The Mirror | Teen Ink

The Mirror

March 25, 2009
By Zero_K DIAMOND, Moosic, Pennsylvania
Zero_K DIAMOND, Moosic, Pennsylvania
83 articles 0 photos 435 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Life's no fun if you're not insane, otherwise you grow up to be an accountant." -Moi


The mirror hung on the wall, unadorned, deadly. I focused my attention on the sparse furnishings of the room, two chairs, the stark white walls, even staring for a time at the naked bulb in the ceiling, hoping to blind myself, lest my gaze be drawn to the mirror’s cold, reflective surface. Finding no visual stimuli I finally resorted to putting my head between my knees and counting as high as I could. I could not look in the mirror. I could not look in the mirror.

In the mirror lay Truth. The harsh Truth. The Truth that they put me in here to find. I ran around the room, going endlessly in circles, again and again and again, but it did not help to occupy my mind. Truth was deadly, but I was drawn to it. I hated it, but I needed to see it. Just one look…NO! That is what they want me to do, how they want me to react. I will not play their game. I will not.

I pounded and pounded on the stark white wall until my knuckles bled, and screamed and screamed at the top of my lungs until my voice grew hoarse and my head light; screamed for someone, anyone, to let me out, just let me out of this godforsaken prison. But no one came.

I collapsed in a miserable heap, my back against the wall, sobbing as the insanity slowly ate away at my mind. How long? How long must I bear this inexplicable torture?

Finally, I turned to face the Truth, and saw, at last, what I had been oblivious to all along. What other’s had seen. It was myself, and yet a stranger. A tiny, wasted stranger. In the stark bright light I could count all my ribs, see my kneecaps clear as day through sickly skin, stretched tight over my skeleton like a drum. Who was this stranger. It’s not me. This is not me. I’m better than that. I’m better…



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This article has 16 comments.


reesha SILVER said...
on Dec. 10 2009 at 8:18 am
reesha SILVER, Rawalpindi, Other
6 articles 15 photos 124 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.&quot;<br /> Walt Disney<br /> <br /> &quot;Hakuna Matata!&quot;<br /> Lion King<br /> <br /> &quot;The British policy was &#039;unite and conquer&#039;. But I say &#039;unite and conquer&#039;.&quot;<br /> Greg Mortenson (Three Cups of Tea)

That was amazing. Somehow I can relate to it. Good job! You really do have a way with words :P

on Nov. 26 2009 at 8:12 pm
marii816 BRONZE, Dipolog City, Other
1 article 0 photos 2 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;we take what we have&quot;

I honestly love your work... this one is definitely art..you have a way with words :)

Chickie BRONZE said...
on Nov. 20 2009 at 10:28 am
Chickie BRONZE, Lake Oswego, Oregon
4 articles 0 photos 8 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Nobody puts Baby in the corner.&quot;

This was so good, it made me want to cry and scream along with the character. :)

on Nov. 19 2009 at 10:17 am
AndThisIsReal PLATINUM, Broadalbin, New York
31 articles 0 photos 81 comments

Favorite Quote:
Dans chaque fil il y a un debut.

Honestly, I thought that this was fantastic.

Your wording is great, and your writing has the potential to make an impact on those who are willing to open themselves up to it.

Powerful and well written.

on Oct. 29 2009 at 11:55 am
ariwrites94 GOLD, Deltona, Florida
17 articles 4 photos 59 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;At the touch of love everyone becomes a poet.&quot; ---Plato

wonderful! i enjoyed this article too! I feel like this sometimes as if it's not me standing in front of the mirror but someone else. Plz read my poem called "Sensitive Am I" and rate and comment plz! thanx!

E.Lee GOLD said...
on Oct. 2 2009 at 10:33 am
E.Lee GOLD, Akron, Ohio
15 articles 0 photos 168 comments
powerful. and well said!

Joanna said...
on Sep. 25 2009 at 2:51 pm
Joanna, St. Catharines, Other
0 articles 0 photos 165 comments
It's quite a current issue, isn't it?

It makes me think about the possibility -- the one nagging in the very back of my mind -- but I don't want to be like that and I like food way too much. ^_^

It has so much impact, this article. Nice.

on Sep. 5 2009 at 6:53 am
ZebraWithoutStripes ELITE, Blue Springs, Missouri
102 articles 8 photos 84 comments

Favorite Quote:
To make a difference in the world, you have to be different from the world.

this is an amazing piece! powerful message. your writing is really deep.

on Aug. 13 2009 at 11:20 am
Electricity PLATINUM, Bradenton, Florida
30 articles 0 photos 271 comments
I don't know why, but I keep coming back to "The Mirror". I think it's because it makes me realize what a monster I've become. It's not like I'm suddenly gaining weight, but it's a personal slap in the face for me.

on Aug. 11 2009 at 6:18 pm
Inkspired PLATINUM, Whitby, Other
26 articles 0 photos 493 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;If one will scoff at the study of language, how, save in terms of language, will one scoff?&quot; - Mario Pei<br /> &quot;I write for the same reason I breathe - because if I didn&#039;t, I would die.&quot; Isaac Asimov

Very powerful, I really liked your message. Well written. Love it!

OneChance GOLD said...
on Aug. 11 2009 at 5:21 pm
OneChance GOLD, Westland, Michigan
18 articles 8 photos 55 comments

Favorite Quote:
&hearts;&hearts;&hearts;&hearts;&hearts;&hearts;&hearts;&hearts;be who YOU want to be, not what OTHERS want to see. &hearts;&hearts;&hearts;&hearts;&hearts;&hearts;&hearts;&hearts;&hearts;&hearts;

wow...nice

on Aug. 10 2009 at 9:23 am
Electricity PLATINUM, Bradenton, Florida
30 articles 0 photos 271 comments
lol, i wasn't logged in, and got to rate it again. I'm sneeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaky... but now my comment has to go into submission. Not sneaky enough, i guess. I love this one, it makes me kinda sad of how wasted away i look. And what's worse, is that it happened over last summer vacation, so i left school a little bit chubby, and came back like a skeleton. Well, I do love to shock ppl!

on Aug. 9 2009 at 5:24 am
Electricity PLATINUM, Bradenton, Florida
30 articles 0 photos 271 comments
thx for your comments. And yes, for you, I ate something with sugar and calories. I almost gagged, but after reading this, it makes me feel crappy and that I have to gain some weight. Oh, yeah, the boy I like who is also my best friend is still close to me. He's dating someone else, and I accept that. He was telling me (Lol, the guy has the grace to talk face to face) that we're too close to date, and that he thinks, frankly, I'd be a Hell of a partner to have... and he's right, I would be, and we are really close. And Renaissance 1 is on there, but it's just titled Renaissance... i've made some changes to it, though. It's gong to be around 200 book pgs... about 100 computer pgs. I love Seth, he's like my other half..jkjk, but I do love what I made out of him.

on Aug. 6 2009 at 10:25 pm
Electricity PLATINUM, Bradenton, Florida
30 articles 0 photos 271 comments
Again i agree with Nynx_X..... but i think it's true, a lot of girls are going through this. I became anorexic (that's what im getting from the counting ribs and knee caps thing) when I ended up gaining five pounds from 118. I meant to be 5"3 and weigh 110, but I weigh 85 and think i'm fat.

on Jun. 24 2009 at 2:59 am
LoveLikeWoe DIAMOND, LeSueur, MN, Minnesota
54 articles 2 photos 748 comments

Favorite Quote:
Whoever laughs first has the sickest mind.

very good. i agree with Nyx_X

Nyx_X SILVER said...
on Apr. 19 2009 at 12:20 pm
Nyx_X SILVER, Moosic, Pennsylvania
8 articles 0 photos 14 comments
This is creepy, but good.