The Boy in the Mirror: Finding Love in the Strangest of Ways

by Bonny Capps

  I quizzically look up at Fynn, “Who undressed me?” I ask. Fynn tilts his head, searching my eyes for a moment, “Who do you think?” What? How dare him! I am obviously exasperated when suddenly Fynn bends down and scoops me up as I yelp. He walks to the dock and puts me down. He puts his hand in mine and looks into my eyes. He makes my heart want to leap through my chest, its rather difficult staying mad at him.

  Fynn steps down into the boat but keeps my hand in his, he helps me into the boat and I sit on the bench. He releases the tether and pushes us away with the oar. He takes his seat across from me. I am taking in every bit of this beautiful image, his hair amuck and swaying in the light breeze and his strong arms pushing in and pulling away with the oars. All of this is surreal, it doesn’t make sense. Fynn stops paddling and stares at me, his hands never leaving the oars.

  “What is going through that head of yours?” He asks. I look away, there is a purple glow casting its way over us and the water. The sky is even more magnificent at this time of day, though it is only morning, there are stars scattered throughout the sky, oh so many stars - it’s beautiful. A smile never leaving my face, I look back towards him, “I like being here… with you.” Fynn smiles and looks down before he peers back into my eyes. “And I like being here with you.” He whispers.

  He rests the oars on the side of the boat and looks over the side, into the water, my eyes never leaving him. “Come here.” He says as he extends his hand towards me. I take it and he gently tugs me towards him. I kneel down and peer over the side as he positions himself beside me. He leans over and whispers in my ear, “Watch.” Sending shivers down my spine. I look into the water intently. Suddenly a green glowing streak reveals itself in the water, and then another – this time purple, then pink and silver. The water has become a magnificent masterpiece for as far as I can tell. I gasp, it’s beautiful.

  “What are they?” I whisper. Fynn’s eyes are resting on the water, “Painter’s Fish.” He responds as he leans forward and reaches his hand into the water. He retrieves a very small creature. It is illuminating different colors. It has a tail fin resembling a paint brush. It has tiny, humanly hands and another fin on its head, it looks like a Mohawk. Its face looks human-like also. It has gills on its side and they are gulping for air. It smiles at us before it quickly jumps out of Fynn’s hand and back into the water.

  I look into Fynn’s eyes. He sits back and rests against the opposite side of the boat. I do the same and our shoulders are touching. He looks down at me, the boat rocking gently. He reaches over and touches my cheek with his thumb, circling it on my skin. “Did you save me that night?” I ask and he sighs and looks down. He bends his legs and wraps his arms around them, “Yes.” He responds. “Why?” I ask. Fynn shakes his head and his eyes travel up to mine, “Because you’re not meant to die. You will do great things. Just because of the circumstances now doesn’t give you the right to try and take your own life. That’s not part of the plan.” His voice trails off as he looks towards the endless sea surrounding us.

  We sit in silence for a while; he looks deep in thought as we sit beside each other. “What is this place?” I ask. Fynn begins to smile and I see a dimple in his cheek. Oh my God, could he be anymore gorgeous? “This place is whatever you want it to be, whatever it needs to be for you.” He responds. I frown as I look to the distance, “Why were you in my mirror, why did you bring me here?” I hear him sigh before responding, “Because you were alone, you needed someone and I’m that someone.” I smile as my eyes meet his. I lay my head on his shoulder and he doesn’t budge. After some time my eyes begin falling shut, I’m so tired.

  I am awakened when my body is lifted up. I sleepily open my eyes and look up at Fynn, my head against his chest. It has become dark out; we must’ve been on the boat for some time. He takes me back to his tree house and lays me down. He puts the cover over me and looks down at me. “You should rest. We have a busy day tomorrow and I cannot have you falling asleep on me.” I smile sweetly at him, he’s right. I am so exhausted; my eyes are struggling to stay open once again. Fynn begins to turn and leave. “Where are you going?” I ask. Fynn looks towards me, “There is work to be done. Go on. Rest.” Just like that I’m drifting away again. So many thoughts try to come and go. The excitement is there but my body is willing me to sleep.

  I wake up to birds chirping and sunlight cascading in through the window. I am surprised when I realize Fynn’s arm is wrapped around my waist, holding me close. I roll over and sit up on my elbow, the white gown hanging off my shoulder and my hair resting on the burlap pillow.

  Fynn looks peaceful when he sleeps; his lips look to be curled into a smile and his eyelashes resting on his cheeks. His hair has fallen over his forehead. I gently brush it to the side. He stirs and sleepily opens his eyes. He stretches with his arms above his head. His bare chest exposed, his muscles flexing. His eyes travel up to meet mine. He props himself up on his elbow, his beautiful grey eyes search mine. “I have something for you.” He says with a mischievous smile on his face. He moves towards me, our chests are touching as he rolls me over onto my back. He is above me; his hair is tickling my forehead.

  My eyes are wide as I look up at his magnificent face. He stays there momentarily before making his way off of the bed. My heart is thudding away in my chest as I look towards him. His bare back is facing me. His black blades poke out. He should have angel wings. He turns around to face me with something in his hands.

  He walks over towards me and sits on the side of the bed. I sit up and he hands it to me. It’s a white fabric, folded and tied with a bow made of straw. I look from him then back to the present. I untie the bow and gently remove it. I unfold the fabric and hold it out in front of me. It’s a white dress. I look at Fynn and he is smiling. “Well?” He asks, tilting his head to the side. “A dress?” I ask. Fynn laughs and stands up. He takes the dress from me and places it gently on the bed. He helps me from the bed and looks down at me.

  “So beautiful” he whispers before leaning down and kissing my cheek, sending chills through my entire body. He makes his way out of the tree house and closes the door behind him. I peer out the window to see the endless sea looking back at me. I remove the white nightgown and pull the dress over my head, struggling with the tie at my back.

  Fynn re-enters the room and smiles when he sees me trying to tie the bow behind me. He makes his way towards me and ties it before coming around to face me. I look down at the dress. It is simple, but beautiful. It’s a spaghetti strap and fits snug under my breasts and empires down, gently touching my hips and legs. It ends right below my knees. “Do you like it?” He asks eagerly and I look into his eyes. “I love it.” I whisper.

  Fynn grabs my hand and begins leading me out the door, grabbing a leather bag and throwing it over his shoulder on our way out. “Where are we going?” I ask, following behind him in the direction of the dock. He looks at me over his shoulder, “Wherever the wind takes us.” He jumps down into the boat and reaches up towards me. He places his hands firmly on my waist and lowers me into the boat. We stand still, his hands remaining on my waist and our chests touching. “Are you ready Mandy?” He whispers. I nod slowly, though I’m not quite sure what I’m ready for. He sits me down on the wood bench and sits opposite of me. He begins rowing and once again we float through the sea, this time at its mercy - our destiny in its hands.

  Chapter Eight

  “Where are we?” I ask as I sit up, shading my eyes from the sun. I must have dozed, Fynn and I have been on the boat for hours, and he has been silent most of the time… thoughtful maybe?

  He is standing up, paddling through the ocean, there has not been land for miles, not since we left Fynn’s island this morning. He is shirtless and I see the muscles in his back tense up with each stroke of the oar. He looks over his shoulder and smiles down at me, “Not sure - I go wherever my heart tells me, Mandy.” “What time is it?” I ask. Fynn laughs and rests the oar on the boat before turning and facing me. He sits
on the bench across the way with a smile on his face, “There is no such thing as time here. No ticking clocks. No aging. There is simply day and night, a never ending cycle.”

  He pauses and looks down at his hands and then to the distance, “But, if you must know, you can look at the sun. The sun can give us an idea. You just have to look at its position in the sky.” He points in the direction of the sun and continues, “The sun starts there and works its way up in the morning, see where it is now? It’s almost resting in the middle of the horizon, so we know it will set soon as it works its way back down.” I smile as I watch him. He’s beautiful and passionate. “It’s about to set.” I whisper and he lowers his hand and nods, the smile never leaving his face.

  “How long have you been in my mirror Fynn?” I ask. His eyes travel back to mine. He looks down at his hands, “A long time.” He responds. I frown and look to the distance, “Why now though? Why am I just now meeting you?” He sighs and stands again, retrieving his oar and returning to his paddling with his back facing me, “Because it was time.” I look down and skim my fingers over the water, “Do you care for me?” I ask. Fynn stops paddling, “Yes. I do care for you.” I look up towards him, he looks like he’s glowing as the sun sets, his cheek is facing me; his silhouette is fantastic against the magnificent sky. “Why?” I ask.

  Fynn turns abruptly, causing the boat to rock gently and looks at me in disbelief, “Why don’t you think you are deserving of love, Mandy? You’re beautiful and talented. Kind and gentle. You are strong too; you just don’t know it yet. You let people take advantage of you. I’m here to help you see who you are and what you’re capable of.” Tears form in my eyes. How am I deserving of him, of this place? “I just don’t understand?” I whisper. Fynn bows his head.

  He slowly turns to face me, he looks sad. Oh no. I’ve crossed the line again, just as I did with Matthew. I can’t bear to look at him; I look towards the never ending miles of water. Fynn walks towards me and kneels down in front of me. He rests his elbows on my legs as I sit and gently pulls my face to his. My tears have escaped and he brushes them away with his thumbs, his hands resting on each of my cheeks.

  I look deeply into his eyes. He is so gentle with me. He leans towards me and puts his forehead against mine, “I love you and I dedicate my life to your happiness. That’s why I wanted you to come with me. I live for your smile.” My heart flutters. His eyes are glossy as he looks at me intently. He loves me? He runs his thumbs over each one of my cheeks. My hands have found themselves on his face, our eyes never leaving one another’s. I love him also, I fell in love the moment I saw him – I feel like I’ve known him forever.

  I get down on my knees and Fynn and I are chest to chest, our eyes remaining locked. He brushes his nose against mine; I can feel his breaths on my lips. My fingers are in his soft hair. Finally, after what seems like forever, our lips meet. My heart is beating wildly in my chest. I want to sink into him, become part of him. He makes me whole.

  He sits down on the floor of the boat and pulls me into his lap, cradling me, our lips remaining locked. He gently strokes my cheek and pulls away, his grey eyes searching mine, “I’ve been watching you for a long time. I couldn’t understand how a beauty like you could be so sad. I’ve wanted to reach out to you for a while, but that is not really accepted here.” He whispers as he looks up at the sky. I place my hand on his chest, next to my face, “Why not?” His thumb begins tracing my bottom lip, “Because watchers are only supposed to watch.” He responds dryly. I look at him curiously as his hand falls into his lap and his eyes drift away from me and to the water. I trace my fingers on his chest as we sit in silence. My eyes fall shut and I once again welcome sleep.

  We are awoken by a loud bang and we jolt forward. Fynn’s arms are wrapped around me, gripping me tightly to keep me from flying forward. My heart is pounding – what an unpleasant way to be woken up. Fynn pulls my head against his chest and kisses my forehead. “You ok?” He asks nervously. I am trembling as I nod. He scrambles to get to his feet, the boat is attempting to rock back and forth but it is restrained, wedged between two huge jagged rocks. The sky doesn’t look as it once did, it looks overcast and stormy.

  Fynn kneels down and examines a large gash in the side of the boat. “There is no getting out of here, not until we fix this.” He murmurs as he stands once more. He grasps my hand and helps me to my feet.

  There is another island in front of us. Oh, but this island is not green and lush as Fynn’s was. It’s dark and scary. Dense fog hovers above the ground and there are towering trees everywhere with sparse leaves and their skinny, long branches look like bony fingers reaching down towards us.

  Fynn throws his shirt on and laces his fingers through mine as he begins walking forward. My feet are firmly planted as the water trickles in from the side of the boat, surrounding my toes. I certainly do not want to go in there! Fynn turns and faces me, “Mandy, come. We fix the boat and then we leave.” I nod and hesitantly follow as he grabs his bag and throws it over his shoulder. He releases my hand and jumps off of the boat, landing on a smooth part of the jagged rock. He reaches towards me and I wrap my arms around his neck as he cradles me against his chest. He doesn’t put me down as he continues to the entrance of this dark forest.

  I tightly wrap my arms around his neck and rest my head on his shoulder. He has a firm grip on me as he swiftly makes his way over the rocks and onto the wet soil. My heart is nearly beating out of my chest and my breaths are quick, this is terrifying. Fynn stops momentarily, “Mandy, it’s OK. I’m right here. I would never let anything happen to you. I promise.” He whispers looking down at me. I nod as I stare into his promising grey eyes. Here goes nothing.

  We enter and there is absolutely nothing pleasant about this gloomy forest. The ground is wet and you can hear Fynn’s feet squishing through the mud below. It is dark other than the glow of the stars and planets above, peeking through the overcast, but it almost impossible seeing through the thick fog.

  We walk for a while until Fynn turns abruptly on his heal. “Fynn!” I whimper before his hand lands over my mouth – hushing me. His eyes are darting to each tree. Oh no. He must have heard or seen something. His eyes lock onto one particular tree and he begins walking towards it cautiously. He halts suddenly and puts me down. He reaches into his bag and retrieves a handmade weapon of sorts. It’s wooden and the blade is a sharp tooth, it’s huge and is attached to the grip with leather.

  He suddenly grabs me by the waist and throws me over his shoulder, wielding the weapon in his other hand. We continue to the source of his anticipation. I try seeing what the hell is going on but it’s nearly impossible, granted the position I am currently in. Suddenly Fynn stops and plants me on the ground once again, shoving me behind him. I peer from behind Fynn’s shoulder and am taken a back from what I see.

  It’s a rather odd looking man. His back is against a tree and he shakily holds a lantern in front of him. He looks like a human but his eyes are large and protrude from his face, much like a frog. His nose lays flat and His lips are thin. He doesn’t seem to have much hair on his head. He is wearing trousers with no shirt; he is skinny but quite muscular.

  I step from around Fynn and we stand shoulder to shoulder. Fynn finally lowers the weapon. The man exhales and slides his back down the tree. He is breathing quite rapidly. The poor thing is terrified.

  “Who are you?” Fynn growls, the weapon at his side. After a moment the man stands, he is about as tall as Fynn’s shoulder. I wrap my arms around myself and step forward. Fynn holds his arm up in front of me. Finally the man bows and speaks, “My name is Hubert, sir.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Hubert.” I whisper. Hubert’s eyes dart towards me and a smile overcomes his face, he holds out a hand and Fynn lifts the weapon towards him once again. Hubert looks to Fynn eagerly, “Have you come to save us?” Fynn looks confused. “Save you?” He asks as he puts the weapon back into his bag.

  “What do you need to be saved from?”
I whisper. Hubert sighs and shakes his head, “This place that you see now, it is certainly not the place it once was. We were happy once before, until darkness crept in.” Fynn and I look towards each other and then back to Hubert; his eyes begin examining the forest around us nervously. “Come, we must go to the village. She will hear us if we stay out here.” He exclaims as he catapults forward and grips the side of a tree, jumping from one tree to the next effortlessly. Fynn grabs my hand and we follow behind.”What is he?” I ask, looking up at Fynn. “An Amphian.” He replies.

  After a while, we see light. There are lanterns hanging by hooks on the trees leading down a cleared pathway, it’s refreshing after trudging through the darkness. There is a gate at the end of the path. I’m not sure that it is secure however. It is made of the brittle tree branches and cinched together by some type of rope.

  Hubert knocks on the gate. We hear someone holler from behind, “Owhay oesgay erethay?” Hubert stands tall as he replies, “Uberthay Otherbray.” The gate creaks open and another Amphian appears holding a handmade spear and wielding armor and a helmet that looks as if it were made of tree bark. His eyes grow wide as he extends the spear towards us, “Intruders! Intruders!” He hollers, alarmed.

  Fynn grabs my waist and pulls me close as others with spheres and swords that look like sharpened bone surround us outside of the gate. My arms wrap around Fynn’s waist and my face is buried in his chest. My wide eyes are peeking through my hair that has found itself over most of my face. Fynn quickly equips himself with his weapon again, holding it out towards them. Hubert steps in front of Fynn and me, holding a hand up to the others.