The Monster in Mirror Town — A Fair Turned Nightmare"

Every summer, Mirror Town hosted the grandest fair in the entire valley. Ferris wheels spun under starlit skies, popcorn perfumed the air, and laughter echoed through the narrow cobbled streets. But this year’s fair was different. This year, the monster returned.

The townsfolk had long buried the legend of the "Glass-Eyed Monster" — a creature said to dwell in cracked mirrors and reflections, feeding on fear. It was a tale passed down for generations, often told to children to keep them from playing in the abandoned carnival section on the edge of the town. No one really believed it… until the lights of the fair flickered for the first time in 17 years.

The fair opened with excitement. Children ran with glowing balloons, and stalls overflowed with cotton candy and handcrafted toys. In the center stood the main attraction: The Mirror Maze, newly rebuilt after being mysteriously destroyed years ago. "Back by Popular Demand!" the sign read, though no one recalled demanding it.

Among the visitors were three friends: Amira, brave and curious; Zayan, always skeptical; and Rafi, the quiet observer. They laughed, tried every ride, and saved the Mirror Maze for last.

“Who’s scared of a few mirrors?” Zayan chuckled, holding open the flap of the tent. Inside, the maze shimmered with silver walls that reflected endless versions of themselves. It was beautiful — at first.

They stepped in together, but quickly lost sight of each other. The laughter faded. The maze was silent except for the soft hum of the fair outside. Then came the whispers.

“Rafi?” Amira called out.

But instead of Rafi’s voice, she heard a soft hiss: “Run…”

Zayan was next. He turned a corner and found a version of himself staring back with completely black eyes. When he blinked, it was gone. He laughed nervously, trying to shake the chill crawling up his spine.

Rafi, who had always been fascinated with stories, stopped in front of a mirror that didn't reflect anything at all — just a shimmering void. He stepped closer. From within the glass, a hand shot out, clawed and covered in shadow.

Outside the maze, the fair continued unaware. But inside, things were unraveling.

Amira found herself in a dead end, the mirrors around her warping and twisting. Her reflection began to move independently, smiling when she wasn’t. Then, it spoke.

“You brought the fair to me. I was so hungry.”

Amira screamed and ran, slamming into mirror after mirror. Somewhere behind her, a low growl echoed.

Zayan punched one of the mirrors in panic, shattering it — but instead of shards, a cloud of smoke spilled out, and from it, the monster emerged: eight feet tall, skin like broken glass, with one glowing red eye and one mirror in its face. It didn’t walk. It floated, slowly, like it knew it would catch him anyway.

Meanwhile, Rafi, somehow more calm than the others, remembered the legend. The monster couldn’t stand real light — not the blinking carnival bulbs, but true sunlight. He reached for his phone and turned on the flashlight.

As the beam hit the creature in a reflective surface, it screeched, pulling back.

Rafi shouted, “Find your way to me! Use the light!”

Amira found a small pocket mirror in her bag and angled it toward the ceiling lights, bouncing it toward a panel. The wall cracked. Zayan, limping but alive, followed her voice.

One by one, they regrouped. Rafi, now leading them through the maze with the flashlight and mirrors, shouted, “We have to break the center mirror — the one with the void!”

They ran, the monster chasing, warping walls and howling with rage. When they reached the void mirror, it had begun to pull everything in — air, sounds, even colors.

Together, they threw their mirrors at it, and Zayan hurled a lantern from a nearby display. The mirror exploded, and with it, the monster shattered into dust, its howl lost in the blast.

They crawled out of the maze as the sun began to rise. No one at the fair noticed anything unusual — the maze tent was gone, replaced with an empty lot as if it had never existed.

Years later, Amira, Zayan, and Rafi would never forget that night. The town moved on, rebuilt, laughed, and danced — but the fair never had another Mirror Maze.

And sometimes, just before dawn, the reflection in your bathroom mirror might wink at you — with one red eye.