A nightmare

Adelphi rather enjoyed the life she lived. Due to her status, comfort was never quite an issue for her nor was the lack of it ever on her mind. The one thing that did often consume her was how lonely she was in her own home. She was taken care of, pampered even, however that did not change the fact of how cold and isolated she felt. Sheltered from the outside world, she felt truly alone. Time and time again this led to her mind wandering. Most times it was daydreams, simple fantasies. However at night, when sleep eluded her and she lay awake thinking about all the things she wished were different, the daydreams became more vivid.

One particular night she found herself lying on her bed staring into nothingness as she found her gaze drifting to her vanity, a large mirror staring back at her. Adelphi's face looked like it belonged to someone else, or so she thought. Her eyes were tired as they stared into her reflection, but there was something in those eyes that she couldn't explain. In the darkness of the room, the only light came from the moonlight coming in through the window, casting shadows across the ceiling and walls. The image before her began to look odd, almost unreal.

Like she had been thrown into another reality—a dream-like place where everything around her seemed slightly off. As if she was no longer here but somewhere far away, lost within a strange and unfamiliar land. She struggled to bring herself to her feet, her legs trembling as she tried to stand up, but failed miserably. The next moment her body jerked violently as if a cord attached to her spine had been cut and her weight had suddenly left her. Stumbling , she found herself grasping onto the mirror she had been staring into.

It was dark in the room now and she could barely see anything except what was reflected in the mirror. But then, with a sudden jolt, she realized she wasn't looking at her own reflection anymore. It was a grotesque vision that stared back at her, its features distorted beyond recognition. Eyes huge in their sockets; bulging cheeks; and long hair framing a misshapen skull. Those same eyes—those black orbs filled with hunger—stared back at her. In her fear she didn't notice as her grip tightened enough to crack the glass, cutting her hand on the shards that fell to the floor. Blood trickled down her palm as she held on tightly to the mirror. With shaking legs, she pulled herself upright. Looking back, she saw the thing in the mirror had disappeared. Her eyes followed the direction of the mirror, seeing nothing. Had she imagined it? She shook her head. No. She must have really seen it. That was real. Something had just appeared out of nowhere. Then it vanished.

With trepidation, she reached over to the vanity table to grab a hand towel that had been laid out from earlier. Holding it against her bloodied hand, she placed her other hand on the table to steady herself. She turned her attention back to the mirror, deciding to inspect it closer, hoping to find some sign of the creature she'd seen. At first she saw nothing, no creature trapped within her reflection. Yet as she looked closer, she felt the room chill. There was something in the mirror. It was behind her, moving slowly towards her. Very slowly. Before she knew it, she could feel its breath on her neck, the air around her thickening.

This was it. This was the end.

She shut her eyes tight as she prepared for death. The pressure on her chest, the suffocating feeling, grew stronger by the second. Fear gripped her heart, her lungs gasping for breath. Despair set in and she was sure she was going to die right here in her own bedroom. She thought of all the things she would leave undone, all the regrets she had. How unfair it was that she had lived such a short life, leaving so much unfinished. Tears started to flow down her cheeks as the thing pressed a hand against her throat, pushing her forward, forcing her to the edge of the vanity.

With a final shove, she toppled backwards, falling into the mirror.

- Adelphi awoke to the sound of voices in the corridor outside her door. She was laying in her bed, bundled under layers of warm blankets as the early morning sun streamed in through the window. Feeling groggy, she sat up in bed, adjusting to the sunlight shining on her face. A quick glance told her she was alone in her room. Without warning, panic hit her. What had happened? Where had the creature gone? The last thing she remembered was falling into the mirror, but she could not recall anything after that.

Yet the mirror seemed to still be intact when her eyes fell upon it. Standing and approaching the vanity with hesitation, she grabbed the towel she had used to wipe the blood from her hand. There were no broken pieces of glass, no blood either. Nothing. Just a mirror. She examined it closely, searching for any sign that might tell her what had happened. If it hadn't shattered, then what did that mean? Was she delusional, having imagined it all? Perhaps it could all be chalked up to a nightmare. After all, she had been sleeping poorly these past few nights. Perhaps she had dreamed it all. Yes, that was it. It was nothing. Nothing at all. She stood for a while longer, inspecting the mirror, examining every inch of the glass, trying to figure out what had happened, whether she had really seen the creature in the mirror. When she was satisfied, she pulled her robe over her shoulders and went downstairs, eager to escape her own thoughts.

As the door to her room closed, a single crack ran along the center of the mirror.