The mirror image walked over to the bed and sat down next to Lacey who pretended to be asleep, peering out through almost closed eyes. It wasn’t very hard since she couldn’t really move anything else anyway.

“Oh stop that,” the mirror image said. “I know you’re awake.” She reached out and brushed the hair out of Lacey’s face. Lacey felt her muscles relaxing as the paralysis began to fade away. She tried to pull her hand out of her diaper, but the mirror image stopped her. “Just leave it there for now. We both know you like that.”

“How?” Lacey whispered.

“Well, duh! I thought that’d be obvious by now. I know that your cellphone pin number is your birthday backwards, divided by three. I know you almost flunked history last term.” The mirror image reached down to touch her own tattoo. “I know who held your hand while you got this and how you still have a bottle of her shampoo in your bathroom.” She stroked Lacey’s cheek. “I know everything about you because I am you.”

“I meant how is this poss… Hang on, I do not have a bottle of Sookie’s shampoo,” Lacey protested.

“No, you’re right. It’s her conditioner. But that’s not what’s important; nor is how I’m here. What matters is why I’m here.”

“And why is that?” Lacey was slowly trying to slide away.

“You had a crap day. you were annoyed that summer is almost over and that you’re back in school with all the drama that entails. You wanted some sympathy and maybe a good hug, but that dumbass Chris was too busy thinking about that hottie professor.”

“Yeah,” Lacey admitted reluctantly.

“So I’m here to make you a deal.” The mirror image took Lacey’s hand in hers and looked into her eyes. “Do you remember when you were little? When summers lasted almost forever and you didn’t have to worry about anything?”

“Yeah?”

“Wouldn’t you like that again?” The mirror image slowly stroked Lacey’s hand. “No stupid job or classes to go to; no responsibilities. Not a care in the world.”

“Mm-hm,” Lacey said dreamily

“I can make it that way again,” the mirror image said and rose from the bed. “Take my hand.”

In a daze, Lacey swung her legs out of bed and got up. She walked behind the other Lacey towards the mirror, holding her hand.

The mirror was so narrow that her mirror image had to step through it sideways, vanishing through the slowly rippling surface. When she pulled Lacey along and her hand made contact with the mirror, she expected it to feel cold, but it didn’t. It felt more like a warm, heavy mist or fog. Lacey closed her eyes as she stepped through and when she opened them again she was still standing in her apartment, except it was different somehow. It took her a couple of moments to notice a magazine on the table, but then she realised that everything was mirrored.

“Come along now,” said the mirror image. Or was Lacey the mirror image on this side of the mirror?