The Exchange

The mirror showed a reflection that wasn’t my own. He looked like me. He had my hair, my eyes, my nose. But It wasn't me. Whatever I saw in the mirror was not a reflection of me, Robert Hangard. At first I didn’t realise this though.

One Saturday night while getting ready to go out I heard a voice. Alone in the apartment and I wasn’t speaking and yet I heard a voice.

“You should wear the yellow shirt tonight”

I looked around at the radio but it was still in standby mode.

“The yellow shirt looks much better on you”

I glared at the walls, “Mr Harvey must have company tonight. I wish he wasn’t so deaf”

“Just try the Yellow shirt”

I’d had a long week, I was probably hearing the voices in my head out loud. So I tried the shirt on. I looked at myself in the mirror from different angles, a smile forming. I really did look good in this.

That was the moment we first met, although at the time I didn’t recognise it as such.

This continued for a few weeks. Little bits of advice, great advice. Coming from this mystery voice that I thought was in my head.

The lady who was attracted to me because of how I stood out from the crowd in that shirt. The promotion at work. The reduction in my rent. All of these things happened after I’d had what I thought was a great idea.

I was convinced my intuition was on fire at the moment. If I just followed the instructions from my little voice, life turned out wonderful for me.

Combing my hair after a shower one evening, I moved my head slightly to the right. My reflection was unmoving, still staring directly at me. I moved my head slowly to the left, my eyes locked on my reflection.

It didn’t move.

I peered a bit closer, frowning. The face staring back at me smiled a broad grin, one eye winking at me.

“Hi Robert”

My feet scrabbled for purchase on the rug as I shot backwards. My hands reaching behind me to break my fall.

I leaned back as far as I could into the bed behind me, trying to back further away.

“Hi Robert, my name is Jeremy. I’m sorry to shock you but I really didn’t know how to introduce myself properly. You’ve been listening to me for weeks now and I thought it time we were properly acquainted.”

“Hey ummmm Jeremy”

“You look a little startled Robert”

“You’re in my imagination aren’t you. My brain is making all this up.”

“No, not at all I’m as real as you are. I’m trapped in this mirror Robert and I need your help to get me out”

“Trapped in the mirror? Of course that’s a perfectly normal thing to happen”

“Sadly it’s true, I’ve been here for a very long time and I really would like to get out. I think you could help me.”

“Help You….”

“We need another person in order for me to cross over there has to be 2 people on the other side. why don’t you invite your lady friend over for dinner tonight.”

“OK, sure. We were talking about having dinner here one night”

———————————————————————————-

Dinner went great and then after a few glasses of wine we made our way to the bedroom. Laughing and joking with each other.

We lay on the bed kissing. From the mirror I could hear a faint music.

I kept drifting to blackness

I could see Sarah, then Black

What was happening. Had I eaten something bad.

The music continued.

Sarah

Black

I saw a knife was in my hand. Where had that come from

Black

The knife at her throat.

Black

A stain creeping over the sheets

Black

Black

Black

When I came round I was in front of the mirror and I could see Jeremy on the other side

“What the hell just happened”

“There had to be an exchange in order for me to get free”

I looked, he was still clearly in the mirror

“You failed you monster, you’re still on the other side of the mirror”

“Oh no Robert, I didn’t fail at all”

He got up and strolled away from the mirror and then I could see that he was now in my room.

The body on the bed

The bloodstained sheets.

I turned to look behind me, where was I?

“There had to be an exchange Robert. Thank you for your assistance…”