The lost reflection

No one in town remembered exactly when the gray house arrived. It was not on the maps, nor was it mentioned in the historical records. It just appeared one day on the hill, as if it had always been there.

For Daniel, a young photographer obsessed with capturing the unusual, the house represented a mystery impossible to ignore. It was said that no one who entered would ever be the same again, but he didn't believe in horror stories. So one afternoon, camera in hand, he crossed the threshold of the rickety door.

Inside, the house was in perfect condition. There was no dust, no old furniture, no signs of neglect. Just a long hallway with identical doors on both sides. At the end, a huge mirror hung on the wall, reflecting the place with eerie precision.

Daniel raised his camera and took a picture of the mirror. He looked at the screen and felt his skin crawl: the image showed the room, but he was not in the reflection. With his heart pounding in his throat, he looked directly into the mirror and his blood froze. His reflection was gone.

One step after another, he approached the glass. He touched the cool surface with his fingertips and, in the blink of an eye, the image changed. Now he could see himself... but the figure in the reflection was smiling, even though he was not.

The Daniel in the mirror raised his hand and touched the glass from the other side. The real Daniel tried to pull away, but felt a tug in his chest. A sharp pain shot through him and, in the blink of an eye, everything went dark.

When he woke up, he was on the other side of the mirror. He saw his own body turning around, walking away without looking back. He screamed, banged on the glass, but no one heard him. Outside, his reflection picked up the camera, checked the photos and left the house as if nothing had happened.

The door closed by itself. And the gray house, once again, waited in silence for the next visitor.