It felt too real.
There she stood, with her little white teeth flashing in a brilliant smile, her long blonde hair cascading into spirals at the golden tips. Her green eyes were dazed in whirl-wind of confusing emotions as she blinked away memories. My breath is taken away momentarily. It felt as if she were here, reaching for me, begging me to come closer so she could perhaps save me. She stands under a shady palm tree in a royal blue bathing suit, her arms crossed tightly over her midsection to hide her round tummy from view. My heart aches deeply in my chest as I remember this day clearly in my mind, only four years ago, but yet it was as if a century had passed.

The smell of salty air becomes clear and I gasp as I feel a hand touch my shoulder.
The little girl reaches for me, her expression pained as she opens her mouth to say something, but closes it quickly. Her shoulders drop as she begins to cry and is slowly pulled away by an unknown force.
“NO!” I scream, but I'm not heard. I reach for the girl but a violent pull sends her flying back and she is pulled through a door. As I run to reach the door, it slams loudly and the girl is gone, but another girl takes her place. She blinks with the same confused green eyes which are now clouded with pain and fright. Her thin hair falls to her shoulders and lacks golden spirals, the ones that bounced happily whenever she moved. The smile has been lost, too, replaced by a timid frown, a frown that is too afraid to look happy and too afraid to look sad. A frown that is afraid to feel. The girl unwraps her arms from around her frail body and extends one towards me. I reach for her because I understand. I understand. As I bring my fingers closer I feel nothing but the cool surface of a mirror.