The Man In The Mirror (Short Story - Horror)
This is day 15 for me in @dragosroua's 30 day writing challenge. I think I missed the first couple of days, but have produced an article or story for each day since. Still haven't run out of steam.
Today I am taking a break from the Notes From an Amateur Writer series to bring you a short story I wrote. It is an entry for @jrhughes's Urban Legend Flash Fiction Contest. This is a horror story, loosely based on the Urban Legend concept.
THE MAN IN THE MIRROR
It was the same view everyday. It had never changed. Not for Norman, anyway. He saw what he was shown, as it had been drilled into him from such a young age. When your other appears then make sure you are there. To greet him, so to speak. But mostly, to make sure he doesn't freak out. Imagine how your other would feel, having arrived to look at himself in the mirror, groggy from having just woken up, and still blurry eyed, and there was no reflection?
He had been told all the rules. All of Norman's responsibilities had been drilled into him from a very young age. He understood, he truly did. But he was bored of it all. The others never appreciated the role the reflections played in their lives. It was all taboo. All left unsaid. Never to be spoken. They will never understand.
Well make them understand, Norman had tried to tell his fellow reflections, back in his energetic youth. But like his other, Norman was growing older. He wasn't old, not as far as he saw it. But older. The anger had dissipated, perhaps still there under the surface, but probably just converted to a more user friendly type of energy. Now Norman mostly felt boredom. The same old thing day in and day out. Be a reflection for your other. Be there when he needs you. Do not rock his world.
But why can't he rock his other's world? What would happen to him if he did? Norman knew what would happen. At least he felt he did.
Norman greeted the morning as he did every day of his life; earlier than his other. With the same appearance as his other. That part came naturally, being symbiotically connected to each other as they were. Smiling to himself, before any sign of life from the bedroom, Norman stood to attention just out of sight, but yet a million miles from his other's awareness. Separated only by a mirror, but connected by a lifetime of mystery and unknowns.
Today was a brand new day. For both Norman, and the man who shared his image, and had stared into his eyes thousands of times; and yet never knew.
His other approached the en-suite, and slowly opened the door. Reaching for the light switch, he flipped it as he stumbled his way to the mirror. A daily ritual. It had never really changed over the years. There were the odd times when a variation had developed. Perhaps he had been trialling a new way of starting the day. Perhaps he had slept in, or drunk too much the previous night. And then there were the times when he hadn't even stayed the night in his own home. Norman remembered those times well. Sharing the other side of the mirror with another reflection. Even reflections needed company.
But outside of these rare opportunities to experience variety, this had been his world. And this had been his routine. So much the same, so much repetition. But now Norman could feel a buzz, a sense of fate emerging. He felt, in a strange kind of way, somewhat human. Like his other. The tingling in his arms, the increased heart rate, the deep breath to steady his nerve. Decision time had come.
Norman waited patiently for his other to stand in front of the mirror. He counted down the seconds knowing it would finally dawn on him. Standing quietly to the side of the mirror, just out of sight, Norman observed the realisation and horror develop on his other's face. He watched the colour drain away, and vanish; replaced as it was by an ashen non-colour. His other placed his hands against the sink below the mirror, spread wide to support his weakening body. Eyes wide open, he continued to stare in disbelief. He continued to stare at a blank mirror.
Norman gently entered the frame and faced his other. “Hello,” he said, expressionless.
“Who are you?” the other said, almost tripping over his words as his speaking abilities started to leave him.
“I'm you. Can't you tell?”
“You're me? What do you mean?” Norman's other struggled with the concept that was slowly emerging from the cognitive fog he found himself in. “You can't be me. I'm me.”
“We're both you. I'm your reflection. You're my other. We are both us.”
The other stood still, continuing to hold onto the sink for stability. He stared, wide eyed, at his reflection looking back at him. But not at all like it usually stared back at him. It was no longer his reflection. It most certainly looked like him. Norman's other took in that knowledge, a fearful realisation dawning on him.
Norman removed a hammer he had been hiding out of his other's view. “You may want to step away for a moment,” he told him. Upon the sight of the hammer entering his vision he promptly did as instructed. Norman smashed the mirror. Only one hit was needed. Multiple shards of glass dropped into the sink, and onto the floor.
The other stared in disbelief as his reflection climbed through the mirror and entered his world.
“Can you do that?” he asked.
“Seems I can. Wasn't really sure until just now,” Norman replied. He lifted the hammer above his head as he looked over at where his other was standing. He stepped forward.
“What are you doing? I thought I was you, and you were me.” He cowered, wide eyed, and frozen, as Norman approached.
“Yes, we are the same, it would seem,” Norman said as he swung the hammer down on his other. “But I'm bored of being your reflection.”
Images sourced from unsplash.com.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you liked it then please like, comment, and follow.
Notes From an Amateur Writer blog series:
Notes From an Amateur Writer #1 - The Search For Inspiration
Notes From an Amateur Writer #2 - A Call to Action: Interacting With the World Outside of Me
Notes From an Amateur Writer #3 - Facing the Challenge
Notes From an Amateur Writer #4 - The Soundtrack to Grief and Loss
Notes From an Amateur Writer #5 - Music as a Catalyst for Imagination: Jimi Hendrix's Little Wing
Notes From an Amateur Writer #6 - The Stories All Around Us
Notes From an Amateur Writer #7 - Introducing Nomad [A Cyberpunk Mystery in the Making]
Notes From an Amateur Writer #8 - The House at the Edge of the World
Notes From an Amateur Writer #9 - Making Peace With My Kindle
Notes From an Amateur Writer #10 - Learning the Craft of Story Structure
Notes From an Amateur Writer #11 - Adults Sit at the Big Table, Children Sit at the Small Table
Notes From an Amateur Writer #12 - The Time I Won a Lego Competition
Notes From an Amateur Writer #13 - Learning to Fly
Short Fiction:
Bang Bang You're Dead
I Have No Name and I Must Scream
The Last Book Store
The Judge
WHAT THE!! I've written something eerily similar to this as a draft of a novel in the past, which is ironic, since we're talking about reflections and mirrors. OH MAN! Getting goosebumps as I read through the piece. Are you my other? Rather, am I your other?? :O
Woooh breathe. Let me collect myself for a minute. This is so freaky haha!
Doppelganger stories are really unnerving. One might argue that it's even more unnerving than clone stories, because of the more unexplained aspect of it. I'm assuming that's the urban story you're trying to depict here. The urge that Norman has, trying to step away from being someone else's shadow is so relateable in the present context. Everyone wants to make a name for themselves instead of just being a derivative. Great work fleshing these ideas out, mate!
One might argue this is more short story than flash fiction, but who's keeping score. I hope this wins the contest, brother :) (:
The writer whose other is a character he has written in one of his stories, who emerges from the pages of a book to take over his life. Or the author/reader instead of other/reflection relationship. Now you've got me thinking.
I think we may be on a similar wavelength with our writing. Soon we will have to race each other to publish, if we get in sync with each other. Would love to read your take on the concept though.
I suppose the Urban Legend aspect I was loosely aiming for was the idea of being replaced by a copy or lookalike, and tying that in to the fears we have especially as children, about everyday things like our reflections, or monsters under the bed, etc. And the way in which those stories get passed around, and take on a life of their own. How would such a story play out. Does the monster/other have their own story and hopes/dreams?
It probably is less flashy than it could be, lol. But technically it is under 1000 words, so I qualify for the competition, just :)
Thanks for your detailed comment and analysis. You get me thinking, and looking deeper, which is helpful to the creative process.
Not if I think of it first!! Nah, just kidding :D Being on the same league as you is honor enough, mate. Don't mention it, brother. As I told you before, I do unto others (insert complete saying here). I really enjoy supporting friends, so it's not bother at all. I'm just glad I'm able to help out any way I can :D
What you said is actually what doppelgangers do! Talking about replacing you and taking over your life. It's not what the article I linked to specifically mentions, but it's a story I've heard of countless times. To that end, I refer you to this very claustrophobic movie starring Jesse Eisenberg.
Sending me links with wonderful and mythical ideas and concepts - are you trying to inspire me :)
I actually just thought the term doppelganger meant exact lookalike. Didn't know it had the extra layer of meaning to it. Curioser and curioser. There goes that White Rabbit again.
That movie also looks particularly interesting. More food for my creative interests.
Oh you bet I am! :D I'm very interested to see what you come up with upon your emergence from the rabbit hole haha
Very eerie! The imagery of breaking free from a life that has been pushed upon one from childhood is intriguing, and the thought of staring into an empty mirror is so unsettling! Great post :)
Thanks for your feedback. I'm so glad you sensed the eerieness of it! I appreciate the opportunity to participate in your contest.
Wow. This gave me the skin bumps. The tinglies.
Well done.
Thank you. Glad to hear it had a reaction. The words have done their job :)
I appreciate the comment.
I love horror! and my pseudonym is Norman Twisted. An art critic called me Norman Rockwell for the twisted, and I just shortened it. Good job! Keep it up!
Cool username, and back story. Thanks for reading and commenting.
Nice one, Naquoya! This was a really good take on the doppelganger mythos! Norman was an eerily endearing character. I felt no evil in him, only an unquenchable will to live. Not even as the hammer was falling upon his “real” self did it feel unjustified. The murder of an innocent can instill fear, but being able to relate with the murderer and not condemn his actions is even more terrifying!
Thanks for your comment, really appreciate it. Yes, I tried to make Norman somewhat endearing. To add to the juxtaposition of emotions at work in the concept. It's a horror, and as a reader we can sense that in the story. But there is this other element. We should be frightened, but at the same time we also understand. That is what I was aiming for, loosely.
Great story nicely written. Mirrors are so fascinating. When I was growing up we had to corner mirrors in the bathroom that opened. As you brought the mirrors closer together you would see multiple reflections like pages of a book and always intrigued me to see the repetitions of my face.
Thanks, seriously appreciate hearing that. I know the corner mirrors you speak of. They do create an interesting effect. I hadn't thought of them in the context of a story like this. (Says I, as I put my thinking cap on). A job I worked at had a large pathway between a series of townhouses, and on each side were very large mirrors, directly opposite each other. It created a cascading reflection of a reflection (and on and on) effect.
I really like this one!! WOW. It already starting interesting with my thinking of Psycho, the guy also called Norman as far as I remember together with your first photo. Although not the same, still my thoughts went out to the famous bathroom scene. Anyway, long story short: I did like the story very much and I just hope this is fiction for you and not something from own experience :)
Thank you, really glad you liked it. The Psycho movie did play a small inspiration in this, mainly the character's name. So well done on spotting that.
I would say that this is purely fictional, but my reflection would say that, wouldn't he. How will we ever know?
Don't want to sound to gushing, but I have to because it is true. I loved the story, I thought it was inventive and had a nice twist. Yesterday's story was great for so many different reasons, but I think that both share the same great writing :-) thanks again.
Thanks, glad to hear that you liked it. I had the idea for the story, but wasn't happy with it until I told it from the reflection's perspective. Then it popped, for me at least. I appreciate the feedback.
I don't think that it would have been as engaging from the other side, good call.
I think you are right. I had the story idea going around in my head, yet couldn't start the writing process. It just wasn't clicking, not until it occurred to me the story was Norman's story, not his reflections. It went from sounding cliche to actually having it's own personality, I feel.
Cool story. Found your post via the urbanstories competition. Smiling. Following for more.
Hugs.
J.
Hi,
I am interested in turning your story into a short film.
I would love to chat with you. Please email me at: [email protected]