Reflection
Sophie strolled down the street, humming gently to herself. It was a pleasant tune.
In her right hand was a basketful of oven-fresh pastries, baked by the famous bakery where her sister worked at. Which one…Lettie was it?
Those two siblings of hers were brats, switching places with one another time after time…them and their ridiculous tricks.
But she didn't care, she couldn't be bothered.
As the aroma wafted from the basket, all that was on her mind was Howl, Howl and more Howl.
Boy, they were clouding her thoughts. Endless clones of Howl in her head.
Furious at herself, she started zapping at each cloud of happiness that kept emerging from the depths of her memories. But the harder she tried, the more they appeared.
Poof, poof…poofpoofpoof.
Sophie knew that reverse psychology was at her tail again. As she started devising a new strategy to combat this nuisance, she realized that she was already at the door.
"What's the point?" she asked herself. She could enter for all she wanted…but he wouldn't be there. Only Michael and Calcifer to keep her company. Michael was fine but Calcifer was loathsome at times…and Howl would only be back after dark.
Sighing, Sophie entered. What else better to do?
As she set the basket on the table, a terrible idea struck her.
"What's that?" Calcifer snickered.
"What? It's bread…and you won't get a chance to burn it."
"No. The look on your face."
"Look? What look?"
Calcifer performed an act you wouldn't catch him doing everyday. He rolled his eyes.
"Just tell Michael the bread's not for stealing. He's not a talented thief," Sophie added.
Howl walked through the dark alleys that have been shrouded by tall buildings for the past few centuries. The dirt and grime that had settled on the cobblestones have begun to grow attached to his fine boots.
"-censored-"
He stomped his foot on the ground. The grime didn't seem to want to let go. It was like parasite, clinging onto his boots for its dear life. And the worst part was that it had developed immunity against magic.
Why, you might ask, was he in the alleys then?
He could've just used the roads or streets or walkways. Instead, he opted for a more primitive way.
The answer was simple. He didn't want to be seen by the public, especially Sophie.
It was private and personal matters he was attending to and she had no right to snoop about. Living under the same roof as Sophie had been disastrous. She was capable of finding the most interesting things out of garbage bags. And not forgetting about the time when she snooped around the bathroom.
Yeah, it was shocking pink.
Anyway, Howl trudged for a few more miles before reaching his destination. He took a peek at his beautiful turned horrendous footwear.
A pair of new boots encrusted with dried grime was a sight so bad that Howl cringed. If he were irritable, he would've covered it with more substance; slime. Fortunately, he wasn't in such a bad mood.
He glanced at his boots again. It had gone from bright blue to dull grey.
"Sophie's gonna pay for this."
Yup, who would've thought that grime would be so expensive as to cost him 450 pounds?
Who in their right minds would want to head there? It wouldn't be anyone but Sophie, of course.
Her feet had carried her all the way across town, into the country.
What was she doing? This was insane.
She had decided earlier on that it wouldn't be such a bad idea to walk all the way from the flower shop to the castle on the hills. That way, she would be doing something that brought her back to where she started out.
As she trekked up the mountains, she passed a little town which went by the name of Splenville.
Sophie chuckled as she stopped to read the sign. She was tempted to add another 'e' between 'l' and 'n'. She did have a marker, by the way.
Frustrated at her civic-mindedness, Sophie kept her hands as far away from the marker as possible.
Then slowly, she turned around slightly to face a worn-down shop. Its name read:
Glass & Frames
"Glass and frames?" she questioned in confusion.
Being the curious cat, she couldn't resist peering past the dusty display window.
All she saw were mirrors, accompanied by a few framed portraits. There were a few priceless paintings of magnificent landscape hanging on the walls of the shop, providing a grand feel to the old place.
…And there was blonde too.
Sophie peered deeper, past layers and layers of dust. A brunette lady was on a ladder, reaching up for a parcel stored on the topmost shelf twice her height.
Sophie held her breath as the supposedly shopkeeper lost her footing and fell into the hands of…
"HOWL!"
There was a soft chime of bells as Howl shut the wooden oak door behind him. A gentle thump came shortly after that.
"Hey, Kara. How's it going?" Howl saluted.
"Great. I see you've come for the package?" asked a girl behind the counter. She was around 15, had mesmerising hazel eyes and lustrous tresses of brown.
Howl was clearly captivated by her, but he hid his feelings well.
"So, it's ready then?" he asked, buying himself some time.
"Of course! You could've come two weeks ago!" she chimed.
Her sweet voice ringed in his ears.
Howl watched intently as she climbed up the ladder to fetch whatever that he had come for.
At around the fourth step, Kara stopped and reached out for the parcel. That was when she lost her footing.
Positioning himself, Howl caught her from below with deft hands.
Then, the unexpected arrived. Someone burst into the shop just as Kara looked into Howl's stunning blue eyes.
Howl groaned sharply. "Do you really find it necessary to go snooping into everything?"
"Yes! As a matter of fact, it's what I do best!" snapped Sophie.
Howl let go of Kara. She adjusted her hair and went up to Sophie.
"May I help you?" she asked curiously.
"Yes, stop flirting with him. And Howl, bring the stupid parcel down with magic, goddammit!"
Kara waved guiltily as Howl left with Sophie. Had she inflicted some kind of wound in the girl's heart? Kara really didn't want to make any enemies. But the girl seemed to treat her like one. E.g. glaring at her while Howl used magic to obtain the package. And then, the girl had blatantly dragged him out of the shop by the scruff of his neck, stomping as she did so.
Who was she?
Suddenly, she remembered. The girl was the one in the photograph. She did look different in real life, however. Picture-wise, she was sweet and lovely. In reality, the strength of her mind was equivalent to a mule's stubbornness.
Perhaps, Kara thought, it had something to do with her fiery red hair.
"I see you have a new hobby," said Sophie, adding a sharp edge to her tone.
"What do you mean? I went there because I had ordered two custom-made items from the shop!" Howl boomed with controlled rage.
"I bet you go there everyday. That's why you've been coming back late."
"You've gotten it all wrong, snoop! Would you just listen?"
Howl stopped in his tracks and looked Sophie in the eyes. He couldn't tell whether she was livid or sad.
Sophie tore away from his gaze. "I'm guessing they were engagement rings…"
"What are you talking about?"
"Those items."
Howl reeled back. "Ohmygod! No! Sophie, why are you acting like this?"
"You like her, don't you? Or are you just playing like you always do, huh?"
Howl sighed so very deeply that Sophie felt the urge to keep silent.
They were already at the doorsteps of the flower shop. From the corner of her eyes, Sophie could see several lampposts being lighted up.
And far towards the west, the sun was slowly disappearing. As the last ray crept away, Howl tore open the parcel.
"I don't fancy her in any way," he told Sophie.
It was convincing but she gave him a dangerous glare. How was she supposed to know if he were half-lying?
"It's someone else then."
"Yes."
"And it's not any of my business to know, I suppose?"
Howl released a deep breath. He knew that whenever she said that, it meant trouble. He sighed again. He was hoping that it didn't have to end this way. But now, Fate did not leave him with much choices.
"Here, take a look if you must know." Howl passed her an object from the parcel. It was sort of like a frame…with glass.
"Lemme guess. It's a photograph of her, isn't it?"
Howl nodded glumly.
Sophie grasped it at the edges, feeling the intricate carvings on the wooden surface. She had it faced down. 'Who was it?' she wondered.
As she stared at it, the anticipation built inside her. When she could no longer withstand the pressure, she flipped it over.
Howl smiled over her. It was a mirror. Sophie was looking at her own reflection.
"B…but this is not a picture," she stuttered. She could feel her head spinning slowly.
"I know…but it's the best kind of portrait…" He was smooth, phrasing his words so that they sounded like a poem. "…Live action."
Sophie was speechless.
It was later, after some serious snooping, that Sophie discovered what the other object was.
It was similar to the mirror with only one difference.
Instead of having a reflective glass surface, this one had a real photograph beneath a glass panel.
Her photograph.
Sophie sensed herself blushing.
"Howl, you flatterer!"