JANE?
419 Words
Chapter 58: The Mirror Spoke Back
Elara awoke on the floor, a faint taste of butter on her lips and a cat on her chest. The cat, who still didn’t belong to her, purred ominously.
“You fainted,” it said. “Because I dropped the truth.”
Elara blinked. “You talk?”
“No. You’re hallucinating.”
“Oh. That makes sense.”
She got up, stumbled to her mirror again, and whispered, “Please. Say something.”
This time, her reflection smiled.
She did not.
“What do you want from me?” she whispered.
“To be toast,” the reflection said cryptically.
“Excuse me?”
“To be crisp. Golden. Not soggy with doubt and despair.”
Elara stepped back. “You’re not me.”
The mirror Elara tilted her head. “No. I’m who you were before you trusted people who burned your jam.”
“That was one time!” Elara shouted. “And it was apricot!”
“And you hate apricot.”
The mirror shattered.
Elara stood there, surrounded by glittering shards, each one whispering fragments of her forgotten dreams. She picked one up. It showed her standing on a stage, covered in toast crumbs.
She didn’t know if it was a memory or a prophecy.
She screamed into the void.
No one answered.
Except the cat. It nodded solemnly and said, “Now you understand.”
---
Chapter 59: The Cult of Crumbs
Elara wandered the mansion, clutching a broom and wearing her cloak backward because fashion no longer obeyed the laws of sense. The cat followed her.
“Where are we going?” she asked it.
“Salvation,” it replied.
They entered the library, where a group of four cloaked figures were chanting in front of a glowing toaster.
“Elara,” the leader said, “you are the Chosen Crumb.”
“What?”
“You survived the Toast Trial.”
She squinted. “You mean fainting?”
“No. You resisted the temptation to eat floor-toast. Only the strong can do that.”
She glanced at the toaster. It glowed with holy light.
“Join us,” they chanted. “All hail the Burnt Edge.”
“Will there be snacks?”
The leader nodded. “Mostly bagels.”
She accepted.
That night, they performed a ritual involving cinnamon sugar, a goat named Craig, and a dramatic reading of a recipe that included
‘emotionally diced onions.’
Elara felt complete.
But also slightly bloated.
- Writer
