Second Premonition. Dita

Friday finally arrived, and during that day, warnings and recommendations reached the students. Exams would begin next Monday. For the first-year students, it would be the dreaded history exam.

During recess, Karla watched Emily. She had a new mirror and was annoyed that she was constantly checking her reflection.

"Emily..." Karla tried to say, but her friend, knowing what she was going to say, interrupted her.

" Yes.. I know, I know..." Emily said, dragging out every syllable as she spoke. "Vanity is a sin. I shouldn't... that my nose isn't going to change. But, look... my new mirror is so pretty..."

Emily's mirror, shaped like a heart, had plastic inlays that sparkled when held under the sun. Naomy had given it to her. She didn't buy it; rather, it was one of those trinkets her brother had given her once and, since she didn't use it, she gave it to her friend.

Before recess ended, Emily went to the bathroom. There she found Dita, getting ready. She wasn't using the bathroom mirror, as it was too dirty and opaque. Dita was using her own mirror. Emily watched as she used a spoon to curl her eyelashes.

She was very skilled. With one hand she held the mirror, and with the other, she held the spoon she used. Dita saw Emily looking at her with admiration. Her pale skin was pretty, although her cheeks had no shine or color, the fact that they were so white made her look even older. Dita adjusted her uniform so that her thin arms and waist wouldn't be noticeable.

Before leaving the bathroom, Emily saw her reflection in her small mirror. No imperfections, no hateful zits. She smiled a little. She knew she wasn't pretty, but at least no one would mock her appearance. That was already a win.

Classes ended, and Emily met up with her friends. Lucía looked nervous. She checked her planner and took notes, whispering about what time she should study which subject. Naomy watched her.

"Don't forget to write down when to eat and when to sleep," Naomy said with a mocking air, which Lucía did not appreciate.

"Well, Naomy, what about you?" Lucía said, annoyed. "Are you going to study, or are you going to rely on your luck again?"

"If you want to talk about luck, let me introduce you to Karla," Naomy said, pointing to her friend, who turned to look. "She always prays to Saint Jude so she'll do well on the exam."

"I only ask him to guide me," Karla tried to defend herself. "This time I want to at least try to study what’s necessary. For the rest, Saint Jude and God will help me."

The friends went their separate ways and decided that, if possible, they would meet on Sunday at Naomy's house under the pretext of studying.

On the way home, Emily was smiling. She had understood that it wasn't her fault. Naomy had told her that what had happened to Pablito was no one's fault. She wasn't force to intervene. Pablito never asked for help.

Upon entering her house, she saw she was alone. Nina had left a note on the dining table: "I accompanied your mother to the IMSS (public Social Security). I left you $200 pesos for your food." Emily saw the green bill on the table. She took it and sat down to watch some TV.

An opportunity like this was very rare for her. She didn't even know what to watch, so she put on Channel 5 just to watch something. Two hours later, driven by hunger, she went out to get something. Watching a near park she stopped a little.  There were little kids with their moms. Even there were some other kind of persons. 

Parents, dad and also mom that enjoying the evening with their sons. She remembered. There where a time she even has the bravery to ask about her dad. She learned fast that questions like that shouldn't even be considered.

After buying a couple of pieces of bread and some milk, she returned home. It was easy that way: with no distractions and she prefer the silence of house. She put the money away and, not wanting to study, tried to watch more television.

It was already late. Her grandmother and her mother still hadn't arrived. Did they get lost? Did they go out to eat? Emily went to her room to rest. She closed her eyes to sleep. Nothing. History classes always made her sleep, so she decided to take out her history book.

As she pulled out the book, her new mirror fell. It was pretty; although the heart shape was quite cheesy, what mattered was the image. She looked in the mirror. No. In reality, the image was horrible.

"Good to see you," said a female voice coming from the heart mirror. It was Candice. "How long has it been?"

Emily dropped her mirror, which fell onto her bed. Candice, somewhat offended, began to complain.

"Do you know how much trouble you caused me when your little friend broke your mirror?" Candice asked angrily. "Whatever,  I'm back!"

"How did you get back?" Emily asked after recovering from the shock.

"It’s simple: I walked," Candice replied, smiling. "There are many mirrors on the streets of your city; I like that. Finally, I found you when that blonde-haired girl was trying to take her eye out. I jumped into your new mirror."

"Now what do you want?" Emily was already expecting something new, and that pleased Candice. She was starting to catch on.

"That girl... what's her name...? Dita, I believe," Candice began to say seriously. "That Dita has many problems. It’s your turn to intervene."

Emily saw Dita in the mirror. She looked strange: pale, thin, and her clothes looked far too big on her. She thought that maybe it was the same outfit she always wore, but because she was thinner, it looked oversized.

The future shown was Dita during her exams. She could barely get through them. She looked scared, confused. Emily noticed that she didn't answer the exam and only read it. 

The next scene was Dita getting into a car belonging to a man Emily didn't recognize. That man was takling with anger. She didn't hear the theme of his talks, but the anger in his face was obvious. Dita was scared.

The following scenes were strange: Dita dancing in daring clothes, and only for rehearsals. Then, a theater stage where she was practicing that same dance. The costume highlighted her classmate's thin arms; her ribs were visible with her agitated breathing and her sunken eyes.

The music stopped; Dita was panting, her exhaustion and effort evident. The lights went out. The stage lit up again with a single spotlight from above aimed at the girl, who was making an effort to stay still, her back straight.

The music played again. The dance began; Dita moved in a strange way. It seemed as if everything were spinning and that Dita was sinking into the darkness, into the void. It seemed as if there were shadows watching her. Glowing yellow eyes observed her, mocking her.

Dita fell from the stage, and a loud thud was heard, followed by Dita’s scream of pain. Her left ankle was broken. The girl was writhing in agony. Nobody helped her. Everyone was only watching her crying and begging for help. 

"She is a great actress" someone said louder.