The Monster Inside

The mirror showed a reflection that wasn't my own. I have only lived here a few months, but from the moment I moved in, I've felt like something is off. Like my reflection, the uneasy feeling is intangible and yet somehow impossible to deny.

The walls seem to whisper at night, but I can no longer fool myself with the obvious excuse of the walls being thin. The whisper seems to be inside the walls rather than on the other side of it.

I often feel like I'm being watched. The shadowy corners of each room often catch my peripheral vision, but when I jolt my head quickly in that direction...nothing.

And are my neighbors watching me? When I enter the hallway of my apartment, it seems other residents are looking my direction as they quickly jiggle their keys to get safely into their apartment. I wish the brunette next door didn't seem so afraid of me because I'd love to just know her name.

When looking out my third story window below, I seem to catch people looking up in my direction before quickly looking away. Even the dogs seemed to bark aggressively as their owners yanked on their leashes to pull them away.

Despite the oddities, I try to go about the normal business of my everyday life. I was thankful when I stumbled upon an antique mirror at a local thrift store. It was a beautiful piece, with ornate carvings around the edges and a large, oval shaped mirror in the center. I thought it would be perfect for the bedroom and set it up in the center of the wall, in alignment with the foot of my bed. I planned to use this mirror primarily, instead of the bathroom mirror because I couldn't shake the feeling that the reflection was not my own.

At first, the mirror seemed like a blessing. It made the room look brighter and more inviting. However, one morning when I awoke, I sat up and looked into the mirror. Strange. This mirror also seems to hold a different version of my own reflection. How are all the mirrors reflecting a false image?

The other self had a sinister look in his eyes and a cruel smirk on his lips. Maybe this is what I look like. Is this what other people are seeing? Could this be why it feels like people are watching me, but also seem nervous to be anywhere near me?

The next morning, the other self again stared back at me. This time, he beckoned to me, gesturing to come closer. I did not move my hands, but my reflection definitely did. My body had all the physiological responses of anxiety: sweaty palms, shaky breathing, the sudden onset of a headache forming behind my eyes, and an undeniable sense of worry.

Despite this, I could not find it within myself to run away. As though in a captivated trance, I moved closer to the other me. When I got closer, I could see that the other self was standing in an unfamiliar room. I looked away from the mirror, back at my room, and then back into the mirror. The walls in the reflection were a sickly pale gray color with what appeared to be dried blood stains and the furniture was covered in cobwebs and dust. It was a sinister and oppressive atmosphere. I stopped looking at the backdrop and locked eyes with my reflection. I resolved to smile my warmest smile and my other self, matched me. Before I could sigh in relief, my reflection's face changed, the friendly smile becoming a more disturbed grin. It's chin dropped down, the eyes narrowed and stayed locked on mine. The wrinkles in the corner of the eyes faded and the grin seemed more like clenched teeth than a smile. From warmth to cold in a moment.

As I stared at the other self, he suddenly looked to the left. Then, a knock on the door startled me and I hurried out of my room. I opened the door, but no one was there. I poked my head out and scanned the corridor in both directions. Nothing.

I closed the door, pressing my back firmly against it as I sank down to a sitting position and scanned the interior of my home.

What is happening to me?

I felt dread. Somehow, I felt entirely alone, abandoned to be by myself, and yet not alone at all...someone or something seemed to be in this apartment with me.

I wanted to run into my bedroom to remove the mirror, but I was too scared to face my own eerie reflection. I pulled a blanket from the ottoman and curled up on my couch. I was too scared to look into the mirror again and tried to forget about what I had seen.

I did not realize I fell asleep until a nightmare startled me awake. In this terrifying dream, my mirror-reflected self hovered above me while I lay frozen on the couch...the evil expression peering into my soul. I was staring up in horror as it descended lower and lower. Once fear had reached it's pinnacle, the other self whispered, "we are one." It then repeated itself faster and faster as it lowered itself towards me.

"We are one, we are one, we are one, we are one..."

I rolled off the couch to avoid this unwanted union, and my collision with the floor is what woke me.

In the coming months, I started to notice small changes in my own world. The ominous feeling I had while in my apartment, made it difficult for me to find motivation for cleaning. The walls, which looked so bright when I first bought the mirror, now seemed faded. Cobwebs had formed in the upper corners of the room and even on the furniture. Dust had settled on the surface of all of my items.

However, despite all this, it was the neighbors that bothered me most. I felt anger and resentment rising within. I mean, what's their problem?! They seemed to stare more and more and I became increasingly frustrated that the cute girl next door seemed to despise me so much. She doesn't even know me! As my attitude drifted into overwhelming negativity, a dark energy seemed to flood the room.

I turned quickly to the mirror and saw my other self staring intently back at me with it's same horrifying look. The other self was taking over my world and somehow, I had not noticed until now.

With my eyes locked on my reflection, the headache returned with a vengeance. I grabbed the sides of my head with both hands and yelled in pain before blacking out.

When I came to, my vision was blurry. I rose to my feet, staring at my walls, noticing some stains I had not seen before. As I rubbed my eyes to refocus, I realized the stains appeared to be dried blood. I was suddenly reminded of the reflection I had seen before.

The room reflected behind my other self had actually been the room I was standing in now. The term "self-fulfilling prophecy" came to mind. Fear sent a chill up my spine as I stared at the walls. I walked backwards, not sure if it was to broaden my perspective and take in a fuller view or because of some inability to turn away from the horror.

After a couple of slow, entranced backwards steps, an object in the floor caused me to stumble backwards. As I hit the ground, I felt a small splash and noticed a warm liquid on my hands as I tried to clamor back to my feet. My eyes closed as if to avoid taking anymore visual clues of my surroundings.

I took a deep breath, opened my eyes, and looked down slowly. My eyes widened with dread. The beautiful brunette next door lay in a pool of her own blood beneath me.

"She no longer looks so beautiful." I thought with a harsh tone that clearly stemmed from my bitterness.

I'm surprised by my indifference at this tragedy.

Desperate to cling to the good within me, I grabbed for the hammer I noticed on the ground. It was covered in blood and the blunt part was entangled in my neighbor's blood-soaked hair. Tears filled my eyes as I yanked it from hair and looked toward the mirror. My reflection looked at me with a sly smile like "WE" had accomplished something great.

In an effort to resist union with this dark, other self, I yell as I throw the hammer directly at the mirror. It smashes into satisfyingly tiny pieces. With both fists clenched, I walk over to examine the damage and look down at the shattered glass. Every piece lying upright and still large enough to bare my reflection displayed the grim other self I was trying to resist.

Then, as I locked eyes with the evil reflection of myself, each whispered in near unison...

"We are one..."