The Reflection

Ariane had always been fascinated by old things, the stories they could tell, and the history they held. That’s why she found herself browsing through a second-hand store in the heart of Milan, her fingers trailing along the dusty shelves filled with relics from another time. She was searching for something unique, something that would make her feel connected to the past.

Her eyes fell on an antique mirror—its frame gilded with intricate patterns, the glass slightly fogged with age. It was placed in the corner of the store, nearly hidden behind a collection of vintage books. She stepped closer, drawn to it, feeling a strange pull that she couldn’t explain.

Ariane’s reflection stared back at her, but something wasn’t right. Her image seemed distorted, like the mirror was somehow bending the light around her, twisting her features. For a moment, she thought it was just the age of the glass, but then she noticed something even more unsettling. Her reflection was smiling, but Ariane wasn’t smiling.

The sudden realization made her heart race. She stepped back, her eyes still fixed on the mirror. The reflection, however, didn’t move with her. It remained still, the smile widening, as if mocking her. She blinked, hoping it was just a trick of the light, but when she opened her eyes again, the reflection had changed.

Now, it wasn’t just her smiling. The figure in the mirror—an exact copy of her—stepped out of the frame, moving with eerie precision.

Ariane gasped and stumbled backward. She turned quickly, glancing around the store, but no one was there to see. The shopkeeper was in the back, and the bell above the door had stopped ringing. The store was empty.

Her breath quickened as she looked back at the mirror. The reflection was no longer smiling. It was staring at her, its eyes cold and unblinking, as though it was waiting for her to make the next move. The figure raised its hand and pressed it against the glass. Ariane’s own hand trembled as it shot to her side, unwilling to touch the mirror.

She reached for her phone, her fingers shaking as she snapped a picture of the reflection. But when the flash went off, the reflection vanished. The mirror was empty again, just a regular antique.

Ariane took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart, but as she turned to leave, she caught her reflection in the mirror one last time.

This time, she was smiling.