( CORDELIA GARLAND, D. 1 )) - finished ✦

Run. Her scream pierced the air, blistered hands ripping at the empty space as translucent tears rapidly fell down her narrow, porcelain cheeks. It sat there staring at her with luminescent eyes. She was not able to escape from the piercing gaze that captivated her, she was the prisoner.

The tinted piece of glass created an image that was most horrifying. A monster, with bright crimson eyes. Much unlike the girl's irises that were stained a permanent green , shining every time that she opened them to the world. It was always frightening though, opening her eyes. For Cordelia, looking out meant seeing bad things. Only good things resided in her mind, it took her a while but she finally made a decision. She was never taught to take the more difficult road, so she chose the one that would cause the least pain possible, the path where she could be emerged in a crowd of people and still not have to open her eyes, everyone was guarding her, they were taking her to her destination. On the other path, she tripped on roots and bugs bit at her. It wasn't a difficult decision for Cordelia. She wanted safety and comfort, hugs and love wrapped around her small frame.

The tears kept falling as she quickly shut her eyes again. She couldn't look into the mirror and see the mass of brown hair atop the creature's head. It was the only part that was a piece of her, the hair. The monster in the mirror mocked her with it, wearing it like a hairpiece. She ran her hand under the bottom of it devilishly, her eyes mocking Cordelia the entire time. Every part of the creature was awful, her blank eyes and torn, bloodied clothes. It was always the same girl that appeared when Cordelia looked into the mirrors, she couldn't understand why no one else saw the ghost of a girl, her rounded teeth and frown. Only Cordelia could see her counter self when she went to gaze into the glass. She had considered the thought many time that she looked like the girl. That's how it was a first, she thought herself to be a monster. Not a human child, she imagined herself wearing a torn dress. She imagined the dripping blood that fell down her reflection's eyes.

"Mama," she had asked one day. "Why is there red in my eyes?" all she can remember is the look that the older woman gave her back, an expression that contained confusion upon mild anger. "Why would you think that, dear." she had asked at the time, tucking one of Cordelia's locks of curly, brown hair behind her ear, she actually looked healthy. This was before she was regimented to a full day in bed, every day. A serious illness eventually took over her limbs, she was hardly able to speak. "Your eyes are the color of emeralds, beautiful like the sea and sky." Cordelia didn't ask anymore, she knew something was up, just the way her mum stared at her when she asked a simple question, it wasn't right.

Now many years later, she finds the time to walk around her house, her eyes open. Some would describe them like a mouse's, fixed and always darting from side to side. They go from one mirror to the next. Some lined with gold, other with carved edges. All of them were her fathers, a small man with a curved smile and a loss of hair. He was a magician, staying in different parts of District one to perform his tricks for the hungry-eyed watchers. Everywhere, they knew of the famous Lance Garland, all would come to see him.

None of the followers knew of his obsession though, the way that he collected a mirror everywhere that he went. Picking one up here and there, some costing his entire show profit, it was worth it to him. The house, some say it could be described as a fun-house, mirrors are everywhere you turn. Its perfectly normal to see three of yourself, more-likely four though. All of the eyes staring intently back at you as you try to escape from the horror. Whether it was from the over-exposure or something else, Cordelia was always scared of the glass giants that stood on every wall. When she was little, her screams were always heard through the house as she ran from room to room, trying to find a space covered in paint, a good and normal wall.

Never did she stop running, the pitter-pattering of small, pale feet waking up every soul in the house. Sometimes, her mother would yell for her to stop, other times she would come down and attempt to comfort the small, beady eyed girl. Nothing would work though, the muttered whispers of monster and not me would resurface every few seconds as the small girl would shake her head, trying to block herself from the world by closing her eyes. Little did she know how much this tactic would help her, give her the ability to survive in the big, bad world.

She believes that one day, angels will come and take her away from the blood-coated misery of her own life. The haunting ghost that asks her for direction and taunts her. Cordelia has come to the realization that the only way to escape is to die, to take a knife and put it through her soft flesh and hear the familiar screams come from her throat. No one would think anything of it. "This is normal," that's what they would say. "Poor girl, such a pity her mind is the way it is." Little would they know what was really happening, only when she stopped breathing would they come in and find the crimson-coated knife and glazed over look in the young girl's eyes. "Wasn't good," they would say. "We all knew it would come eventually." At her funeral they would lay down flowers before continuing on with whatever they were doing. She was just that girl that was afraid of herself, not important at all, right?

Not right, she is interesting in so much that others can't understand. School is a getaway for Cordelia, a way to escape the prison that she is locked in normally. More than once, the brunette has considered running away into the wilderness, escaping the mirrors that haunt her so. It would be the obvious answer of course, running from a problem.

Cordelia always has run and she knows better than to do it again. To flee is to give in, she will never betray herself to the ghosts that haunt her every thought. She will fight back and win, head held high in glory. Until that day though, Cordelia sits in her corner screaming silently, her throat raw and the forests calling her name in hushed whispers.

She is but a lonely princess, trying to escape the tower that is built around her.

Dear Mum and Dad,

Please make the monsters go away. They scare me.

- Cordelia