Alayna Hilliard

What Lies on The Other Side? 

The floor tasted like chalk. I sat up, shook it off, and prepared for another blow. This is what every Saturday looked like for us. Blindfolding ourselves, we would fight till one of us begged for mercy. It was an escape from our hectic lives. “You win,” I giggled, removing my blindfold and opening my eyes. Blurry pink and blue dots slowly receded from my vision as my eyes adjusted to the light. Getting up from the floor, I rubbed my face and looked around, and what I saw was eerie. 

This was not the same Saturday morning boxing ring. No, this was weird, terrifying even. Four beige walls surrounded me with a slim mirror balancing on one of them. Standing up, I took in my surroundings. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a girl in the mirror, taking off a blindfold. As she walked over to stand opposite me, she took off her purple boxing gloves and began doing what I always did in front of the mirror. Beginning with her bruises, inspecting the damage, and moving next to simply gaze at herself, she smiled. She was me. 

At that moment, words began flowing out of my mouth before I could catch them, spewing my every insecurity. I was screaming. Falling to my knees, I bawled at the hatred leaving my mouth. I saw her consider my words and take them as truths. BAM! I hit that familiar cold floor again. Taking off my blindfold,  I scrambled over to the mirror. Staring at my bruise-filled, sweaty, messy-haired self, I saw the truth. As the waterfall of lies spouted once again, it soon ended with three words. I merely smiled, tears filling my eyes as I whispered, “You are beautiful.”