The Shadow in the Mirror

One of the ghost stories associated with an old apartment complex was about a mirror in a specific unit. It was said that if you looked into the mirror alone late at night, sometimes something other than your own reflection would appear. For a time, it caused a small stir in online communities but was soon dismissed as a common urban legend. People generally considered it merely an illusion created by fatigue and misperception.

I was very satisfied with the villa I had recently moved into. I particularly liked the old yet antique full-length mirror in the master bedroom. I impulsively bought it at a low price on a local used goods app, and the mirror subtly suited the villa's atmosphere.

At first, I thought it was due to fatigue. It was late at night after a shower when I stood in front of the mirror. I clearly lifted my right hand to dry my hair, but for a fleeting moment, the reflection in the mirror seemed to move its left hand first, creating an optical illusion. I paused for a moment but soon dismissed it, thinking it must be due to tiredness.

A few days later, I was changing clothes in front of the mirror again. I unconsciously stared at the mirror. My lips were a straight line, but the corners of my reflection's mouth were faintly, yet clearly, turned upwards. A chilling sense of déjà vu ran down my spine. I tried to shake my head and averted my gaze from the mirror.

It was night. Unable to sleep, I tossed and turned in bed. Suddenly, I was seized by an urge to look at the mirror again. As if drawn by an unknown force, I got up and stood before it. I deliberately made a large movement. I raised my right hand to brush my hair back.

My reflection in the mirror remained still. A moment of silence. Then, slowly, independently of my movement, the 'me' in the mirror also raised its right hand and brushed its hair. My fingertips grew cold. My heart felt as if it wasn't beating properly. It was no longer my reflection. It was some entity imitating me.

With a trembling hand, I pointed at the eyes of the 'me' in the mirror. The 'me' in the mirror simply stared back without any reaction. Then, slowly, it smiled a smile that was not my own. The corners of its mouth twisted hideously. A cold stream ran down my jaw. I couldn't tell if it was tears or sweat.

My breath caught in my throat. I quickly lowered my hand. But the hand of the 'me' in the mirror remained suspended in the air. It no longer followed my movements. Instead, it was frozen in a pose that seemed to mock me. Its eyes were empty, yet they seemed to pierce through everything.

I stumbled backward from that spot. The thing in the mirror no longer followed my movements. It just stood there, staring at something beyond the mirror.

The next day, I covered the mirror with a cloth and leaned it against the wall. I never faced that mirror again. But the air in that room, where the mirror had been, remained perpetually cold. I am considering moving. No, I've already heard that similar rumors are circulating about that villa again.