Reflection by Lauren Schena (17, Massachussetts)

[Content Warning: Parental death]

From the other side of her parent’s bedroom, the mirror glittered with possibility and promise. Eve knew she couldn’t resist her curiosity any longer and she was tired of trying. Without a moment's thought, she slowly approached the beautiful antique. Yet as it got closer, Eve noticed something peculiar in its crystalline surface. She couldn’t see her own reflection, rather, the glass omitted a cold mystical fog, shielding something in its depths. Suddenly, a cool breeze swept the room and blew her hair back over her shoulders. Eve couldn’t take her eyes from the alluding surface. At the same time, an invisible force urged her to come closer. Eve raised a hand, gently, seeking to stroke the mirror’s polished glass. Upon contact, she felt a dark shift beneath her fingertips, then, everything went black. 

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Eve wasn’t in her parents bedroom anymore, yet, she recognized the scene instantly. The smell of burning rubber and death enveloped the dark, foggy road. Then, she saw herself, two years younger, being pulled from her mother’s burning car. She waited, her parents should have been pulled out soon after her, yet for some reason they stayed inside. Eve felt her heart race with a sudden panic. She remembered this day without any trouble and this wasn’t how it happened, it had haunted her every day for two long years. This was the moment when her parents should have been saved, right before she saw her first dead body. She imagined the cold, mangled corpse of the drunken woman that never should have blown that stop sign. Young Eve was crying, why was she crying? Eve didn’t shed a single tear that day, she was too paralyzed by fear and shock. Then, Eve knew her eyes must have been deceiving her when she saw the same woman scramble out of her car and collapse in a disgusting, drunken heap. Her parent’s car window was painted in blood. Nearly as quickly as the glass sucked her in, Eve was flung from the mirror and thrown recklessly back into her own reality, back in her parent’s bedroom. She attempted to stand and back away from the haunting mirror, but her legs trembled so violently that movement became impossible. Then, without any warning, she broke out in a wailing sob. Her scream could have shattered the despicable mirror with its high pitched intensity, but the glass remained intact and stared her down with its piercing fog, mocking her trauma. Tears streamed down Eve’s face as she relived the most horrifying day of her life, all she wanted in that moment was to see her parents again. It wasn’t until Eve was able to think clearly that she realized her parents hadn’t really died, the experience seemed so real that she struggled to tell the difference between truth and lies.

A blinding flash brought a flood of bad memories and Eve’s tormented mind ran rampant. Hot, tangible air enveloped the scene, it was an early Saturday in June. Eve tilted her head back and spun to see the breathtaking creatures staring down at the crowd of enthusiastic tourists. Eve’s mother had to tug at her arm every couple of minutes to keep her from falling behind. It had been a warm day, the sun beat down on the pavement and heat clung to the railings guarding the animals, keeping Eve from stepping out of bounds. It was the perfect day at the zoo. 

​It had been nearly lunchtime, and Eve’s mother was rummaging in her bag when suddenly Eve’s attention was diverted by melodic chirps in the distance. She wanted to know what was making such a pretty sound and before she knew it, Eve had wandered over to the bird exhibit. Eve listened carefully as the birds tweeted back and forth to one another, mesmerized by their strange animal dialect. She took a step back and moments before the excitement of the birds wore away, Eve realized she had strayed too far away. Her mother was nowhere to be seen. Fear and anxiety struck, Eve stumbled backwards and fell against the sunlit railing, instantly she felt the sting of the burning sun and jumped forward. People moved around her with long, hurried strides, she felt trapped and alone without a path to protection, without a path to her mother. Unable to find a solution, Eve began to cry. She sank down to the ground and put her head in her knees, pretending she was back at home in her bed, listening to her mother’s soothing voice. Soon enough, Eve’s mother came running to her side and immediately took Eve into her arms. “Do you see those pretty birds up there, darling,” Her mother asked. Eve lifted her face from her hands and looked up at the beautiful winged creatures, there was a nest with a mother bird and her two baby birds cooing and chirping softly. She nodded silently. “Even when they fly away for a little while, they always come back to the nest. I’m your nest sweetheart, you can always come back to me.”Another blinding flash and there she was again, rocking back and forth on the floor of her parents’ bedroom.

As if on cue with her thoughts, Eve’s mother came running into the room. Eve fell into her arms and melted in the embrace. Her mother was calm and nurturing, just like she usually was when Eve’s trauma resurfaced. After a few minutes, she was able to slow her breathing down and relax. Ever since the crash, Eve had frequent nightmares and day terrors. Her mother would hold her and brush her hair back behind her ears, bringing her back from the darkness. She never said anything to Eve, she would just be there. But she never stayed long, only long enough for Eve to calm down, then she would put her to bed, and Eve wouldn’t see her again until the next nightmare. Suddenly, Eve felt a pinch and she knew it was time for her mother to go, it was time for her to go to sleep. 
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The quiet tapping of shoes on a marble floor echoed throughout the hallway. Sometimes patients walked through with supervision, but never on their own. White plaster walls lined the asylum, leaving nothing within reach of a patient, and every room was lined with cushioned walls, floors, and ceilings. Dr. Denison had just turned the corner to check on his primary patient when he heard a familiar scream, one of a young, tormented girl. Now, with a more urgent pace, Dr. Denison rushed down the hall and came to the room where he heard the noise. On the front of the door a name tag hung far out of reach, read:

Eve Stone

Dr. Denison wasted no time, he flung open the door so he could do what he always did, it was his job to monitor Eve and calm her down when she went into hysterics. He entered the room and took the shrill, shivering girl into his arms. This was the only way he could make Eve calm enough to sedate and put down. It was always something different with Eve, her episodes were never triggered by the same thing. Usually it was a simple object that would set her off, something that reminded her of the past. This time, he heard her mumble something about a mirror. The doctor laid Eve down to rest, he then moved to check her pulse and made sure she hadn’t caused herself any damage from the episode. Two nurses came around the corner as Dr. Denison swung the door open and left to treat his next patient in a hurry, for a quick second before the door shut, Eve could be seen snoring on her mattress. 

​“That poor girl,” a nurse said solemnly. 

“It’s terrible, I heard she’s been like that for a while.” The nurses walked in considerate silence as they passed Eve’s room. 

“Who can blame her, hasn’t she gone through enough? She doesn’t even know her parents are dead and it’s been ten years, there’s not much more he can do for her.” The women parted into their separate rooms, each going to process a different patient. Night quickly fell upon the asylum and as everyone went their own separate ways, Eve slept through the night thinking about her mother and the nice family breakfast she was sure to have in the morning.

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