This was a very short piece which was published in Here & Now magazine in October 2017, and also Inside Broadwater, December 2017.
As she caught a glance in her direction, she felt the air leave her lungs in a rush. For a moment, she felt light headed. She stood stock-still, allowing time for her body to re-ground itself. She wasn't even aware of the people moving around her, only the imperceptible change in the air, which added to her feelings of awe. Growing up, she had never thought of herself as beautiful, and no one had really paid her very much attention. Certainly, she was sure, no one had ever looked at her the way she was now looking at the ethereal vision opposite.
As she stood there, she was mesmerised by the way the girl's hair fell softly against the curve of her neck, the line from her shoulder to her fingertips, the way her hips curved outwards from her waist. And her eyes...
She jolted as though she had received an electric shock, startled to realise that the girl was staring right back at her. In a moment, the surprise gave way to pleasure, a slow smile spreading across her lips like a sunset across the sky. It was only then the realisation hit her. She was looking at her reflection, and for the first time in her life, she saw herself as other people saw her. She saw herself for the perfect being that she was.
Copyright Sarah Pond 2017