Contest winner of: That Old Jacket...

A gentle whisper entered Elizabeth's mind, although the second-hand store was almost vacant, and no one was nearby.

"Find me," the voice said.

Elizabeth started going through the nearby clothing rack, searching for one specific thing that she was aching to have in her arms. She was compelled to find it, there was no time for thinking, no space for wondering.

The further she went down the length of the rack, the louder the voice became. It was distinctly female and held a warmth that Elizabeth couldn't resist.

Before she knew it, her hands had grasped the soft material of a perfect jacket. It was exactly like the one she always wanted, black with beautiful, intricate designs. Thus, she hurriedly put it on wanting to make sure it was her size.

The jacket's warm embrace was more pleasant than Elizabeth had anticipated and for the first time in a while she felt the much-needed comfort, soothing her worries.

As she reached the mirror to see if it looked as good as it felt, a loud gasp escaped her lips.

Next to her stood a girl her age wearing the jacket, the same one Elizabeth was trying on.

When Elizabeth swiftly turned around, there was no one there, yet the image of the brown-haired girl was still smiling gently from the mirror. Without thinking, Elizabeth reached toward the mirror, and the girl did the same.

As their hands almost touched, an electrifying feeling went through Elizabeth's hand, and she quickly pulled it back.

"Who are you?" Elizabeth asked.

"I'm Imogen. That's my jacket you're wearing. I've been calling out to you." Imogen said.

"Are you a ghost?" Elizabeth asked.

"Don't be silly, ghosts aren't real," Imogen said, her brown eyes sparkling in merriment.

"Well, I am speaking to someone who is not here. What am I supposed to think?" Elizabeth asked.

"I am just an ordinary girl. Well, maybe not, but I am just like you." Imogen said knowingly.

"What do you mean by that?" Elizabeth asked, swallowing hard.

"I was seen as weird in my time since I didn't want to get married to a man," Imogen said.

Shock washed over Elizabeth's features. She couldn't help but wonder how this stranger could know more about her than people whom she knew for more than twenty years.

"Since I didn't want to be forced to marry someone I didn't love, I asked the village witch to contain my essence in my favorite jacket until the time came when someone could set me free into the physical world. Of course, I didn't expect to wait for such a long time." Imogen said with sadness in her eyes.

"I am sorry. Still, I don't understand. How can you speak just like me?" Elizabeth asked.

"I've been learning," Imogen said.

"You've been conscious all this time?" Elizabeth asked, feeling deep sorrow for the attractive girl.

After all, Elizabeth knew how it felt to be trapped. Though she could go where she wanted to, the expectations of other trapped her as her very nature contradicted what her family believed a girl should be like.

"Yes," Imogen said, a silent tear rolling down her cheek.

Elizabeth wished she could wipe away her tears, hug away all the pain that accumulated over the years of loneliness. However, there was no way to do so.

"How can I help you?" Elizabeth asked.

"I don't know. I shouldn't have trusted the witch. She just said: 'only when a true connection between two souls is made, your essence will be released and made corporeally again.'" Imogen said.

"Don't worry, we'll figure it out," Elizabeth said, putting her palm against the mirror.

Imogen mimicked the gesture, and they could almost feel their hands connecting as they smiled at each other.

"I am definitely buying the jacket now," Elizabeth said.

"Will I be able to see you in any mirror?" she added, worried that she might lose her new friend.

"The magic is in the jacket, so as long as you have the jacket on, you'll be able to see me in any mirror," Imogen said.

"Awesome," Elizabeth said.

Then she bought the jacket with an enormous smile on her face. After all, it was the best purchase she had ever made.

***

Over the next few months, Imogen and Elizabeth spent a lot of their time together, as much as Elizabeth's schedule allowed.

At first, they were discussing ways to break the spell. However, as time went on, they started talking about themselves, slowly getting to know each other.

Elizabeth even told Imogen about her fears of coming out to her family, and about the painful goodbye that had followed her first kiss. While Imogen told Elizabeth about the strict rules of the society long past where Imogen could never be who she was.

"I've never even kissed a girl," Imogen admitted one night when they stayed up late chatting.

"Never?" Elizabeth asked, angry at herself for taking for granted that she could do that, albeit in secret.

Elizabeth moved closer to the mirror without realizing what she was doing while Imogen mirrored her actions. Soon, all that separated their hungry lips was the surface of the mirror.

"I wish I could..." Elizabeth murmured.

Her words were cut off as her lips connected with the cold surface. Suddenly, a gentle warmth reached Elizabeth's lips as they gently connected with Imogen's. Her eyes snapped open, and she deepened the kiss, pulling Imogen in.

Soon enough, Elizabeth was able to thrust her hands into the mirror and pull Imogen out, into her body hugging her tightly.

"We did it," Elizabeth said, her lips inches away from Imogen's.

"You did it. A kiss brought me back to life. I should have known it was like a fairy tale." Imogen said, hugging Elizabeth fiercely.

"Thank you," Imogen whispered in Elizabeth's ear.

Next, she proceeded to kiss her knightess in shining armor with all the pent-up passion and gentleness she possessed.