A Quiet Door

   Sadness came quietly but persistently. The anger had faded, leaving a hollow ache in its place. 

   Sophie sat on the bathroom floor, knees drawn to her chest, staring at the tiles.

   Her reflection was slumped, silent, as if mourning alongside her. She remembered the hospital, the hot chocolate growing cold in her hands, the sound of her father's breath.

   The mirror fogged slightly. It felt warmer somehow, almost protective.

   She sank to the floor, letting grief rise without fighting it. She whispered the names of people she had lost, including her father. Her chest felt heavy, but for the first time she didn't flinch away.

   The mirror slowly stretched, a doorway of gray opening. 

   Sophie hesitated, then stepped forward. 

   Inside, the room was endless and gray. Her reflection sat across from her, knees pulled in.

   "No one stays." It murmured. 

   "I know." Sophie said gently. "But I'm still here." 

   She placed her hand over her heart. The gray didn't vanish, but it thinned, as if acknowledging her presence. 

   Back in the bathroom, her cheeks wet with tears, Sophie realized: She hadn't disappeared.

Reviews

[Yellow Submarine.]

Holy crap on a cracker! Great chapter. She's committed now. Let's see where this gets her.