The white-washed walls give my head a slight ache. Vibrant, stark white lights make every pore visible on my face through the mirror. I sit in a small, metal chair, the coldness numbing my fingers. I know why I am here, why I am being watched. Yesterday, I made the mistake of going out of the house, making myself open to the arms of the agents that have made it clear they want me. I do hold very important information regarding the rebellion that is bound to happen any day now.

I get up from my chair and stare into the two-way mirror, hoping to make eye contact with the listening, observing agents. "I know you're watching me," I say sternly to the glass. "And I know what you want, but unfortunately you aren't getting anything out of me." I wait for a moment, for any sound of voices of frustration. None. Until. The heavy metal door unclicks, and a tall man strides in with a smirk on his face. His uniform shows his muscular stature, and his black hair is neatly done. His gray eyes follow my movements. I can't deny his beauty, but I also can't deny that this man scares me. "Hello Grace, what a pleasure it is to finally meet the infamous spy," the man says with a loose tone. My nerves lock up, but I do not allow myself to look intimidated. "Look," I begin, keeping my voice from wavering, "I'm not going to give you guys what you want, so just let me go." The man nods his head. "Yeah, well, you see, Grace, you're a threat to the future of this country, so we can't just 'let you go'." "Who are you, anyway?" I ask, trying to figure this man out. The man walks towards me, his and outstretched as he says, "Ian Rosewell." My face turns slack at the sound of his name. Ian Rosewell, the son of the rebel leader, was standing in front of me, in dangerous territory. did he betray his father? What was a rebel doing here? Ian was smiling, ear to ear, and then put his back to the mirror and held his finger to his lips, telling me to keep quiet. "I think it's time you get something to eat," Ian says casually. I follow him silently out the door, confused. He walks out the facility, alone, with me. Where are all the agents? "Uh, Ian, what is happening?" "You should thank me, Grace, for saving you," he says, opening his car door for me to enter. "Next time, don't get caught." He closes the door, and we drive off. Sirens start to ring, and agents flood the fading facility. "How'd you just walk in and break me out?" I ask. Ian smiles. "Power."

"Disappointing..." That was the last thing you said to me. I tried to speak to you before you left, but you remained silent. Why? What have I done to you? Surely, I could've not wounded you as you did to me! You professed your love to me, promised to always talk and be there, and then you disappear into a dreadful silence. Have you no clue the agony you've caused? My heart refuses to beat profoundly as it once did. My eyes cannot close to sleep, in case of any utterances. My mind races with exceptions for your silence. Fred, your words wound me deeply, but your silence hurts even more. You once said you felt more than I would ever know, but what a fool you are, for it feels as if I were frozen in an abyss of darkness, close to Death, without my heart and stuck in silence.

Answer me, I beg, Pearl Mary

I stare at the beautiful man cloaked in the silver moonlight smiling while waiting for me to speak. "Are you the man that answers wishes?" I ask hesitantly, fidgeting with my fingers. The man smiles and responds in a smooth, luring voice, "I do something quite like that. What do you wish for, Aurelia?" I take a deep breath and repeat the words I've practiced many times over. "I wish to be strong and useful; to live a life of fullness and not dullness. I am a plain girl; I wish not to be." The man nodded his head as if he understood my wish. "Magic," he began, "comes with a price, are you willing to pay?" Without question or even time to ponder, I answer with complete confidence, "Yes." The man moves his hands in a dance, glimmering magic swirls from his fingertips. "Aurelia Dertha," He speaks with sternness and power, "I grant that you will no longer be a plain girl, but a girl of extravagance and purpose!" With one full flush of his power, the glimmering glow of magic settles within me, but I do not feel any different. I look in the mirror to see any physical changes, but I still look the same. "I am not changed," I utter with disappointment. The man walks towards me with a small frown. "You are already extravagant, and you already have purpose, Aurelia. You do not need magic." "Then what did you do?" The man smiles. "Look in the mirror once more. What do you see?" I do as he says. My eyes connect with my image in the mirror. I recognize my brunette hair, brown eyes, and freckled skin. But looking closer, I see something else. I see a young woman who has a whole life before her. She has a purpose; one that she is willing to live out. "I have purpose," I exclaim, smiling at my image. "Magic," the man says, "is not always sparkles and color; sometimes it is just words of encouragement."