The Mirror – Short Story

It all started when Jim Orwell woke up on that foggy fall morning in 1954. He got up, brushed his teeth, and sat down miserably at the dismal kitchen table. He had just moved with his mother to an outdated house in the middle of nowhere. Jim walked three miles to the closest bus stop every morning and usually arrived late to school. He didn’t have any friends yet. As soon as he arrived home every day, he sat down alone to do his homework, because Mrs. Orwell worked at a factory until very late at night. Jim was tired of all this. He missed his old home, he missed his old friends, and most of all he missed living somewhere where he actually felt safe. This house made him jumpy – he always felt like he heard footsteps, or a door swinging shut, or, sometimes, on the quietest, darkest lonely nights, a voice. All these thoughts fought for room in his head, and he decided then and there that he wouldn’t put up with it any longer. He’d explore the old house thoroughly, from top to bottom, and drive out his fear of the unknown for good. Jim decided to start with the upstairs hallway – there were a lot of rooms there. It was a dull, cloudy day, and he wondered for a moment if he should wait for his mother, or explore on a bright and sunny day. He felt embarrassed at once. “It’s my own house,” he thought to himself. “I’m a coward if I don’t settle this for myself.” He looked down the hallway at the door on the opposite wall. He hated that door. It looked like the wood was rotting, and there seemed to be a series of scratches on it. He decided to start with that one. He stepped gingerly around the various debris and garbage in the hallway. They hadn’t gotten around to cleaning out the house yet.

Jim reached out and opened the door. The room was small and dark. The tacky wallpaper was peeling off. The room felt chilly and dusty, like no one had been in it for a long time. It was empty except for a tall mirror. He stared in the mirror and saw his reflection but next to it…. Next to it was a dim outline of something. He blinked and looked back. There was nothing there. He stretched out an arm and wiped away the layer of dust. With a small cry, he jumped back from the mirror. In the reflection, a boy with hollows instead of eyes stood next to him. He held a raggedy teddy bear with one hand and wore a little sailor cap. Mike whirled around. His head pounded and he felt like all of his blood was rushing into his face. There was still no one there. He looked back at the mirror; he felt sick now. The boy was still there. Jim was afraid; he hurried back to the door, but it felt glued shut. He turned back to the mirror. It looked like the boy was standing on the other side of the mirror. The boy was smiling now. He said, “my name is Paulie. Have you come to play?” The boy started laughing – it sounded normal at first, but then it became distorted and grows louder. Jim was startled, and began backing away from the mirror. The boy reached through the mirror and grabbed Jim’s wrist!

64 years later…

       The house in the middle of nowhere has been abandoned ever since the disappearance of James Orwell. Now a real estate agent has come to take a look at the property. She’s not very hopeful for a great price – it’s an eyesore, really, and she thinks personally that it should be torn down. It gives her the creeps, anyway. She can’t think why anyone would want to build such a big house this far away from anything, and it took her far too long to get here. She heard it on good authority that the last people who bought it only took it because it came dirt cheap. There’s scary stories about this place in town. She shivers; it’s gotten chilly all of a sudden. She examines every room and takes notes on her clipboard. She finally comes to an old wooden door at the end of a hallway. She opens the door and steps inside. The room is empty with the exception of an old mirror. As the real estate agent steps closer to the mirror, she notices something written on the mirror. She wipes of the layer of dust that covers it to reveal the message. The words “HELP ME” has been written on the mirror from the inside.

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