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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

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

Posted in Fantasy on Nov 17, 2023

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✍️ 74 stories

“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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“Curse of the Time Bound Mirror” by Dita Dow

Submitted to Contest #225

The rain fell in steady sheets, painting the cobblestone streets of London with a glistening sheen. A chill wind whispered through the narrow alleyways, carrying the scent of damp brick and centuries-old secrets. Along the bustling lanes of Notting Hill, nestled between a forgotten bookshop and a dusty apothecary, stood the curious emporium of Mr. Abernathy—an antiquarian of the peculiar, the arcane, and the macabre. Sir Reginald Harcourt, a man of wealth and a connoisseur of oddities, found himself drawn to Mr. Abernathy’s establishment ...

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“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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“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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“Mirror Mirror ” by Debra Demars

Submitted to Contest #225

Lena Crosby lingered in her usual spot on her way to work--same as she had done every morning--for weeks. She liked to stand directly in front of the antique shop's large glass display window. Her eyes glued to a small silver framed mirror.      The shop had just appeared one day, it seemed. "They must have moved in over a weekend," Lena remembered thinking. For the longest time, she had walked past an empty storefront every Monday through Friday, on her way to the small plumbing supply company where she worked ...

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“Mirror, Mirror, let me out.” by Anuv Ahuja

Submitted to Contest #225

“This one looks good,” I murmured to myself. “I can put it right above the sink in my bathroom.” I was shopping for mirrors and other furniture, just like everyone else. Our town suffered after the earthquake. Many of the houses here were too old to handle it. I looked at myself in the mirror. I had a sharp jawline, dark, messy hair, and blue eyes. I was wearing some fitted jeans with a nice sweatshirt on top. The closest place I could get furniture was the antique shop just down the street. Some people say it's cursed, but I know all that i...

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“The Day the Mirror Appeared” by Connie Hieb

Submitted to Contest #225

The Day the Mirror Appeared                                                                                    Connie Hieb 11.1...

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“Reflections of Unforgotten Sight” by Sharon Dorey

Submitted to Contest #225

As she opened the door, the faint tinkling of the bell welcomed her into the realm of old treasures and curiosities. The crisp outdoor air was replaced by the thick scent of aged wood, polished brass, and the faint hint of mustiness that only comes with time. The rich, leathery fragrance of old books and furniture mingled with that of linseed oil and lemon polish. Courtney stepped forward and glanced about in search of the shopkeeper of Westwood Fine and Rare Antiques.As she did so, Serenity, her cat, popped her little black head out of...

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“Reflections” by Jim Mccleery

Submitted to Contest #225

Reflections “Reflections are not lies, but can be very deceptive. The eye of the beholder must choose to decide if what they see is really as it is supposed to be. Glamours, illusions, mirages all look real from some angle. Perspective is the key to wisdom of one’s true self. The essence of one’s true reflection can’t be seen with mortal eyes.” Unknown The inscription was carved in the bottom of the bulky Maple dark wooden frame inlaid with a massive mirror.   Finn come look at this. It’s insane. I look at the mirror from the left s...

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“Silver Fish” by Sae Luy

Submitted to Contest #225

Late in the evening, Adam left the tall office building. He was wearing an expensive, sleek suit and fashionable eyewear. He carried the weight of a leather briefcase—a reminder of the successfully concluded contract.Waiting for a taxi, he rubbed his eyelid and took a deep sigh. Despite the triumphant culmination of the recent deal, he didn’t feel lighthearted.Adam took out his phone to check where the taxi was when he noticed an unread notification. It was nobody but his jobless friend, aka freelancer, who’d sent another weird link to some ...

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“The Mirror” by Stephen McManus

Submitted to Contest #225

Luther regained consciousness, his mind shocked awake by the jarring sound of a metallic door retracting. It rolled up slowly, creaking and bumbling, into the metal hood above. The salty taste of blood filled his mouth as rain washed across his scalp wound. Vague memories of a meeting at a bar followed by a crack on the head bubbled up.The men held him under each arm, dragging his limp body, toes trailing on the ground behind. Entering the building Luther noticed an oily rainbow flash off a stain on the ground. A single naked light bulb bare...

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🌟 Similar prompts

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

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

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Contest #225

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This week's theme: Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

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Ended on 23:59 - Nov 24, 2023 EST

Won by Olivier Breuleux 🏆

Title: The Day Alfred Googled Himself

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