In Pieces

5 | I Can Do This |

This had to be a joke, right? A hidden camera prank from a TV show!

I threw the scroll at Gio's face and jumped to my feet. "Okay, I see what this is now. Come out, everyone!"

The only thing peering over a tree trunk was a squirrel, which hurried and disappeared behind some bushes.

"Ha-ha! Very funny! You really got me there for a second!" I shook my hands in an exaggerated surrender. A couple of crows gawked back at me.

I turned to Gio and his crisscrossed eyebrows to apologize. "No offense, dude. You've got some cool magic tricks, but you are a horrible actor. Now, where is everybody?"

I kept gazing at the forest with my hands on my waist while Frodo picked some grass and faced the river.

"It's just us, Alaia."

No, it had to be a prank. A wicked birthday prank made more sense than being sucked into a mirror, getting saved by a genie, a heart in pieces, and a marriage proposal.

"I'll be right here when you're ready to talk."

Gio's calm tone and annoying confidence made me glare at him over my shoulder as I stepped into the woods. I looked behind a tree and then another. When the next few pines didn't reveal anybody either, I kept walking deeper into the forest. My thoughts followed along.

I had seen the flat back of the mirror at home when it fell on the floor. This couldn't be a trap door trick. And when I was in that dark place inside the mirror, my reflections on the broken surfaces stepped forward as I stepped back.

I had to trust the pain if I couldn't rely on my own eyes. I felt, very vividly, how pieces of my heart stung all over my ribcage when Gio touched my chest.

I leaned on my knees to catch my breath. Reality kicked and settled in painfully. I was stuck in this forest world with a genie. If my heart hadn't already broken, it would break again right now.

I straightened myself and dragged my tired feet back to Gio. He was waiting for me at the same spot by the river as promised.

"Ready to discuss our terms?" he asked, poking around the grass with a stick.

"Yeah." I sat down next to him and wiped the sweat off my face. "I'm not marrying you."

"That's not a discussion," he sighed again. "I've been stuck in this dimension forever, Alaia. I can wait as long as it takes. You are the one spending your precious time searching for a camera crew in the forest."

"If I sign your contract, I will spend the rest of my time with you, so no thanks."

"You don't even know me. Look, all I'm asking is—"

"That's the point, genius." I stared at him. "I don't know you."

Gio nodded as he picked the contract off the grass and started folding it into a tight roll. I scratched the bandage on my chest while keeping an eye on him. His pointy ears sagged a little. He shook his head, faced away, and sighed.

I couldn't marry a stranger out of pity, could I?

Gio sniffled and shook his head.

Did I make him cry? Now I felt like the worst person in the world! I probably was the worst person in his world, considering how there were just the two of us.

I reached out and gently touched his arm. "You must understand, Gio, I'm not a djinn like you. I'm sorry, but I can't marry you or stay here."

"If you just listen—"

"I only need a few pointers." We spoke at the same time. When Gio kept silent, I continued, "Can you please, at least, tell me where to start?"

His deep sigh silenced the birds, the bugs, and the wind around us. It was funny to realize how these little noises added to a peaceful harmony in a moment that lacked them all together.

"Your pieces are scattered into three different reflection worlds," Gio spoke after a while. "Jump into the lake. It will take you to the mirror dimension I saved you from."

I stared at the back of his head with widened eyes. Was he willing to help even though I rejected him?

He got up with a straight face, pulled an invisible zipper in the air, and pushed the scroll through the unseen opening until it completely disappeared.

"Good day," he said with a broken smile and then set off to the forest.

I stood up in a jiffy and hurried after him. "Is that it? What do I do once I'm in the mirror dimension? Walk in through the broken mirrors one at a time?"

"Yeah." He didn't turn to look at me.

"And how do I go home when I find my pieces?"

"Your mirror will assemble itself each time you mend a piece of your heart. Once you are whole and the mirror is in one piece, you can use it to go back home."

"Thanks, Gio," I said softly, and I meant it too.

He slowed his pace, turning his head ever so slightly. "I must warn you, though. The mirror dimension is a dark, vast place. It is the crossroads of all reflections in the universe. You might need a map or someone to guide you."

I jumped in front of him and opened my hand. "I'll take the map."

Gio finally stopped and, in all seriousness, pulled a scroll out of thin air. Placing it onto my palm, he stared right into my eyes.

It took me one second to open and close the paper with an eye roll. "Really?"

It was his stupid marriage proposal again.

He shrugged and took it away. "Good luck. Call my name three times if you change your mind. And watch out for the creatures in the dark."

Tucking the scroll into his pocket, he continued heading to the woods under my suspicious gaze.

"What creatures?" I yelled after him.

"The ones that have been stuck there for a long time, of course. Mostly people or animals," he yelled back over his shoulder.

I gulped. Was this a trick? Could it be an attempt to get me to sign his contract?

I sighed and watched him become a dark, distant silhouette between the trees.

The only universe I'd ever known was the one in my family's castle. College was supposed to be my first introduction to the real world, whatever it was. The dark mirror dimension was creepy, for sure, and thinking about going back there was enough to give me shivers. But on second thought, every person and animal I could think of was friendly, except for Mom. If I could handle Mom, I was sure I could take care of a few lonely chickens, dogs, or crazy old ladies.

My confidence kept building with each firm step that carried me to the river. I could do it. I didn't need anyone's help.

The messy girl that stared back at me from the river's surface had worry lines on her forehead and mascara stains under her eyes. I wondered if she felt as courageous as I did.

I can do this.

Taking a deep, shaky breath, I covered my nose and jumped into the water.