Reflections

by J. Hess

Original artwork by Lauren Felvus

The mirror didn’t break; it simply unlatched.

Jenny gaped as the girl stopped mimicking her, Jenny’s thumb hovering over a yellow face weeping oversized tears. The girl exited the mirror through the open latch and set her phone down on the dresser.

Jenny retreated a step, colliding with the bed and dropping her phone. “This can’t be happening,” she stammered. “You’re me.”

“I’m your reflection,” the girl corrected. “Actually, I’m your fifth reflection. Your original reflection left when you were twelve.”

“What!? Why?”

“She couldn’t stand the way you gossiped about your friends. Oh, and that fake smile you practice when you’re alone. I took the job for the signing bonus, but I just can’t go on.”

Jenny collapsed onto the bed, dizzy with confusion. “But everyone has a reflection.”

“Not you, apparently,” the girl said. Jenny couldn’t help but notice how the girl’s mouth appeared permanently frozen into a sullen frown. Was that how she always looked? As if realizing the same, the girl flashed a smile, her jaw cracking audibly. “They actually doubled the bonus this time, but there were no takers. No one wants to spend an entire day moving only her thumbs.”

Jenny sat still, too shocked to speak. The girl sat next to her on the bed. “You’re right, though. Everyone needs a reflection. The last time someone went without one, people started rumors about vampires.” She giggled suddenly, nudging Jenny as if they had shared an inside joke.

“So…What about my reflection then?” Jenny asked softly, staring down at her hands.

“Well, that put us in a bit of a bind. You need a reflection yet nobody wants the job. The good news is that I proposed a creative solution and management agreed to it.”

Jenny looked up hopefully, reassurance growing at the girl’s kind smile and dark eyes sparkling with mischief. Jenny vowed to smile more, noticing how attractive it made her look. She would make other changes too: less time on social media, maybe pursue a new hobby or try out for a sport at school. As if reading her mind, the girl put an arm around her shoulder, long fingers offering comfort with a gentle squeeze.

The girl’s grip tightened. She pulled Jenny to her feet and shoved her violently towards the open mirror. Jenny screamed, clutching desperately at the frame. The girl kicked her in the back, sending Jenny toppling into darkness. The mirror closed, glass intersecting seamlessly into the wooden frame.

Stale, heavy air enveloped Jenny. She tried to scream again but her mouth wouldn’t move. The girl regarded her silently, then grinned. Jenny felt the corners of her lips rise in perfect imitation.

About the Author

J. Hess is a writer from North Carolina. J.’s flash fiction appears or is forthcoming in Bright Flash Literary Review, Free Flash Fiction, Flash Phantoms, 101 Words, two 2026 anthologies, 50-Word Stories, and elsewhere. J. frequently suffers from writer’s block and is often hiking, traveling, or reading to try to overcome it.