Mirror Me

43: The True Face of Vanity

"Having difficulties?" Vanity appeared beside me. I screamed and jumped back. The woman had moved like smoke, quick and without a sound.

"How did you get up here so fast?"

"For being a Mirrorbender, you certainly know very little about Half-Lives. Such as how you think you can harm me, so naive. Hasn't anyone told you that Half-Lives are immortal meaning we can't be killed." Vanity took a step forward. I held the mirror up in defense. My hands trembled with fright. "Half-Lives have lived for thousands of years. I personally have been stabbed, burned at the stake, drowned, imprisoned without food or water, and still I live, unable to find the sweet embrace of death. We are like mist. Here one moment there another" Vanity pointed towards the mirror. "Why not you take a look in this mirror and see what us, Half-Lives, truly are. You might be surprised."

Hesitant to look I slowly turned my head so I could see Vanity in the mirror. I screamed at the horrifying sight. Vanity appeared like a skeleton with dead leaves covering the bones. Her decaying and balding scalp had wisps of long white hair. If the crypt keeper ever had a wife she would be it. Vanity smiled, her lips long rotted away showed her fangs. A zombie would look more alive than she. The only thing that remained unchanged were the bright glowing purple eyes that sank deep within her skull.

"Impressed," chuckled Vanity. "This mirror reveals my true form. The only object I cannot cover in illusion. It holds all my power. You are right trying to destroy it, but like me it is indestructible."

"No," I whispered.

"Yes," said Vanity. "Now let's pick up where we left off in the town square. Oh, Shadows!" Two Shadows appeared carrying the Portly Brothers by the their legs. The pigs squealed and shook in terror. Vanity leaned down to their faces. "So you're hogs you say. I thought hogs were bigger and tougher. You're nothing but two little scared piglets wishing to be something you are not." Vanity's hand became covered in dark mist. It formed into a long thin blade.

"Please, help us, Mirrorbender!" cried Bran.

"Don't let us die, no!" whimpered Stan.

"Stop! Please, stop!" Tears ran down my cheeks. "They are my friends! They are innocent!"

"They are a nuisance, that is all. A pest, a bug that must be squashed. I have let them live long enough." Vanity raised her blade towards the pigs.

I could not take it any longer. I had to do something.

"No!" I shouted as I lunged forward with the mirror. Pushing Vanity backwards, the two of us tumbled over the railing down to the floor below. I landed in a soft pile of sand, unharmed, but Vanity screamed in pain not from the fall but from the mirror touching her skin. Her skin blistered and boiled at the mirror's touch.

"Get it off me! Get it off me!" she hollered. Vanity whacked the mirror with her hands sending it flying across the room and landing near the unconscious Owen. I watched as Vanity grabbed her blistering arm. "My arm!" she cried. "It's burning!"

I jumped to my feet and tried to run, but Vanity was too quick. The woman grabbed my hurt ankle and yanked me down. I fell to the ground screaming in pain.

"I won't let you go that easy, Mirrorbender." From my pocket I pulled out my small mirror and twisting around pressed its shiny surface onto Vanity's face. The Half-Life screamed again. Her face blistered and began to melt. She let go of me clutching her singed face. "My face! My beautiful face! Damn you, Mirrorbender!"

Zeno cheered. "Whoa! Yeah! Hit her again!" He turned to the Shadow holding him. "That's my new friend over there beating up your boss. Look at her go."