Writer's Cramp - 6/25 - 995 Words

Alien intervention causes an Earthling's ego to grow larger than intended.

          Aleksandra Abdel-Salem always felt she was special, a belief that seemed to esonate with the very air around her. Little did she know that her thoughts, like a magician's wand, had the power to reshape the very fabric of the universe. Each morning, as she gazed into the mirror, the world seemed to hush in reverence, the same air holding its breath in anticipation. The first hint of her extraordinary condition came when her office chair seemed to shrink, the armrests uncomfortably close. Yet, she was oblivious, her social media following swelling by the thousands, each one drawn to her magnetic persona, and she basked in their adoration.

         The planet's leaders scrambled to understand why the Earth was shrinking and what could be done to stop it. Scientists threw out theories like confetti, but none of them could explain why it was happening at such a consistent rate--a quarter of an inch every single day.

         One evening, as Aleksandra was about to bask in the glow of her ever-expanding ego, the TV screen flickered a news message from the stars. An alien race had been observing the peculiar events unfolding on Earth, and they had deduced that the planet's distress was tied directly to Aleksandra's insatiable need for attention. They offered hope: she could come with them to a planet made entirely of mirrors, where she could live out her days in a never-ending cycle of self-worship, or Earth would continue to shrink until it was no more than a marble in the vast cosmic pool.

         Aleksandra's heart raced with excitement. A planet of mirrors? The ultimate playground for her ego! She didn't even consider the fate of the Earth that had given her life. She gathered her most devoted followers, and they boarded the alien spacecraft without hesitation. The world watched as the ship soared into the sky, carrying with it the burden that had plagued them.

         Upon arrival, now Lord Aleksandra, stepped out of the spacecraft, and her jaw dropped. The planet's surface was indeed a gleaming mosaic of mirrors stretching in every direction. Her reflection was duplicated over and over again, creating a sea of her reflections. She felt like a god in the center of the universe. Her followers looked upon her with fear.

         The aliens led Lord Aleksandra to a grand hall of reflection. It was here that she would live, surrounded by the adoration of her image. The mirrors sang a symphony of her every move, amplifying her voice and echoing her every thought. She reveled in the power she had over the very fabric of existence, so she thought.

         As days turned into weeks, Lord Aleksandra's ego grew, demanding grand temples be built in her honor. Each reflection became a new subject to bask in her glory. Her followers, once eager to serve, now grew weary under the relentless gaze of their leader's multiplied vanity. They worked tirelessly, crafting structures that stretched into the sky, each one more magnificent than the last. Yet, as the planet grew to reflect only her, they could feel their own identities fading away, becoming mere shadows in Lord Aleksandra's reflection.

         One of Aleksandra's followers, a young woman named Jasmin, began to question the world they had created. She had once believed in Aleksandra's greatness, but now she saw the emptiness in her eyes. Jasmine whispered her concerns to the aliens, who had been watching from afar, and they shared a secret with Jasmine. The mirror planet was not a gift, but a prison designed to contain the very ego that threatened Earth's existence.

         Her flaws, once overlooked by the adoring gaze of her followers, were now stark and unavoidable. The mirrors reflected not only her physical form but also her soul, revealing the cracks in her confidence and the insecurity that lay beneath her veneer.

         Jasmine approached the alien leaders. "Your plan isn't working," she said, her voice shaking. "Her ego is consuming her and us with it." The aliens nodded solemnly, understanding the gravity of the situation. They had underestimated the depth of her self-absorption.

         They revealed to Jasmine an ancient device, a mirror that could show one's true self. It had the power to shatter the illusion of grandeur that had built around her. With trembling hands, Jasmine took the device and approached the grand hall. Aleksandra lost in her reflection, overlooked Jasmine until she held the mirror before her.

         Aleksandra looked into the surface and recoiled in horror. The image before her was not the godly figure she had come to expect but a beast consumed by her ego, her face contorted with greed and pride. The mirror showed not just her physical form but the monstrous shadow her vanity cast upon the world. Her heart sank as the truth dawned on her: she was the cause of Earth's suffering. Her followers gasped, their reflections morphing to reflect the fear and doubt that had taken root in their hearts.

         Aleksandra's world crumbled around her. The mirrors that once whispered sweet nothings of power and grandeur now screamed the reality of her self-centeredness. She fell to her knees; the weight of her ego was too much to bear.

         The mirror planet cracked the very ground beneath their feet, rumbling with anticipation. The aliens warned that the Earth would have to absorb the excess ego through the mirrors and restore balance. But as the light grew brighter, the tremors increased, and the air grew thin. Slowly, the shards of Aleksandra's ego reassembled into a new reflection, one that was smaller and ashamed.

         Earth, now free from the burden, began to regain its lost size. The news spread like wildfire across the globe: the planet was growing again, and the woman who had caused the destruction was gone. The people looked at the skies with a mix of relief and hope. Meanwhile, on the mirror planet, Aleksandra and her followers stood before the aliens, their heads bowed in humility. "What now?"

Words: 995