I wake up to my cat sitting on my face. Again. She evidently enjoys it far more than the 1000$ cat bed with built-in electric heating I got for her. I must have a 1000$ face. This has to be the dumbest thing I have ever thought about first thing in the morning.
I pull myself out of bed to feel my back send its daily rivulets of pain across my body. I walk to the bathroom, and flick on the light to find a hairball next to the commode. Damn cat.
I almost brush with shaving cream. There are two specs of dirt on the mirror. Oh wait there are 3. Maybe more tiny ones. I should really clean it. I stretch my T-shirt to rub off the two really annoying ones. I can see the reflection of my hand, covered with the end of my T-shirt moving towards the mirror; until it stops. I freeze.
The reflection. It stopped before I did? No. I am just sleepy. My brain must have glitched. Or maybe I lost focus for a minute. I must have blinked. That's it. I just blinked. I continue brushing, this time with eyes glued to the mirror. I start rinsing the toothpaste out of my mouth, still holding eye contact with my reflection. I have really brown eyes. It winks at me. I freeze again, the water flowing over my hands. This time I saw it happen. Like I genuinely just saw my reflection wink at me.
I move away from the mirror. So does he. Just like a regular reflection. I move out of sight of the mirror, my reflection now sliding onto the glossy ceramic tiles. The whites in my eyes look eerily bright on the stark whiteness of the tiled bathroom wall. I poke myself. My reflection does the same. I sigh. I am just being paranoid, I mutter to myself.
Even in the shower, I find myself staring at the bathroom walls, a thousand warped reflections of me on every little water droplet stare back at me.
I dress hurriedly, dangerously close to running late for work. I grab my keys and hurry out the door, practically running to my car. I end up getting stuck at the main street signal. I catch a glimpse of my own eye in the rear view mirror. It winks again. This time I ignore it. Just have to wait for the coffee to kick in. Then this ridiculous hallucination will stop.
Work is uneventful. At least, that's how it usually is. Not today though. I’m pretty sure the reflection in my coffee has grinned at me at least twice. I think he waved when I was washing my hands in the bathroom. I wish my brain would snap out of it.
I have to present my report to the top brass after lunch. I have been waiting outside the conference room for the last fifteen minutes; fiddling with a pen.
Entering the room I am greeted with a gust of cool air conditioning.
I mumble my good afternoon.
I hate my job.
The projector is taking a while to start. I feel sweaty despite the fact that I am practically freezing. I hold my file ready, fingers mildly shaking.
I began speaking.
“The sales from March through April reflect that Viscon Corps. has been making steady progress in the stock market.”
My heart is way too loud sometimes.
“Sales peaked during early May; which has been attributed to the mining accidents in other competitors and……”
I fumble to switch the slide. I can see Reynold’s eyebrows raised sceptically. I don't think he’s liking this.
Before I can continue, the secretary knocks and enters to pass a legal pad to the boss. I don’t think I have ever talked to her. I guess I should thank her if I ever do.
My eyes trail off to the solid mahogany panelling on the wall behind her. It's polished to the point where I can see my blurry dark figure staring back at me, the illuminated screen of the projector highlighting the outline of my silhouette. The whites in my eyes are eerily pale again. Somethings moving along the edge of my reflection, something that's blurring the sharp edges of the image, like so many tiny wisps of darkness oozing out. Out of me.
I can feel my heart in my throat. My eyes; no its eyes are following me.
“Benedict??
I start so badly a file slips out of my hand and slithers to the floor; papers spilling out, so white; so incredibly pale.
Everyone is looking at me.
Even the thing.
“Benedict I said you may continue.
I feel disjointed.
Breathe in.
Don't fall. Don't fall don't fall don't fall.
Breathe out.
Reynold’s eyebrows are raised again.
It's hard to speak.
I’m excused to use the restroom now.
I don't remember asking for it.
The bathroom is empty. I breathe heavily. I just have to calm down. Just a bad day. I wish I had my pills. I picture them lying on the bedside table, the prescription still taped to them. I want them so badly. So badly. This is all just anxiety. Just anxiety.
I breathe in, then stare at the mirror, chest still heaving. I bore my eyes into my reflection, willing it to move, daring it to move.
It does.
Not by an inch, but an entire step.
He smiles.
A crooked, unnerving smile I never knew my face was capable of.
My legs are clammy.
It's still difficult to talk.
Almost like my voice doesn't exist anymore.
He leans forward on the reflected basin, his smile widening.
There's something wrong with this mirror. Everything white is turning pale. So pale.
I want it to stop. I want to Scream.
No sound comes out.
“Don't scream.
His voice is buttery, so gentle, so sweet. Too sweet.
“It’ll all be over in a few more minutes.
A sharp pain shoots through my body. My knees have given way, my pants are covered with damp patches from the wet bathroom floor.
My eyes are glued to his.
I want to tear them away.
“Don’t resist, it’ll only make it worse.
We blink.
My eyes are forced open again. The darkness was nice for a second. I want it back.
Everything is flipped.
It's all flipped.
This can’t be happening.
“-but it is happening. You made it happen.
My eyes are glued to his again.
He's still smiling.
I try to speak. This time my jaw doesn’t even move.
“Don't bother. You can’t do that anymore. You won’t have to. Ever.
The word sends a chill down my spine. Down our spine.
He starts walking away.
I mechanically follow his exact steps.
I think I understand.
I feel my consciousness oozing out of me.
He's so confident.
In a malicious sort of way.
I hope he doesn’t kill my cat.
Funny how that’s my last thought.
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