I felt the anger filling my bosom as I stared at the white-robed figure.  Her raven black hair flowed down to her waist and her white blue eyes flashed in silent laughter at my helpless state.  I could see her pulse, which beat like a stiletto.  She stood posed for anything.

I hopelessly stared at her.  “Please, just give me the key,” I said, begging her with my eyes.  Her blood-red lips curled back into a sneer as she deliberately shook her head, once, twice.

“No!  Don’t go,” I whispered as she turned and left as silently as she had come.  I was left alone in my prison of mirrors.  All four walls were pure mirror and I had no was to get out of it.  I crumpled into a heap as I silently remembered the last time I had been outside this prison.

It hadn’t always been like this.  I used to be a normal girl.  It all happened one day when I was thirteen.  I had gone with my friend to a party.  Most of the girls were older than us and we were the only thirteen year olds.

I was having a good time until an older girl ran into me.  “Who are you?” she asked angrily.  “You don’t belong here, ugly!”  I realized then that I was ugly.  Slowly, I found myself in this cage.

I looked at the reflection staring back at me.  My nose was too big and red.  My lips were colorless and reviled teeth that were crooked.  My long dull brown hair was un-brushed and messy.  My eyes looked too big in my thin, three-cornered face and made me look like an owl.

As I watched my reflection, it suddenly stood up.  My reflection laughed at me as suddenly, may face fattened out.  My cheeks received a healthy glow and my lips grew rosy.  My teeth strained out and flashed as I smiled as I flipped my shiny, cut hair over my shoulder.

My reflection waved and looked over it’s shoulder.  Suddenly, a dark-haired boy was there as well, talking to my reflection.  “No; please,” I moaned.  “Don’t leave me.  I’m all alone!”

My reflection looked back at me and shrugged, turned on heel, and left.  Slowly, my real reflection returned.  I felt my anger returning and I sprang to my feet.  I almost smashed the mirror but stopped as my reflection looked at me, pleading.  I couldn’t get passed myself.

I tried to feel the wall but the mirror was ice-cold.  I pulled my hand back quickly.  As I did, something that I learned in Sunday school returned to my mind.  The truth shall set you free.  I stopped.  What was the truth?  The truth wasn’t me.  I suddenly realized I had trapped myself.  I had made myself a stumbling block.  I must lay my all on the altar, which meant my looks, my actions, my freedom.

I turned and looked at my reflection for the last time.  I took a deep breath and put my back against one wall.  With a running start, I ran into the mirror.

*Smash*

I sat in a daze on my bedroom floor.  My vanity mirror was in shards all around me.  I felt confused and muddled.  It was that easy? I though as I heard footsteps in the hall.  My mother opened the door.

“Alaina,  are you all right?”

“Mama!” I jumped up and ran into my mother’s arms.  “I haven’t seen you in so long!”  Mom looked at me in astonishment.

She started sobbing and clasped me in her arms.  “Alaina!  I am so glad you are back.”

“Was I gone?”  I wanted to know if it was for real that I was gone, or just my imagination.

“Well, you weren’t yourself.  I am so glad you’re back.  We brought you to doctors and had people praying for you.  What happened?”

“I was imprisoning myself by worrying about how I looked.  Now I realize it doesn’t matter how I look on the outside, as long as I’m pretty on the inside.” I explained.

Mom looked at me in surprise, hugging me tighter.  “I’m just glad you’re back.  I missed you more than I can say.”

My whole family noticed the change in me.  Even the people I came in contact with; our church family, neighbors, and family friends.

A few days later, I was flipping through my Bible.  I came across Proverbs 31:30, James 1:11, and First Peter 3:4.  I found in those verses and many more that the Bible addressed every issue of beauty.

As I grew older, I worked with the elderly whose external beauty had faded.  Through them, I learned that beauty does indeed fade and charm is deceitful.  Without having the Holy Spirit in your life, you will be and become ugly.

One day, a friend came to me and asked,

“What is the secret of your beauty?”

I smiled before I replied,

“My secret is simple.  It costs nothing and will last your whole life.  It’s called faith; faith in a man who isn’t only a man.  He was both man and God.  His name is Jesus and he died for my sins.

“The Holy Spirit is now in my heart and life.  That is the secret to my beauty…and it can be yours as well.  Would you like me to tell you more?”