Mirrors & Water

Why do we even live, if we all have to die in the end? Looking Death in the face, we all realize that whatever we do, it all comes down to this. And that same realization came to me, when I was on the verge of death, looking at it in the face and ready to accept my fate. Dying in an unknown land wasn’t as bad as I thought it’d be.

It was a normal morning, obviously. Nothing interesting ever happens in my life, ever. I was getting ready, looking in the mirror, when I spotted a lipstick smudge on it. I was wiping it off, when suddenly I felt as if I was falling, and then suddenly I was wet, and on the edge of a river bank. Looking above, there was a shimmer in the sky which disappeared as soon as I saw it. Getting up, I looked around me, and how did I get here, from doing my makeup at my own house, to being in the middle of a jungle. Also, why are there like, two moons in the sky? And how is it night?

Befuddled, I got out of the water quickly, and turned back towards the water to look at my reflection. The water was surprisingly clear and blue, and there was my makeup dripping down my face. Moving towards the woods to find some shelter, people, animal or anything, I hear voices suddenly and see two men on horse-elephant kind of animal. Hopeful, I run towards them to ask for help, when they spot me and take out spears and weapons, getting off the animal. I raise my hands, to show that I’m unarmed, but apparently did not mean the same to them. They binded me with a rope, and now I’m being taken somewhere, kicking and struggling.

Finally, I’m put down from the saddle I was on. I turn here and there to notice my surroundings, in the middle of a village, with people going here and there. They were all wearing rags and patches of clothes, dressed traditionally. Ahead, there was a huge palace with guards standing outside. I must’ve been looking pretty weird, because a lot of people were staring at me. My clothes and my half makeup, half hobo face did not suit this place.

Inside the palace, which was decorated in colors of blue and gold with drapes and curtains falling over, carpets, huge windows, and furnishings in the color palette of ruby red and gold. It was like a dream and nightmare into one. I was standing in a palace, but I was brought here like a prisoner.

I was stopped in front of massive bronze doors, and then pushed inside, walking the long hallway, and then being abruptly stopped in front of the throne. The throne looked majestic, as if it was carved out of diamonds and crystals, and still looked as smooth as water. There was a man perched on the throne, who didn’t look older than 26, my age. He shouted something in a foreign language, and suddenly there was a liquid pushed down my mouth from a bowl. I struggled and spat the liquid on the floor, worried that it might be poison or something horrible.

As soon as I ‘vomited’, I was pinned down on the floor and my mouth was opened wide, and another bowl with the same liquid was pushed down my throat. Due to the position I was in, I was forced to gulp it in. I didn’t feel any weird sensations, or nausea, or abnormal. I felt just fine.‘What did you make me drink?’

‘who are you?’ said the man on the throne, who is obviously the King. Nowthatwas definitely weird. I was suddenly able to understand what this man was saying, and what everyone around was saying. They were all talking about how I looked like HER. I looked exactly like ‘her’ and who I was.

There was chaos everywhere, and all of them started chanting ‘Queen Raina’ together, and came up to me to congratulate and welcomed me back. Confused and somewhat flattered, I smiled at some of the people, when a voice, the King’s, shouted from behind me to leave the room, except for the King’s guard. The people started protesting that they didn’t want to leave the room, but be with their lost Queen, which quickly died down once a few guards dressed in all metal carrying heavy swords and sabers stepped forward.

Once the room was empty, the King turned towards me with a glare in his eyes and asked me again, ‘Who are you?’

‘Uh, Riley? Nice to meet you too. Who are you and where am I? what is going on? I have no clue where I am and how I got here. One second I’m at home cleaning a mirror, next I’m soaked in a river?’

‘Lock her up.’ With those words, the man departed from the room, leaving me gawking in the middle of the room like a buffoon.