The Man in the Mirror 3

Part 3: Rust closed loop

The twelve floor-to-ceiling mirrors in the attic form a hexagonal array, and the kerosene lamp tears my shadow into pieces. The real Samuel died on the electric shock platform long ago, and the ghost in the mirror is just a collection of resentment created by Dr. Lehman through collective hypnosis.

"We all need a container." The ghost's fingers penetrated the mirror surface, and the burns on my left hand had spread to my forearm. The copper rust solvent bubbled in the porcelain plate, and the confession of the survivor of the fire in 1912 suddenly flashed through my mind-it was the nurse who used the copper green solution to extinguish the phosphorescent fire on his body.

The moment the solvent was splashed on the mirror, all the reflections screamed like broken glass. In the morning light, the last trace of rust was seeping into the wood grain, and the buyer rang the doorbell downstairs: "I heard that you repaired the cursed one..."

Three months later, Sotheby's auction house updated its collection on its official website. In the photo, the brand new mirror reflects the gold ring used by a Middle Eastern tycoon to wipe the frame, and a drop of rust-red liquid is slowly spreading along the end of the stroke of "17".