By: Ann Zhao
A text message notification pops up on my phone: “you ready to go out?”
I take a break from applying my eyeshadow and reach for my phone. I quickly type out “yep, gimme a minute” and hit the send button.
I look into my reflection in the bathroom mirror. My hair is pulled back into a low bun, small but classy hoop earrings dangle from my earlobes, and I’m wearing a tight, floral mini-dress with ruffles that stops right above my knees. Simply put, I look amazing.
I grab my purse from my bedroom and prepare to go out for the night, when I hear a voice.
“You really shouldn’t go out tonight.”
My stomach drops. “What? Who said that?!”
I immediately jump to the worst-possible scenario; someone has been living in my apartment this whole time without me knowing.
“Me.”
I look around the room, even behind in the closet, but I don’t see anyone.
“How about you check the mirror?” the voice says.
I whip my head towards the full-length mirror on the wall and see nothing but my reflection.
But my reflection isn’t just any reflection. I expect to see my panicked face looking back at me, but instead I see a calm and even expression on the girl in the mirror’s face.
Bizzarred, I walk closer to the mirror and touch my reflection, expecting the girl in the mirror to touch back, but instead she backs away.
“I’m not going to say this again. You really shouldn’t go to that party tonight,” she says, crossing her arms.
A ding comes from my phone in my purse. I pull out my phone and read the text message from my friend: “I’m outside your apartment right now, where are you?”
I look back at my reflection.
“Bad, bad things are going to happen tonight if you go. Your ‘friend,’ isn’t really your friend,” she warns, putting air quotes around the word friend.
Unsure of whether or not I am hallucinating, I decide to listen to my reflection. I cancel all my plans tonight, change into my nightgown, and go to bed.
The next morning, I get a call from an unknown number.
“Hello?” I answer.
“Hey, ____! It’s me, ____!”
It is the friend who I was supposed to go out with last night!
I begin to apologize. “Hey, I’m sorry about last night. I know you were really excited about the party and everything, and I—”
“What party?”
Something isn’t right. We both stay silent for a few seconds, until she speaks again.
“Anyways, I just wanted to tell you that I found out my phone went missing last night, so I’m using my boyfriend’s phone to call you right now.”