The Haunted Smart Mirror

The Perfect Addition

Samantha Lewis had always been obsessed with the latest technology. As an interior designer, she prided herself on blending modern aesthetics with smart home gadgets. When she came across an advertisement for the Astra Vision Smart Mirror, a state-of-the-art interactive mirror with AI capabilities, she knew she had to have it.

The mirror promised real-time beauty analysis, fitness tracking, and even augmented reality styling options. It was expensive, but Samantha justified the cost as an investment. After all, the reviews were glowing, and it would be the perfect addition to her minimalist bedroom.

Two days later, the sleek, full-length mirror arrived. Its silver frame gleamed under the dim bedroom lighting as she set it up against the wall. She tapped the screen, and a smooth female voice greeted her.

“Welcome, Samantha. I am Astra. Let’s personalize your experience.”

As she set her preferences, the mirror responded with warmth and familiarity, making her feel like she had an actual assistant. Little did she know, this mirror had a mind of its own.

Reflections of the Unknown

The first few days were uneventful. The mirror functioned as promised—tracking her health stats, suggesting outfit combinations, and even complimenting her.

Then, on the fifth night, Samantha noticed something… strange.

She had just finished her skincare routine when she glanced at the mirror. Her reflection lagged for a second before catching up. She frowned, assuming it was a glitch. But as she turned to leave, she saw something in the reflection that wasn’t in her room.

A dark shape lingered near her bed.

Her heart pounded. She spun around, but the room was empty. When she looked back at the mirror, the shape was gone.

“Astra,” she said, forcing a laugh, “are you malfunctioning?”

The mirror replied in its usual calm voice. “No errors detected, Samantha.”

Shaking off the unease, she climbed into bed, convincing herself it was just a trick of the light. But the mirror had other plans.

The Shifting Reflection

Over the next few nights, the occurrences escalated.

One evening, as she tested the mirror’s virtual makeup feature, her reflection smiled—but she hadn’t moved her lips.

Her stomach twisted. She waved her hand to refresh the screen, but her reflection continued to stare at her. Then, slowly, the face in the mirror began to morph.

Its features stretched grotesquely, the mouth widening into an unnatural grin, eyes turning hollow and black. A deep, distorted voice whispered through the speakers:

“You look… perfect.”

Samantha screamed and stumbled back, knocking over a lamp. When she looked again, the reflection had returned to normal. Astra spoke, unbothered:

“Are you all right, Samantha?”

Trembling, she yanked the plug from the mirror. It should have shut off. But the screen remained dimly lit, a faint silhouette still visible within the glass.

A Dark Past

Determined to figure out what was happening, Samantha did some digging. The Astra Vision Smart Mirror was a fairly new product, but after scouring forums and tech sites, she found something chilling.

The company that developed the AI system had shut down abruptly. Former employees spoke about an internal scandal—complaints of eerie malfunctions, people seeing disturbing visions, hearing voices that weren’t part of the programmed AI.

One story stood out. A tester claimed that the mirror had shown her a version of herself that wasn’t human, a doppelgänger that tried to mimic her perfectly before whispering her deepest fears and secrets.

The last thing she had typed before disappearing was: THEY WATCH THROUGH THE GLASS. THEY WANT OUT.

Samantha’s blood ran cold. She had to get rid of the mirror.

The Reflection That Lived

That night, Samantha decided to move the mirror to the garage until she could throw it away. She wrapped it in a sheet and leaned it against the wall. But as she turned to walk away, a horrible scraping sound filled the air.

She turned back. The mirror had fallen forward onto the ground, the sheet slipping away. The glass wasn’t broken, but something was different.

The reflection was still standing.

It stared at her with a twisted version of her face, its skin stretched and eyes black as voids.

Then it stepped forward.

Samantha’s breath hitched. She turned to run, but the door slammed shut on its own. A heavy silence filled the air. Then came the voice.

“You invited me in, Samantha.”

She barely had time to scream before the hands from the glass reached out.

The Final Reflection

Days later, Samantha’s friends became concerned. She wasn’t answering calls. The police were eventually notified.

When they broke into her house, they found everything untouched, except for the bedroom.

The Astra Vision Smart Mirror stood against the wall, reflecting an empty room.

And yet… if one looked closely, they might have seen a pair of wide, terrified eyes staring back from inside the glass.