Antique Shop on 27th Street

It all started in the antique shop on 27th street. Eleanor was, by no means, a connoisseur of antiques. In fact, usually she would grimace at the oddly scattered items that appeared worn down, and well, looked like the idea of them had aged better then the item itself. This morning, however, had been an exception. She had been passing by on her way to the market when she noticed a peculiar looking mirror through the window of the antique shop. It looked out of place next to all the dusty furniture that probably had bugs crawling across every seam. Beams of sunlight rained upon it making the edges sparkle with magic, drawing her inside for closer inspection. The air inside was thick and filled with dust that clogged her pores. Large spider webs were draped over the corners that she would’ve mistaken for Halloween decoration if it hadn't been the middle of February. Near the entrance was a grandfather clock that ticked with every passing minute. “Good morning,” an old lady chirped from behind the counter. Eleanor raised her hand in a wave, not sparing her much of a glance as she approached the mirror. It looked even more elegant up close. It was a vanity mirror in the shape of an oval with a golden frame that had ocean-like swirls fusing together towards top and bottom, and golden vines with tiny leaves weaved between the swirls creating an intricate pattern across the frame. The glass was very slightly opaque but Eleanor had been thinking about using it as decor anyways for her newly renovated living room. 

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” 

Eleanor jumped at the voice behind her. She hadn’t heard the old lady make her way over. Unease to pile in her gut. The old woman was pale and covered in wrinkles. She had a longer nose that slightly curved downward, reminding me of the evil witch in Snow White with the long flowy black attire which added to the look. 

“This mirror is from the Stuart Mansion valued for almost five thousand dollars. It was taken from the home after the Stuart family went bankrupt after rumors of tax fraud and foul play came to light. The owner, Michael Stuart, later committed suicide.”

“How…interesting,” Eleanor muttered, contemplating this new information. She had recently had a conversation with one of her friends who was incredibly superstitious about mirrors and curses associated with them. “They see everything, good or bad. They are portals to the other side,” her friend had told her, whispering as if she was worried about something overhearing them. The revelation of the mirror’s past made Eleanor hesitate but she shrugged it off. After all, Eleanor Huang, wasn’t one to believe in folklore and she certainly was not going to start now.

“How much?”

“You are incredibly lucky! The individual that sold it to me had no knowledge of its true value leaving me without five hundred dollars, so I will give it to you for only one thousand.”

“Deal.”

Eleanor had no idea how much mirrors were supposed to cost, but she was sure they were probably a lot more expensive considering the size and finish she desired. She was sure her husband wouldn’t mind. His business had taken off ten years ago, and was still thriving which meant he was extremely lax on her occasional shopping sprees. 

The old lady smiled, her teeth crooked and jutting out in a way that seemed unnatural. Her eyes twinkled with something Eleanor couldn’t quite place, but it made her palms feel slick with sweat. The old lady picked up the mirror as if it weighed next to nothing and carried it to the checkout counter which was simply a large table covered in rather hideous figurines. Some were half animal half human, there were plenty of porcelain dolls whose colors had faded over the years, and one made of metal of conjoined twins with proportionally bigger heads and facial expression both of anger. Eleanor shuttered. She honestly couldn’t imagine anyone buying any of them. While the old lady rang up the total, Eleanor saw something move in the corner of her eye. A porcelain doll she could’ve sworn had her hands by her sides now had one hand pointing at the door. Confused, Eleanor scanned the rest of the figurines and noticed that the facial expressions of the conjoined twins now were not of anger, they looked afraid. She blinked and shook the thoughts from her head. “Imposible,” she thought, “I am imagining things.”

“One thousand dollars, please,” the old lady said, interrupting her puzzlement. Eleanor handed over her credit card which the old lady promptly scanned before handing her a large box containing the mirror. 

“You seem quite lovely hon, I am going to miss you dearly when you’re gone.”

The odd smile reappeared. Confused and slightly disturbed, Eleanor quickly walked away from the antique store, trying to focus on the excitement of the mirror now in her possession. 

She summoned a taxi to avoid the labor of carrying it all the way home, and within less then an hour, the mirror proudly stood in the center of the living room wall surrounded by full length book shelves and above a crackling fireplace. 

What Eleanor didn’t realize was when she turned around, the reflection of the mirror began to morph into something hideous. Black whisps swirled along the mirror’s surface revealing a creature that perhaps had once been human but now had more of a resemblance to the devil himself. 

* * *

DAILY NEWS

Self-made billionaire Steven Huang and his wife, Eleanor, passed away last night in a double suicide attempt after Mr. Huang was accused of tax fraud and foul play. This accusation created enough rift that Mr. Huang’s business went bankrupt just two days ago. Their beautiful 1.2 million dollar house will be on the market as of today. This stunning home has 28 bedrooms, 36 bathrooms, and includes a 60 inch pool and, finally, a newly renovated living room.