Rebecca stared at her reflection in the mirror, a puzzled expression on her face.
Something was terribly wrong.
The face looking back at her was not her face. The dress the girl in the reflection was wearing was not her dress, and her hair was not the color of Rebecca’s hair. The girl on the other side of the mirror had her hair styled in ringlets that framed her startled face, while Rebecca wore two braids, one over each shoulder.
Rebecca and the reflection screamed at the same time, bringing up their hands to cover their faces.
Rebecca peeked through her fingers to see if the other girl was still there.
She was…with her hands still covering her face.
Rebecca watched in fascination as the other girl lowered her hands to her chest. A pair of very blue eyes stared back at her.
Slowly, Rebecca lowered her hands to her sides and swallowed. It almost felt as if she had something stuck in her throat.
Tentatively, the other girl reached a hand forward and touched the mirror, holding her finger on it. Rebecca responded by extending her hand and touched the finger of the girl on the other side of the glass.
Both girls smiled.
Being children filled with curiosity, the startled fear they first felt vanished and was replaced with wonderment.
Rebecca spoke. “Who are you? Can you hear me?”
The other girl nodded. “Are you able to hear me?”
“Yes! Yes, I can!” exclaimed Rebecca. “But who are you, and why are you on the other side of the mirror? Why don’t I see myself?”
“I do not know. When I looked in the glass this morning, all I saw was myself. I am Amanda. What is your given name?”
“Rebecca.”
“I am delighted to meet you,” responded Amanda, giving a small curtsy.
Rebecca’s eyes widened at the gesture.
Both girls continued to stare at each other, looking at each other up and down but not knowing what to say next until Rebecca cleared her throat.
“Why did you do that?” she asked. “That curtsy thing…and why are you wearing such a long dress? Are you going to a party?”
“It is the polite thing to do, is it not…when you greet someone? And I am only wearing my morning dress. I will soon be changing into my riding habit, as William has offered to give me a lesson today.”
She glared at Rebecca. “What you are wearing seems most improper. Why are you wearing trousers? Only boys are allowed to wear trousers.”
Rebecca looked down at her denims, then back up at Amanda.
Something was definitely wrong here.
Very wrong.
Just then, there was a tap on Amanda’s bedroom door. She turned from the mirror and yelled. “Is that you, William? I shall be down as soon as I change into my riding habit. I shall meet you in the stables at half past two.”
Rebecca could hear a mumbled response from a male voice.
Amanda turned back to the mirror. “Do you think we might meet this way again? I mean, through the looking glass?”
“I don’t know. Do you think this is some kind of magic? asked Rebecca.
Amanda shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know, but it must be, do you not think so?”
“I suppose…” she responded. “I can’t think of any other reason this would be happening.”
“I really must go now,” said Amanda. “I told William…he’s my older brother…that I would meet him in the stables, and I must get into my riding habit, or I will be late.”
She turned her head and looked at a clock on a fireplace mantle. “It is quarter past two. Tomorrow then…at half past one, same time as today?”
“Do you really think this will happen again?”
“Oh, I hope so!”
And with those words, Amanda turned from the mirror and Rebecca once again saw her own reflection staring back at her.