I’ll cut out all pleasantries and provide as much context as possible or required, as little as there is.
Yesterday started off slower than normal, I got out of bed incredibly groggy and with very little motivation. I fed my cat, ate breakfast, then started my commute to the shitty retail store I worked at. My shift couldn’t have gone worse, three angry customers blaming ME for their retail hardship and demanding to see my manager and when said manager finally showed, seemingly just as tired as I was, they simply took me to the back and told me to leave for the next week or so while “administration” sorted this matter out.
Naturally I went home in a really depressed state, I barely made rent but luckily my landlord was fairly lenient, I didn’t want to push my luck though and it wasn’t due anytime soon but if I were fired I wasn’t sure how long my savings would hold up. I fed my cat and decided to go an shower, sometimes that helped. Getting in and feeling the cold water on my back, I distinctly remember something feeling off. You know that feeling of being watched? I can’t explain why, but I felt it coming from the bathroom mirror. I finished up and dried off in front of the mirror, my discomfort growing and as the towel slid down my face I could swear my reflection was grinning at me. I shook my head and it was normal again but I felt strange for the rest of the night, almost like I didn’t belong here, wherever “here” is supposed to be. The rest of the night played out like any other, I ate dinner, doom-scrolled on my phone for a few hours, then passed out.
I awoke to a text from my manager today telling me to come in for my normal shift so I continued my morning routine like clockwork and before I knew it, I was at the store. My manager walked right up to me, telling me good morning with a huge grin on their face. I noticed two things here; one, my manager was apathetic towards all employees and never even spoke to us outside of “official” matters” much less greeted us at the door, and two, the way they walked up to me just seemed off. They seemed to sway a little more than normal and it almost looked like they had a limp. I shook it off at the time as just one of those weird “once in a blue moon” things and went about my day.
As my shift went on however I began to notice almost everyone in the store seemed off. People with limps or creepy grins on their faces walked up and down the aisles, never looking at any of the products. Some of them looked right at me. It was at the end of the day that things got really bad. I was filling out my timecard when a customer walked right into the breakroom and just stared at me. I asked if I could help them and mid sentence they pointed at me and screamed. At least that’s all I can describe it as, it sounded almost mechanical. As they continued to scream, their mouth opened wider and wider. It was open wider than their head was big.
I ran. All through the parking lot there were people pointing at me and screaming. Every one of them had distorted facial features. I drove away in a blur and soon found myself crashed into a fire hydrant only a mile or so from my neighborhood. Something told me I needed to get inside so I picked a house that looked empty and snuck in. It had a for sale sign out front and was indeed empty. After the shock started to wear off a little I began looking around through the windows. I really shouldn’t have done that.
Across the street in an upstairs window I saw two women in front of a a dresser mirror. The leftmost one raised an arm and the rightmost one mirrored her movements perfectly. This continued with small movements with her fingers and then tilting her head to one side, then the other. Then the left woman gouged out her own eyes, forcing the other to do the same. I panicked and hid inside a closet. I couldn’t watch anymore.
It’s been five hours and I’ve seen these “twins” and their counterparts walking up and down the street. Men, women, and children all paired up with something that looks identical to them. Every one of them is missing their eyes and all with the same unmoving grin etched into their faces. I can’t go home, that’s where mine is waiting. I hope my cat’s okay. I’m trying to find a way out but there’s just too many.
They’re at the windows now, goodbye, save yourself smash your mirrors.