Mirrors The surface of the pool was so still, it may have been a mirror. The reflections of intertwined branches high above criss-crossed the surface, and from one hung a girl. Her fingertips dug like claws into the branch, sap oozing under her nails like the blood of a conquered victim. Dangling just inches above the mirror-surface were her toes, curled slightly and circling in midair as she swung her feet. The air all around was still, the only movement among the leaves was the constant bustling of barely seen insects, the quiet humming of their daily toil the only sound. Yellow-green light filtered down from the canopy high above, shafts of light dancing over the waters surface. She looked down into the pool but could detect nothing other than her own reflection gazing back up at her, as though she were already drowned and pinned under the surface. A challenge had been issued, like a handful of seashells cast among hungry seagulls; eager to attend at first, but none willing to take it up. Swim in the pool. That was it. A few minutes and infinite eternal glory of some variety would be hers, a glowing trophy to her name. But as she stared at the unrevealing water below, she could do nothing but recall tales of beasts that dwelled beneath the mirror; glimmering giant fish with jaws large enough to swallow a person whole; sea serpents with terrible fangs and blind eyes; merfolk with sharp nails and vengeful hearts. The water only winked at her in return, casting the sunlight away once more. Before she could make a move, either to accept her watery grave or to give in and crawl off the branch, searing pain shot through her body like lightning. Her arms lost their grip and she looked up with wide, rolling eyes to see a snake slithering slowly away over the branch, not even glancing back towards the foe it had doomed. But she saw no more before she dropped, down to the mirror and unknown fates, and all colours blurred to one.