Mirror

Mirror, mirror whats behind you? Save me from the things I see.

Pyrrha’s library was her own personal slice of paradise, a realm within the heavens created in her own divine image. A seemingly endless vault of books, tomes and scrolls, it was a repository of knowledge like no other. Even its golden walls were home to various fonts of lore, being adorned with numerous jewelled tapestries depicting her favourite legends and heroes. Her personal chambers too were a reflection of this luxury, home to a bed of exquisite craftsmanship that boasted a feathered mattress with silk sheets and many velvet pillows.

From within her sanctuary, she dined on the finest delicacies and was waited on hand and foot by the most dedicated servants. She had spent nearly every moment since birth within her gilded realm, seeing no reason to tread beyond its blessed grounds for earthlier pursuits. In contrast, nothing from the mortal realm piqued her interest even in the slightest, aside from the prospect of acquiring more of their literary material for her collection.

This existence of hers was definitely something to be desired, with its trappings of luxury and adoration at her fingertips. As a goddess, Pyrrha knew this well, yet in her heart of hearts, such pleasures, as divine as they were, meant nothing to her in the slightest. After all, when compared her precious mirror, they were all insignificant, it being the only thing that truly mattered.

The mirror stood proudly by her bedside, tapered to the golden walls. In the middle of its diamond encrusted silver frame was a crystalline surface that reflected everything in the room as though it was gleaming with light. A gift from Aria, her mother and creator, it was unlike any other mirror, for it was magically calibrated to function in her realm, a feat no other of its kind could do.

While initially doubtful of its worth, her concerns were allayed by the gifts bestowed by her new plaything. Through its crystalline surface, she became enamoured with the green eyed and redheaded lady that met her gaze. The lady in the mirror smiled when she smiled, and laughed when she laughed, much to her joy and endless amusement.

While perhaps a simple pleasure, it was something her precious compendium of books could never hope to grant her. Up till then, she knew of everything in the universe, having spent time immemorial studying the lore of the mortal realms. It was no mere boast, for her immortal consciousness was able to remember every bit of information from every item in her collection. Yet, despite this vast intellect, she never truly understood herself, her tomes and scrolls offering little in the way of discerning the nature of the divine.

"I'm so beautiful," she thought to herself as she stood in the mirror’s gaze. It had to be true, considering that its reflection of her spotless complexion and hourglass physique had made everything around her appear slovenly in comparison. Impressed by her own beauty, she began to look down upon the mortal realms with a disdain unbecoming of a divine being. It was then a shadow was cast upon Pyrrha's heart, isolating her from the outside world, for she no longer held interest in the material universe.

Yet, even as Pyrrha’s pride grew to immeasurable bounds, she felt an emptiness gnaw within her. It was at that very moment that she realised that her existence was incomplete, for her swelling pride lacked the validation she ever so craved. In a moment of hubris, she demanded that the mirror tell her if she was the fairest of all.

As if responding to her vainglory, the mirror glowed with a flash of light, causing a faceless figure to appear before her. An enigmatic being, it appeared to be an extension of her precious mirror, for its form was tethered to it by numerous prismatic threads. Even stranger was the creature’s skin, a crystalline surface that displayed multiple images of her on its body as though an infinite multitude of mirrors were standing before her.

Looking upon the mirror-like being, she deemed it a loathsome creature, seeing its featureless visage as a mockery of her beauty. Fearing the ugliness of the being that stood before her, she raised her arm, an incantation in hand poised for its obliteration. However, the strange figure began to chime as if attempting to speak, causing her to stay her hand.

“You, my mistress, are the fairest of them all,” it chimed before fading into the mirror. The figure, whatever it was, had a musical voice like the keys of a piano, and its words were both smooth and pleasing. Considering that it had pleased her so, she deemed the mirror, and the strange being that lived within, worthy of existence.

Ever since that fateful meeting, she would ask the mirror that same question constantly, once a day. The answer from the enigmatic being was always the same, much to her endless satisfaction. Through its musical words, she learned that she was the one and only, and that no one could ever be as beautiful. Knowing this truth pleased her to no end, causing her face to swell up with pride like the ripe apples from a scroll depicting the agricultural practices of mankind.

Over the millennia, Pyrrha would go on to spend countless hours with the mirror, going far as to talk to it, telling its crystalline visage everything about herself. Now, she spoke only to the mirror, shunning both servant and friend alike while she spent every waking moment by its side as if it were her only friend. Her heart held only one desire, that the mirror could be her one true love, the soulmate she could bare her heart out to without hesitation.

The years went by, but even as mortal empires rose and fell amidst the squabbles of her siblings, she remained indifferent in the face of her love for the mirror. It was her constant companion in her self-imposed solitude, having grown weary of the mortal realms and the machinations of her fellow immortals. However, much to her chagrin, the mirror would not speak to her outside of praising her beauty. It seemed as though the entirety of its words were only reserved to answer that one question. The lack of response to anything else was maddening, for now that she had heard the mirror's enthralling voice, she wanted it to say other things, to say that it loved her as much as she loved it.

Eventually, she could no longer tolerate its indifference. Blinded by rage and grief, she confronted the mirror, screaming in frustration as it stared at her wordlessly, reflecting her anger on its crystalline surface. Its ignorance to her plight enraged her further, causing her to scream curses and rain blows upon the mirror as it loomed over her like a bad omen, as if silently mocking her.

Yet, despite her rage, there was no answer, and each scream and swing did little more than tire her out. As if realising that her threats were to no avail, the blows grew weaker, and her curses became less vile, as Pyrrha felt a crippling lethargy consume her. Her body was now aching with an indescribable burden, and her legs were trembling as she struggled to maintain her footing. As hope for any sort of answer dissipated, she collapsed onto the carpeted floor, tired and broken.

“Mirror, I beg of you, tell me who’s the loneliest of all!” Pyrrha cried out in despair as she lay on the floor, her voice almost pleading, an act beneath her status as a divine being.

Much to her surprise, the mirror began to glow, and the same faceless figure appeared before her for the first time without the usual verbal prompt. Watching her, it stood still for what seemed to be an eternity, its lidless eyes fixated on her while its skin displayed numerous images of her trembling in great despair.

“You, my mistress, are the loneliest of them all,” it chimed solemnly. The voice was as musical as ever, yet it betrayed a sorrow that words could not do justice.

Pyrrha could feel tears glistening in her eyes from its answer, yet she knew it to be true, having shut herself off from everything she ever loved in favour of the mirror’s company. She knew of sadness, having studied multiple volumes on the subject, but to experience it firsthand was truly a pain beyond measure.

Embracing the figure, she felt a surge of cold air envelop her body as she saw numerous tear stricken images of her appear on its skin. With her eyes so close to the creature for the first time, she could feel a wall of crying faces bemoaning her, hidden within their sadness a mocking contempt. They were judging her, deeming her unworthy as their faces betrayed their hatred for her weakness. Facing this, she wanted to scream, yet she knew she was all alone, and no one could hear her. Knowing that hard truth, Pyrrha broke down and began to cry large, gulping sobs for the lie that she had clung on to for countless millennia.

However, despite everything, the back of her mind still held a glimmer of hope. After all, the mirror remained steadfast despite the revelation, still waiting, still watching. In her heart of hearts, she desperately wanted to believe that it was still there for her despite everything. Tightening her embrace on the faceless entity, she mustered up the strength to make one final appeal to her only friend in the world.

“But... you’re there for me, aren’t you? I don’t like being alone...” she pleaded, her voice reduced to little more than a hoarse whisper.

The faceless figure continued to stare at her in silence, as though confronting her lie like an arrow piercing through the darkness.

Author's Note

Hi!

Do let me know what you think! If you've enjoyed this story, do check out my book on the Amazon Kindle Store, The Best of Aurafiex - A Short Story Collection.

Buy it now at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GX7EVLC

Have a nice day!

Reviews

[Obscured by the Shadows]

I am going to give you a long list of critiques. Mind you, this is all in my opinion and you don't need to change anything and also let me know if this is unappealing to you and I will never citique your writing this rigorously again! Thanks.

Pyrrha’s chamber had everything she wanted, and everything she could ever possibly want. (Just that first sentence is a bit off, it says the same thing twice, consecutively.)

It was a seemingly endless library with jewel encrusted bookcases filled to the brim with various books, tomes and scrolls. Various tapestries adorned its golden walls, each one depicting a historical event, as though forming a mural of the past. (Two things about this one, you say various twice, it throws it off a bit, try to find a different word to use the second time. Also, the walls ARE forming a mural, so there is no need to have "as though" in the sentence.


The floor was lined with various antique rugs and carpets that gently caressed her feet with each step. (There is the various again. There are lots of words that have the same meaning, such as: assorted, diverse, different, numerous. All of these would work just as well, modified for the sentence of course.)

- and had no shortage of literary material to while away the hours, they all meant nothing to her. (I have never heard the term "while away," can you explain it to me? I am curious, haha.)

The mirror stood by her bedside, tapered to the golden walls. In the middle of its bejewelled silver frame lay a crystalline surface that reflected everything in the room, as though it was gleaming with light. (I don't understand what you mean by "as though it was gleaming with light." What does that have to do with it reflecting everything in the room? Also "bejeweled" only has one "l."

She had never seen it in her room before until her eighteenth birthday. (Maybe say "the first time she had seen it was her eighteenth birthday." Or something along those lines, the way you stated it is a bit queer.)

I love the idea of this story, playing off of Snow White, but giving it your own twist. It is a beautiful story and I wonder if you plan on continuing it! The whole concept of this story is a lesson, beauty is so captivating, we often find ourselves enslaved to the desire. You're an excellent writer, I can't wait to read more!

[Aurafiex]

Thanks! I really, really appreciate such a detailed critique. I'll probably do a rewrite of this, since personally I'm not too satisfied myself with the flow of the story.

[Aurafiex]

I've done a revamp on it. I'd like to see your thoughts on this!

[Obscured by the Shadows]

Sure thing! Just shoot my a request! I'm busy at the moment.

[Aurafiex]

Okay! Its the same piece so I can't send you a request. Anyway do check it out when you have the time!

[Obscured by the Shadows]

Of course.

[Grimmmes]

Very well written, with some lovely imagery. You have the ability to compose beautifully detailed descriptions of setting. However, I though (even though he is faceless) more of a description for the nameless face would enhance the visual there - I think I imagined the Man in the Mirror from Shrek lol.

Characterisation was a little bland. Your protagonist obviously don't go outside or do anything, it was amazing she had a positive personality to begin with. However, she had no personality. Again, this is most likely caused by the bubble she resides within, but you need to explore this. That was a big part for me, as it took away from the reality of the story. It seemed too much like a basic fairytale where characterisation and voice were ignored.

I was hoping for more of a back story regarding her past. This actually goes hand in hand with very small amount of any action in the plot. The most climactic part of the story was when she was yelling at the mirror. This reveals the lack of action in the story. It's beautifully written, but just listening to description after description; you lose your audience. I kept waiting for something to happen, but nothing really did. I thought maybe a flash back concerning the last time she saw her father could be embedded before the climax? You dropped that the mirror was a present from the father, so use it as a Chekhov's gun - explore this point and embed a dramatic flash back to entertain and engage the audience. You want people sitting on the edge of their seat and your long descriptions jar the flow and pace of the story. This is just my opinion. I did find myself reading through this very slowly.

The ending was interesting. I don't mind it being left unresolved, but again, very void of action. Breaking the mirror could have been a dramatic close. Especially if the numerous scattered glass shards reflected the mocking face. But that's really up to you, the ending was fine and thoughtful. I would have felt more for your character if more of her personality or back story was explored.

A great start, and again, you've got a talent for prose. You're descriptions and imagery are fantastic. Well done.

[Aurafiex]

Thanks for the review! I've amended the story, so do give it another look and tell me what you think!

[Lavorther]

A really well-writen story. It has the feel of one of those old fairy-tales. It was an enjoyable read, but there was one thing thing I was wondering about:

Somewhere in the beginning, you wrote that she "had no shortage of admirers and friends to visit her." This made it feel odd that she was lonely in the end, because you never wrote that people stopped visiting her. This was a bit confusing, maybe you should add something like that she started to prefer the mirror to her friends, and when they noticed they stopped visiting her. Just a suggestion of course, but I would add something like that. Other than that, good story.

[Krizito]

It had this lovely disneyque kind of aura around it-big disney fan- and the style, nice...you do quite well with imagery.
All in all...pretty much liked it.

[Meeks]

The pacing is monotone. I ended up skipping forward, then going back because I didn't want to skip forward. Anyway, you have a respectable style and all that, but your pacing, at least here, needs a bit of work.

Here, there is very minimal variation, as if you tried to dull it and physically made sure it was as smooth as possible. You don't want that. A story isn't just black marks on white paper (or screen). Have some parts where you are obviously pulled into her thoughts, feeling like you are in a cloud and grappling for something, and then back down to earth when someone speaks.
The tempo should be fluid.

Overall, very good. I enjoyed your style, hope you keep writing.

[Aurafiex]

Pacing wise, what do you think could have made it better?

[Meeks]

I really don't know how to express it. Make the descriptions more vivid, the thoughts more deep, and the conversations more cutting.
I might just be hinting at something one can only understand by figuring it out yourself. In that case, well, try to figure. I only got it recently, by trying to write a story set in the 1910's, so maybe you should try changing voice?
I really don't know.

[Aurafiex]

I'll see what I can do. Thanks!

[Aurafiex]

I've updated it, so if you have the time do give it a re-read and tell me what you think!

[Amber Lily]

I really enjoyed this! Your attention to detail was astounding. The way you made the bedroom look in my mind made me wish I had a room like that. Surrounded with books, and a bed

[amberelisabethbagley]

A touching piece. Well written and thought out. I enjoyed the concept a lot - aren't we all a slave to the mirror in way? Sometimes people do find that only have themselves which I perceived this piece - that the mirror is just her.
Great writing keep up the good work!

[Aurafiex]

Thank you!

[TheMalady]

Such a sad story. It tells the root of sadness and pride, as well as vain and prejudice. Great story!

Also, I spotted some typo-errors(though they are small):

- '... Much to her surprise, it glowed and a hooded figure as imposing as the mirror itself appeared before her, tethered to the mirror as though it were borne from it.' Should this be - '...Much to her surprise, it glowed and a hooded figure as imposing as the mirror itself appeared before her, tethered to the mirror as though it WAS borne from it.'?

- '...Embracing the figure, she a surge of cold air envelop her body as she saw numerous images of her tear stricken face appear on its skin.' Should be '...Embracing the figure, a surge of cold air envelop her body as she saw numerous images of her tear stricken face appear on its skin.'

Overall, I enjoyed reading your work. Keep up the good work. :)

[Aurafiex]

Thanks! I've amended the typos.

[TheMalady]

You're very welcome! :)