The Reflection

Ruth picked up the receiver. 

“Hello?” she said.

“Ah, Miss Wilder!” said a man’s voice. “We have heard that there has been suspicious activity in the museum. Can we meet up there in five minutes?”

“Of course, Officer Nate!” said Ruth.

“Good,” said Officer Nate and hung up.

  Ruth put down the receiver and walked across her room. She yanked her brown detective bag open. There was a purse, a bar of chocolate, a folded magazine, a notebook, five coloured markers, a black pen, test tubes, but no gun.

    “Oh no, that’s the fourth gun I’ve lost!” sighed Ruth. “Now, how am I supposed to protect myself?”

  Ruth opened a drawer. A small knife lay there. She picked it up.

“That will have to do,” said Ruth, tossing the knife in and zipping her bag shut.

  She stepped out of the house, got into the car and drove straight to Novark Museum.

~~

“Right on time, Miss Wilders!” said Officer Nate.

“So,” said Ruth. “What is the suspicious activity?”

“Not sure yet. But something is going on on the second floor for sure,” said Officer Nate.

“Right, let’s go,” said Ruth.

~~

  The second floor was separated into two paths. One of them led to the dinosaur exhibition and the other led to The Hall of Mirrors.

  Officer Nate took the dinosaur exhibition, and Ruth took The Hall of Mirrors, but before they parted, Officer Nate said, “You have a gun right?”

“I- um…”

  Officer Nate sighed. “Take mine,” he said holding it out. “I have a spare.”

  Then Officer Nate went into the dinosaur exhibition and Ruth went into The Hall of Mirrors.

~~

  The Hall of Mirrors had ancient mirrors, modern mirrors, futuristic mirrors, and even a mirror with blinking lights.

  Ruth laughed when she saw her reflection in a concave mirror. But then she remembered why she was here and looked around for anything suspicious.

  “Hello,” said a voice. 

  Ruth quickly drew her gun and looked around.

“Who’s there?” 

“I’m right in front of you,” said the voice.

  In front of Ruth was a long mirror. She looked at her reflection nervously. 

“Where are you?” asked Ruth.

“Here,” said Ruth’s reflection.

~~

  It all happened very fast. The reflection stretched her hand out of the mirror and caught hold of Ruth. 

“HELP!” screamed Ruth. “OFFICER NATE!”

  Spots swam in Ruth’s eyes. She blinked. She was in the mirror and her double was outside. 

“Let me out!” shouted Ruth.

“I’m here! What happened Ruth?” shouted Officer Nate, running into the room.

“Oh, nothing,” said the fake Ruth. “You know, Officer, I found out that there is no suspicious activity in the museum.”

“But the department said that-” stammered Officer Nate.

“I called the department. The museum with the suspicious activity is located in China.”

“Oh is it really?” said Officer Nate. “let’s go home then.

“You go first. I’ll catch up. I just want to look around...”

  Officer Nate walked out of the room, failing to notice Ruth trapped in the mirror.

  Ruth banged on the mirror. “Let me OUT!”

  The reflection looked at Ruth and held up the gun. She fired at the mirror and it shattered into a hundred pieces. Ruth was nowhere to be seen. A pile of broken glass lay at the foot of the mirror. 

  The reflection smiled and walked out.

  And Ruth was gone.