Unseen Companion

Epilogue

Rico hadn't slept since that night.
He kept the curtains closed, every mirror covered with a sheet.

Still, when he turned too quickly, he caught movement in the corner of his eye.

At school, people asked where Ian was.
Rico only said, "He moved away."

But sometimes, from the far end of the hallway, he saw someone who looked like his friend. Same walk, same laugh. Only a little slower and a little quieter.

One afternoon he passed the gym and stopped.
The sun spilled through the glass doors, and for a heartbeat, his reflection rippled.

There were two of him again.

He whispered, "Ian...?"

The reflection smiled back.

When the bell rang, no one noticed that only one shadow left the gym.

And it wasn't Rico's.