, to be her, anything to feel something, to feel anything-

The silhouette stilled, and ran a finger down the hard cage it was in, shutting down any feeling. No, not today. It glanced back, and finally the figure stepped away into the leaden clutches of the other side.
I stared out of the window, my lids drooping down. Miss Maurie would absolutely have my head. This wasn’t the first time, and she would not let me sleep through class again. As I was just about to turn around, the window suddenly slammed shut, cutting of the playful breeze and with it the warm scent of summer. The cold air rushed back in, a shiver going through me despite the season. My reflection’s eyes blinked lazily, as if taunting me from their glass confines. They laughed at me, the dark irises reaching their shadows deep into my brown ones, the inky pools swirling around like sticky tar with its cloying scent clinging deep just like the expression in them clung to my mind.

I gasped, startled. My pen went flying out of my hand. It would’ve been quite comical, if not for the sight that was ingrained into my mind. Those eyes…the hatred in them was stark, and honestly made my heart race with fear. I had never seen so much pure, sheer rage and jealousy directed at me before, and it was terrifying.

I pulled myself together and apologised about the pen. When school ended, I walked straight home that night, not stopping.

The figure stilled, a void shell filled with want and rage. It couldn’t wait any longer. It just couldn’t. This would go against everything, but, for a taste of that sweet life, it would go to all lengths. Anything, and everything.

It stared deeply into the depths of the murky room, the dark taking away all the colour, and replacing it with the bleak reality of the other world. No reflections could be seen, and so this was the time when the barriers weakened. The world fell to the dusk, covering everything in smoky shadows.

It couldn’t be like the last time. The silhouette shook itself out. The preparation had been thorough. It had been waiting for this moment since the first lost opportunity. It would not fail.

The figure watched the girl walk into the room, in her fatigue not even bothering to turn on the lights, as her bag slumped off her shoulder. It fell with a thud. The shadow took in her black hair which cascaded down her back, the inky black contrasting to her tanned skin. It took in everything hungrily. Greedily, like a starving creature pushed to the limits.

She took a step closer. And then closer.

Her hand brushed against the glass, the touch breaking the last restraints of the shape waiting to spring out form its glass cage, its liquid limbs tensing and bending as the metal of its skin pulsed with a barely concealed craze.

Her eyes flew open. She didn’t even get to close them as the figure lurched and launched, its fluid preciseness allowing no rooms for error.

I felt myself fall, and everything went black.