It happened on Sunday night.
I was sitting in front of my standing mirror, brushing my hair, as I always did every morning. I looked in the mirror, squinting my eyes. I had a horrible feeling in my gut, but I just could not figure out what was causing it.
I stared into the reflection of my eyes and tilted my head a bit. As usual, my reflection copied my actions. As I kept staring into my eyes, I realized that the reflection of the world around me was starting to fade away. My reflection began to distort, the only thing staying the same was my eyes. My deep brown eyes. I heard a faint whisper right beside my ear.
Don't look in the mirror.
I blinked and everything went back to normal. It must have been my imagination. Right?
I went about my school day as usual, but there was still a voice at the back of my head telling me that something was wrong.
When I came home, I went straight to my mirror. I sat down on the little stool I always kept in front of my mirror and stared into the reflection of my eyes again. It felt weirdly calming, just staring into my eyes, and letting the world around me slowly dissolve.
Once again, my reflection began to distort, only this time, so did my eyes. I tried blinking but it was as if I was paralyzed. Unable to move or speak, I could only stare into the mirror as my reflection came back, but it did not look exactly like me. She looked perfect, too perfect.
She grinned at me and tapped the mirror once. The glass rippled as if it was just water before stilling and a cold breeze blew around me. I was able to move again, but as I looked around, I realized I was not in my room anymore. I looked back at the mirror only to see that Perfect Me had disappeared. I reached out and touched the glass, but this time it did not ripple. It was just plain old glass.
I stood up and looked around. There were no walls, nor a ceiling or a floor. It was as if I was in a bright white cloud, but somehow still able to walk as if I was walking on a wooden floor. I looked back at the mirror one last time before walking into this never-ending room.
After what felt like half an hour, I reached a small opening in the ground, as large as a small person. As large as me. I decided not to take the chance of falling to my death and tried to walk around it, but I was yanked back. I looked behind me but saw nothing there. I took a step forward, but an invisible icy hand gripped onto my ankle and pulled me down into the hole, sending me plummeting down the dark abyss. I screamed and closed my eyes, and after a minute I tumbled down onto a large rock. My whole body erupted in a buzzing pain and within seconds I was out.
I woke up after about an hour. I sat up and looked around me and saw an endless array of trees. I was in a forest. I saw a small opening in the trees, so I stood up and walked towards it. As I walked, I looked around me and realized that every single tree in this forest was dead.
My foot hit some rocks and when I looked in front of me, I saw a large pond, only this pond was not a normal one. It was filled with fog. I looked to the right and saw an old swing, hanging from a worn-down rope which was attached to a weak tree branch. It was only a little windy, and I only knew that from the faint sound of howling wind, but the swing was swinging strongly back and forth, as if someone was pushing it, creaking ever so slightly.
I walked towards the swing, stopping only when I was directly in front of it. The second I reached it, it stopped swinging and everything was dead silent. The only thing that could be heard was the sound of my own uneven breathing.
I gulped and backed away from the swing, and that is when it happened. Perfect Me was standing right in front of me as I turned around, only she was not so perfect anymore. She was looking down, and her matted wet hair was covering part of her face. She had dirt all over that once clean face of hers and she was wearing a dirty white nightgown, which had rips all over. She looked up at me and I gasped. Her now frowning mouth was sown shut, with blood seeping out of the sides and her wide eyes were completely white, her pupils nowhere in sight. Her pale face was covered in dirt and bloody scratches.
She took a step towards me, and I stumbled back. Her mouth twisted into a wicked grin, the thread that once shut her mouth now snapping. She opened her mouth, still grinning, and blood poured out of it.
"You shouldn't have looked in the mirror..." She whispered eerily.
I tried to move but I was once again paralyzed. She grabbed my wrist and dragged me towards the fog pond as tears poured down my face. Perfect Me turned her head towards me, and I could see that blood was seeping out of her eyes, as if she were crying as well. I opened my mouth to speak but at that moment her grin had turned into a scowl and she slapped her hand over my mouth. She picked up a needle and a spool of black thread that was lying in the grass and threaded the needle. Perfect Me smirked and moved her hand off my mouth, instead using it to hold my head still. She forced my head up, leaving me no choice but to make eye contact with her. It was as if a spell had been put on me, and I once again became paralyzed. Once she was done sewing my mouth shut, she jumped into the pond, dragging me down with her.
I am writing this from the depths of the fog pond. I do not know where I am exactly, but I know that it has been over five months since I last saw my room. Since I last saw the world. Please save me. I am begging you. Please. Before my time is up. Before I turn into Perfect You. Before it is your turn. Just remember- Don't look in the mirror.
