Reflection of Me

Unless you wish to experience endless nights without sleep, the painful insomnia sent from the devil himself, don't look. If you're one of those lucky enough to fall asleep after such an experience as mine, then you'll realize it soon. You'll soon wake in the middle of the night screaming with the agony from the torturous nightmares you'll have no choice but to endure. But there is one way to save yourself. You simply cannot look. Please. Please heed my advice, friend. Don't look into your bedroom mirror at night while the lights are off.

On one wretched night I had been out late with some friends at a batchelorette party. In order to stay up for the fun I had drunk about five cups of coffee. The biggest mistake of my life. We ended up staying at a club until about one in the morning and then by that time we had decided to go home. Well, once I had arrived at my house I realized just how wired I still was from all of the coffee. I was wide awake. That was going to be a problem. I had to be up by seven in the morning to get ready for my friend's bridal rehearsal, so I really needed to get some sleep. And unfortunately for me, I tried to.

I went to my room and quickly changed into a comfortable T-shirt and some shorts. Then I walked over to a large full-length mirror I had in my room and stared at myself for a moment, taking in the view of myself in my nightwear. Content that I was just about ready for bed, I began to turn toward my bedroom door, but stopped dead in my tracks for a moment when a strange feeling washed over me. I shuddered and scanned the room with confusion. I didn't know why, but I had the feeling that I was being watched. I mean, I know everyone sort of has that kind of paranoia once in a while, but this somehow felt different. It felt too real...as though someone were actually standing in my room and staring at me, drilling holes into the back of my head. I turned my head and looked behind me, but no one was there. My reflection wore the same confused look that I did. Trying to shake off the feeling, I headed over to the bathroom.

I walked into my dark bathroom with the intent of brushing my teeth before going to bed. I slid my hand along the wall and searched for the lightswitch. I always had trouble finding it for some reason, but it only took a couple of seconds. My fingers soon met something on the wall, but it felt strange. It was cold and soft. Definitely not a lightswitch. I quickly retracted my hand, a surprised and perplexed expression forming on my face. There shouldn't have been anything on that wall except for the lightswitch...

In a quick motion I pushed the bathroom door open wide hoping to shed some more light and find whatever my hand had touched on the wall. My head spun back to the wall and I jumped when I thought I spotted something out of the corner of my eye. It was only for a split second, but I could've sworn that I saw something protruding out of the mirror. I quickly found the lightswitch and sighed with relief when the light poured out from the overhead bulbs. I then turned my attention immediately to the wall. All that was there was a lightswitch. Nothing else. I leaned up against the doorframe and looked around as I raised a nervous hand to my neck. My eyes surveyed the scene and landed on the mirror that was directly in front of me. My reflection was as perplexed as ever, looking really uncomfortable and almost worried. I moved my hand to my forehead and wiped my sweaty brow, forcing a little laugh as I scolded myself. I was being ridiculous, acting like an easily frightened child. I shook my head and reached for my toothbrush.

When I walked back into my room, I noticed just how much of a mess my bed was. There were clothes strewn about it and about a million shopping bags from the previous day's spree littering it. Had it really been like that this morning? I actually left it like that? I felt like such a slob, but really didn't feel like organizing the mess at two in the morning. I went and retrieved a couple of blankets from the closet and found a spot on the floor a few feet in front of my mirror that wasn't scattered with articles of clothing. I folded the blankets into a sort of makeshift sleeping bag and finished it off by plopping my pillow down at the end. It looked so comfortable, and I was certain that I'd be able to fall asleep in no time at all. With that thought in mind, I went to close my bedroom door and shut off my overhead light and then shuffled into my cozy cacoon. I laid on my stomach and crossed my arms over my pillow as I faced my mirror, gazing back at myself in total comfort. I looked so relaxed, and soon I closed my eyes. The clock read 2:13 AM.

After a couple of minutes of lying in silence, I heard a car door slam in the driveway next door. I knew the sound had been made by my neighbor since a couple of seconds later a spotlight illuminated, casting a stream of dim light through the blinds of my window. I was usually okay with the spotlight as it had never disturbed my slumber before but due to my new position on the floor the light had found a clear path to my eyelids, shining through them to the point where I had become mildly annoyed. I slowly opened an eye and glanced up at the window. I sighed, waiting for the light to die out, but it didn't. Feeling more annoyed, I rolled my eyes and in an instant they rested on my mirror.

At that moment, my breathing stopped. I couldn't close my eyes and I couldn't look away. I was frozen. Staring back at me through the glass was my reflection. On any other occasion this wouldn't have chilled me, but this time it was different. My reflection...

Its eyes were watching me. And I don't mean the average look your reflection is supposed to return. Oh no, this was something completely different.

Its eyes were wide open. Much wider than I could ever make them.

The sight paralyzed me, but only momentarily. I just figured that I had startled myself. Trying to avoid eye contact with my own image, I closed my eyes and tried to get back to sleep. The clock read 2:25 AM.

I didn't make any progress in my attempts as the minutes continued to pass. The clock ticked steadily in its place on the wall.

 

''Tick. Tick. Tick.''

The light from my neighbor's driveway still hadn't turned off. My aggravation was beginning to build. At this rate I wouldn't get any shut eye! Feeling hopeless, I opened my eyes and nearly jumped out of my skin when I looked into the mirror again.

My reflection was staring at me with those same wide, intense eyes. But it wasn't only that...

Its eyes were now completely bloodshot and its mouth was contorted into a menacing scowl. It looked like a rabid predator staring at its prey after days of looking for it. It was terrifying, but that wasn't the only reason the view had alarmed me...

I didn't know if it was just my imagination or not...but it looked as though my reflection had gotten closer to the mirror.

I was so scared I could hardly move, but I had to avert my eyes. I had to! I quickly pulled the blanket up over my head, my breathing now heavy. I tightly closed my eyes, praying that I had only imagined the image. It had seemed so real, and so evil, like it actually wanted to hurt me...

But the very thought was insane! It was an image in a mirror, my reflection! It wasn't real... It was just a copy...it was just another me!

At that moment I heard the all too familiar creaking sound of my bedroom door being opened slowly behind me. I froze under the covers.

I lived alone...

With a shaky hand I lifted the blanket just slightly to peek out. I peered into the mirror at the door behind me and my eyes instantly grew wide in fear. The door was slightly ajar, but that wasn't the part that scared me.

 

My reflection wasn't in the mirror anymore.

I was now breathing heavier than I ever had before, my whole body shaking in fright. I sat up and quickly reached for the baseball bat that laid on the floor beside a pile of magazines. I heard the door creak again and I spun around to face it, the bat now in hand and ready to be used if necessary.

"W-who's there?!" I stammered loudly, the fear in my voice ringing out. There was no answer. I repeated myself, now on the verge of tears, and still there was no answer. I was about to slide out of my covers when the door suddenly slammed shut. I jumped and dropped my bat, falling backward onto my elbows.

My fear level was through the roof. My heart was beating uncontrollably. I had a major headache now and I began to quietly sob. And that's when I heard it. A low growl. It gurgled into my eardrums, a guttural sound, and it most certainly was not that of a human's...

Then I felt the hot breath on the back of my neck. I never had the chance to scream.

My neighbor's spotlight died out. The clock read 3:00 AM.