The Mirror’s Echo

In the old Ashwood Manor, there was a mirror.

It had hung on the wall in the upstairs hallway for as long as anyone could remember, its surface murky and clouded with age. The townsfolk said it was haunted, a relic of dark rituals practiced by the original owner, Lady Elara Ashwood, a reclusive figure who vanished mysteriously one cold winter night in 1894. The legend was simple yet chilling: look into the mirror, and it would reveal the darkest parts of your soul.

Emily had heard the stories all her life, but curiosity always gnawed at her. So when she inherited Ashwood Manor from a distant relative, she decided to spend the night, determined to see the haunted mirror for herself.

The manor was silent as she stepped through the creaky front doors. Dust motes danced in the air, swirling in the dim light filtering through cracked windows. Shadows seemed to cling to every corner, stretching and twisting as she made her way upstairs. At the end of the hallway, the mirror awaited, its tarnished frame carved with twisting vines and unfamiliar symbols that seemed to pulse under her gaze.

Taking a deep breath, Emily approached the mirror. She felt an unnatural chill as she stood before it, her own face staring back at her, pale and tense. For a moment, she almost laughed, feeling silly for fearing an old piece of glass.

Then, she noticed something… off.

Her reflection was smiling, though she was certain her own lips hadn’t moved. She felt her stomach tighten as she tried to step back, but her reflection stayed still, staring straight into her eyes, grinning wider and wider until it no longer looked like her face at all. The eyes grew darker, hollower, filled with a void so deep that it seemed to pull her in.

A cold voice echoed in her mind, barely a whisper yet deafening in its intensity: “Let me out.”

Emily stumbled back, but the mirror’s image followed her every move, as though mocking her fear. And then, the reflection raised a hand—its fingers curling slowly, unnaturally—beckoning her to come closer. She shook her head, her heart pounding, but she felt her body moving forward, her feet dragging her toward the glass as though an invisible force was pulling her in.

She reached out, her hand trembling as it met the icy surface of the mirror. Her reflection’s fingers overlapped with hers, and suddenly, a sensation like freezing water poured over her, flooding her senses. The world spun, and darkness enveloped her.

When her vision cleared, she was still staring at the mirror—but something was different. She was inside it, looking out. Her reflection, the thing that wore her face, now stood in the hallway, looking at her with that same chilling grin. She screamed, pounding against the glass, but no sound escaped. She was trapped, her voice lost in the mirror’s silent, eternal echo.

The creature that had taken her place smiled one last time, then turned and walked away, leaving her to watch helplessly from the other side.

Thank you for reading The Mirror’s Echo. If you enjoyed this dark tale, don’t forget to like and share. But remember… not all mirrors are what they seem.