Micaela Rich
The Bathroom Mirror
Mica said goodnight to her parents, as always, and went into her
bathroom to brush her teeth, as always. While brushing se looked
at her reflection as always. There she was an ordinary 12 year old
girl. But this time the most extraordinary key appeared in the
mirror- not in the air next to her ear (for she quickly turned to
check)- but actually in the mirror! Mica stopped brushing and
reached her had up towards the key. As she did the mirror
dissolved into a thousand lights that fizzled away before touching
the ground. The key remained suspended in a square of dark blue
where the mirror had been.
From Dreamstarter
Mica gasped. “Take the key, take the key, take the key.” whispered overlapping
voices in her head. At least she thought they were in her head. Mica
took the key, shimmering in her hand. Then suddenly a strong wind blew
in. Mica ducked into the cabinet before she was blown away.
“What’s happening!?” she cried as the wind raged on. “There’s not
even a window in here!” And then just as suddenly as it started, the
wind stopped.
“Come out now dear Mica, you have nothing to fear.”
Mica took a deep breath and poked her head out of the cabinet. She
had to cover her eyes at the sight. There in front of her was the most
beautiful creature she had ever seen, and it was glowing like the sun on
a summer day.
“What are you?” Mica thought to the creature.
“I, said the creature, “am Emerald and I am a phoenix.”
“Okay,” Mica said, this time out loud, “That answers the first
question, but why are you here?”
“Oh Mica,” Emerald spoke again. “ This key in your hand unlocks a secret destiny
known only to our kind. When a phoenix gets close to its last day, it must pass on its power to a
worthy one.”
“But I’m not special! Mica gasped. “I’m just Mica. I change, brush my
teeth, read a chapter in my book every night, I get up, get dressed, eat
breakfast then go to school ever day, I’m an ordinary girl! How!?”
“You are more than you think, dear Mica.” Mica looked around for only to
realize that she wasn’t in her home bathroom any more. A new question
came to mind.
“Where am I?” Mica gasped panicking for the first time.
“You, The glowing phoenix announced, are in the sea of dreams. This is where
all your dreams go when you are not dreaming them. Here you will find an ally who will help you
on your journey.”
“A Journey?”
“What,” Emerald asked, “ You didn’t think I would just bring here, give you the
power of the phoenix and everything would be over did you?”
“Ummmm” Mica said, distracted by all the familiar dreams and
memories floating past her in the current.
“Mica,” Emerald spoke slowly, pulling her out of her trance, “ You
must be careful with your dreams. Not everyone gets their own sea, only those whose dreams are
powerful enough to become real, but can not be let into our own world. Mica was silent.” I
must bid u farewell now dear Mica, find an ally and you will start on your way. But remember
some dreams- no matter how real they may seem- just can’t be trusted.
“ Wait!” Mica shouted as she started to disappear, “Don’t go, I need
your help!!” Nothing. Mica turned at a shimmer in her peripheral vision,
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a beautiful golden-rimmed full body mirror stood before her. Mica
looked over the gorgeous pattern. The roses had their own pinkish
glow, the elegant butterflies seemed to lightly open and close their
wings when she wasn’t looking at them. And then she looked at the
reflection.
“HHHHHH,” she gasped at the girl in the mirror she assumed to be
she. But she looked nothing like her. The girl in the mirror had waist
length golden-brown hair, pale and lightly freckled skin- and her eyes.
They were the most beautiful deep blue, like sapphires!
“Mica!? Oh my gosh Mica I’m so glad to see you here!!”
Mica tuned to see Lauren, a girl from her school who was close to
another friend of hers. They didn’t talk much- anymore. She looked
surprised. And her eyes were red and puffy.
“ Mica, you have to help me. I don’t know where I am or how I got
here, I don’t even remember what I was doing before I found myself
here!! Where are we?”
“Um-were-well-um- Oh I don’t even know” Mica stuttered. Lauren
bit her lip. She looked distressed.
“Well do you know how to get out of here?” Mica sighed.
“Wait a minute I think I do!” Mica remembered dreaming about
doors. Well more about being trapped and there are doors to get out.
But she had to find the right door.
“Lauren,” Mica said grabbing Lauren’s wrist. “ We need to find a
door!”
“A door?” Lauren questioned. “Is it really that simple?”
“ No it’s not as simple as it seems. We need to find the right door.”
Mica tuned and looked over her shoulder. “There!” she exclaimed
pointing at a set of three doors. She swam- still holding on to Lauren –
towards the three doors.
“Well it’s obviously that one,” Lauren said pointing to the door in the
middle. It was the largest by far and had the word ENTER on it in
fancy letters. ”That one is only made to look like it’s the right one and
that’s the trick.” Mica said studying the other two.
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“Well, Lauren said, a sly smile spreading across her face. “ We could
always try it.”
“Oh No” Mica thought as she realized what Lauren was about to do.
“NOOOO!!” she shouted again as Lauren opened the door and shoved
her inside. She heard her laugh fade as she disappeared through the
door to her right. Of course, Mica thought. The RIGHT door.
“I told you some dreams can’t be trusted,”
“Emerald!!” Mica shouted, her spirits lifting as she saw the bright
glow of the phoenix appear in the dark room. Emerald spoke to her
again.
“You have seen now how dangerous these dreams can be, but you must think now dear
Mica, you are technically still in the sea of dreams, and hear anything can happen.” Mica
obeyed, she closed her
eyes and……
“Very good Mica,” Emerald spoke once more. Mica opened her eyes
and for the first time realized that the room she was in as not a room-
but a tunnel! “Good luck dear Mica.” And Emerald disappeared.
Mica wasted no time. She ran into the tunnel! Mica ran and ran until she
couldn’t run anymore. Then she kept running.
“Finally! Mica gasped as she ran through the end of the tunnel. She
then stared in horror at the sight. There before her was a cliff face
towering hundreds of feet above her just waiting for its chance to
crumble. And there, waiting at the bottom was a climbing harness and
rope set. Mica gulped remembering how she used to be afraid of
heights when she was little. Mica looked up the cliff again. What she
saw should’ve surprised her, but it didn’t. She saw at the top a brilliant
glowing light that lit the sky on fire. She knew this was her last stop.
Mica took another deep breath-after strapping on the harness- and
started climbing. When Mica stopped about half way up to take a
breath, she looked through the window in front of her and tilted her
head to the side.
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“Oh!” She breathed, ”Of course there was an elevator!” Mica kept
climbing.
“It felt like hours had passed by the time she climbed over the top.
There on the edge of the cliff, jaw hanging opened, not blinking, not
moving, - maybe not even breathing but she couldn’t tell- was Lauren.
Mica tore her eyes from Lauren to look at the glowing ball of light in
front of her. It was concealed in a thick glass ball with not a hope of
opening. Except…….. for the one oddly shaped keyhole resting on top.
The key that she had found in the mirror suddenly weighed a hundred
pounds in her pocket. When she thought about it seemed like days ago
that she had first seen the key. Could it really have been only earlier
that night!? Mica took the key out of her pocket and slowly moved
toward the glowing sphere.
“Wait!” Lauren finally spoke, “it could be dangerous.” Mica didn’t
listen. She walked forward the key now glowing softly in her hand.
Lauren backed away from Mica shaking her head, too busy to notice the
edge of the cliff sneaking up behind her.
“AAAAAHHHHHH” Lauren cried as she lost her balance. She stood
there on the edge arms flailing but not falling. Mica gasped. The sphere
was two feet away. So easy to get to. But Lauren was falling off a one
hundred foot cliff. Should she save Lauren even after what she had
done? I must be out of my mind. Mica thought as she dropped the key
and ran for Lauren. Mica grabbed her arm in attempt to pull her up.
Lauren smiled evil like and gave Mica’s arm a yank pulling her off the
cliff instead. Mica opened her mouth to scream but closed when she
realized she wasn’t even falling.
“Well done, dear Mica.” Mica found herself feet on the ground again
with Emerald’s bright glow shining in her face.
“What do you mean well done, I just got thrown off a cliff!” Mica
shouted managing to find her voice again. She never thought she’d be
so relieved to see herself back in her own bathroom.
“Yes, but you did it to save a friend,” Emerald commented.
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“I shouldn’t have saved her,” Mica said bowing her head, “I didn’t
even get my power. It was right there and now it’s gone.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Emerald said smiling, “Turn around.” Mica
turned and looked in the mirror- now fully intact again- and gasped at
the beautiful girl she’d seen in the mirror in the sea of dreams, and
now she too was glowing.
“You will be a great phoenix someday,” Emerald told her. ”You will be known as
Sapphire. Now go dear Mica, your family and new life waits for you.” And with that
the great phoenix breathed her last breath and broke into beautiful
emerald green flames and was gone.
SAPPHIRE left the room smiling.
The End
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