Who are you?

It’s a Monday morning. You wake up and follow the normal routine. Stretching your spine, it makes that muted popping sound and you feel a little looser. The floor is icy as you pad to the bathroom. Picking up the familiar wooden hairbrush you run the teeth through your matted bed hair. Once, twice, three times for good luck.

Rumble. Your belly aches so you walk to the kitchen and absentmindedly tip chocolate cereal into your bowl, some spilling over the edge like a muddy wave. The dog crunches happily underfoot while you chew slowly.

Crap. You’re running late so you rush to get dressed, grab your backpack and jog to the train station. Phew, just on time you swipe the go-card and sit in the train in your usual seat beside the window. Staring at the passing scenery you notice something in the reflection.

That girl is there again. The one that catches the same train as you do in the morning and afternoon and always sits beside you. You don’t know why but you’re compelled to scrutinise her. You try to sneak a glance at her but every time you do, she locks startled eyes with you, yet says nothing. Why doesn’t she say anything? Her eyes glint with a thousand questions, you can see it, but she says nothing. She is strange you decide.

The look of repulsion in her eyes offends you. Oh, now she’s angry is she? Hah, well you don’t need her company anyway. Folding your arms you ignore her stiff presence for the remainder of the trip. It’s your stop so you grab your bag and begin to stand up. In the corner of your eye you can see her getting up as well. She always gets off at the same stop as you.

Exiting the train you look over your shoulder to see where she travels next. She’s nowhere in sight. How does she manage to vanish so quickly? Where is she headed and who is she? She seems so familiar but you can’t place it. You continue your journey alone, feeling frustrated because just when you were going to corner and confront her, she’s out of reach. An enigma, the puzzling girl in the reflection. Maybe you’ll catch her and figure out who she is on the trip home.

Who are you? Some questions can never be fully answered.

 Some answers are harder to grasp the more you try.

Melanie xx