The Thing in My Mirror

by Logan Lynch

I sigh and shut my laptop, finally done with my homework. Turning to look at the small clock in the corner of my desk, I realize I’m too tired to be shocked.

4:03 AM

Another late night, another half-assed bunch of assignments that won’t matter by the end of next week. 

Just get through finals, and then you can go home, I remind myself. I wipe my eyes and get up, moving to my dresser to get my pajamas. I toss them on my bed while walking across the room to my closet, intending to grab my towel and shower shoes, but instead of doing so, I pause. Maybe it’s the lack of sleep, but I swear I hear something whispering my name. 

“Riley…Riley…”

I turn slowly, afraid I’ll see something behind me. My gaze catches on my mirror before I realize that it’s just my reflection. 

Until I look closer. 

Something about it is off. My reflection feels heavy, dark. Almost like it’s looking back at me—

What am I doing? Jesus Christ, I need to go to bed.

I turn to grab my towel and shower shoes again, but the whispering comes back, more urgent this time. 

“Riley…Riley!”

I freeze. What the hell is that?! It barely sounds human!

Slowly, I walk back to the mirror and stand in front of it. My eyes dance across the glass, looking, trying to find any error. Aside from looking visibly exhausted, my reflection is as it should be. I step back, taking one last glance, but the reflection doesn’t move with me. Confused, I rub my eyes and lean in closer, waiting for things to align again. 

This must be the exhaustion. It must be.

That’s when she smiles.

Horrified, I try to run but only fall on my back. When I look at the mirror again, she’s still there, smiling that awful smile. She puts her hands on either side of the mirror and leans down. Up close I can tell that her eyes aren’t just dark like mine, but they’re pitch black, and her pupils are too large. Her smile is wrong too. There are too many teeth and they’re too sharp, almost like some sort of lizard. 

The thing from my mirror starts to lean against the glass, pushing her head right against it. I’m frozen in place as the glass warps, rippling like waves as she crawls through on her hands and knees. Unfortunately, my dorm room is so small that once she gets both hands out, she’s nearly on top of me. A few more seconds, and she hovers over me so that we’re eye to eye. My heart beats so fast I pass out. 

When I wake up, she’s gone and I’m still in my room. I sit up slowly, taking in my surroundings. The room is hazy and my breath fogs in front of my face. Panicking, I get off the floor and realize not only that the arrangement of my room is now reversed, but also that everything is rotting. 

Remembering the thing that crawled out of my mirror, I run to it. I’m stopped in my tracks when I see her. She stands on the other side, waving at me and smiling. I pound my fists on the glass, wanting nothing more than to tear her apart. She laughs. 

“Let me out!” I scream at her. She just keeps laughing.

“Let me out! Let me out, please!” 

She turns away from me, grabbing my towel and shower shoes from my closet door. I keep pounding on glass hoping someone will hear. Mockingly, she turns and holds a figure up to her mouth, shushing me. I’m so shocked by her audacity that I actually stop. Tears well up in my eyes as she leaves the room. I try to think of a way out and remember how the glass warped when she pushed against it. Using all my weight, I lean into the glass, but it doesn’t give. I try again and again and again until that thing walks back into my room. Seeing me, she laughs yet again.

“Riley, just give up.” Her voice is disgusting. It sounds strained and airy like she hasn’t spoken in decades. “It’s my turn now. Plus, you’re tired. Don’t you want a break?”

I stare at her, unable to believe what’s happening.

“Oh dear, you just go to sleep now. I’ll wake you when I’m done.”

And just like that, everything goes black.