Mind's Eye

Chapter 1

I've been sitting in this white walled room for what seems like days, maybe even weeks. I have absolutely no idea what's going on and I really just want to be home studying. I've got finals next week for college and I already suck at everything math related, not to mention psychology. There is absolutely nothing to do here. To make matters worse my glasses are gone and everything's a blur, which is ironic because there is nothing to see in this prison of a room anyway. Life sucks. I'm parched and I've already spent a fair amount of time going out of my mind in an attempt to figure out what has happened to me. There is no way out of this supposed room. There are no windows or doors, only a single mirror and this uncomfortable chair that I've been sitting in forever. This is so awkward, almost uncanny. God help me.

"Well it certainly looks like you've gotten yourself in a pickle here," I knew that voice. Though it sounded distant I could still tell it belonged to Alister, one of my only friends. The only other friend I had was Iris, who I was supposed to be studying with if I could just get out of this room. Still, it was surprising. Why was Alister here, of all people? I looked over to see him walking through the mirror. My first clue that hinted at something being particularly odd was that Alister just walked through a mirror wearing a beige tweed blazer with a light pink vest. Alister never wears anything with a collar, much less a blazer. Though I guess the mirror was abnormal too.

"Hello?" Al spoke again, he had an airy sounding voice. Like it was his but not really his. "Are you even listening to me?" I was speechless yet he snapped me back to reality.

"Hmm? Al, wow, you're here! Thank God." I got up and walked over to him. "This is such an odd dream, can you help me wake up? I've been trapped here forever." Why haven't I woken up yet? This is a lengthy dream, though I suppose my dreams are usually unusual.

"And would you happen to know where I can find my glasses?" In retrospect there were probably a few more pressing issues to fix at that point, but I honestly just wanted to see clearly for a change. This blurriness was beginning to give me headache.

"Ha! That's hilarious considering your current situation, you won't be seeing anything for a while. At least with your actual eyes. I'm surprised you haven't figured out that we, mainly you, are comatose. We are standing in what would be called 'your mind'." He made a grand gesture, you could tell he wished he had a megaphone to say those words through. "Basically, you're trapped here until you take control of your noggin again. Oh, and by the way, if you want your glasses then just imagine them."

He said it like it was the absolute most normal thing to say. "So then how do I become untrapped?"

"In the long run, it involves travelling to the different parts of your mindscape and defeating the creatures that have set up shop in the different parts of your brain. The only thing you can do as of right now is walk through that mirror." He pointed at the mirror.

I didn't understand a single thing that was going on, though I suppose the only thing left to do is just go with it.

"I can't just walk through a mirror. It's not possible." I said as I adjusted my glasses. Oh, I'm wearing glasses. That's a great revelation.

"It's not like it's bad manners. You don't have to be invited in. Just do it." Even when I was comatose, I couldn't escape his terrible humor.

I walked by the chair and tipped it over as I passed, that stupid chair was agony. Strolling over towards mirror, I realized upon closer inspection that my hair was a mess and I was wearing my usual hipster get-up. I looked like I fell asleep in my clothes and had just woken up. I had my hipster glasses and navy blue flannel. My black skinny jeans and tan combat boots. The only thing missing was my maroon beanie. Then astoundingly, it appeared out of nowhere sitting atop my disheveled but neatly styled hair that is uniquely me.

"Are you really going to fight monsters dressed like the main singer of a garage band?" He gave me quizzically raised and judgemental eyebrow. Evidently the guy wearing a tweed blazer and pink vest was the fashion police. "You should change everything but the boots, those will work. Maybe add a long black coat and a broadsword, give yourself an adventurer vibe."

I'm so done.

"And how do I do that?" I questioned.

"Dude. You literally just made a beanie appear out of mid air, plus you've got your glasses, and you're asking me how to change your outfit. I'm just a figment of your wonderful imagination, so I can really only tell you as much as you already know."

"Ok, fine I'll try." I rubbed my hands together like sorcerers do in the movies. Still studying the mirror, I imagined myself in more combat ready attire.

It didn't work.

"Just think back to what you did before." Well the problem was, I had no clue how I even did it in the first place. I'm was totally lost. Life sucks.

I tried once more to change my look, I thought about what I needed to look like, but more specific than the first time and 'poof' I had the look. Gray shirt that made me look like I had more muscle then I really did, I still had the black skinny jeans (that were quite comfy I might add), my boots changed to black instead of tan, and I had a patchwork black jacket (the shoulder on the left was leather and so was the right pocket). For some strange reason, I also had a sword. A Braveheart-esque Claymore that reminded me of one my grandfather had collected back in the day. "Wow."

Being clad in black, I felt like I was in an Ian Fleming movie. If James Bond went everywhere with a sword strapped to his back.

"Alright," His hazel eyes had an explosion of jealousy. "Stop admiring yourself, you look cool. Now are you ready to go yet?" Al asked rather impatiently, as if a figment of my imagination had someplace better to be.

"I guess," I replied.

"Okay then Alice," He replied. "Time to go through the looking glass." He gestured to the mirror again. His sense of humor was really getting on my nerves.