When I look in the mirror, I see a sallow face. A creature with sagging eyes and pitch black shadows running down her face. I see long, black hair— tangled and wild— haphazardly strung in a ponytail.

The creature in the mirror clicks on a hair pin. Personally, I think a thousand accessories wouldn’t make a difference.

She then decides against it, yanking it off along with the hairband before dragging her bony fingers down her hair, sending dandruff and hair falling down like ash.

She fluffs her unkept hair, looks at me, and smiles.

I grimace when I see the rows of yellow, jagged teeth and black gums. The creature breaks into cheerful hum as if all is right in the world. She squeezes out some foundation and slathers it on her face, a grimy and oily mess. I guess she’s going for looking like an orange this time. Despite my obvious frown, she picks out the reddest lipstick shade from the bag and puckers her dry, peeling lips before smearing it on.

She should put some on her nose while she’s at it.

I sigh. Where does she thinks she’s going, looking like that?

She attempts a smoky eye but veers into the ‘I have been punched’ territory instead. Satisfied with her bruised eye, she grins a proud grin at me. Something inside my stomach twists. For a second, I’m disoriented. Her face flickers, and I see someone else, but they’re gone before I can register it.

Then the creature in the mirror runs out of frame and comes back with the ugliest piece of clothing I have ever seen. Somewhere in the world, a grandmother is wondering where her curtains went. Humming and hawing, she puts the dress against her body. Her face falls for the first time. Doubt. She shuffles through her closet for hours, only to choose the first dress in the end. Just great.

One glance at the clock and she is scrambling for the door.

What. a. mess.

I shake my head.

That couldn’t possibly be me.