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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#225: Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

From Narcissus falling in love with his own reflection to the speaking mirror in Snow White, mirror images have always been a popular motif in literature, commonly used to introduce questions of identity or self-consciousness. But they can also be used to create a split between reality and illusion: is what we see really the truth, or are our eyes — or indeed minds — playing tricks on us? Taken one step further, one might even argue that texts themselves are a reflection of their author and the world they inhabit.


This week’s prompts invite you to reflect (pardon the pun) on topics of self-image, twisted realities, and outer appearance that may or may not capture what’s going on beneath the surface.

This week's prompts

Start your story with someone buying a cursed — or perhaps blessed —mirror from an antiques store.

Fantasy – 74 stories

Write a story about someone trying to paint (or otherwise create) a self-portrait.

Character – 66 stories

Write a story about someone coming across their doppelganger.

Mystery – 48 stories

Write a story about a character who one day notices that their reflection has taken on a life of its own.

Fantasy – 50 stories

Set your story in a house of mirrors and make the atmosphere increasingly eerie.

Horror – 42 stories

Stories

“Who's the Ugliest of all” by Kay Reeves

Submitted to Contest #225

Who's the Ugliest of all? Rooting through the piles of junk on the shelves, a glint caught Maria's eye. The 'antique' shop had been a disappointment so far, little more than the kind of bric-a-brac more suited to a car boot sale. She reached past the mismatched china and lifted out a small mirror in a beautifully carved wooden frame. The mirror was being held by two stunning female figures, naked but with their modesty preserved by their long hair, which tumbled down almost to their knees. The base of the frame was a male figure,visibl...

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“"Through the Cracks" by Nur AYAZ” by Gökçe Nur Ayaz

Submitted to Contest #225

The windows were stained, welcoming the fresh rain without having any second thoughts. With the company of every drop, he had been gazing at the mirror enough to make the hands of a clock exhausted. He wondered why he bought this haunting chamber, despite knowing at the bottom that he wouldn’t be able to spend a conscious minute before it.'I wouldn’t dare to do this'. His mumble faded, forming a fog on his reflection.The cheval glass had an antique oval shape. Worn-down stands that smelled like a voyage—perhaps from an antique store to an op...

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“THE DEMON'S MIRROR” by Melinda Madrigal

Submitted to Contest #225

1881 Wow, this is a pretty mirror. I love how it looks. The local antique store has the most beautiful items. "Papa, can I get the mirror?" My papa nods. I walk up to where my papa is. He hands the lady five coins. The lady looks at papa and tells papa "The mirror is cursed. Whatever you do don't look at it." I look at papa, he tells me not to listen to the crazy lady. I leave the store with my new mirror. TEN YEARS EARLIER 1871 "Demon lady, we the Pryor family banish you demon of the underworld into this mirror, cursed never to leave th...

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“The Gift” by Liz Elletson

Submitted to Contest #225

Ben pressed his ear against the door to his mother’s bedroom and could hear her weeping. She had been crying every morning for over a month and she had a good reason to. He backed away from the door and walked down the hall.He stepped into the kitchen and stared at the lifeless space. He missed his mother humming happily, while she prepared breakfast for him and his father. The bold aroma of coffee percolating, along with the smell of bacon sizzling woke him up every morning around seven. But not anymore. He imagined his father with his arms...

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“Green Walls” by Aaron Morgan

Submitted to Contest #225

Kelsey stood staring blankly at the mirror in front of her. “What in the world just happened?” she thought, as her mind tried to connect back to reality. “Am I on something?” She tried to lift her foot to take a step toward the door but it felt like someone was holding it down. With a huge effort she pulled up one foot and moved it closer. Her head was spinning, eyes moving in and out of focus as she fell to her hands and knees and crawled out into the dark hallway. Once there, she sat down leaning against the wall and began taking deep brea...

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“Gilded Glory” by Nicolle C

Submitted to Contest #225

A brassy grin beamed up at me, glinting in the fluorescent light overhead. The cherub figurine, palms squished into its cheeks, sat quaintly on the shelf amongst a horde of equally unsettling effigies. I shuddered. “How about this one?” I turned to see my sister gesturing to a rather worn mirror, black paint flaking sporadically. “A little sanding, a little paint, a little Windex, and this baby will be good as new,” she quipped. “That’s too much work,” I groaned, eyes wandering over the adjacent shelf of knickknacks. This one boasted a f...

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“FIRST IMPRESSIONS” by Chip Kirkpatrick

Submitted to Contest #225

FIRST IMPRESSIONS I’ve always heard you only get one chance to make a first impression. Apparently that’s not true.  I had just arrived in Middleburg. Fresh out of the Army, I was eager to re-enter civilian life.  I got off of the bus and hoisted my duffle bag over my shoulder and started walking towards the motel I spied two blocks away. I had a job interview lined up for tomorrow and I was eager to get familiar with the town that may be my new home.  Middleburg was your typical small town, just like the one I grew up i...

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“Angel in the Mirror.” by Alexander Hill

Submitted to Contest #225

The sunlight shafted through a gap in his bedroom curtains; he was not pleased to see it. Darren pulled the duvet up and over his head and let out a groan. What a night! He lost count of the number of beers, shots and joints he had partaken of. The night had been winding down when that blonde arrived; she was stunning. Every schoolboy’s wet dream in one tidy package. His hazy memory of the woman brought him closer to full consciousness. He felt gingerly across the bed under the duvet; he was alone, which came as a bit of a relief. ...

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“Mirror of the Soul” by Bob Faszczewski

Submitted to Contest #225

     Ralph threw the last carton on the shelf. This finished the final incoming load of the week in the stifling moving company warehouse.          He couldn’t wait to shower, change into street clothes and head for his favorite watering hole down Main Street. After a few cool ones, even the flea-bitten, fly-by-night boring rural outpost of a town where he had wasted much of his life might start to look good.      When he looked in the locker room ...

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“Secret Treasure ” by Tamara Page

Submitted to Contest #225

“Welcome to Bob's Treasure Chest, where you'll find some of life's most precious gifts! I have beautiful China sets, and the finest tea cups you'll see. Also, there's plenty of extravagant jewelry pieces in the back that I know you'll love. Don't be afraid to ask me for help, no matter the situation. ” Bob Stoudamire greeted his customers as they strolled through the green and gold trimmed, double doors. He was relishing this moment. Seeing the large group of customers, who chose his business to do their shopping, is a real treat. It ha...

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“Labyrinth of Despair” by Dita Dow

Submitted to Contest #225

The abandoned carnival, embraced by the radiant light of the sun, stood as a somber testament to a bygone era. Its once-vibrant face, now cloaked in faded, peeling paint, whispered melancholic tales of laughter and joy that had long since faded into the echoes of the past. Amidst the skeletal remains of dilapidated rides and crumbling booths, one structure stood as a solitary monument untouched by the relentless hands of time — the House of Mirrors. Towering and foreboding, the House of Mirrors wore a cloak of twisted metal vines, their s...

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“Reason” by Alaska James

Submitted to Contest #225

This is why I always stay home. Everyone wants to know why I don’t go out anymore and this is it. This is why I’m a homebody, this is the reason. I can hear that clip of Cardi B from that Love & Hip Hop reunion show or whatever, where she’s screaming “WHAT WAS THE REASON?!”. This is the reason. Every time I go out with them, some kind of crazy shit happens. They always want to do something extra. Something “exciting” or “scary”. Truth be told, I don’t want to do anything exciting or scary. I want to be in my pajamas on the couch, watchi...

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“Flawless” by Heather Burkett

Submitted to Contest #225

“Watch your step.” The decrepit old man growls at me from behind the distressed wooden counter.  The liver-spotted, crepe-paper-thin skin that covers his skull glistens in the dingey-yellow streetlights that filter in through the front window of the store. Tufts of yellow-gray hair poke out from behind and within his ears and he scowls so severely that there are deep creases that run from the sides of his nose to below his mouth. As if on cue, I step into the store, tripping over the threshold in the process. I apologize, slip...

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“The Haunting on Huckleberry Hill ” by Athos Kyri

Submitted to Contest #225

He was afraid to blink, in case the moment passed. That he would open his eyes to a dream, drifting helplessly into the night. Time stood so still he could feel the world turn. Frozen in the warmth of her gaze, he couldn’t conjure a single word worth saying. Perhaps he didn’t need to. She was here. That was enough. Words often eluded him, at least, the ones that mattered did. With the written, he was a wordsmith, with the hurtful, he was a poet. His mind was a whip that always seemed ready to lash out, and in shameful moments, he lashed ou...

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“Your Greatest Enemy” by Mei Ling Ho

Submitted to Contest #225

Desire is a more fancy word for a want or need. It laces around a champagne glass, drunken thoughts, a silver and velvet cloak that unveils itself in all of its entirety. Hooded eyes looking back- a mirror that reflects decisions, dreams, life goals that may never come true. It weaves its way into the road, blocking cars from moving forward, blocking those with weaker mentalities from continuing on. It's an interruption, an advertisement in the middle of a song or video. It's the vines that venture out of the shadows to wrap itself around yo...

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$250

Prize money

280

Contest entries

106

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Nov 24, 2023 EST

Won by Olivier Breuleux 🏆

Title: The Day Alfred Googled Himself

Submissions must be between 1,000 - 3,000 words and will be approved and published on Reedsy Prompts within 7 days of the contest closing.

Read the full terms & conditions or check out the FAQ if you have any questions!

Prompts | Big Blue Hand | 2024-11

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