Ageless Eyes

The shop front was made of shiny, spotless glass and if it weren’t for the long, pearly white door handle in the centre, you wouldn’t have known it was even there.

Jennifer stood the other side of the glass, her long, black coat whipping in the wind. She hardly noticed it though, too focused on the long marble shelves inside. The hourglass bottles were lined like tin soldiers, each level differing slightly in size, but all were made with the same diamond-like material. The Triple S logo was at the bottom of the bottle and the words ‘Formula Y’ written in sleek, shimmering, sliver letters across the middle. Each crystal top varied in colour, dependant on which Formula they were.

There was a large display directly in front of Jennifer. The purple tops of the minus 20 Formula gleaming on the tiers of the stand. Though the stand was solid it was crafted so carefully, it looked like white lace, woven together in delicate circular patterns.

The sparkling bottles caught the light, throwing pretty, dancing rainbows across the ceiling inside. She touched the glass with a gentle finger, tracing downwards, longingly.

She often walked this way, even though it took her longer to get back, but she couldn’t help herself. She’d seen the effects of the Formula. It was like magic. And it was silly, but she thought if she walked by often enough, then perhaps one day she’d look in her purse and realise she could afford a bottle. Just one bottle. That was all she wanted. She undid her purse, the clasps clicking as they broke apart. Not yet. 

She stepped back. She must look ridiculous, like a child at a candy store. She smiled to herself. She was like a child at a candy store.

Her eyes refocused and a pair of bright blue eyes looked back her. They were the same eyes that had always stared back and for a moment, the wrinkles disappeared, the dark, heavy bags vanished and her willowy, clear skin was fresh and taunt against her cheekbones. It was the face that had looked at her all those years ago. The face she longed to have look at her again. And then it was gone. But the eyes remained, still as blue and as young as they always had been.