Robert's Mirror, Chapter 7, by J.M. Stevenson, www.jeannesbottle.com

The heavy steam layered about the outer portion of glass began to dissipate. I could hear voices about me, a woman's voice, her tone hoarse. There were children with her, one of the children seemed older using larger words as she spoke, such as actually and incredible. The other voice was interesting in the fact that the child attempted to use larger words, but the exact pronunciation was lacking.

Shadows were cast about me from circular lights. The lights were not fixtures at the ceiling, but round balls dangling from some sort of metallic arm connected at both sides of the mirror.

I could feel a hint of air flow from a fan above, as my surroundings began to clear, the lavatory shifted into focus. I was the center of a bathroom set. Bold red and blue striped wallpaper lined the enormous bathroom. Dual hooks stood on the wall opposite with wooden name plates nailed above oversized cloth towels.

One plaque read Preston, the other Genevieve. The tub was shiny, with four matching claw feet elevating the base. An enormous shower head the size of a dinner plate hung from a curved pipe over the tub. A curtain with crimson material was tied back on a lasso shaped rod surrounding the tub. The contraption three feet from the ceiling appeared asymmetrical.

A boy entered the room at a brisk pace. He was young, probably three or four with intense blue eyes and rosy cheeks. His fine hair was cut in bangs above his eyebrows. As he sprinted, his hair shifted, but once he stopped, it all fell back into order as if it were pre-programmed to replace itself in unison.

The boy opened the cabinet and began gazing at the various cleaners on the shelf above. His expression hinted at malice as he began to climb the shelves to reach his target of mischief.

"Preston? Where did you disappear to?" The hoarse mother asked from the other room.

"I'm in the bathroom Mommy. I have to go potty!" He said with emphasis, making his mission seem urgent.

"Well make it quick. You might get into trouble if you're in there by yourself for too long." She said, obviously speaking from experience.

Preston with great coordination began to descend the shelves. He was careful once he hit bottom not to make any noise and held the door firm avoiding squeaks when he slid it closed.

"Preston? I don't hear anything in there happening." The mother announced as Preston hurried across the floor and lifted the toilet seat. He rolled his eyes in a show of defiance as he flushed the basin without use.

"I'm done mommy." He said, running to the sink and turning on the water full throttle.

As he hurried from the room his mother asked, "Did you wash your hands?"

"Yes mommy." He said as his feet embedded a wet trail away.

Around evening, a young preteen girl entered the bathroom. She paused momentarily in front of the mirror, pulling her fingertips to a red blemish on her forehead. "Zits." She said with a disapproving tone.

The girl's eyes scanned her face and it was a handsome face that was sure to be a heartbreaker to many young men in the near future. She opened her mouth and poked at some food that had become wedged between her perfectly aligned front teeth.

A moment later, her hand grasped the edge of the mirror and I was tilted away. My view was now through a second story window. A fine lawn surrounded a long, twisting driveway. An ornate gate was positioned at the end. The iron gate was kept open and I guessed it was more for decoration than for function.

The girl swung the mirror closed and gazed with disapproval at the toothbrush within her grip.

"MOM!" She screamed. "Preston's been using my toothbrush again!"
"Preston?" The mother scolded. "Did you take Genevieve's toothbrush?"

"I needed to brush my Ernie doll's hair... his hair was so messy. I put her toothbrush back when I was done." Preston said with sincerity.

"There's black fibers all over it!" Genevieve exclaimed.

"Oh for Pete's Sake." The mother snapped as she swung inside the bathroom and pulled the mirror open once again.

"Take a new toothbrush!" The mother handed the girl a package then headed out the door. Preston scurried into the room and his sister tugged his hair from the backside of his head.

"Stop taking my things or else your toys will soon disappear...one by one they'll just vanish... you get my meaning?" Genevieve said in a tone just above a whisper.

"Mommy!" Preston said scampering from the bathroom.

"What a brat!" Genevieve muttered under her breath.

The house fell silent from sunset until morning when a slight racket became audible from the floor below. The aroma of fresh bacon wafted up to the bathroom. It was under these conditions that being around the humans was most difficult. Good food was a simple pleasure that I had always enjoyed and now in the after world, food was not at all necessary.

Genevieve appeared first, her face puffy from a full night of rest. I shielded my eyes as she used the facilities. This wasn't the first bathroom I was forced to take residence in. The other time I was held up at Midway Airport in Chicago in the entryway to the men's room. That was not a pleasant assignment and I was grateful that once my wish was given, the teleport immediately followed.

Preston hurried into the bathroom next and everything about the boy was in hyper-drive. It was as if he were a toy whose spring was wound up six twists too tight.

He hopped from the toilet and continued with his kangaroo imitation as he headed to the sink. There was nothing neat in the way he splashed water about cleansing his tiny fingers. A moment later, he threw the stopper in the sink adding liquid soap to the concoction. Bubbles rose inches above the rim and he slapped his hand down onto the growing mixture. Water combined with lather rose upwards waving over the outer edges of the sink and onto the floor. Preston released a splashing sound imitating a waterfall then a gleeful chuckle.

"Preston?" His mother called from somewhere down the hallway. Preston's eyes widened as he darted from the bathroom, not bothering to turn off the water.

A moment later, his mother entered the room. Her face reflected exhaustion as if this was the incident that might end up breaking her.

"Preston! You come back in here this instant and clean up this mess!"

There was silence all around.

"Preston, do you hear me?"

"He's outside." Genevieve responded appearing at the door dressed in snug denims and a neon green t-shirt.

"Oh your brother!" The mother complained opening the closet and grabbing a towel from the hamper. "You care to help me with this?" She asked her daughter.

"I would mom, but Cassandra's mother is picking me up in ten minutes for the mall. I'm ready to go and I wouldn't want to get dirty."

"Thanks a lot." The mother said under her breath.

Preston's mother had just completed wiping up, when a large bang shook the house.

"Oh, now what?" She asked darting from the bathroom.

Several bangs thudded, one after the other in a slow patter of noise.

Preston's mother began to shout and I assumed she was speaking through a window on the other side of the house.

"You knock that off immediately! Put the basketball away and stop throwing it onto the roof."

"Oh mom." Preston whined from outside.

"You get in the house and change from your pajama's...your cousin will be here any minute. I'm baby sitting her today so your Aunt Trudy can get her hair colored. I want you to come inside, NOW!"

"Preston! Do you hear me?"

"Oh for goodness sake." The mother grumbled as she hurried down the hall and out of view.

Ten minutes later, Preston appeared, his mother trailing him, her arms crossed in a show of defiance. The mother's face reflected impatience as they headed for his room.

Every detail regarding his clothing for the day was a battle. The mother tried to allow him simple choices in everything he wore.

"Would you care to wear the red shorts or the blue?"

"...the gray character shirt or the sleeveless muscle shirt?"

"I want to wear my green outfit today." He said in a brassy tone of argument.

"No. That's your good outfit. WE need that kept nice for Daddy's company picnic on Saturday."

"Daddy is a poo-poo head and I don't want to go to a poo-poo picnic!" Preston said in a snotty voice.

"Preston Michael!" The mother snapped in a scolding tone.

"Picnics are for poo-poo heads!"

"That's enough." The mother grumbled.

"Here, put this on."

"I don't want to wear the blue shorts, I want to wear the green!"

"Preston, no.. wear the blue!"

Just then the front doorbell chimed. I heard the mother sigh a loud exhale as she stomped down the hallway and out of sight.

Voices trickled through from below and a set of hurried footsteps became audible as another child darted past the bathroom towards Preston's room.

"Preston!" The girl exclaimed.

"Suzy Q!" He responded as both children began to giggle.

A moment later, the dual set of troublemakers entered the bathroom and closed the door behind. Preston was wearing his green shorts without a shirt.

"Hey Suzy... ya know what I can do?" Preston asked stepping onto the toilet.

"What's that Preston?"

"This window.....look!" The boy said sliding it up.

The girl wedged her way onto the toilet next to her cousin. Her eyes were wide with excitement as they both peered out the window that was missing a screen.

"This is cool. What can we toss down there?" She asked.

"I know!" Preston said hopping from the toilet and hurrying to the cabinet.

The boy grabbed a four pack of toilet paper then returned to position.

"Hold this!" Preston demanded placing the end of one roll into Suzy's hand.

"Look, there goes my mommy!" Suzy said with amusement.

"Let's wait a minute so that she doesn't see us."

"Okay."

Both children began to giggle in anticipation.

"Hello!" I said trying to get their attention.

"I really don't think you should be playing in that window like that. You might fall out....pl-please step down and close it up!"

"Ready?" The boy said not hearing me.

"Yep."

"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.......BLAST OFF!"

With that, the roll slid from the boy's hand and both children laughed hysterically.

"Look at that thing go!"

"All the way to the street!"

More laughter filled the air.

"How about we launch two at a time?" Preston suggested.

"Let's see whose can go the furthest." Suzy challenged.

"Okay!"

"Ready, one...two...three."

"Woo-who!"

"Hey, mine got stuck!" Preston whined.

"I win! I win!" Suzy taunted.

"It's not over yet!" Preston said heaving himself onto the window ledge.

"Preston! Ya need to get down. We're a long way up."

"So? Don't be such a baby!"

The next moment, Preston was reaching down outside the window and it seemed impossible what he was trying to accomplish. I felt nervous since someone his age was typically not that coordinated.

"Aagh!" He screamed as his foot curled around the ledge of the window, the only barrier between him and the pavement below. His cousin Suzy fought to hold onto his foot.

"AUNT Linda! AUNT LINDA!" Suzy screamed with a burst of panic.

A moment later, Preston's mother rushed into the bathroom.

"OH my goodness!" Linda hollered.

Just as she was three inches from grabbing Preston's foot, it wriggled out from Suzy's grasp.

Both Linda and Suzy screamed in unison.

"DEAR GOD NO!" The mother shouted.

At lightning speed, I dove from the mirror and out the window. In an instant I stood below with my arms extended. A second later Preston was within my grip. It was a solid catch, one that any man would have been proud of. Keeping the boy dangling in the face first position, I began to float upwards to the window. Linda and the girl watched with disbelief as I handed Preston in through the frame to his mother.

"I flew mommy and it was fun!"

"Oh Preston." The mother managed clearly upset and confused.

I was last to slide inside the room. Linda sat on the floor, her child within her embrace rocking him.

"Oh my boy, what am I going to do with you? Everyday it's something new. I really wish you'd calm down and grow out of this destructive phase. I'm scared for you Preston...really, really scared."

I cleared my throat and three sets of eyes gazed at me.

"If that's what you wish ma'am." I announced.

"Look it's a fairy!" Preston projected with excitement.

"Nope, not even close boy... I'm a genie."

I stepped forward and placed my hand onto his forehead. My hand started to tremble as a wild energy from within him became apparent. There was something at odds, a flaw causing him to do daredevil things. I tapped in, gazing into his past actions and future intent. I realized he planned to drink some type of blue cleaner the day before, he had all ready tried to drive his father's car when no one was around, and he had stolen some matches from the baby sitter when she was out of the room. He had ideas, notions of unbelievable naughtiness.

With every ounce of energy I concentrated. Leave the personality the same... vacuum away the impulsiveness.... Somehow I realized it was the right thing to do. If left alone, Preston was sure to hurt himself or others.

Preston's eyes glazed over as if he had been overcome by a peaceful trance.

"Mommy?" He said a few minutes later.

"Mommy, I'm sorry for hanging out the window like that. I know I shouldn't have done it.... I get into trouble an awful lot and I don't know why I do that stuff...I promise to be better now."

"It's okay." The mother whispered brushing her lips to his forehead.

As I began to dissolve from that room, the mother mouthed the words thank you and I sensed her troubled days were in the past. Preston was not only carried back up and through the window, but through the persistent storm that had been clouding his judgment. Yes, sun filled days had finally rolled in and their lives would now be much better for it.