If You Only Knew

Samantha awoke with the sun shining in her face. She yawned, stretching her arms above her head. She started to run her fingers through her hair, but was unable. Her fingers became tangled in short, tight curls. Samantha gasped and sat straight up.

What in the world . Her heart pounded with fear. What happened to my beautiful hair?

Her eyes flew open. She stared at the new surroundings. Pink wallpaper with little white roses covered the walls. A frilly, white-lace curtain hung on the enormous bay window. The room was filled with heavy, wooden antique furniture. Expensive porcelain dolls were neatly placed on the oak shelves covering one wall.

"Where am I?" uttered Samantha.

She got out of bed and looked around the room. Where am I? She turned her head toward a full-length mirror and gasped at the reflection. It was a stranger that stared back at her. The figure in the mirror was a very fat girl with pale green eyes, short, curly red hair, fair skin, and a face covered with freckles. Her eyes grew wide with recognition. Virginia Morris! What's going on here? Why am I seeing Virginia and not myself?

Terry Austin Rabey is a registered nurse who lives in Paragould, Arkansas, with her husband and children. If You Only Knew is her second young adult novel.