The shop opened up on the 5th of June, or was it the 15th? I can't really say. All I know was that when the shop opened up bad things followed. I know that sounds dramatic but that is the best way to describe it. The shop was strange, very strange. The first thing you noticed about it was how old it looked, which was the strangest part because it was a new shop. The green paint was faded and peeling off and if you went to near you would inhale the strong smell of mould and other things.
Inside the shop there was all sorts of merchandise, ranging from old chairs to letter openers. The weirdest item in the store was an old mirror that was in a small room at the back. It was the most valuable item in the shop but strangely the owner had it in a place where few people would see it. When I saw the mirror it filled me with apprehension and fear. To such a degree that I quickly left. My mistake was I took one look back and when I did I could have sworn I saw my reflection exactly like when I had been standing in front of it. But when I went to take a closer look it was just me peering into the mirror looking stupid. I left quickly.
After that I never went near the shop again. It wasn't that I was afraid of it, it was just like my desire to go in had been taken away. Soon after I started to feel strange. The first thing I noticed was that I kept looking over my shoulder for no reason. You know that feeling you have sometimes late at night as if you are being watched? Well at random moments I felt like that. It was quite horrible. I convinced myself that it would go away and I was just being silly. I wasn't some kid any more, I was a grown man with a life and a job. At least that’s what I told myself.
I woke up one morning (like most people do) and felt I was being watched so strongly I proceeded to go and search my house for hidden cameras. After twenty minutes of feeling like a dog chasing his tail I gave up and continued my normal routine. The feeling went away soon after and everything was normal until I went to get dressed for work. I put on my suit and went to my mirror to put my tie on and when I looked into the mirror I saw someone standing behind me. I leaped around and lashed out, hitting nothing but air. This caused another 20 minutes of my life to go out the door as I looked for the person. When I found nothing I convinced myself that it was a trick of the light and nothing more. I refused to think of any other possibility. When I drove to the city for work (late) I was so focused on thinking about anything else. I missed my work and had to turn around and take a long detour back. When I arrived at work there was no parking space so I had to go two streets down and park there.
As I was walking through the city I failed to notice that my reflection was slightly behind me in the shops windows (when I mean behind me I mean time wise). When I arrived at work I stopped outside and checked my reflection, but my reflection wasn’t there. I stared for a second and then my reflection walked in to the mirror/window I was looking at and preceded to mimic what I had done (like normal reflections). It had caught up to my current actions so as a test I raised my arm and watched. Nothing happened. I counted to two and then I saw my arm raise. I raised my leg and counted to two and then watched as my leg was raised. At this point I was freaking out but my thoughts were interrupted my companies secretary inquiring why I was gaping at her. I mumbled some apology and walked into… the window and as windows do they stay put so I looked even more the fool as I walked past the window and into the company, my cheeks burning red and a large welt appearing on my head. My conciliation was that I found it hard to believe my day could get any worse.
I could feel the welt swelling on my head so I went into the bathroom to asses the damage (obviously I was not thinking clearly). When I went to the mirror (face palm) I was not there. I counted to two and still no sign, after four seconds my reflection showed up with a rather large red welt on its forehead. I dabbed at it with water and then went to work (as best as I could).
After working for a few hours and putting it all out of mind I drove home. I did manage to crash turning into my driveway because I refused to use my car mirrors.
When I found my car key, all the time keeping my eyes firmly glued to the pavement, I opened the door, walked in and went straight to sleep. My dreams were very odd; I was in them but I was watching myself. It was like I was some strange angel floating over myself watching all I did but with no interference. At least that is how I imagined it. I woke to the sound of my door bell so, groggily pulling on my dressing gown, I opened the door to a man in a delivery outfit. "Good morning, I have a delivery for Josiah Leem".
"Sorry I didn't order anything".
"It says right here 2 handheld mirrors and one large full length mirror"
At that point I slammed the door and went back to sleep as best as I could. It was my day off so I decided to go to the park to avoid… well you know what. That proceeded to be very difficult as on the way there I refused to use my car mirrors. When I finally arrived, after a few scathing words from other drivers that were fair earned I parked (still not easy) and went to the park. Where I stayed for all of five minutes because I managed to convince myself that running away was not the solution and facing my fears will help so I went to the Psychiatrist. I told him my problem and he gently asked me if he could show me a mirror to see if he could see what I saw. He brought me a small handheld mirror and he and I watched.
"Do you see your reflection yet?"
"Do you?"
"Yes I do but do you?"
"No"
After one minute my reflection appeared and I stood up and walked out.
I went home went to my bedroom, pulled the sheet off my mirror and had the shock of my life as I saw my reflection. I raised my arm and in the exact time it raised its arm. I was so relieved I could feel like I could shout and jump for joy and why the heck not. Then all my joy drained as I started to jump but was interrupted because my reflection was jumping and shouting. I stumbled back and fell onto my bed. The reflection stopped jumping and shouting and… turned around and looked at me and smiled. Not the type of happy smile but the type of smile that meant I know something you don’t and it will hurt you.
He walked forward still smiling and reached the place that I assumed was where the mirror met the world and stopped. Then a crack appeared on the mirror and another one and another one until the mirror burst into a million fragments falling all over the floor. When I found the courage to stand up I saw that even though the mirror had broken I could still see his smile. I then heard a noise from my kitchen which made me jump in fear until I realized it was only my phone. I decided what I needed was a hot, hot bath. So I wound up drawing a bath, at that point I was almost delirious so I was not thinking straight. When I turned the water off I looked at the steaming water and staring straight back at me was my smiling self. I was too afraid to pull the plug so I ran to my car, first smashing my car mirrors and the reflective surface of my phone and drove off to find that strange shop. I parked outside of it and this is where I am now writing this story so that if I do not return at least you know the truth. Not that anyone will believe it. I am going to go into that awful shop and go to that horrible mirror and confront it. I'm not sure what will happen but all I know is I can't go on like this. If I solve my problem I will hide this note, not destroy it but hide it, so I can remember and learn but if I do not return when they look for me they will find this document and well who knows what they will do; probably dismiss it as the sad mind of a raving lunatic.
I am signing off now possibly for the last time.
Goodbye
Josiah Leem was seen by a security camera walking out of the old shop with a strange almost sinister smile on his face. His friends and family do not know where he is but shortly after the shop closed and moved away…
