Wenclair - The Sun and The Moon

Chapter 15

A soft humming noise started playing in Wednesday's ears, as she opened her eyes she realized her surroundings. In front of her a mirror and a spotlight seemingly on her, the rest a black void. Her vision oversaturated even in the dim lighting, she could quickly tell this wasn't real. Especially since she noticed she didn't even have a reflection. She then looked around, wondering what would happen, if something ever did. Once she looked back to the mirror, she was a bit stunned once she saw herself. She swore she almost smiled at how idiotic she was acting, this was her regular reflection. She raised her right hand, her reflection copying immediately. She let out a small exhale through her nose. She felt ridiculous testing her own reflection, but also felt that it was necessary. To prove herself further she reached her hand to the mirror, lightly tracing over it. She almost felt relief before she felt a hand wrap tightly around her wrist, keeping it in place. Her reflection smiled as it leaned forward towards her, then through the mirror altogether. It laughed as Wednesday looked at it, terrified at first, but putting the dots together in her head.

"You're quite a funny thing, aren't you?" Her reflection gave a small smirk towards her, leaning in to scare her more, but Wednesday stood her ground. Stone-cold façade back in place.

"Hm, funny isn't a word most would use to describe me. You're the strange one." Wednesday tried pulling her hand away, but her reflection only held on tighter, afterwards yanking her forward.

"That means us both, I'm you." Her reflection laughed once again. "You, however, are much more of a fool."

"What?" Wednesday's face twisted into a small scowl, "I am no fool, I have spent my life trying to be the opposite. My family as well, they raised me right. And I raised myself quite fine too."

Her reflection laughed much more sinister this time, the mirror then warping and stretching, showing a small glimpse of the actual inside of the mirror; shiny, flashing colors, and her reflection turning into a black blob for just a moment before stepping out into the spotlight too. Her reflection bowed rather dramatically, before looking back up at the dumbstruck Wednesday. "Confused?" Her reflection raised an eyebrow, "Good. I like keeping everyone on their toes."

Another spotlight shot on, eliciting a head turn from Wednesday. Her reflection gestured for her to walk to it with a sinister look on its face. It looked like a shark slowly making its way towards its prey. As Wednesday did, the world around her got blurry, her steps feeling much smaller and slow. She fought to move forward as the air got heavier. It was almost mocking her. A pin board appeared in front of her. One with pictures, red string, and sticky notes, much like what one would use for a murder investigation Wednesday noted. Except once she took a closer look, she noticed the pictures weren't just any random ones, these were memories of hers. "What is this?" She turned just in time for her reflection to pop back up in her face.

"I already know you know. Don't ask stupid questions." It grinned, revealing not just her regular teeth but sharpened ones, much like the shark Wednesday had imagined earlier.

"So, these really are my memories..." She stood quietly in thought for a moment, "So... Why is this important to me? I already know my own memories and life." Wednesday began to believe this was a waste of time.

"Ah, see? A fool's decision. You judge before you know anything." Her reflection then cleared its throat. "You claim to be smart, yet you never see. You are incompetent at times, dare I say most."

Wednesday's fists curled into tight balls, her fingertips digging into her skin, not yet piercing. "And what is it that I never see?"

It laughed in her face, "Ooh! you're so scary!" it wanted to drive Wednesday to her breaking point. "You fail to understand people. You fail to realize the importance of emotions not just in yourself, but others. Perhaps you shouldn't act like a baby, but you under no circumstances attempt to understand anyone's emotions- or yours."

"Understand people?" Wednesday could barely keep herself composed, "I understand everything. I may not reciprocate, but I understand them. I just think people care too much about their feelings and emotions. Facts are more trustworthy than feelings."

Her reflection perked its head at that word, ""Trustworthy," you say? That's quite funny, you've struggled with trust haven't you? You're afraid of getting out of your comfort zone, you stay wrapped in your own world. Because you know you're different. You know that most people don't accept or like you. Even if they saw you vulnerable, they wouldn't like you. They'd eventually leave or die someday, so you didn't want to bother, and now you're alone."

"That isn't true! I chose to be alone." Wednesday reached out to push her reflection away, but it simply backed into the bright colors of the mirror with an echo-ey laugh. Then appearing back again behind her, it tapped her shoulder.

"Oh but it is, I'm you, remember? By definition the realest version of you, the one in your head. You are just a shell of me." It giggled before sighing. "If only you were much less close-minded. Goes to show what comes out of positive reinforcement, you need pain to learn. While I can't physically hurt you, I can still taunt you, which is just as fun." It looked back to the pin board, "As I was saying, now you have someone."

"I don't have anybody. I like being alone, that's how it always has been and will continue to be." She looked away, her voice a small growl.

"Ah ah now, the colorful one." Wednesday turned back to her reflection, "Enid. She likes you," It snickered as if the very thought of someone liking Wednesday was funny, "strange as she is, it's almost as if you two are drawn to each other, you always end up by each other's side."

"Not by choice." Wednesday retorted quickly. "And no, we are much different from each other, and the two of us being put together is just by coincidence and outside forces. I don't like Enid."

"Exactly, how sad." Its eyes now bore into Wednesdays', almost like a robot scanning a target. It took a few steps towards her, "Poor, poor girl! All she wanted was to be your friend, yet you treat her like filth. Like a disease." It smiled again, not breaking eye contact, almost competitive about it. "She showed you nothing but kindness, and a want to understand and get to know you...You pushed her away. You made her hate you. I don't know how she can even look at you, Wednesday."

Something about hearing whatever this thing was say her name made a shiver run down her spine, she didn't like listening to this one bit, but she was determined to keep herself calm. She wouldn't break like it wanted her to. "Being hated is better than being loved. If someone cares about you, you're promising to one day break their heart, or worse, they break yours. I can do without such foolish nonsense."

"Hm, I guess when you look at it that way...You're still foolish for not accepting what feelings you do have. Especially for her."

"Stop." Wednesday grit her teeth

"What? Stop telling you what you don't want to hear? You know this isn't Bianca's doing, or your mothers, or fathers, not even a spell or potion." It cackled madly, grabbing her shoulders. "YOU JUST CAN'T ADMIT ANYTHING!" It started to melt back into the mirror right before her eyes, slowly turning into a black and grayish mush, "I am real and you are not." Its voice, now louder yet low and mechanical, stunned Wednesday. She growled and threw her arm back, then brought it forward as hard and fast as possible. Her anger put into this punch, those words kept repeating in her head-

but all that happened was she sat up, she was back in her room. She was sweaty, panting, and seriously confused for a good minute. She looked around quickly, triple checking this was actual reality and not another dream, or nightmare more like. "I am real and you are not."

That voice haunted her, but she then noticed Enid lying on the floor next to her bed with her a blanket and a few of her plushies. Like a dog waiting for its owner.