Layla didn’t notice until the next morning, while brushing out her hair, that her reflection was missing. She ran to her mother’s skirt, got underfoot, and started crying “Mama” up the scale.

“Do you want no breakfast, girl? Put on something more decent than a towel and leave me cook.”

“Mama, yesterday afternoon when Auntie treated me and Evangeline to ice cream, and took us to the beach, I think I left my reflection in a tide pool.”

“Tsk! Such a careless girl. Well, you have school ahead of you now, so remind me when you come home.”

Layla put her hair into a ponytail because she didn’t know what else to do with it, and waited at the corner for Evangeline. As they walked, her year-and-two-months-older cousin’s eyes grew big at the news.

“Aiy! You need to get it back.  I think after three days without a reflection you turn into a vampire. That just makes sense, right?”

Layla gasped. “Evangeline, you have to help me.”

Evangeline sighed. “It’s Monday and my mom won’t drive us an hour and back to the beach. Until Saturday, it’s schoolwork, violin, and bed. What did your mom say?”

“For me to ask her after school. Can you be there when I do? She listens to you better.”

She nodded. “Because you’re always up to nonsense and she’s happier not knowing, is what she told my mom.”

“I am not.”

Evangeline laughed. “Are too.”

#

“Mama,” Layla said, “Auntie says I get up to nonsense.”

“You do. Evangeline, why are you half-inside the house, like a shut door? Either come in or keep out the flies.”

Evangeline took two small steps into the living room.

“Mama,” Layla said, “Evangeline told me I’ll turn into a vampire.”

“Oh? And from what book or teacher did you learn that, Evangeline?”

“It makes sense. Doesn’t it?”

Layla’s mom waved. “Too much makes sense to the young. Let’s see what you girls say when you turn twenty and I remind you of this. We’ll collect Layla’s reflection on Saturday. For now: Evangeline, stop filling my daughter’s excitable head with nonsense; Layla, fetch milk from the bodega.”

Layla frowned. She needed her reflection, not milk. “Mama, maybe Evangeline is right. Sometimes silly sounding things are true. Did you ever believe something silly that turned out to be true?”

“That I could birth you for a daughter but still not regret it. Evangeline, home. You, bodega.”

#.

The next day, Layla ran home from school. She changed clothes and mussed her hair, and then she slipped down the street to the bodega her mama never went to because the one two blocks away was better but Layla liked it because they had a fat tabby who didn’t mind being petted. The owner tsked at her appearance, but Layla stayed until her mama marched past. A few minutes later, she followed and waited in the living room.

Her mama came out of the bedroom buttoning a comfy blouse and stopped. “Did my daughter go colorblind last night? Must I start dressing you again? And what did you do with your hair?”

Layla shrugged. “Best I could do with no reflection.” She lowered her head. “No one will love me, and people will judge us.”

Her mom laughed. “We’ll see which of us gets shamed by your state first, but I don’t think it will be me. And someone will love you regardless of how you look: Think about who my sisters married.”

Layla stomped to her room, trailed by her mom’s shouted request to not stomp. She bellyflopped onto the bed. Her mom—who made cuts better and soothed her out of nightmares—was now utterly heartless. What if by Saturday the reflection was gone? Every day offered more chances for mischief. Could a big fish eat a reflection? Some really big ones ate people. Might they mistake a reflection for a person? And what about lots of small fish, like piranhas? She felt herself get buzzy with panic again and jumped up and paced.

“I have to do something,” she muttered. “Evangeline will have ideas, but Mama’s right—Evangeline’s way too smart and often thinks up things that only sound right. I could—no, an hour drive means too far to walk. I need an adult. Ooh! Evangeline’s mom!”

Layla changed into matching clothes, put her hair back into a ponytail, and joined her mom in the living room. “Could I go to Evangeline’s?”

“Oh, good, you got your reflection back, judging from your appearance. And no, you can’t. Think of others: You saw Evangeline today at school and you both have things to do, and I just got home from work.”

“Mama—”

“No. You are not going to not turn into a vampire. You will grow up to be a normal woman, marry someone foolish, and give the world crazy sons and daughters.” She pulled Layla into her lap. “If I thought you were in any danger at all, we would have been scouring that beach last night. You’ll be all right. Really.”

Layla nuzzled and squeezed. “I know that, mama, in my heart. But in my head I’m still scared. I have nightmares of biting people and being thrown out of church and disappointing you. I can’t concentrate in school.” She looked up. “It’s like when you tell me not to drop a bowl. I know not to drop it, and I could take it right to the table no problem, but when you tell me that I start thinking about my feet catching a corner of the rug, or my fingers getting sweaty and making the bowl all slippery.”

Her mama hugged her tight and kissed the top of her head. “Does it help if I promise to protect you?”

“A little.  Can we go tomorrow?”

She sighed. “Okay, but only if we get tomorrow’s chores done tonight. Scoot.”

#

“I’ll wait here,” Layla’s mama told the girls, reclining her car seat. “Don’t be long.”

The cousins jumped out and raced through the parking lot to the sand.

“This is more fun than practicing violin, though I like violin,” Evangeline said. “I’m glad mom and Auntie decided this was my fault and I had to come. Do you remember which tide pool?”

“Probably that big one. I looked into it for a long time.”

The girls stepped carefully across the black rocks, avoiding slippery popweed and crunchy barnacles. The setting sun bouncing off the largest tide pool hurt Layla’s eyes. The two girls leaned over and peered inside.

“Hello?” Layla said. “Me? It’s me.”

“You came back,” alyaL replied.

“Yes, and it’s time to go home. I have schoolwork.”

“I did mine at lunch,” Evangeline told the reflection.

The face in the water scowled. “Go back? I’m happier here. Before, I could only see when you were near mirrors or polished wood or shiny metal or still water. I like being in a tide pool. You see anemones when the tide is out, all closed up like slimy doughnuts, but living here I see them waving like happy pom-poms. To you, barnacles look like sleeping iguana eyes, but when water gushes through they flick out their little feet and grab food with their toes. Did you know they live upside-down? And the darling, darting fish and plodding old crabs. So much more fun than your same old face.”

“I like my face,” Layla said, hurt.

“No, that’s my face,” alyaL said. “You can’t see your own face, same as I can’t see mine. But they look the same.”

“If you’re bored of my face, think how years from now you’ll grow tired of this little pool. The only new things you’ll get will be curious girls like Evangeline and me.”

“I’ll attach to one of them, travel, see new things,” the reflection said.

“You’ll only fit onto Layla,” Evangeline blurted.  “That just makes sense.”

“That’s right,” Layla said. “Without me, you’re stuck here.”

“I’ll slip into the ocean at high tide, travel to other places.”

Layla looked to her cousin for help.

“Um, you can’t.” Evangeline thought about why, then perked up. “The sea is too busy for reflections.”

Layla nodded solemnly. “Yes. You can’t to go across sand, either.”

“I’m not ready to leave,” the reflection said. “I like this pool, and I’m tired of watching you brush your teeth and boring things. Come back in a year, and then I might go.”

“Layla,” Evangeline whispered, “if your reflection wants to sit in a bowl of water more than be with you, maybe you should think about being interesting. Just saying.”

“Quiet.” Layla thought about how dull seeing a girl brushing her teeth every day might be. And while she was checking out shop windows full of toys or sweets or clothes or paintings, her reflection would see the other direction: a street, with Layla blocking most of the view.

“What if,” Layla said, “I found a way to include you? I could carry a compact, so I could turn around and let you look over my shoulder.”

“That might be better,” her reflection agreed. “Let’s try it. But if you take me for granted again, I’ll escape onto a shop window or a shiny car.”

Layla thought about how she could be a girl that a reflection would want to stay with. An idea struck her—one that would prove she was worth following.

When Layla stood and brushed her pant legs, her reflection came with her. Though Layla couldn’t feel it, knowing it was back made her happy. She pointed to the sea. “Evangeline, way over there, is that a whale?” She started skipping across the rocks, toward the beach. “Race you back one-two-three-go!”

“That was no fair,” Evangeline shouted.

“You’ve got longer legs,” Layla called out over her shoulder.

Evangeline caught up. “Hey, what did I just see you do?”

“Run faster than you—a little!”

They spied Layla’s mom walking towards them.

“How long can it take to catch a reflection? Were you playing while I was worrying? And Evangeline’s mom will not be happy.”

“Layla had to do some coaxing,” Evangeline explained. “But we ran back. Did you see us?”

“Ah! Well, at least you’re here. Let’s go.”

As the three walked across the sand, Layla let out a gasp.

“Mama! Look at the ground. I don’t have a shadow and you and Evangeline do.”

“Aiy!” Evangeline cried. “That means—”

“Don’t you start,” Mama warned. “Layla, why are you so careless? When did you last see it?”

“At the zoo. Our teacher took us there last week.”

“Why am I just hearing of this?”

Layla shrugged. “How often do you look at your shadow?”

Evangeline pointed to the setting sun. “We’ll never find a shadow in the dark.”

Exasperated, her mom threw up her hands and strode toward the car. “I did not vex my mother half so much as you do yours. Come on, then.”

Evangeline leaned over to Layla as they walked. “So that’s why you distracted me. But shadows can go almost anywhere. Aren’t you afraid of yours leaving?”

“A reflection has a mind of its own, but a shadow knows nothing but following. Like a lost dog, it will find its way home. And I get to take my reflection to the zoo.”

“That makes sense.” Evangeline grinned. “You’ll need help finding it at that big old zoo.”

Layla smiled. She and her reflection would have a lot more fun than sitting in a salty old pool of water.

“Just like Layla leaves her shadow behind,” Ken explains, “we in UR leave our bodies somewhere–mine’s wandering in a carnival funhouse. You see, shadows are more magical than bodies. They change shape, they disappear, they duplicate in two light sources, and, of course, are immortal. Shadows are darkness, which never goes away. Bodies die, but shadows never do. They can hide under your feet, hole up in your ears, peep out from under your eyebrows, spoon in your coffin, or keep watch over your urn. Shadows are forever.”

“That’s pretty dee–”

“Time to get back to the underground,” Ken bellows. “There’s other paths, other prizes.” He tosses you off the cliff.

It’s miles to the inky black-sand beach below. As you fall, you notice the cliff face is made of colorful calaveras. Glancing back down, you see a giant blue-and-gold rectangle. It folds out into a white, even larger rectangle. Letter-by-letter, words appear on a page:

Unless you plan to fall forever, say “Start” to reboot the game.

“Start!” you yell, and keep falling. Gradually, you slow, and finally float down through the pages and onto the train station platform.

Step over to Platform F to try Frances’ Path, or check out the Fallout Shelter.

You’ve done all the paths but hunger for more. Stay tuned for our next book.