Mirror

3

I watched as the car drove away. The second the care was out of my sight I exhaled a long breath that I didn't realize I was holding. I just stood there staring particularly at nothing for almost a minute or so before my anxious eyes roamed around my surroundings just in case someone was around. All I could see was fogs of darkness everywhere.

I quietly went behind the long wall, trying not to make any sort of noise. Once my legs were restrained, I couldn't stop myself from rechecking my surroundings once, just to be reassured no presence was left unnoticed by my eyes. I can't have my secret out at any cost. I can't afford it. Everything will be ruined. I will be ruined.

I got the same result as before, not a single soul anywhere around. Sure, and satisfied, I unzipped my bag and took out my clothes before changing into one. Once done with the clothes, I took my phone out and began tapping instructions.

Gathering all my stuff, I walked back and stood in the walkway. Almost three minutes later, a loud ringing of my phone reverberated throughout the dark silent air. Swiping left, I took my phone in my ear.

"Hello, I am your uber..."

************

I wiped the plate dry before putting it back onto the rack. I almost cried out in relief now that I could cuddle my bed. With the magical thought, I walked out of my crappy kitchen, but not before turning off the light.

After filling my stomach, I was feeling much more energetic in comparison to before, but not anywhere near normal. Today was quite eventful and every second, every step my body was reminded of it. Entering the room, I walked straight towards the bathroom without even bothering to turn the light on.

Entering, I pressed the switch button and the light flooded the bathroom, giving me a clear image of my reflection as I was standing right in front of the mirror. For a while I did nothing but stared at my reflection.

I looked ridiculous with my goatee. My dark and dense eyebrows looked half the size of my face. A big mole on the left side of my cheek. A long scar ran down from my right eyebrow to the inner corner of my right eye. I looked both feminist and manly, but not in a good way, but rather in a weird way.

Lifting my left hand, I rubbed my forehead in frustration. I don't have any idea what I am doing. My life has become a joke. I just don't have any purpose in my life. I am just breathing, not living.

Grabbing the locks, I pulled out an irregular and cheap wig from my head and hung it on the wall. Next is my sorry excuse of fake goatee.

Once I was done with removing all the artificial features from my face. I twisted the tab open and filled the cold water on my palm before splashing it all over my face. After repeating the process for a few times. I pulled out the towel and lightly dabbed it all over my face.

As the white fabric sucked dry all the wetness from my skin, I threw it in the laundry basket. And once again, I was looking at my reflection but at a different version of me. The real me. No fabrication. Nothing artificial but the pure me.

I looked beautiful as always. My thick long wavy chestnut hair is shining as usual. My pale skin looked almost unreal without any imperfections. My big blue doe orbs looked as deep as an ocean. It's no rocket science why I was named Ocean.

The tip of my small button-up nose looked like it was painted with a rose and my cherry red lips were of perfect size, neither small nor too pumped.

You think I am self-absorbed?

No, I'm just self-aware. How can I not? Everywhere I go, I get a clear reminder of it. I know I'm beautiful. A little too beautiful for my liking. Actually, who am I kidding? I'm what people define as ethereal.

People would do anything to have my face, but for me-my beauty is nothing but a never-breaking curse. A nightmare that I have been living daily for nineteen years and I have to live with as long as I'm alive.

Why? You must be wandering...

Have you ever walked alone late at night and the only living beings around you are those drunken people who just want to tear you apart? It hurts you physically and emotionally and you won't even bat their lashes doing so.

I get the same feeling whenever I walk with this face. The way people stare at me is unnerving. The way they pass cheap comments. The way they try to find reasons and excuses to touch me every chance they get. And me being alone, I am the easiest prey. Like it's said cherry on the top.

So, I changed myself. I started presenting myself as a man and now I'm living a double life for the past three years. No one knows my secret. For some people, I am Ocean, but for the rest, I am Oliver. I know what I am doing is wrong both lawfully and emotionally.

I could be thrown behind a bar for this and I was also betraying the trust of the people who trust me, but I did whatever I thought was right to protect myself. I also do have another reason to carry myself as a man, but that's for another day.

Pushing my poisonous thoughts aside. This is not the time to cry over my fate. Grabbing my hair, I tied it into a messy bun as I walked out of the bathroom. Switched on the light of my small bedroom before putting on one of my two pajamas.

Dragging my half-conscious body to the bed. I threw it before shutting my lids and welcoming darkness with both my arms open.

************

"Help..."

"Please Help me," I cried out for help in my cracked voice.

My chest had started to hurt, so did my legs, especially the muscles in my thigh areas, had started to numb. I couldn't run any further. It felt like I had been wandering for days in this deadly dense forest.

My ears picked the sound of footsteps coming in my direction at an abnormal pace. It was as if a car was racing at its full speed but with footsteps instead of the loud roaring of the engine. Fear grasps me from the pit of my stomach, slowly spreading all over my body, making me freeze on my spot.

The footsteps were getting nearer and nearer and louder and louder with each passing second. So loud that my ears had started hurting. I tried to lift my leg but it felt like someone had grabbed my feet in a tight grip, preventing any movement.

Defeated, I clenched my eyes, accepting whatever was about to happen. Out of nowhere, the loud footsteps suddenly stopped and silence surrounded the forest.

Nonplus, I peeled my eyes and looked around. The forest had fallen into tranquility. I was just pondering what just happened suddenly. "Ocean," Someone whispered creepily near my ear. So near that I could feel the person's hot breath fanning against the nape of my neck.

Startled, I swirled around only to have a breath caught in my throat at the sight ahead of me. My eyes widened in incredulity.

There was Loki standing on the trail ahead of me, evidently enraged with his ears upright, lips tightly together, tail raised where the tail meets his back, chest puffed out, hackles raised.

'What is Loki doing over here?' I wondered.

"Loki, what are you doing here?" I managed to speak without stammering. My voice was barely above a whisper.

He lifts the left corner of his lips and bares all his teeth, occasionally producing a low, rumbling growl and my body stiffened.

'What is wrong with him?' I thought to myself, confused at his strange behavior.

"L-Loki, are you ok-okay?" I shakily asked in a concerned voice.

He snarled in response. His eyes stuck on me. At least that's what I thought. I stared at him with a bit of confusion and more fright written all over my face.

Even though Loki has always been the one 'don't mess with me or you'll regret it' type. He is not the Loki I knew. It was alarming and frightening to see so much violence and hatred in those beautiful orbs. I hope he isn't planning to tear my flesh apart because right now he looks deadly possessed and ready to attack.

A slight shift of his orbs had my doubts cleared. He wasn't looking at me but rather something and someone behind me. I had almost blown out an air of relief. The keyword is almost when another awareness hit hard on me.

Someone was standing behind me. The realization had my heart leap up in my mouth and my breath quickened. Beads of sweat decorated my face, especially my forehead.

Loki's glance remained lingering on whatever or whoever was behind me. My breath got heavier and heavier. From my peripheral vision, I tried to see if anyone was there but I couldn't. I was trying so hard to keep a straight face.

Unable to stand the curiosity, I finally rotated my body 180 degrees. A bone chilling shriek tore off me when I found demonic eyes staring right at me.