The Mirror Room

I am wide awake now as I stand in a room that feels different. I say feels because I cannot see. Darkness surrounds me.  I do not understand what sort of force could have brought me here. One minute I was lying asleep in the comfort of my own bed, and the next I was standing in a chilly room smothered by the darkness all around. I squint, forcing my eyes to see into the emptiness, into the nothing. Where the hell am i?

I see a blinking light up ahead and I command my feet to move. The first few steps seem wobbly, as if my legs were boneless and independent. As I struggle to steady myself, I fear I will never regain my strength. My breath is coming in short little gasps and my throat is tightening; a panic attack. I close my eyes, although I wasn’t quite sure they were even open before. Where the hell am i?

I hear a sound. I turn around and around. But I lose all sense of direction and I lose sight of the blinking light. Maybe it was all in my head. Maybe there was no light to begin with. I am losing my mind. But there’s that sound again. I can’t quite make what the voice is saying or if it is saying anything at all. My heart is beating faster now. I can feel myself losing control. So I clear my throat and say it aloud this time: where the hell am i?

“Don’t you recognize me?” the voice says. And I swear it sounds so familiar. Where have I heard this voice before? I am blinded by a strong light and as I wait for my eyes to adjust, I try to hold on to the voice. Something about it isn’t right. I know that voice, but it isn’t the way I remember it.

I’m in a room. It’s empty except for me. I am looking at myself in the mirror. I move closer, but my mirror self does not mimic my movements. Instead, she is wearing a sly smile across her face. Now I know why the voice sounded so familiar, but not. It is my voice, but the person isn’t me. I give my mirror self a confused look expecting her to return it. But she doesn’t. She hangs on to that unbelievably silly smile.

“Don’t you recognize me?” she repeats.

I wait in silence.

“Don’t you recognize me?” Her voice is urgent, demanding. The girl loses the smile for a fraction of a second and I thought I saw a dangerous look in her eyes. But I blink and it’s gone and the smile is back. I shake my head and look down in embarrassment. I know that this person staring back at me is somehow supposed to be no other than myself. But I do not recognize her. She is not me. I am not her.

“Of course you do, I am you.” I wish she would stop talking. I wish I could smack that smile right off her face. I am angry now. I am angry and dangerous. And suddenly, I am taken aback because I look at the girl and I know who she is. I know the girl and I recognize her. I recognize her dangerous smile and her angry eyes. I am suddenly willing to admit that this person, this mirror me, is in fact me. And later when I moved, she moved. When I blinked, she blinked. And there is no one left standing in the room but me and my reflection in the mirror.