The Ghost in the Mirror

The Ghost in the Mirror

Evan first saw the ghost when he was nine years old.

It appeared in the mirror above his bedroom dresser.

At first, he thought it was his own reflection.

Then he realized the reflection wasn't moving.

Evan froze.

The boy in the mirror stood perfectly still.

His clothes looked old-fashioned, his dark hair hung over his pale face, and his eyes were fixed on something behind Evan.

Evan slowly turned around.

Nothing.

He looked back at the mirror.

The boy was still there.

Watching.

Evan whispered, "Who are you?"

The boy raised one trembling finger to his lips.

Then he pointed behind Evan.

Evan spun around again.

Nothing.

When he looked back at the mirror, the boy was gone.

---

For the next several weeks, Evan tried to convince himself that he had imagined it.

But every night at exactly midnight, the boy returned.

He never spoke.

He never smiled.

He simply stood inside the mirror and stared past Evan.

One night, Evan finally became angry.

"Stop looking behind me!"

The boy's expression changed.

For the first time, he looked directly at Evan.

Then he lifted his hand.

Slowly, he wrote four words across the inside of the mirror.

DON'T LET IT KNOW.

Evan's stomach twisted.

"Don't let what know?"

The boy shook his head.

Then the bedroom light flickered.

The mirror went completely dark.

Evan backed away.

A second face appeared beside the boy.

Something pale.

Something smiling.

Something with eyes far too large for its face.

The boy in the mirror screamed.

And for the first time, Evan heard him speak.

"RUN!"

---

Evan dove beneath his blankets.

Something scratched the bedroom door.

Scratch.

Scratch.

Scratch.

"Evan?"

His mother's voice came from the hallway.

"Evan, sweetheart. Open the door."

Evan nearly jumped out of bed.

But something was wrong.

His mother never called him sweetheart.

Not like that.

He peeked over the blanket.

The bedroom door slowly opened.

His mother stood in the doorway.

Her face looked normal.

Her smile didn't.

"Evan," she whispered.

"Come here."

Evan stayed frozen.

Then he noticed the mirror.

The ghost boy was pounding against the glass.

Behind him, the pale creature was smiling.

Evan finally understood.

The ghost wasn't watching him.

He was warning him.

Evan grabbed his flashlight and ran.

The bedroom door slammed shut behind him.

Something screamed.

Not his mother.

Not human.

Evan sprinted down the hallway and into the bathroom.

He locked the door.

Then he saw the mirror.

The ghost boy appeared inside it.

Evan gasped.

"You followed me!"

The boy shook his head.

Then he pointed at the mirror.

The pale creature slowly appeared behind him.

Evan backed away.

"What is that?"

The boy pressed his hand against the glass.

His lips moved.

Evan leaned closer.

"It's called the Reflection."

The words appeared on the mirror.

"It lives where you look."

---

Evan stared at him.

"What does it want?"

The ghost boy's face became sad.

"Someone to replace it."

"What does that mean?"

The Reflection appeared behind him.

Its smile widened.

The ghost boy turned around.

He screamed and pushed both hands against the glass.

Cracks spread across the mirror.

Evan grabbed the nearest object—a metal towel rack—and smashed the mirror.

Glass exploded across the floor.

The ghost boy vanished.

The Reflection vanished too.

Evan stood shaking.

He thought it was over.

Then he heard laughter.

Behind him.

He slowly turned toward the bathroom door.

His reflection stood in the broken mirror.

But Evan wasn't smiling.

His reflection was.

---

Evan screamed.

The reflection stepped out of the glass.

It looked exactly like him.

Same face.

Same clothes.

Same eyes.

Except its eyes were completely black.

Evan ran.

The creature chased him through the hallway.

He reached the bedroom and slammed the door behind him.

Then he heard another voice.

"Don't be afraid."

Evan turned.

The ghost boy stood in the bedroom mirror again.

"You're the one who broke the mirror."

Evan gasped.

"You were trapped!"

The ghost shook his head.

"No."

He looked toward the bedroom door.

"I was guarding it."

The door began to shake.

The Reflection was trying to get inside.

Evan looked at the ghost.

"Who are you?"

The boy smiled sadly.

"My name is Samuel."

"How long have you been there?"

Samuel looked down.

"Since 1957."

Evan's eyes widened.

"What happened to you?"

Samuel hesitated.

"I saw my reflection move."

The bedroom door cracked.

Samuel continued.

"I thought it was a ghost."

Another crack.

"It wasn't."

The door burst open.

The Reflection stepped inside.

Samuel screamed.

The mirror shattered.

But instead of escaping, Samuel threw himself at the Reflection.

The two creatures collided.

The room filled with blinding white light.

Evan covered his eyes.

When he opened them again, Samuel was gone.

So was the Reflection.

Only a single piece of broken mirror remained on the floor.

Evan picked it up.

For a moment, he saw himself.

Then Samuel appeared beside him.

Evan smiled.

"Thank you."

Samuel smiled back.

Then his reflection disappeared.

---

Years passed.

Evan grew older.

He eventually moved away from his childhood home.

He never forgot Samuel.

He never looked into mirrors at midnight.

And he always covered mirrors when someone died.

He didn't know exactly why.

It simply felt right.

Then one winter evening, Evan heard a knock at his apartment door.

When he opened it, there was no one there.

Only a small wooden box sat on the floor.

Inside was an old photograph.

A photograph of Samuel.

On the back were four words.

HE IS STILL WATCHING.

Evan's blood ran cold.

He slowly looked toward the hallway mirror.

His reflection stared back.

Evan didn't move.

Neither did the reflection.

Then Samuel appeared behind it.

Older.

Frightened.

And holding one finger to his lips.

Evan whispered:

"Samuel?"

Samuel pointed toward the reflection.

Then he pointed toward Evan.

Finally, he pointed toward the darkness behind Evan.

Evan slowly turned.

Nothing was there.

He looked back.

Samuel was gone.

But written across the mirror in foggy letters were three words.

NOT ALL MONSTERS.

Evan stared at the message.

Then he understood.

Samuel hadn't been protecting him from the Reflection.

He had been protecting the Reflection from something much worse.

Something that lived beyond the mirrors.

Something that had been waiting for Evan to notice it.

And somewhere in the darkness behind him…

something smiled.