The Shadow's Reflection

The mirror showed a reflection that wasn't my own. "Even when I tried to move from the shadow, the reflection grabbed me. Not physically, but almost...magnetically, or mentally, I am not sure. So, I opened the bedroom door and walked to the kitchen and tried to leave the thoughts behind about the mirror, about the death, about the consuming thought of what was happening in my own home, but I couldn't. I made coffee, and sat for about an hour downstair in the kitchen. That is when I decided what I would do."

"But, Julie called, and I knew if she had even a thought of the evil in that house, she would come over and try to protect me or us, or try to make it better, or make me leave. Which we know now, that would be impossible. So, I tried to distance myself from her and told her that I didn't love her and that it was over. I made up stories about why it wouldn't work. She lived two states away, so I never thought she would come to the house. But, she did. She did come to the house and that is how the end started."

When Julie showed up, the evil had already invaded my body, my soul, my mind. She had no idea," Theo stopped talking.

Melissa started to talk, but first took a breath. "What happened next Theo. Did she enter the property then?"

"She did. I was upstairs consumed with the mirror and what it was showing me that I did not hear her come in. Finally, I heard her. She was calling my name and just for a second, I heard her. I tried to call out to her, with all of me, I tried to call out," Theo sobbed. Melissa interrupted, "but Theo, you did call out to her. From what she said, you called back to her, and told her to come upstairs, even to come to the room where you were at."

"Yes, but that was not me."

"Then who was it, Theo?"

"It was IT, not me, it was precisely what I am trying to describe to each of you. It was the evil that penetrated my being. It wasn't me. It wasn't me."

"And from when you called back out to Julie, go from there. Did she follow your voice or instructions, what happened?"

"From what I can remember or gather from my thoughts that night, she came upstairs. Then I remember her screaming. She fell back or down, I guess, against the wall. She saw what I had done and kept yelling and screaming my name, THEO, THEO. I said look in the mirror, can you see us, can you see us together. She stood up, and then froze. Theo... there is no mirror, there is NO MIRROR THEO. It's Brian. Brian is hanging there, his eyes are watching you, not the mirror. She ran over to him, but he was gone by then. She reached for her phone and I grabbed for her, because I didn't believe her."

"What happened after she brought it to your attention that it was a person hanging on the wall?" Melissa stated this with no feeling as she had been taught.

"Julie put her hands on my wrist and pulled up my hand to touch Brian. I thought I was dreaming and then I started to feel his face and there was blood all over my hands. I started to come out of what I thought was a dream, but it was the evil that had controlled me. Once I saw that he was just hanging there, I started to back up.. I remember reaching out for her and both of us just starting to run downstairs. We must have tripped over each other and fell hard down the last few flights of stairs. She was unconscious, I couldn't move my legs. I looked for my phone in my jacket I was wearing and was able to call 911."

"Don't worry Theo, Julie is ok. She came too, bruised ribs, concussion, but doing ok. I have to tell you something. Theo... you were using Brian, your twin brother as your mirror. He was your reflection. He was alive for a few days and would follow you with his eyes, that was the griping shadow that you kept seeing. You had taped his mouth, and that is why you never heard him." Melissa dropped her head.

Theo raises his head and catches her glance as she was dropping her eyes, "did you check the basement? I saw him there too."