The door to the antique shop opened, sounding the bell. Billy walked in hesitantly behind his best friend, Felix. It was an average antique shop. The shop was full of old books, incense, artifacts, paintings, and some decorative furniture. Billy and Felix had known of its existence since they were young kids and they had been to it a dozen times. Felix was a record collector and liked to visit shops repeatedly in hopes of finding valuable records. Billy, on the other hand, didn’t collect anything. He went along as he always did with Felix because he had nothing better else to do. The door accidentally shut into Billy’s face as they walked in. Billy grabbed his face in pain. He already had a black eye from getting hit in the face with a basketball by his nemesis and bully, Jason, during P.E. and his eye was still not able to open completely.
“Sorry man,” Felix was sincere but he couldn’t help grinning at the fact that Billy just hit his head on a door. “That was kinda funny.”
“I’m glad my sucky life could humor someone,” as far as Billy could remember, he was introvert, almost socially awkward. He was a quiet person and never got into any trouble. He was often the target of bullies and practical jokesters because of his passive demeanor. Billy only had one friend, Felix. At home, his parents were always working and never home. His dad was an alcoholic and his mom was a shopaholic, so they were occupied with their own lives. In Billy’s seventeen years, he had never been called handsome and his lack of spark in personality made him feel inadequate. Billy’s life wasn’t happy. He wasn’t happy.
“Somebody needs to teach Jason a lesson. One he won’t ever forget,” Felix felt bad for Billy. He really had no one looking out for him. For Felix, Billy had become a brother. He sympathized with Billy. But Felix wasn’t exactly alpha male enough to take on Jason. Felix was often picked on as well.
“Well, when you figure out a lesson let me know. I’d take just about any help right now,” Billy assured.
As Felix dug through the boxes of records in the shop, Billy searched around the shop half-heartedly, not really interested in being there. Billy was about to wait for Felix outside when he caught a glimpse of a mirror tucked in a corner in the back of the store. He could have sworn to himself that he saw his reflection wink back to him. He forgot about Felix and walked to the dimly lit corner of the store. The mirror looked abused. It was a long rectangular shape almost six feet high. It was embroidered with a rusted metal. It wasn’t a very attractive mirror, but something about the glass sparkled in a peculiar way. Despite how shoddy the framing of the mirror looked, the glass was perfect. No cracks, no smears, crystal clear. Billy was in a trance. He placed his hands against the glass and his reflection seemed to touch back. Billy could feel warmth from the mirror.
“You want that?” the old lady working interrupted Billy’s trance.
“Oh, I was just looking,” Billy was startled by the woman.
“Well if you want it, you can have it. That old piece there has been here since the shop opened 35 years ago.” The old woman seemed disgusted by the mirror as if it was a burden. “You’d be doing me a favor.”
“What do you want a mirror for?” Felix interrupted. He had returned from upstairs with an armful of records by his side. “You never really struck me as a mirror guy.”
Billy ignored Felix. “How much?”
“It’s free,” the old woman insisted. “The frame is so old and the mirror seems fragile.”
“The glass is perfectly in tact. It’s stronger than the framing. Is this some kind of special glass?” Billy asked.
“To be honest. I don’t ‘know.” The old lady scratched her head.
“You really want that mirror?” Felix thought Billy’s interest in the mirror was odd. Felix couldn’t remember Billy ever wanting to look in a mirror for any reason.
“Maybe your parents might be able to use it,” the old lady suggested.
Billy looked at the mirror that was fairly larger than him. “No, I’ll take it,” Billy stared in the mirror. He felt like the mirror had chosen him. Billy felt a spark of some kind.
Felix helped Billy carry the mirror into Billy’s house. Billy’s father was sitting in the living room with a large Budweiser can with his hands in his pants. As the boys came into the house, he didn’t move. He kept his back to them as he watched TV.
“Hey Dad,” Billy said in an emotionless way. His dad did not respond. “Where’s Mama?”
“I don’t know. Probably the mall,” Billy’s father took a swig of beer and still had not turned around.
“Hey, Mr. Edwards,” Felix thought Billy’s father was a wild card. Sometimes he was nice, most of the time he wasn’t.
Billy’s father turned his head around, “What the hell is that?”
“A an old mirror. I’m going to put it in my room,” Billy said nervously.
“A mirror? Are you two a couple of faggots?” Billy’s father took a swig of his beer and made a grimace.
“No. Can you finish helping me take this into my room, Felix?” time after time when Billy’s dad was drunk he would insult Billy. Billy had gotten used to it. Billy and Felix leaned the mirror against the wall in front of Billy’s bed. Billy looked at his reflection and he didn’t have a black eye. “You see that?”
“See what?” Felix looked at the mirror. It was true. Felix then looked at Billy. His face was completely normal. “When did that happen?”
“My black eye is gone!” Billy touched his face and it didn’t feel bruised. As a matter of a fact, he could open his eye all the way.
Felix hadn’t seen Billy so happy about anything in years. But the fact that Billy’s eye healed all of sudden gave Felix the creeps.
While Billy was hard asleep later that night, a piercing whisper of his name woke him up. Billy sat up in his bed and looked directly into the mirror. Billy’s heart seemed to skip a few beats when he saw his reflection staring back at him.
“Don’t be scared,” the reflection’s lips moved. It looked like Billy, but Billy knew it wasn’t him. “I see your eye healed well. I thought that would make you happy.”
“I must be dreaming?” Billy slowly got of his bed and made his way closer to the mirror, still far enough away from it out of suspicion. “You had something to do with my eye?”
“I healed you. Don’t you remember when we touched at the antique shop?”
“Who are you?”
“I’m who you want to be.”
The mirror swirled and then Billy saw himself playing basketball against Jason, one-on-one. He was playing the sport much better than he ever had. Billy won the game. The mirror swirled again and the reflection reappeared.
“Is this some kind of joke? I can barely make a layup. I didn’t and could never beat Jason in basketball,” Billy was sure this was just a weird dream.
“This could come true…if you want,” the reflection enticed Billy with his words, his mystery. “I could heal more than just your eye. I could heal your pain.”
“What’s the catch?” Billy was curious.
“No catch,” the reflection assured. “All you have to do is ask for my help and put your hands against the mirror.”
Billy was not sure what the consequences of his choice would be. If he didn’t do as the mirror told him, then Jason would surely humiliate him everyday if he could. Yet, if Billy chose the mirror’s help as bizarre as it seemed, it would be nice to beat Jason and shut him up for a change. Billy took his hands and put them against the mirror. The reflection followed and placed its hands against the mirror.
Billy took a deep breath, “Help me beat Jason.”
The reflection grinned and then Billy started to feel the warmth of his body leave as if it were being sucked into the mirror. Billy grew faint but was able to keep his composure. He was still standing in front of the mirror. He looked up and didn’t see his reflection. He turned around and his bedroom was gone. It was darkness all around him.
Billy heard a gruesome laugh. The reflection was in Billy’s room looking around, smelling the bed, Billy’s clothes, anything it could find. Billy was stuck inside the mirror.
“Hey! Let me out of here,” Billy panicked. He was developing claustrophobia.
“It’s been a long time since I got to play,” the reflection, who was now Billy, turned the mirror around to face the wall, so the real Billy could see nothing. “Don’t worry, I still have to commit to your request. However, I hope you like your new home.”
The morning came. The reflection was free. It felt its new body. It searched through Billy’s closet looking for something to wear. It didn’t like any of Billy’s choices. The reflection grabbed the mirror and sat it to where Billy could see the closet. “Good morning. Do you have anything more…suave to wear?” the reflection smiled brightly.
Billy banged his fists against the glass. “Let me out of here!”
“So, you’re not going to help me, Billy? Aren’t we friends?”
“What are you?”
“You’re no fun,” the reflection grabbed some jeans and a t-shirt and then drug the mirror in the closet. Billy was left in complete darkness.
The reflection had all of Billy’s memories, but it didn’t have the same emotions. The reflection was arrogant and coniving, traits that made it distinctly different from Billy. The reflection made it through Billy’s house and found Billy’s father still sitting on the couch watching TV accompanied by a Budweiser can.
“Your lazy ass needs to take out the trash,” Billy’s father spat out as the reflections made its way out the door.
“Why don’t you give the booze a break and do it your damn self,” the reflection winked at Billy’s father.
Billy’s father was shocked and couldn’t gather the words to respond quickly, “Excuse me boy?”
“I said you were a worthless piece of shit. I’m going to school now,” the reflection loved the satisfaction of being rebellious. It could tell from Billy’s father’s face that he was weak old man. It enjoyed having power over people. “Bye Dad,” the reflection grabbed Billy’s car keys and made his way to fulfill Billy’s request. “Oh yeah, if you see Mama, will you tell her I think she’s neglectful bitch.” The reflection left.
When P.E. came around Felix and the reflection were sitting on the bleachers, as Felix and Billy always did. Felix was going on about his record collection. “
“Felix, best friend, you know what’s better than those stupid records?”
“Stupid? What’s better then?” Felix couldn’t believe that Billy called his records stupid. Usually Billy would ask questions about value and why Felix wanted a particular record.
The reflection leaned down to Felix’s ear and whispered, “Pussy. You should get some.” The reflection took out Billy’s mp3 player and discretely listened to music.
Felix was speechless. Billy was acting strange.
The reflection was already getting bored in Billy’s daily routine. All of a sudden a basketball came flying into the reflection’s head knocking off its headphones. This was the same way in which Billy had received his black eye before the reflection healed it.
“Come on faggot. Want me to beat you again?” Jason walked up to the bleachers arrogantly with two of his buddies. “I want to wipe the court with you.”
The reflection looked at the broken mp3 player and then looked at Jason with a look of disgust. “Alright, inbred. I take you one-on-one. First to get 10. But let’s make this interesting. A bet.”
“A bet? Alright. If I win, you and your illegal alien looking friend have to lick my shoes clean,” Jason smirked and looked at Felix.
“You like to play dirty. I like that. If I win, I get your life,” the reflection was grave.
“My life? Like a slave or something? Whatever dude. Let’s play,” Jason dismissed what he thought to be Billy’s weird talk.
Felix watched attentively to Billy has he confidently played against Jason. Felix couldn’t believe how well Billy was playing. Lay-ups, 3-pointers, jump shots, Billy did it all. The look on Jason’s face was priceless. He was actually having to work to keep up with Billy. It was 9-8 and the reflection was about to shoot the winning basket. Jason checked the ball to him and the reflection faked to its left and took off down the court for a layup, but as it was about to score, Jason nudged the reflection forward as it went into the air. It tilted backward and fell on its back. Jason took the basketball and ran back down the court to score.
Felix ran onto the court to help the reflection that was laying on the ground passed out. A group of guys hovered around it. Felix broke through.
“Billy, you alright?” Felix shook it.
The reflection came to and remembered the pain of being in a human body. “Yeah, I’m fine.” It watched Jason laugh and celebrate with his friends. The reflection stood up and everyone returned to their seats. The reflection picked up the basketball and bounced it once.
Jason walked up to the reflection and grinned, “You gotta be careful. What you got, loser? I’m playing for my life here, ain’t I?
“Yes. Yes you are.” The reflection looked Jason dead in the eyes.
“Well, if I win you’re licking my shoes,” Jason said surely.
Jason checked the ball to the reflection and he dribbled forward with Jason playing defense running backwards. The reflection threw the ball at Jason’s face and then grabbed the ball and made a lay-up. Everyone cheered that hated Jason. Jason grew angry and stormed off to the bleachers.
“Man that was awesome!” Felix greeted Billy. “You’re like a new person.”
Jason was changing his clothes in the locker room and looking at the black eye that he had been awarded. The last school bell had rung and he was taking his time. He was the only one left in the locker room. The lights went out. “Hey, idiot, I’m in here getting dressed. The only light was the bathroom light that Jason stood in. The locker room was dark.” Jason heard a rattling sound, probably a lock on one of the lockers. Then more locks rattled until the whole locker room was sounding with spastic locks.
“Whoever that is I’m going to beat the shit out of you,” Jason wanted to pretend like he wasn’t scared. The rattling continued hurting Jason’s ears. “Stop!”
Just like that, the noise stopped.
“Jason,” a whisper came from behind the lockers.
Jason moved out of the bathroom into the locker room slowly.
“Jason,” the whisper seemed to be getting closer.
The reflection appeared behind Jason, “Gotcha!”
Jason fell to the ground and let out a small yelp, “You scared the shit out of me, dude!”
“Good. I’m just here to fulfill our bet,” the reflection grinned.
Billy’s father had the six o’clock news blaring and was half asleep. The reflection returned to Billy’s house. It had just made it in time for the top story of the night:
Sadly, this weekend approaches with tragedy. A Seventeen-year-old, Jason Stephens, was found dead at Oak Grove High School in the boys’ locker room. It appears to be a suicide as his body was found hanging in the showers. A note was found in his book bag that discussed his unhappiness. School will not be held tomorrow and the high school will have a special rally at the beginning of next week.
The reflection grinned and went to Billy’s room. Felix was there waiting.
“Did you hear about Jason?” Felix was disturbed.
“I actually just heard about it on the news,” the reflection was calm.
“I don’t get it. Jason was an asshole, but I never thought he would kill himself.”
“Well, better him than us, right?”
“What do you mean?”
“He was an asshole, who cares if he’s dead?
Something struck Felix’s nerves. Something was wrong. Something was wrong with Billy. Felix noticed that the mirror was not where they had originally put it.
“Where’s the mirror?”
“I took it back. Didn’t need it anymore?”
“How’d you get it back? It was pretty heavy.”
“Why are you asking so many questions?
“I asked two.”
“I took it back. Now, drop it. Anyways, Jason’s girlfriend, well I guess ex-girlfriend, Laura is having a gathering. I figure I’d console her and put the moves on her. Want to go?”
“Sure, could I meet you there?” Felix had a hunch that whatever was happening to Billy, the mirror might have something to with it. “I have to do a few things, so if I’m not there right at 8, go in without me.”
8pm came soon, but Felix wasn’t about to go to Laura’s house. He saw this as an opportunity to snoop around Billy’s room. Felix snuck through Billy’s bedroom window. He found the mirror in the closet. He turned on the closet light and saw, not his reflection, but Billy.
“Felix?” Billy spoke. “You got to get me out of here!”
“Am I hallucinating?”
“No, you’ve got to find my reflection, so I can get out of this mirror.”
“Find your reflection? This is crazy. I’m losing it.” Felix pinched himself.
“Felix, find my reflection and get him close enough to the mirror for me to grab him.”
Felix heard the bedroom door shut. His heart sank in fear.
“Now, what are you up to, Felix?” the reflection walked into the closet.
Felix grabbed a baseball bat that was in Billy’s closet, “I’ll break it! I swear!”
The reflection reached for the bat, but Felix dodged him and swung the bat into his chest. The reflection grabbed Felix and they wrestled. Felix swung the bat again, but this time he nicked the mirror.
Billy looked where the bat hit the mirror, “Hey, I can feel air! Felix, hit the mirror again!”
Felix understood and swung the bat as hard as he could into the mirror. The mirror smashed to the floor and Billy rolled onto the floor.
The reflection yelled, “No!” Its skin began to bubble like acid and then Billy’s skin melted off the reflection. The reflection’s true form was revealed and it was grotesque. It had grey skin and a warped head. Its fingers and feet were deformed. “My body! The mirror! You destroyed the mirror!” The reflection deteriorated and heap of grey flesh rested on Billy’s floor.
Billy and Felix sat in silence and breathed deeply in a long silence. They stared at the grey heap expecting it to move or something to jump out at them, but it didn’t.
“I think that thing killed Jason,” Felix interrupted the silence with his thoughts.
“Well, then something good came out of this,” Billy grinned. There was a part of Billy deep down inside that was thankful to the reflection.
Felix looked at his best friend’s face and saw that something about him had changed permanently.
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