"Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to me.

"
I wish I would disappear from this cruel world.

The Flipping Mirror

Clang!
The girl startled from the stainless plate that dashed on the table.
"Are you going to eat dinner? Stop wasting your time with that stupid computer!" the
sarcastic voice loud upon her head.
The old women around forty were shouting at her; she looked up with emotionless. This was
usual for her like it has happened for a long time since she could remember. The glance eyes saw
the time appeared on right corner of the screen, which told the girl was already late for the
dinner. But she ignored.
"You're such a piece of shit! Stop being late. Otherwise, I will throw these foods to a dog!"
The woman voice was being louder and offensive when she gave her a silent answer. As she
knew that the tolerance was going to ruin out, her eyes were pulled back to the screen. The girl
could tell the future what will happen next, as it has always been for four years. She closed her
eyes and prepared for the pain.
Do not open your eyes or reply,' she said to herself in mind.
The time feels like it stopped for a while before the plate was slammed on her. The clattering
sound of steel that drop on the floor and, stinky smell recognized her senses. She can feel the
pain which slowly penetrate into her head. Eva said nothing but perceived everything. The maker
felt satisfied when her anger released.

The room returned to be quiet when the woman walked away like the way she came, without
looked back or regretted. The only thing that left in this tiny room is frustration and the girl with
the dirty pieces in front of the computer.
Have mom ever think that I'm her daughter? I hate her. I don't want to be her daughter as she
shouldn't be my mother.'
The word was appearing on the screen when intense sound of keyboard raised in every second.
Without paying attention to the dirtiness, she was continuing to write her diary blog' like
nothing happened. Eva didn't listen or care about her mother threaten because she familiar with it
now. Four years for her to handle this kind of situation made her mind being fade the word of
Family' away, at least she thought like that. However, everything still stuck in her heart like it
just happened yesterday, and deep down inside, she knew that she wanted the family back.
When she was twelve, her father, who used to be a pillar of the house, became a social man'.
The social that she mentioned was to hang out at night, even though that he was in working age
and already have the family at the time. The result ended with her and her brother, Elwin, have a
new younger sister from the different mother. He decided to divorce her mother and married a
night lady as a wife.
'Is this kind of thing supposed to be done by the person who called himself father?'
She always asked this question in her heart when her father decided to go. However, the family
was still fine because her mother could be both of mother and father perfectly. Eva never felt
lack of warmth, but that didn't include the occurrence which happened after; not too long from
then.

She decided to have tutoring on Saturday, and Elwin took responsibility to pick her up. The
moment of happiness lost on that day, the first day which she started the tutoring. Elwin was
crush by truck and death without realizing on the road. Mom never said anything about this to
her, but the apparent of ignominy in her eyes told Eva everything. She hated her and thought that
Eva was the reason for Elwin to be dead; otherwise she was not supposed to hurt her.
Four years now that she chose to lock herself in this tiny room. There was nothing much
except bed, computer, and a big cabinet which used area about a quarter of her room. Every day
was the same; came back from school and imprisoned in the room. She didn't want to be hurt
anymore.
The curtain of water covered all her eyes, and hands stopped typing. The picture of the pastel
website that she had used for four years reflected in tears. The anxiety and a piece of
sympathetic from few of views and comments, which she couldn't find from her mother, were
enough. At least, it gave her some strength to live.
"Are you going to stay like that forever?" the intimate voice asked from somewhere in the
room.
Eva frightened with that voice. It was not creepy; just too familiar as it was hers, but, she
didn't say anything. The girl glanced at the door and a cabinet on the right-handed before she
turned to her bed on the left-handed. The door closed; a cabinet still there, with a door opened
since in the morning, and the bed stayed orderly.
'Maybe I cry too much.'
She comforted herself to stay calm, and started to clean up food scraps around her.

"I think you should shower too, it looks disgusting when it on clothes," the voice was loud
again, with a humors that can felt on the sound.
Eva turned back to follow the origin of the sound immediately, but a room had no one except
her. Her eyes were still sweeping around with unreliable during the strange voice already gone.
She held the plate tightly and asked in the dark, "Who are you?"
"Come here Eva," the voice replied promptly without answer her question.
"Where?"
"I'm always right there as you know."
Eva looked at the door and the cabinet that still opened.
"Are you afraid of me? Little kid," the jeered sound questioned.
"No."
"Then come here."
She was not afraid! She just has a little bit distrust and unbelievable. The lip was bitten with
hesitation while her left hand reached out to the button beside to light her room. The vision was
clear but her heartbeat was beating louder. She took a deep breath and stepped ahead to 'the
cabinet'.

Eva stopped in front of it for a while before she slowly expanded a gap between two cabinet's
doors to look inside. Her clothes appeared in her eyes sight, and a big mirror that long about
three-quarters of her height showed on her right-hand inside the cabinet.
She slowly turned to look at the mirror. The girl who exactly' looks like her with a friendly
smile was reflected. She waved her hand and greeted her.
"Hi!" she said.
"...."
Eva was being a dumb and freeze there because she couldn't believe this kind of deception!
While she still got confuse, the girl in the mirror was embracing her belly and laughing at Eva's
reaction. Her tears were trickle out, and her smile was wider and wider.
"Apology to me if I scared you, I just watched too much of horror movies on this week," she
explained with generously, "my name is Eve! And we are the same' person, even both of us has
a different name."
"Take this slowly. It is unbelievable. I might dream and overdose or something, but I can't
remember that I took pills," Eva answered during her mind still blank and giddy.
"Well, you can slap your face in case. It might make you awake from this dream."
Smack!
"Ouch!"
Eva followed Eve's advice. The redness emerged on her face, and she could feel the pain on
her cheek.

"It's hurt!" she moaned.

"Oh my god! You are so crazy," Eve laughed. "That means it is not a dre-"
"This is not a fairytale, stop confusing me!" Eva shouted at the mirror. There is no reliable
research or proves to the parallel world. You're ridiculous."
The room back into the sense of loneliness. She was puffing, and the girl in the mirror
returned silently. Eva was covering her ears and bend her head down by looking at a floor. Eve
looked at her but didn't say anything.
Once in a while before the frustration was going to invaded the conversation, Eve signed and
opened her mouth again.
"Well, I have been looking at you for 16 years," she stopped for a second to look at her
interlocutor and make sure that her words were listened. "You have to know that science is not
always answered all of the questions. The reason that I exist here could be an example. Eva looks
at me. I'm the same as you, human as you, just live in another world. It might because some of
the difference dimension make us can see each others from this mirror, but that's good, isn't it?"
"Why you're here? Why don't you go back to the world that you say? I don't understand. What
do you want from me!" many questions flooded in Eva's mind. She was going insane.
"In the next three days is our birthday. I come here to give you the gift which cannot find from
anywhere else," Eve answered with a smile.
Eva forced out a laugh and lifted her head up to look at the mirror with hateful eyes.
"Where do you get that lot of confidence? I don't want your gift."

"In our parallel world, even we have a different name, but other than that we all same," Eve
still calm and smiled again.
"What do you mean by the same?"
"It means my world same as your world," she paused. "But luckily that my mother and father
don't divorce yet. Also, Elwin is still alive."
Eve said something that she has wished for four years. Her tears were coming out without
realizing as the pain and hope were delighted in her heart again. She cried and sank on the floor.
It felt like everything released. Eva didn't know why, but she felt like that.
Eve was shaking her head with a kindly smile. She waited until Eva was pleased to cry.
"My gift is I will switch my world with yours one day," she turned back and explained. "It
means I will be you and you will be I on that day."
"I will have a family again?" Eva asked for sure.
"Yes, you will. So, do you want my gift now?"
"I do!" she replied immediately. "Are you really to give me this opportunity?"
"I am," Eve looked at Eva. " But you have to promise me two things."
"What?"
"First, you have to be in front of the mirror before the midnight of our birthday."
"I agree, and second?"

"Do not break the mirror, because it is the only thing that connects our world," Eve spoke with
a serious voice. "Without it, we are not able to switch our world back."
"I understand," Eva nodded her head.
"Good. I have to go to bed now, see you again on our birthday." Eve said and walked away.
"See you. But wait!" Eva shouted before the girl will be away of her vision.
"Hm?" She leaned back.
"How can I get into your world?"
"See me here on 6am of our birthday."
"Ok, I got it. Goodnight then."
"Goodnight," Eve waved her hand before she twisted back and went ahead.
After the conversation had ended, the mirror returned to the normal as it should be which
could tell by the reflected of the happiness face. Eva smiled and laughed when she saw herself in
the mirror. She wished that the time will go faster to her birthday.
...
Two days now that Eva cannot eat or sleep. She was too excited to see her brother and father
again. The time passed without realizing. When she was conscious, the alarm clock beside her
bedhead told her that it was 5 am on her birthday now.

Eva sprang herself up from the bed and went to shower while humbling a classic song. After
she had finished everything, it was almost 6 am. So, she circularly walked around her room,
waiting for Eve to call her.
"Eva, Are you awake?" the voice that she has been waiting since two days ago loud from the
cabinet.
Eva almost ran to the mirror with an overflow of happiness in her heart.
"I'm here!" She answered with a big smile.
"Are you ready?"
"Yes," she cannot be readier than this.
"Well, close your eyes and press down your hands on the mirror," Eve said and done it as an
example.
Eva followed her. Suddenly, she felt moved past at great speed. It was like playing a
rollercoaster against the gravity. She couldn't open her eyes or moved, as big of the stone was
overlay on her. Before she was going to unconscious, her feet touched fluffy carpet. It was soft
and comfort.
She opened her eyes and saw Eve was opposite side of the mirror as normal, but she was in
Eva's room.
"Oh my god," she exclaimed and covered her mouth with unbelievable.
"Awesome, right?" Eve laughed and seemed happy.

"Thank you so much, Eve, I don't have anything to say than thank you."
"That's ok, just used this time as the most valuable thing in the world."
"I will," Eva promised.
Knock!
"Honey! Are you ready?" the voice that Eva familiar with it, resounded from downstairs.
Eva turned to look at the door. The footsteps sound was being louder and closer to her room.
She was wondering what was happening.
"Mom calls you," Eve explained. "We used to give alms to monks in the morning, for
auspicious."
"I see."
Suddenly, the door was opened by 'mom'. Eva didn't know that she should call this person as
her mother or Eve's mother. She was Eve's mother, but she was also her mother too. Eva turned
to look at Eve, but she gone while the mother was entering the room. The mirror reflected her
face as usual, but in a moment, she felt like it just only an illusion.
She could feel the pressure on her shoulder. The mother was behind her with a sense of
warmth, like sunlight in the morning.
The mother gently said, "Are you ready?"

Eva didn't reply her back. She circulated herself faces the mother and hug her tightly around
the mother's waist to soak up the contentment. The chest was vibrating, mother slowly pat her
head and pulled her up to face each other. She was smiling while beautified Eva's hair.
"Here you are," the mother held her shoulder and turned to the mirror. "Happy birthday,
Eve."
The shiny-crystal hairpin was on her head. She touched it softly, and tears of joy filled her
eyes.
"It's so beautiful. Thank you, mom," Eva said with a trembling voice.
"Don't cry, honey. Today is a good da-"
"Happy birthday my lovely younger sister!" someone entered the room unexpectedly.
Eva leaned back to the door. And the person who came in was the one who she have been
missing for four years.
"Elwin!" she ran straitly to him before she jumped and gripped around his neck.
Elwin hugged her back and spanned around with their laugh as a background sound. The
mother had walked closely with them before she grabbed Eva's hand. Elwin put her down to
stand on the floor and held her another hand.
"Let's go downstairs," the mother smiled.
.....

The stepfather was Thai. He was a big guy with a kindly face. After they had given alms to
monks, which were his idea, he drove for them to celebrate Eva's birthday. They went to the
shopping mall; to watch a movie, shopping, and have lunch together. The stepfather gave her a
new computer, which she was very impressiveness, and Elwin gave her a Biology's textbook that
she wished to have it when she was in her world. Eva couldn't explain how happy she was for
today. She felt warmth and full of grateful.
The mother decided to cook the dinner. So, they arrived home.
"Well, just hang out for two hours," the mother told all of them when they were at home. "I
need some time to cook our dinner."
Everybody nodded. Elwin went into the kitchen to help mom, and stepfather was watching
TV in the living room. Eva went to upstair to Eve's room as habitude. Her hands were full of
gifts and things. She laid them on the floor and switched lights on. The room was full of dolls
and books. She picked one lovely teddy bear on the shelf beside her and played with its hands.
Her eyes glanced at the watch that mother bought it for her; it was 7pm now. Soon she
realized that she has not much time left; it was like on pins and needles. Eva's walked around the
room with anxiously.
'I don't want to go back there, to that stingy life and mother!"
She thought again and again. The thumb was bitten louder and faster as her mind was weird
out.
'Without it, we are not able to switch our world back.'

She stopped from walking, when Eve's agreement flew into her head. Eva sneered her mouth
and looked around the room.
The black umbrella leaned against the wall next to the cabinet. Eva laugh and slowly walked
to it. She grabbed it and opened the cabinet's door. Her eyes popped while the mouth was smiling
wider like it was going to touch ears. She lifted her arms up and stroked harshly into the mirror!
She hit and crush it again and again until she was satisfied when the mirror was going to
break.
"Stop whatever you are doing, Eva," Eve appeared in the mirror, but the picture seem
unclear. The crack make Eve look like a spider.
"Why I have to stop? Stop it, and back to that fucking world? How funny is it!" Eva mocked
and continue destroying the mirror. "Poor Eve who has live in that terrible world forever. I'm so
jealous of you. It's time for me to own that happiness now!"
Eva couldn't control herself anymore. Her face filled with malevolent, like her past was
eliminating the human being.
Eve was standing there but didn't say anything. She just looked at Eva, who seem like a devil
now. Suddenly, She giggled, and that made Eva frowned.
"What are you laughing at!?" Eva shouted with a bad temper.
Eve ignored her by laughing louder and louder. Eva didn't understand her. She told her to
stop, but Eve don't. So, she hit the mirror severely again to release her anger.
Eve discontinued, and smile. She walked closely to the mirror and clanged her face on it.

"Well, if you would like to have that world," she paused and dropped down to grab
something on the floor. "Then take it!"
A metal thing that Eva cannot seem very clear was slammed to the mirror. The glasses broke
up into pieces to the floor. There was no mirror in the cabinet now. She confused for a while
before she smiled and laughed at Eve's stupidity to leave this beautiful world.
"Stupid people with a stupid choice," she said and turned away to go downstairs.
Suddenly, when her hand was going to touch the door's knob, everything seem blur. Eva
drew back with frightened. She looked around and saw that the darkness was going to invade the
room. She screamed and ran back to the fragment of mirror. She tried to form it back, and that
there is no way. Many rotten hands grew from the ground. Its grabbed her legs and tried to pull
her down. Eva screamed and warded off them, but that didn't help anything.
In Eve's side, she was crooning the happy birthday's song. She dropped the iron to the
floor and squatted down closer to broken pieces of mirror.
"Help me! Help me!" the little sound loud from those glasses.
Eve laughed and shoveled the pieces in her hands. She put her face close to it and smile.
'Happy birthday to me. Happy birthday to you, my beloved sister.'

The End.