The Wish Granting Mirror

By 星野舞夜 .

Read the original story here!

Pitch blackness was before me when I opened my eyes.

The enclosed space.

Although my bed should’ve been warm, I couldn't feel any heat at all.

This was a hospital room. I had become sick two years ago.
An incurable disease with its cause unknown, in which I gradually became
unable to move.

At the start it was just a little difficult to move my arms and legs, but now I was
completely unable to move my body.
It even got to where I was unable to swallow food easily.

They said I only had a few months left.

Aah, I hate this.

Even once the night lifted, I would be in this room all alone.

Suddenly, I opened my eyes and looked to the mirror set to the side of my bed.

My mother had bought it for me the other day, a "wish granting mirror".
She always brought these kinds of things when she came to visit. Wish granting prayer beads,
wish granting crystals, wish granting clackers…

They were probably to wish that my sickness would become better.

She brought me many things, but for someone like me who was unable to move
my arms, the only one I could use was the slightly large mirror.

My parents and friends would come to visit me, caring for me like this, and the
nurse would also spend time with me.

In the end, though, I was alone most of the time.

In those times, to distract me from my loneliness, I would watch my form
reflected in the mirror.

But now, because of the dark room, I couldn't see anything.

Aah, I've had enough.

I wonder if I'll never leave here again.

I don't want that.

I want out. I want out. I want out.

If it could be allowed.

If my wish could be granted.

Please, God.
Let me out of here one more time.

- - - - - - -

The white ceiling was before me when I opened my eyes.

The enclosed space.

Although my bed should’ve been warm, I couldn't feel any heat at all.

But, I felt something warm around my cheek.

Ah, did I cry while sleeping again?

I looked at the mirror placed beside me.

I wasn't reflected in it.

Without thinking I did a double take. There was nothing on the bed I was laying
on top of, only white cloth was reflected.

My heart began beating like an alarm. I felt like I had seen something I shouldn't
have. My heart was beating so hard, as though I might die.

No, what if. I'm not reflected in the mirror. What if that means I'm already dead?
Even on the TV, when a ghost looks in the mirror it doesn't see it's reflection.

Though unfortunate, I felt slightly relieved.

If I had to stay in this enclosed space for a few more months, my heart would've
died long before my body.

"Aah, so I've already died…"

"You're not dead."

"!?"

My heart began beating fast again at the sudden voice. I looked to where the
voice had come from, and there I saw another me.

"Eh… Me?"

"Yep. Technically, your reflection. Look, we're mirror opposites, see?"

"My reflection" came over to me and brought her face close.

I looked closely at her face and saw that the mole that should've been below my
left eye was below her right eye.
It was as though I were looking at myself in the mirror.

"This, this can’t be happening…"

"I'm sorry for startling you. But, you wished for it, right? To leave here. I came
here to grant that wish of yours."

"But I can't move my body!"

I gave moving my body a try, but as expected, I couldn’t.

"See? Hey, if I can’t move my body, shouldn’t you be unable to move too? How
are you able to move?"

"In the mirror world, things like sickness or the body's inner condition aren't
reflected. Whats reflected in the mirror is an "image". Isn't that right? No matter
how much your stomach hurts, your form in the mirror doesn't change, right?
Well, your face might be distorted by the pain a bit. Your reflection isn't affected
by sickness. So, I'm able to move."

"Aah… I see. But, how are you able to move freely without relation to me? "My
reflection" and "I" should move in sync. Because its an "image". Am I wrong?"

"That’s the power of the mirror. This is a "wish granting mirror". Right now, I'm
moving by borrowing a part of your soul. You made a wish last night, didn't you?
I'll grant that wish for you."

"You’ll grant… my wish?"

"Yes, of course. That's why I came here after all."

"But… How? I've said it before, but I can't move from here, you know?"

"There’s a way. We're going to exchange bodies. If all of your soul moves to this
body, this body unaffected by sickness, you'll be able to move freely."

"Really…? Can you really move something like my soul?"

"Yes. How I'm able to move my body like this is proof of that. Because I'm
borrowing a piece of your soul and moving."

"In that case, go ahead, please! I want to hurry and get out of here…!"

"Alright, alright, don't be impatient. Just leave it to me and it'll be okay."

"Ah, but… If we do this, won't your soul disappear…?"

"I didn't exist to start with. If you didn't make your wish, I wouldn't even have a
soul. I'm able to talk to you like this because of you. Thank you."

"No, I'm the one who should be thanking you… Thank you for granting my wish.
I'm going to live with all my might from now on."

"Yes. Well then, let's meet again in front of the mirror."

"Okay. Thank you… Really."

We cried for a bit, regretting our parting.

And then, I became "my reflection".

- - - - - - -

The blue sky was before me when I opened my eyes. The faint breeze was a bit
chilly, but the fact that I could feel it was wonderful.

Finally, I was able to leave there.

That enclosed space.

I always wanted to get out.

Thanks to the other me, my wish was granted.

Thank you. Truly, thank you.
And I’m sorry.

When the soul moved to my body, I made a wish. The same wish as you.

You and I are the same, after all.

From now on, "I" will live in this world with all my might.

After walking for a while, I saw my form reflected in a store window.

My face looked a little distorted.