I'll be Seeing You:

The mirror showed a reflection that wasn’t my own, yet I could not forsake the resemblance between the woman’s gaze and the emptiness of my own. She held the shard of glass like a serrated kitchen knife. The woman kept looking over her shoulder.

I felt a tightening in my chest, a sting as I grasped my neck, gasping for breath. I could not mouth for help. My warm breath was chilled, and the mirror cracked before my eyes, her eerie voice spoke, “seven years, no one will protect you then….”

Shardae wiped away the humidity from the mirror and the woman was gone. The only reflection was of hers. The slow drip, drip, caused her to jump. She towels dried her natural hair and went to bed with the warning haunting her dreams.

Ever since the events of that night. Shardae developed a fear of reflections. Over the years, she had her heart broken repeatedly by short-term romances. The flings left her feeling broken inside. "It must be something wrong with me, bad luck in love."

She reflected on the failed relationships, "I can't believe I missed the red flags" When he picked up Shardae for their date, he was late. His hair was gelled back, but he was anything but slick. In the reflective surface of the red Camry passenger door, staring back at her was the ghastly woman from the bathroom mirror.

After dinner, he pulled up to her drive but peeled out of the driveway and didn't see if Shardae made it inside. Shardae threw her clutch on the couch and threw her head back unsatisfied. As she went to the bathroom, she began to remove her makeup. The cleanser liquid saturated the sponge as she scrubbed and rubbed away the glitter on her eyelids, and the concealer from her cheekbones. If she had opened her eyes briefly. The horrific sight she would have witnessed. Shardae was unknowingly she was smearing her face with blood. As she let the faucet run, and warshed the red staining down the sink. She patted her face dry darting quickly into the reflection.

The woman with the shard in her hand reappeared but this time, instead of looking over her shoulder, she was looking over a cream-colored sofa. Breathing heavily, she wiped her nose on the back of her arm. The broken shard she never dropped. In the reverse image laid her date, lifeless, with lascerations covering his chest and forearms. Shardae leaned in closer, in disbelief.

The ghastly hollowed woman made direct eye contact. In a raspy whisper, she resaid, “seven years, no one will protect you then..."

"No!!" she hollered back, and shut her eyes tightly, from her nostrils oozed blood. She tore a piece of toilet paper and waited for the nosebleed to stop.

As she stepped out of the bathroom, she heard Alexa play, a distorted version of "I'll be seeing you!" By Billie Holiday.

She turned on the late -night news, and sure enough, a reporter announces this breaking news story, A local surgeon is found dead in his own living room. Several cuts from a hall mirror and broken glasses were found scattered around the home. It is unclear who the assailiants identity is. We just hope the killer is found soon, please those in the area lock doors. The mirror masochist is still at large.

Devastated that Shardae had known the victim. Her anxiety grew and she took a break from dating for a few years.

As years passed, she was in the middle of a proctored college exam. When a cocky student showed up half an hour late. Polished name-brand shades hung off the bridge of his nose. He found a seat next to Shardae, " Aye, sweet cheeks, what I miss?"

She just shrugged him off and continued to focus on the essay portion of the exam.

She went to the college cafe and ordered a tropical smoothie, the cashier was the cocky student from earlier and Shardae had a look of surprise on her face.

" Aye sweet cheeks, you wanna grab dinner with me sometime?" He boldly asked her out.

" Sure thing," she agreed half-heartedly. As he swiped her card and she slurped down the refreshing beverage.

In the weeks to follow mr. cocky had shown up on time. Just so that he could be paired with her on every group assignment. Shardae found his persistence charming. That she had soon forgotten the dating incident prior.

A few months into the situationship Mr. Cocky met her out at the bar for karaoke. On the dance floor hung several floor -length mirrors opposite ends from the pub tables. Again the haggard woman held the shard in her hand pacing back and forth. But Shardae's nerves were too high to notice the mirrors at first glance. As she belted an oldie from P.A. Speakers.

The night ended light-heartedly and Mr. Cocky turned off the ignition insisting on walking her to the door. The passion in their kiss leads Shardae to invite him in. He set his shades on the entry table. In the tint of the reflection, the woman stared deviously at the two of them.

She woke with the urgency to pee, as he lay passed out in her bed. One leg poking out of the covers. Drowsily as she relieved herself, and as she washed her hands, she got a chill. She looked up, and the strange eerie voice spoke, “seven years, no one will protect you then….”

As she gazed deeply into the mirror, she saw Mr. Cocky looking into the rearview mirror, as a grin spread across her face. Shardae saw him merge into a lane. gravel flung as the wind shield began to crraack.

"Objects in the mirror, are closer than they appear," she heard the eerie woman profess.

Shardae shook her head in disbelief and go lay back down. By the time she had woken up, there on the side table lay a note:

Aye, sweet cheeks, you looked so peaceful, didn't want to wake you, see ya in class!

Shardae had a sinking feeling that she would never hear from him again. When she made it to the lecture hall, all her classmates were looking sullen. "Did you hear about Shardae partner?" the gossip was so loud; it could have echoed.

Apparently on his way to class, a mirror from a moving truck fell out. The mirror lodged itself through the windshield. There were shards of mirrrored glass embedded in his face.

Distraught Shardae asked to be excused and headed to the bathroom. Where she proceeded to pace back and forth, breaking out in hives. She tired to catch her breath but came up short. This isn't happening! I just, I can't, he's not---

Months seemed to blur together as she reached her graduation day. She painted her nails a mirrored chrome to match her school colors. Shardae had lost all interest in dating. Assuming herself must be bad luck all in all felt unreal sensation. The night of graduation came, and as she sat in the college auditorium. While she sat nervously chewing her fingernails. She didn't examine the sores she was creating by her anxious habit. However, in the reflection of her polish, the hollowed womans silhouette waited shard in hand.