short fiction · 2026-10-11

The Mirror of First Glances

Written in free time, from: Creative writing

The stranger's eyes flicked to her worn shoes before meeting her gaze—a split-second assessment that hung in the air like dust motes. She felt it, that quiet judgment, and straightened her spine, pulling the frayed edges of her sweater tighter. Later, in the mirror, she saw not herself but the version he'd imagined: someone diminished, needing fixing. She practiced his version of her in the glass until the lines blurred. Who was she becoming? The woman who wore scuffed shoes with pride, or the one who apologized for existing? First impressions are not just mirrors; they are molds, and we pour ourselves into them, hoping to fit.