Transparent Mirror Ch 3

Dis/Jointed
Universe 1 – Transparent Mirror:Chapter 1

“Babe…hey babe get up” Joshua opens his eyes to find himself
lying in bed with a woman speaking to him. “You had a rough night
sleep? You were tossing and turning all night. I could barely lay
next to you” Surprised as he was, he knew who the voice belonged
to. Not only surprised but confused. Confused as to why or how he’s
in bed, and even more confused as to why she’s with him. The
mystery woman he saw in the mirrors’ reflection. Nicole. The love
of his life.
The two of them were together for 4 years. They met at a food
truck festival. Joshua was working the window of “Uncle Bill’s BBQ

on Wheels” food truck at the time. His dream was to have a chain of
food trucks on the road around the country at once, but he knew he
had to start from somewhere. The festivities were good for business
but made manning the window hectic. The aroma of pulled pork
and cotton candy traveled across the venue. Sweat and grease
stained his work shirt. A ripped-up towel tucked in his apron
doubled as his sweat rag and hand towel. His curly top was sweated
out into an afro, tucked under his Yankee baseball cap. Joshua
wasn’t in any presentable condition to meet the love of his life.

“Welcome to Uncle Bill’s BBQ on Wheels, how can I help you?”
This being Joshua 200 th or so time saying this same line, he became
robotic in a sense not really focusing on the actual customer in
attempt to move quickly. “Can I get a BBQ chicken sandwich?”
Joshua wasn’t looking at the customer, he was just writing the
order down on the ticket. “One BBQ chicken sandwich. Anything
else I can get for you?” As Joshua looks up to finish the customer’s
order, halts all robotic movement. Her hair was braided down her
back. Skin kissed by the sun. Big beautiful brown eyes were looking
back up to him. Joshua couldn’t help himself from starring. Never

in his young life has he seen such a stunning creature. He was at
work, but Joshua knew he couldn’t let this moment slip through his
fingertips. “Can I get a name to place this order under?” Joshua
askes without breaking eye contact. “You can put it under Nicole”
she smiles as she replies. “Nicole, that’s a beautiful name Ms.
Nicole. For being our 200 th customer of the day, I’m going to give
you my number. Call me if you’re ever in need of some BBQ meat”
Nicole wrinkles her face up at him when he says that. Joshua
realizes this and quickly responds “That sounded a lot better in my
head. Just feel free to call me when you get a chance.” They both

laugh. Nicole takes her receipt with his number scribbled on the
back and walks to the pick-up window. All the while Joshua
couldn’t take his eyes off of her. Their fates were sealed together at
that moment. From that point forward, they were inseparable.
“How did you get in here?” Joshua starts to sit up in bed and
asks. “Did you break in? I’m pretty sure that you left your key here
when you left” Nicole looks at him in confusion. “What’re you
talking about? Why would I break into our own home? I was coming
back from picking JR up from my sister’s house, when I found you
lying in front of the mirror. Nicole gets out of bed and puts on her

robe. “I don’t know if you were smoking too much or something, but
let’s not try and have your son find you like that again. Please?
Thank you.” She kisses him on his forehead and walks out of the
room. Joshua does not understand what going on. He looks around
the room. “what the fuck?” he whispers to himself. The decorations
in the room, the bed set, the lights hanging up, all were different
than what he remembered his room to be. He thinks to himself,
something isn’t right.
Prior to finding the mirror, him and Nicole were broken up for 9
months. With Joshua only working the food truck, money was tight

and bills were stacking up. Nicole loved that Joshua had a dream
and he was passionate about it. She just wanted him to live in
reality and get a better paying job to help her with the finances.
This put a strain on their relationship. Meanwhile, Joshua knew if
he just patient and waited that he’d inherit the food truck. He needs
to start franchises trucks some way and that was the only way to
start due to having no to buy a truck straight out or any capital to
leverage for a loan. Joshua loved Nicole but couldn’t give up on his
dream or plan. As much as it hurt her, Nicole knew she had to do
what was best for her and Joshua. After a long day of work between

the two of them, she packed her things up and headed out the door.
Before exiting their home, they built together she went to their
favorite spot to be together, the kitchen. On the counter penned a
letter, “Who knew that being your 200 th customer would come with
so many perks. Love and laughter being my two favorites. I love
you so much Joshua, but I can’t be the speedbump in your life
(food-truck reference hahaha). I gotta leave you so you can achieve
your dreams uninterrupted. I can’t wait to see you reach your next
200 th . Love Nicole” Folded closed and her spare key beneath. The

letter was the last contact the two has had with each other. Until
she woke up in his bed next to him.
Joshua tries to remember what took place leading up to him
falling asleep. He pauses. His breath is shallow from the anxiety
he’s feeling about the situation. His memory is foggy but he has a
better recollection of what happened. He remembers the mirror. He
remembers destroying it too. Joshua jumps out of bed. “Hey Nicole!
Nicole answer me!” Joshua calls for Nicole from the room. He grabs
his shirt off the dresser and storms out the room down the hall.
“Hey Nic…” Just as he gets her name out, the curly head boy

approaches him. Big brown eyes inherited from his mother, every
other feature is Joshua’s. Joshua kneels down in fornt of the boy.
His heart instantly fills with joy. Tears fall from his eyes in
realization that he’s meeting his son. He embraces the boy with a
warm hug. The boy is silently smiling. He then reaches in his
pocket and pulls out a necklace. Joshua wipes his eyes to get a
better look. The same ruby necklace his reflection was wearing. The
ruby was bright red. Almost glowing. Joshua felt the pendant
calling out to him. As if it were whispering in his ear. Joshua froze
up, leaving him unable to speak or move. The boy goes to put the

necklace around Joshua’s neck. “What’s going on? No way I can’t
move. This can’t be real.” Joshua starts think to himself. “We can’t
have a son, she left me.” Memories of what he saw in his reflection
floods his brain. The pain and confusion of the ordeal breaks him
from his trance. He stumbles to his feet. Joshua looks at his hands
to find them beaten and bruised. This further solidifies his what
he’s thinking. He looks in his son’s eyes and smiles. Before
continuing to look for Nicole, Joshua gives him another hug and
grabs the ruby from him.

He finds Nicole sitting in front of the mirror. “I know this isn’t
real. Not you, this place or that poor kid. I don’t know how or why
but that mirror has something to do with it.” No response from
Nicole. “Answer me!” Joshua screams at her. Nicole wasn’t budging
from her seat. She continued to braid her hair. Joshua questions
her some more, “Is that even you in there? I’m running out of
patience. I destroyed that mirror before and I’ll destroy it again!”
From the inlays to the missing eye socket everything on the mirror
was exactly the same. Joshua believes that if he destroys the
mirror he’ll go back to his normal life. Honestly, he isn’t too sure

what breaking the mirror would bring, he just wants to put an end
to it all. This entire experience has been immensely difficult for
him. Who could blame him. The love of his life gets thrusted back in
his life. More importantly discovering the existence of his son. He
had no way to prove it, but Joshua felt a deep connection with the
boy. When he looked in his eyes he saw himself. He saw the love
and happiness that’s required to bring about this new life. “What if I
destroy the mirror, will it end his life as well?” He begins to
question his decision. He wants to be free of the mirror but can’t

come to the terms of potentially sacrificing his life. Joshua drops to
his knees and cries. Tears fill his palms as he holds his face.
Nicole murmurs something that Joshua could barely hear.
He lifts his head up in attempt to hear her better. She mumbles
something again. This time Joshua heard her a little better, “What
are you saying over there?” His voice cracking when he asked.
Again, she mumbles. He goes and sits next to her. She leans over to
him and whispers in his ear “Destroying the mirror won’t get you
home.” Joshua jumps up. “Then what will Nicole?!”, he finds
himself pleading with her. Awaiting her answers, his hearts beats

through his chest. Same answer, “Destroying the mirror won’t get
you home.”
Joshua looks in the mirror notices the missing eye socket. He
reaches in his pocket and pulls out the necklace. The ruby pendant
was radiating. Nicole diverts all her attention to him. Their son is
now in the room with them. All three were just there waiting on
Joshua’s next move. “The world you come from is riddled with pain
and disappointment.” Smiling from ear to ear, Nicole continues
speaking. “Here with us, you’ll find happiness.” She stood up off the
floor. “You’ll be loved forever, eternally” Nicole starts to walk

toward him. “Uninterrupted joy is yours if you want it. You can’t
just destroy that. You can’t just smash that into pieces!” Their son
wraps his arms around her. “Where you come from, you had to
choose between your loves, your passions. Here you can have it
all.” Nicole is now directly in front him Joshua, an arm’s length
away. Smiling with arms open Nicole says, “Just hug me, and join
the family.” To be continued…