Behind the mirror.

He never saw the man again after that day. The mirror was still there but he stopped looking at the reflection.
Learning to live with it. Until one day he couldn't take it anymore, he left for the crossroads.

When he got there he sat down on the ground and waited. At three in the morning, he lit a cigarette and took a drag. When he extended his hand the man took it.
" How's the wish?" He asked with a smirk

" I lost my job and moved back with my parents, thinking of selling the car and leaving somewhere for a while," he replied, lighting another cigarette.

The man held a laugh as he exhaled " so is going good… good to hear. What brings you back? You want the door?"

" I want to trade," he said, looking straight ahead while still sitting on the ground. "you are also trapped here in this crossroads. I'll trade you the mirror and everything in it for your job"

The man couldn't contain the laugh anymore "you want the suit and the tie and the shoes then? Is that it?"

" don't really care for the uniform. Just want the job" he replied in a monotone voice

The man noticed he was serious and changed his demeanor. " Why would I want the mirror?" Asked the man

" Because you can get through." He replied getting up to give the man another cigarette then sat back down.

" Why do you want the job?" Asked the man on a serious note

" Is this an interview now? I didn't bring my cover letter" he cut him off as he patted his jacket as if looking for something.

The man used the butt of the dying cigarette to light the other one and continued " just a bit curious to be honest, from wanting and having it all to leaving all behind and even potentially surrendering eternity. You're that bored huh?"

" Call it what you will. This is what I want now." He said

The man laughed again " that's not how this works… I don't really care what you want, I just care what I want, and right now I'm not too convinced"

" See, I started to understand how the mirror worked. Wanting it all and all that. It reflects my " it all" I can only assume it will reflect yours" he said lighting another cigarette.

There was a long silence when an old truck passed by. The driver looked at him sitting on the ground and shook his head mumbling something about crazy people smoking dope.

The man standing beside him looked at the truck as it drove away, " and you want to give " it all" to a crossroads devil…" there was another long pause " and take his job as a trade"

" yeah, I mean how bad can it be, with a quick estimate of ' the grass is greener on the other side' you probably want a family and some kids or something like that" he said

The man laughed

" Isn't hell full of sex drugs and rock and roll?" He kept going

The man went serious for a second " is full of hope"

There was another long pause as the loud music of another car blasted through the closed windows.

" Guess it'll feel like home then " he pulled another cigarette out of his jacket and still sitting he extended his hand toward the man.

The man took it and then the lighter.

" Is power then isn't it?" Asked the man

" is purpose." He replied

The man started to laugh again " and… you want your purpose to be. To fuck people over?" Asked the man laughing still

He looked up, closing one eye from the smoke of the cigarette and then asked " is that what you do?"

The man looked at him with a smirk " fair enough. I'm just a humble servant who makes wishes come true" said the man taking a bow.

" There you go, sounds to me like a pretty sweet gig," he said standing up, cleaning off his pants.

" And you don't care at all to know where the door is? " asked the man pointing with the hand he held the cigarette in.

" I'm guessing I'll be able to see it from your side, right?" He replied

The man smiled " maybe " he said putting th cigarette back on his lips

" Do we have a deal then?" He asked

" Let me think about it, we will review your resume and cover letter and contact you for a second interview," said the man exaggerating every gesture

The man started to walk away.

" That sounds about right, can't trust the devil to set you free," he said, sitting back down on the ground.

The man took the cigarette butt and threw it at him from afar." Truth is: I love my job" The butt bounced off his head and hit the ground.

Without moving a muscle he stared at the distance as the ash from his cigarette fell on his jacket.

The man sat at the door, his legs hanging over the edge. The ash and smoke from the cigarette flew with the wind as he looked down.

Way over the clouds, where the earth starts to curve. A green wooden door with a diamond window is divided into four squares.

The man got up and shook a bit of ash from his jacket, turned around to the other side and stepped off the door.

Free falling standing straight his tie and hair went up with the wind as he held the cigarette with his lips.

The man took a step forward, breaking the fall. He landed on a freshly mowed patch of green grass.

Tickets flew all over. All sorts of tickets, the man grabbed one that flew in front of him and read it.

The man laughed " he would've loved this" and lit it on fire. He kept walking and moved past a circle of many of them that the wind picked up and was moving.

The man exhaled the smoke and laughed again. Crossing the street into a side of burnt cars and broken windows, the angry mob moved together chanting holding torches and bats and signs.

" Good to see some traditions never die," said the man pointing with the cigarette in his hand and putting it back in his mouth. "keep it up every one ' fuck that dude' 'fuck that dude' " he chanted with the crowd.

As the man walked smiling past tickets flying doing his own version of 'singing in the rain' on light posts as he kept grabbing tickets and burning them.

" fuck he would've loved that too," said the man smiling ear to ear. He looked back at the mirror and waved " did you see that?!" Said the man " you would've loved that!"

" Ah there it is!" Said the man and pointed at a hotel in the middle of the street "let's put you somewhere"

The man started moving the hotel towards the mirror, forcibly pushing it.

Carefully as he got closer he pushed the door right up to the mirror. The door pushed through without breaking it.

The man jumped up to the door and went to the other side to see how it turned out.

"perfect," said the man

The man showed up one day as he took a walk. " What if I give you the door?" Said the man

" Alright then, no cigarette today?" He replied

" light one up will you?" Said the man

" can't I quit, don't have any on me" he said

The man looked tense for a second anger rising, the man stopped himself and fixed his hair.

" Alright then, I was just trying to be nice. It'll be quick" the man smile " so the door…have you found it? "

" the door, the mirror, this side or the other. What's the difference man? Fuck you make me want to smoke" he replied

The man's smile grew larger " can't stick to that either can you? See I've been watching you, and I got to say even for me. It might have been too much." Said the man smiling

" tell you what, I'll give it to you but not for free" the man continued

" fine dude, shut the fuck up and have a cigarette" he pulled up an fresh pack and pushed one out I offer it.

The man's eyes lit up as he took it and started to light it.

" ah, much better," said the man " you're really done aren't you?"

" I said shut up" he replied

" damn... No need to get aggressive " said the man smoking him

" what a shame… it was yours… and the door is yours… are you going to let fear win? Don't you want something else?

What happened to the man in the car that wanted it all? I've seen what's on the other side, don't you want it?" Said the man

He stopped walking and watched the man go on his own until the man noticed he had stopped.

The man turned around and asked, "what?"

" don't you have demon shit to do?" He said holding the pack tighter containing the urge to smoke

" lunch break…" said the man smiling

" Where's the door?" he said, sitting on a patch of grass and lighting two cigarettes and passing one to the man.

" That's what I'm fucking talking about!!" Said the man excitedly crouching beside him.

" the door was always in here" said the man pointing at his heart with the hand he held the cigarette. After the man got no reaction he continued " Nah I'm fucking with you"

" right, so… the door" he insisted

" Well, what's in it for me?" Asked the man

" What can I give you? Except for a pack," he replied

" See, people think we trade in souls, but we actually trade in reputation, so we have to dance the dance and play the game." Said the man

" I don't see where I come in," he said

The man smiled " is worth a lot more here on earth, reputation than a soul. It trades on the highest levels up here. Smoke and mirrors" said the man

He felt the warmth of the cigarette starting to get closer to his fingers as he let the thought sink in.

" outrage and holiness and the rise of one and fall of the other. We buy low and sell high" the man took a cigarette being offered and continued

" The puritanical baseline of society makes it fun, the holy green and the monster red up and down in candles lit by worshiping masses. We study them…"

" still don't see where I come in" he interrupted

The man smiled " you my friend have been more fun than bitcoin a couple of years ago, and I want to repay you and sell at the highest that you can possibly be. We’ll marry you to a nice girl who has seen the worst and best of you and accepts you how you are.

Way above your league by the way, but who isn’t am I right?” said the man chuckling “ and then you’ll have it all. Everything that is waiting for you on the other side. The hope of the incels, the story of the reinvention of a sad broken man.

They will eat it all like it's ice cream after a breakup. It’s all theatre anyways, all that matters is the interpretation of the louder voice and that is truth.

So… I'll give you the door. What do you say?"