The mirror was dirty. A thin layer of dust settled against the surface, covering the features of my face. I stared, soulless into the reflection that depicted only a distance image, lacking any significant details or distinctions. I looked vacantly at the reflection of someone who spoke behind me, a friend perhaps, maybe a person who I recently met. Fixed at a reflection now full of movement and distant shapes, I began to smother a deep maroon lipstick against my blush lips. The texture of the lipstick was smooth, as it left a trail, a dry matted streak as a result. I swiftly waved my hand, greeting the surface of the mirror with the gentle tips of my fingers. I stroked back and forth, removing the layer of particles on the smooth surface that coated a clear projection of my dainty brown eyes.

There I stood, in the middle of it all. An epiphany. Surrounded by an environment full of excitement and thrill, was nothing but a projection, a lie.

There I stood, hoping for something more this whole time. Parties and social events I went to were nothing but making myself happy through a high, a short circuit that would only last for a moment.

Is this true happiness, or something I was set up for, a happiness that people have created for me?

What exactly are we all looking for?

We live lusting in the same universally accepted ideals of happiness, a gust of particles that has settled on the surface of each of our reflections. We lust over being a part of something. I play a role in the game, which was designed to have the same universal ending. We have become all the same- an image, a form without distinctions, lacking differences that set us apart.

Have we lost all sight of who we truly are?

Within a moment the room began to empty as the multitude of people began to leave to a new destination. Perhaps my friends had finally made up the plan, found a social affair or event to attend.

I stayed back, locked in my own gaze.

The image depicted within the mirror began to change, reflecting the rooms emptiness behind me.

All that was left to show was my dainty brown eyes staring at the image of a stranger.