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Fantasy Horror Fiction

“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 is nonsense, just hoaxes to advertise. The mirror I chose wasn't the best fit for my house, but I could make it work. It was about 3 feet wide and 4 feet tall; it was outlined with beautiful gold and had a lovely pattern at the top.

I carefully brought the mirror to the counter and placed it down. As I was bringing the mirror over, I noticed the shop had a weird, creepy vibe. As I put down the mirror on the counter, the cashier, a nice elderly woman, looked up from her book and smiled at me.

“That's a great antique you have there,” she remarked. “That mirror has quite a history, you know."

I smiled, dismissing what she said. “I'm sure it does, but it's going to be perfect for my bathroom wall.”

Her face suddenly turned serious, and she warned, ”Just be careful, dear; sometimes things aren't as they seem.”

A little uneasy now, I quickly thanked her and took the mirror, now tightly packed, so I could bring it home. I don't believe in superstitions, but something about the atmosphere of the antique store has me all creeped out. The mirror I chose had been pretty light, but now as I was walking back, it felt a lot heavier than before. I ignored it, thinking it was just me getting tired and not working out enough. That wasn't my fault, though; the local gym had been badly affected by the earthquake. Lots of the machines had fallen over and broken. The owners told us it would be at least a month until they could open up again. So, I was stuck with using my dumbbells at home.

As I reached my home, the mirror felt a lot heavier than it should have. I stumbled into my home. placed it down on the ground and relaxed. My shoulders were sore from carrying the mirror all the way home. I went into the kitchen to get a drink of water and came back to set the mirror up. But when I came back, I noticed something weird. I could swear that I had placed the mirror flat on the floor, but now it was on its side, supported by the wall. “Maybe I just don't remember properly." I thought to myself. I opened up the package and brought out the beautiful mirror. I took some nails and bolted them right above the sink in the bathroom. It fits perfectly; its golden patterns match perfectly with the design of the bathroom.

I didn't sleep well that night; every time I would fall asleep, I would be awakened by a brutal nightmare. I can't remember any of the nightmares, but I remember waking up five times in a sweat and being scared to death. The only thing I could think of in the morning was the mirror. That mirror had been giving me an eerie feeling since I bought it, and that woman at the shop had also said something about the mirror. I went straight to the bathroom and right to the mirror. It looked normal, but I still wasn't reassured. I started inspecting it, feeling the patterns, checking the back, and then—BOOM. I felt something grab me, and then I went blank.

I woke up groaning, confused about where I was. I drowsily got up and looked around. I was in my bathroom. “Maybe I just fell,” I thought. I left the bathroom and went to my kitchen to eat breakfast. I checked my pantry, but strangely, there was nothing there. I was sure I had done my groceries recently; there was no way I had no food. Confused but hungry, I left my house to go and get some groceries. My stomach groaned as I walked through the streets. Weirdly enough, the streets were empty. No one was outside of their houses, it seemed. I didn't mind, though; all I cared about was getting some food in my belly.

As soon as I reached the grocery store, I knew something was up. The grocery store was empty. not a single person. not a single worker. I was about to vomit, and I knew why this was happening. The mirror. The stupid mirror I should have listened to the lady at the store; I shouldn't have bought that mirror. Trying to focus, I broke the glass door in the grocery store and took a shopping cart. If there are no people in this place, then there are no laws. I took the cart and started taking everything I needed. After that, I went back to my “house.” On the way back, I thought about what was happening and figured it out. The mirror I had brought was a portal to a mirror dimension where nobody exists, and I had been pulled into it when I was inspecting the mirror.

I needed to escape, but first I needed to eat. So, I fixed myself a quick breakfast and got ready to figure out how to escape. It took me all of my power to not take a hammer and completely smash the mirror. I hated that mirror more than I hated anything. But I knew if I was going to go back to my dimension, I would probably need that stupid mirror. I started brainstorming on how to get back. I knew that I had been pulled into the mirror, so the first thing that came to mind was jumping through. It was not the best idea, but I was desperate. Sighing at my situation, I put on a helmet and jumped right into the mirror.

It turns out it was a really bad idea. I woke up probably hours later. My head felt like it was hit by a brick. I got up, and to my surprise, I saw people in the mirror. It was the police; they were looking for me! I got excited and started shouting, "Here! I'M OVER HERE!” But they couldn't hear me. No matter how loud I shouted or how much I waved, they couldn't find me. I tried reaching through the mirror, and eventually, I started punching it. Crying and falling to the ground, I realized that I was stuck there forever.

The End 

November 24, 2023 21:44

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