Mirrored Centuries

"I beg of you, please help me!" she cried out desperately. It reminded Aryssa of one of those 16th century film scenes, where a princess would be screaming in terror begging to be saved to a young prince. Aryssa studied the strange girl.1

She looked about twelve; she had some fascinating features, a perfectly oval face framed by a long, butter-coloured plait, rosy cheeks, heart-shaped lips the colour of roses, and sparkling blue eyes. 2

Aryssa gasped,3

"Oh my gosh she looks just the same..."4

At that moment Aryssa realised with horror that the village girl who appeared to be from the 16th century was an exact mirror image of herself!5

Aryssa's mother was busy as usual in the farmhouse, preparing for Aryssa's birthday party. Aryssa glanced over her shoulder, her little sisters Lea and Sienna, sitting on the deck, were pretending to be hairdressers again and were braiding and brushing each others hair with their pink hairbrushes. When those two grow up they are going to be hairdressing for Hollywood celebrities! She thought sarcastically. The village girl fixed her curious blue eyes on Aryssa, awkwardly. Both girls were asking themselves the same questions, why did they look exactly the same? Were they twins? The village girl sighed, leaning on the old oak tree behind her. What was worst was that she had somehow travelled through time! 6

Aryssa's Grandma had believed that the old oak tree had magical powers of some sort. But not a soul in her family ever believed what Gran said about witches, and magic except herself, and Grandpa, always the odd beans in the stew, the strange people, as dad had said. Aryssa hated to admit, but as usual, dad was right about Aryssa, herself being odd. After all what kind of person believed in witches? And magic? 7

But maybe, just maybe, there was such thing as magic.  Otherwise, how could the village girl have ended up here?8

Aryssa approached the village girl, with caution. Her heart was pounding. Gulping, she managed to say.9

"Hello! I'm Aryssa." She managed a smile. 10

"Oh how strange! My name is Aryssa as well!" 11

"How is it that we look the same?" asked Aryssa, puzzled. 12

"Actually, it's my entire fault! I'm so sorry," The village girl apologised; a tear trickled down her cheek. 13

"Hey, Don't blame yourself, everyone makes mistakes right?" Aryssa replied, trying to comfort the village girl.14

The village girl nodded, with a miserable sniff. 15

"Could you tell me how you ended up here in the first place?" Asked Aryssa, looking into the village girl's matching blue eyes. 16

The village girl cringed a little, and blinked.17

"Well. It all started when my master, who is the sorcerer of the village that I live in, chose me to be his apprentice.  He gave me some time to look around his library, at some of his magical spell books. On the top shelf I found an old, dusty book that was falling apart, containing bizarre spells that I had never tried before.”18

The village girl took a deep breath before continuing.19

“Then I found a spell titled ‘Mirror’ I had always wanted my own mirror, so without thinking I read the words on the page loud and clear, Then suddenly the wind blew so hard, that it lifted me off my feet and at that moment the library seemed to spin and everything went black, before I knew it I found myself standing here next to this oak tree…”          20