The Curse of the Mirror

"Miss Candice Brown," a deep, strong, guttural voice echoed throughout the dressing room. Candice froze, trembling with fear. "I have heard your wish, and I have seen the ambition in your heart."

Candice remained paralyzed with fear. She turned to look at the mirror. Nothing. Only the reflection of the vanity along with the standing mirror, which made Candice look away. She didn't like seeing her reflection repeat into infinity. But it seemed to her that the voice was coming from there.

"That... that is what I said," Candice whispered, her voice also trembling.

She was used to talking back. she thought she saw a shadow in the mirror—a long, dark shadow that moved, yet she could not see the person to whom it belonged. She heard footsteps; she even thought she could hear breathing.

"Behold your future, Candice Brown," the voice said. Candice watched as the image in the mirror changed.

A shriek escaped her throat, and she took a few steps back. The mirror now projected the stage of that very theater. There stood one of the company's rookie dancers. Anya, or so she thought. Two years younger than her, thin, graceful—Candice had hated her since the moment she joined.

Anya’s green eyes perfectly matched her long, straight, blonde hair. Her upturned nose made her look elegant. Anya was a bit taller than her, and her small freckles gave her a somewhat youthful look. She had been chosen as the Sugar Plum Fairy; they were applauding her, celebrating her. Candice didn't see her dance; Anya was simply giving thanks for the opportunity.

Candice saw a new image. She saw herself, dancing, trying to perform the same character. The loud music seemed unbearable; the mirror trembled from the percussion of the orchestra. She got distracted; Candice saw herself trip and fall. She nearly collapsed, twisting her ankle.

The director took pity on her and relegated her to a background dancer for the Arabian Dance number. That was it. A scene of no more than three or four minutes, and nothing more. And the rookie...

"You decide your future, Candice," the voice declared. The image returned to what it was: that small, dirty dressing room with its persistent smell of dust and dampness.

In the theater lobby, she found Anya talking to two other people. She waited, she thought, she devised a plan. She didn't have time to wonder if what she saw was a hallucination from lack of food or something real. She waited a few minutes until Anya said goodbye to her friends. Candice approached. She already knew what she had to say.

"Anya!" Candice said, faking a smile. Anya turned to look and smiled, showing those horribly perfect teeth. "Nervous about tomorrow's audition?"

"A... a little, Miss Brown," Anya replied timidly. It was the first time she had spoken to Candice, and she was excited. "And you?"

"A little," Candice remarked. "But do you know what relaxes me during these audition times? A bit of tea. Father brought some green tea from China. Let's relax and enjoy the rest of the afternoon, what do you say?"

Anya smiled and accepted immediately. The idea of having a new friend thrilled her. Before heading home, they bought something at the bakery. Candice shared some personal anecdotes along the way that made her companion laugh.

Candice’s home was modest. The wallpaper in the room looked worn and old, the windows were dirty, and there was hardly any furniture. Anya was surprised by the austerity in which Candice lived, but she said nothing.

She sat in one of the chairs at the only circular table, and Candice began to prepare water for the tea. The fireplace had too much soot, and Anya thought it would be a good idea to light it. The place was far too cold.

Candice hummed, almost in a whisper, one of the melodies from The Sleeping Beauty ballet. From a vial, she put a couple of drops into Anya’s cup and served the tea.

"Candice, dear," Anya began to say. Her body was shivering from the cold. "It seems to me you need to remodel your home."

"Don't worry about the decor," Candice replied as she poured the tea. She sat down and smiled at Anya, who began to drink. "I’m saving up to move."

Anya smiled; the tea warmed her, but not enough. Candice distracted her by asking about her home country, the reason that brought her to this city, and about her family. Her guest answered the questions while Candice watched. Gradually, Anya began to feel a strange fatigue.

"Anya, honey, do you feel alright?" Candice asked with concern. She placed her hand on her guest's shoulder.

Anya looked exhausted, as if she were overcome by sleep. Her eyelids drooped as if saying she could no longer withstand the fatigue. Anya tried to stand up to change her position. Her knees trembled; her legs felt like jelly.

"Anya, take it easy, you might hurt yourself," Candice commented with concern. She led her to her bed to have her sit and lie down.

To Anya, her friend's voice sounded distant; her hands shook. She realized it. She had fallen into the trap. She had trusted her companion too much. Her mother had warned her; even the director himself had. Anya closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

It was midnight when Candice left her apartment with Anya in her arms. She knew nothing would wake her; no matter how much she moved, Anya wouldn't open her eyes until it was too late. She hailed a carriage and asked to be taken to the nearest church.

She got out and placed the sleeping Anya near that church. She looked around. There was no one. She regretted not having brought a coat. With a certain guilt in her heart, Candice left Anya there, hoping she would survive.

She returned home and slept relatively peacefully. When she woke up, she still had time; she ate a bit more to avoid the dizziness from lack of food and headed to the theater for her audition.

People were already talking amongst themselves. Even among the theater employees, there was talk of the pretty foreigner. She hated it; for her, all that noise about Anya was difficult to tolerate. But she pushed herself so that they would see her, so they would talk about her audition and how she would secure the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy.

Did she succeed? Of course she did. She didn't trip; she avoided the future the mirror had shown her. That helped her find success. But when she had the chance to help, Candice made a mistake. Two years after that audition, the mirror gave her a new future.

The last one. The theater would suffer a fire that would cause many injuries. She would have the chance to help the dancer who once played Clara in The Nutcracker. Both would make it out alive with minor injuries, nothing more. She would be seen as a hero. But Candice didn't think of that. She did nothing.

Panic and the fear of fire made her forget she knew she had the power to help that young woman. What she did remember was that she had some important jewelry in the dressing room. She thought she had time; she thought she could rescue the jewelry she had been given for her birthday.

She heard the wails of that dancer. She thought the girl was trapped. Candice made her choice: first, she would go for her jewelry, thinking she could then go back to help. She reached the dressing room, where the fire had not yet arrived, but the smoke was already thick. She managed to find her belongings and tried to flee, but a flaming beam fell right at the entrance, leaving her trapped.