Worlds Collide (The Land of Stories #6)(38)

“But… but… but what is that supposed to mean?” the woman asked.

“I saw the way you were looking into the mirror just now,” the little girl said. “You looked at your own face with such hatred and heartbreak. You nearly hurt yourself trying to change your appearance with your hands. If you dislike your looks to the point of hating and harming yourself, I’d say you’re just as cursed and trapped in the mirror as I am.”

The woman was still shocked to be speaking with a reflection, but even more overwhelmed to be analyzed by one. Tears formed in her eyes again, but this time from embarrassment.

“You’ve caught me in a very vulnerable moment, my dear,” the woman said. “What is your name?”

“I don’t know,” the little girl said. “All I know is what I see, and someone should never be so distraught over something they can’t control.”

“I agree, but it isn’t right to make judgments over one moment of weakness, either,” the woman said. “My appearance has always given me grief, but that isn’t the only reason I’m unhappy. My whole family was recently captured by that terrible army and taken to the Northern Kingdom. I was crying because I miss them dearly and am worried sick.”

“Then why were you trying to change your looks?” the little girl asked.

“Because I desperately want to save them, but my looks are holding me back,” the woman confessed. “I’m the only one in our village who escaped the army, but there are others like me in the towns nearby. I believe if we joined together we could create a plan to rescue our loved ones. However, I’m afraid no one will take me seriously because of my appearance—and I have a lifetime of experiences to validate that fear.”

Froggy was certain the woman’s situation would be far too complicated for the little girl’s expertise, but even in this dilemma, the girl knew the exact advice to give.

“No one ever changed the world by being beautiful,” she said. “If you want to make a difference, you can’t let something as trivial as appearance get in your way. A daisy doesn’t need the roses’ permission to bloom—and neither do you.”

“I may not need permission, but I do need support,” the woman argued. “I can’t fight an army on my own—I’ll need others to join me. But I’m afraid they’ll only see my looks and won’t listen to my words. I’m afraid they’ll only laugh at my hopes of rescuing my loved ones.”

The little girl placed her hands on her hips and stared at the woman with the confidence of someone twice her age.

“Only idiots listen with their eyes,” she said. “If people don’t hear your words, then shout them. If people silence you, then write your message with fire. Demanding respect is never easy, but if something you love is at stake, then I’d say it’s worth the price. Besides, if you can’t get villagers to take you seriously, you’ll never defeat an army! Sometimes we’re meant to face the demons at home so we know how to fight the demons abroad.”

The little girl had waited years to give someone that advice, and it appeared to do the trick. As if a sudden electric charge had run through the woman’s body, she stood taller and straighter, and her eyes beamed with determination.

“You’re right, child,” she said. “With all the energy I’ve wasted moping in front of the mirror, I could have accomplished great things by now. Well, I’m going to stop moping at once and get to work.”

The woman was so reenergized that her hands trembled as she gathered her coat and her hat. She was so eager to begin that she completely forgot she wasn’t alone. Only when the woman had one foot out the door did she remember that the little girl was still standing in the mirror.

“Thank you for the encouragement,” the woman said. “Whatever curse you’re under, I hope someone can free you from the mirror. You’ve certainly freed me.”

The woman left her cottage and hurried to the next village at a determined pace. Froggy was floored by the little girl’s counseling abilities. He applauded her and they journeyed away from the cottage mirror.

“That was quite the motivational speech,” he said. “With just a few words, you may have changed that woman’s life forever. Boy, I sure wish our paths had crossed when I was younger. I could have used that same inspirational—”

Suddenly, the cottage mirror behind them started to glow. It became brighter and brighter until it shined with the power of the sun. Froggy and the little girl both shielded their eyes from the strange phenomenon.

“What’s happening?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” she said. “I’ve never seen a mirror do that before!”

Rays of light shot out from the mirror like ribbons and wrapped around the little girl’s wrists, ankles, and waist. The light pulled her closer and closer to the mirror until her body was pressed against the glass. Just when Froggy didn’t think she could go any farther, the little girl passed through the plate of glass as if it were a sheet of water. She collapsed on the cottage floor, and all the light faded. Froggy tried to follow her, but the glass between worlds became solid again.

“You’re on the other side!” Froggy exclaimed. “You’ve been freed!”

“But how?” she asked in disbelief. “What broke the spell?”