File 15: Uncle Grimmly – “The Hermit”

SUBJECT DESIGNATION: Uncle Grimmly – “The Hermit”

CLASS: Type IV Isolation-Manifested Entity (Solitary Reflective Variant)

CONTAINMENT STATUS: Secured within Portrait Frame #023, “Reflections of Neglect”

THREAT LEVEL: Moderate (Hostile Reaction to Observation)

IDENTIFICATION

Full Name (During Life): Gregory “Grimmly” Wenderforth

Apparent Age: 67 years

Gender: Male

Post-Mortem Appearance: Gaunt and sallow, with hollowed eyes and wispy silver hair. His spectral form flickers intermittently, as though reflected in multiple mirrors at once. Dressed in a tattered dressing gown, he clutches a small, cracked hand mirror close to his chest. His form is most visible in reflections, rarely appearing directly to the naked eye.

BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD

Uncle Grimmly was a distant relative of the mansion’s owners—an eccentric, withdrawn man whose fascination with mirrors bordered on obsession. Historical records note that he once claimed mirrors were “windows into truer worlds,” and that “no one can lie to their reflection.”

Family members eventually stopped visiting his wing of the mansion. Servants refused to clean his quarters after reports of strange mutterings and the sensation of being watched through every reflective surface. Over time, Grimmly sealed himself away completely, covering doors and windows to prevent intrusions while maintaining only the mirrors, which he polished daily with ritualistic precision.

No official death record exists. When his wing was rediscovered years later, his remains were found shriveled in a chair before a full-length mirror—still facing his own reflection.

CAUSE OF DEATH (THEORETICAL ANALYSIS)

Primary Hypothesis: Self-Imposed Isolation and Neglect Leading to Starvation or Dehydration

Alternate Theories:

Mirror Entrapment Phenomenon: Grimmly’s intense fixation may have facilitated a psychic transfer into the reflective dimension prior to physical death. The decaying body left behind may have been an empty shell.

Paranoia-Induced Withering: Prolonged solitude, combined with fear of intrusion, led to psychological deterioration severe enough to manifest physical decline.

Residual Reflection Feedback: Continuous self-observation could have created a feedback loop—his mind fracturing under the weight of infinite reflections until his body succumbed to atrophy.

Whatever the cause, Uncle Grimmly’s obsession fused his essence with reflective surfaces, creating a spirit that exists as much within mirrors as outside them.

PARANORMAL CHARACTERISTICS

Behavioral Pattern: Reclusive and easily agitated by direct eye contact. Reacts violently to sudden light exposure or reflective disruption.

Manifestation Site: Primarily within the Mirror Wing and adjacent corridors; occasionally manifests in smaller reflective objects such as silverware or glassware.

Activity Cycle: Nocturnal; most active between 1:00–3:00 AM, often during electrical storms or low ambient light conditions.

Notable Abilities:

Mirror Traversal: Can phase between mirrors and reflective surfaces instantaneously.

Reflection Duplication: Creates multiple false images to confuse observers.

Electrostatic Distortion: Causes flickering lights and mirror shattering upon anger or fear.

Psychological Projection: Induces feelings of isolation, paranoia, and self-loathing in nearby individuals—particularly those who gaze too long into mirrors.

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE

Uncle Grimmly exhibits symptoms consistent with advanced solipsism and reclusion psychosis—he views all outside entities as intruders and sees reflections as extensions of his fragmented consciousness.

Attempts to communicate through mirrored surfaces have yielded limited success. He responds best to calm tones and references to his solitude, indicating that he retains a degree of sentience and ego awareness. However, prolonged conversation leads to erratic behavior, including shouting, mirror slamming, and attempts at visual duplication (creating distorted copies of observers’ faces).

Researchers have observed that Grimmly displays intense fear of being “seen” by more than one reflection at a time, suggesting that awareness of self through multiple perspectives may cause him distress.

NOTES FROM PROF. E. GADD

“A tragic case of a man consumed by his own image. He thought mirrors showed him the truth—when really, they just reflected the loneliness he refused to face. Now, every time I polish a lens, I half expect him to glare back at me from inside it.”

— Prof. E. Gadd, Log Entry 23.07