It's been a couple of days since Victoria hadn't left the house, guarded by her uncle and aunt. After finishing her daily chores, she would go back to her room, crying herself to sleep on the hard straw mattress. One night, a night like all the other nights back home, she suddenly woke up. A twinkle in the mirror. She touched the surface with shaky hands, but it was cold and rough. But it was a sign, a sign that the gate was going to open again. She fell asleep, curled up in front of it, her hand stuck to the cold polish.

The next day she tried to do her chores without letting the aunt and uncle know how troubled she was. And she looked for any excuse to go back to her room and examine, for the thousandth time, the mirror. But nothing foretold anything unusual.

Come night time, she was unable to sleep, going around the room like a chicken without a head. Under her light steps, the old floor creaked with different moans. But at the foot of the bed, the screak was sharper and the wooden board bent under her foot. She examined that piece of wood and, indeed, it had a hidden compartment underneath. She managed to lift it up with the iron hook next to the fireplace. It was a hidden shaft in the floor, hosting a chest. With trembling hands, Victoria took out the chest and opened it. Inside she found a book. A book with fairy tales, not very old, with a blonde fairy with a flower wreath on her head. The fairy was framed by climbing roses with red buds.

In the dim candlelight, Victoria started reading uneasily. The book wasn't very thick. It told the stories of fairies from a land far, far away, dancing stunningly in the middle of the summer, enchanting every traveler that was unlucky enough to catch a glimpse of their dance. Another story was that of a princess who defeated the forces of evil and her own destiny with strong will and courage. And the last one was about a girl who entered a strange world through a gate hidden in a mirror. Victoria read the last story, word by word. It said that the gate between the worlds opened every thirteenth summer, before the summer solstice, and the longest day of the year would be the last. And another thirteen years should have passed before it would open again. And for the balance to be in its place, the girl in the story and her double had to go back to their own worlds. The story had a happy ending, with the two becoming best friends and traveling to different worlds every thirteen years. But how was her story going to end? Will her double come back? But how could she come back to such a miserable life?

A sparkle in the mirror made her twitch. And for a moment, she saw her room, back at her aunt's house. The gate was about to open, so she had to do something. Somebody on the other side must have figured out what was happening. It was her only hope. So she ripped up a piece of the wallpaper and with a rusty nail she scrawled: 'It's me, Victoria and I want to come back home! Please, help me!' She stuck the piece of paper to the window with her chest pumping and tears coming down from her eyes. All she could do now was waiting. The summer solstice was three days away.

⃰

The woman in black and Aunt Alice took the news of the other Victoria's death hard enough. They couldn't believe it. The aunt was cracking her knuckles and Matilda was sobbing, even after she found out that the dead girl wasn't really Victoria. How could a pious woman like her believe such blasphemies? She was convinced they had all lost their minds.

'This girl, whoever she was, deserves a proper burial,' Aunt Alice said. 'I'll take care of everything, but what will I tell Victoria's parents? How can I tell them that Victoria is missing and can't be brought back because her double is now dead? They wouldn't believe me...' and she cried, burying her nose in her handkerchief.

The old woman and Paul were silent, with their heads down. It was late and you could see how tired everyone was.

'Could we see the mirror?' the old woman almost whispered.

'What would a crazy old woman like you be doing in the girl's room?' Matilda yelled all fired up.

The aunt stepped in. 'Matilda, what's the worst thing that could happen?' And then she said to the old woman:

'Of course we can.'

And the three of them went up the crackling stairs all the way to the girl's room. The mirror was covered with a sheet, waiting. They all stood in front of it like it was some sort of altar. Matilda was the only one who didn't enter but observed everything from the doorstep. When the clock struck three in the morning, a light glittered across the mirror and, for a second, they saw another room, older and muddled, lit by a candle. When their eyes adjusted to the darkness, they could clearly see a piece of paper with Victoria's handwriting.

⃰

The following night found Victoria wide awake. She couldn't remember when was the last time she slept. She couldn't miss the only chance she had to go back home. She knew that there was only one day until the gate between the worlds would open. But the fear of missing it scattered any sign of sleep or fatigue. In the night lit by the moon , everything was still. She could see how the leaves on trees outside her window were not moving at all and how all the creatures of the night had lapsed into silence. Short flashes of light appeared in the mirror. And slowly, her reflection faded away and three faces, very dear to her, appeared. Her aunt, Paul and the woman in black gazed at her like she was an apparition forming before their eyes. And their souls were once again filled with hope. They did it. As soon as they saw her, they smiled at her to give her courage. They probably even talked to her, but all Victoria could hear were whispers. But something was missing. Where was her double, the other Victoria? She should have been with them. She scribbled the daunting question on another piece of wallpaper:

"Where is the girl in the mirror? Why isn't she with you?"

But there was no answer. She saw her aunt and the old woman crying and feared the worst. But Paul disappeared for a second and when he came back, he was holding a piece of paper on which the girl read with teary eyes: "You'll be back home tomorrow! I promise!"

⃰

Beyond the gate, the summer solstice had arrived. The village was getting ready to celebrate the longest day of the year. Flower wreaths embellished every house. There was dancing, big tables being set everywhere and bonfires burnt throughout the night. Only the aunt's house was silent, with just the ticking clock disturbing the peace.

'I wish Victoria was here,' sighed the aunt. 'She would have loved this holiday...'

'She'll catch the next one,' said Paul, sure of himself.

The three women were watching him with great curiosity. Even Matilda was sure that the mirror was something far more powerful and strange than she had imagined. God did work in mysterious ways.

Paul seemed to know exactly what had to be done. And, without saying a word, he went to Victoria's room. He examined the mirror carefully, but its milky surface was hard and cold. He laid down on the girl's bed and stood there, watching the ceiling. A soft breeze entered through the open window. The pillow still had that fresh lily smell and Paul closed his eyes, breathing in that perfume that was so dear to him. And dreamt about Victoria, walking hand in hand, her silky locks touching his cheek...

The night was slowly setting. The celebrations ended well into the night and only a villager here and there, the ones that had a hard time parting with their drinks, could be seen staggering on their way home, mumbling some happy song.

When the night cast its dark shadow, everybody was in Victoria's room. Time went by slowly, and the silence that followed them was now heavy as a thick blanket that made the air hard to breathe. They were counting the pendulum beat in the saloon, announcing each half an hour that had passed. The night seemed like any other night. Warm, clear, sparkling. But come midnight, the face of the night started to change. Clouds thick like cotton covered the moon. The wind stopped. The trees and creatures of the night froze. Lightning struck the surface of the mirror, the sign that the gate was opening. Her milky surface cleared up and the four of them could see beyond. Victoria was watching them, waiting. She smiled, but she seemed troubled. They all smiled back with frightened and still grins. They could hear each other, but their words seemed to be coming from far, far away.

The clock in the saloon struck three times and the mirror transformed into a transparent haze. It was time.

'Victoria, try to go through the gate! Don't be afraid!' Paul yelled.

The girl tried, but every time she came near it, an unseen force knocked her down to the ground and sharp lightning pierced her skin. She tried once, twice, ten times... But alas, the gate had its own will and it was impossible for the girl to break it.

Paul went closer. It was time to do what he set out to do. To set the balance back into place by switching places with Victoria. What did he have to lose? Who would miss him in this world? So he said to her bluntly:

'Victoria, when I go through the gate, you have to go to the other side. Don't be afraid, give me your hand!'

Victoria watched him with her big eyes. She shook her head with tears coming down her eyes. But Paul seemed determined:

'Victoria, there is little time. Do exactly as I tell you! Trust me!'

'But how could you live in this evil world? I can't do this...'

'I have no one in this world anyway,' said the boy smiling. 'You, on the other hand, have everything here. People who love you and would be lost without you. And me... I want you to be happy.'

The girl watched him with grief. 'What will I do without you?' she whispered.

The boy stretched out his hand to the shaky haze.

'You'll be happy. And who knows, maybe in thirteen years we'll see each other again...' he said, forcing a smile.

The woman in black, the aunt and Matilda were stunned. They didn't try to stop him. There was no use. The boy was more determined than ever.

The girl stretched out her hand too, getting closer to the mirror. They locked eyes and smiled. Her eyes told him things only he could understand.

The boy smiled, put his hand through the dense fog and... The gate pushed him hard against the wall and did the same with Victoria. The hand that reached through the other side was burnt, and the boy could barely hold in a painful scream. He got up and tried again. And again, that unseen force struck him down to the ground. But Paul didn't give up. He tried again and again, but to no avail. Finally, he remained down on the floor, breathing heavily, with tears in his eyes.

The image in the mirror grew dimmer and the girl's gentle face started to fade away, like dust in the wind. 

'I love you all,' she said. 

Her voice was faint, like coming from a dream.  The gate was closing. Victoria looked and waved at them, trying hard to smile...

This story is coming to an end, everybody! Did you like it? What was your favorite scene or character? Let me hear your thoughts! And don't forget to vote, too! And if you really, really liked it, please share it with your friends! It would mean the world :)