I used to hate the reflection in my bedroom mirror.

I wanted to be loved, but I’d always failed.

Until I learned to see past the face.

From that day on, my life changed.

Other’s opinions no longer meant anything.

I’d found a true love.

And she was beautiful.

Nobody else mattered.

Only her.

Me.

This piece is based on What If? Exercise 93: “Ten to One”. The exercise is to write a 55-word story in which the first sentence has ten words, the second has nine, etc., until the last sentence has only one word. The objective is to show that precision and thrift in writing can produce surprisingly powerful results. I hope you enjoy what I’ve written. Thanks for reading!