u/Emergency_Study_3742

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

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THE MIRROR IN MY ROOM IS LAGGING

I noticed it this morning.

At first, I thought I was just tired.

I stood in front of my mirror, brushing my hair.

Everything looked normal.

Until I stopped moving.

My reflection didn’t.

It took half a second longer to stop.

Just… slightly delayed.

Like a bad internet connection.

I frowned.

Moved my hand.

My reflection followed.

But again—just a fraction too late.

“Okay…” I whispered.

“That’s weird.”

My reflection smiled.

I wasn’t smiling.

I froze.

Slowly… I touched my face.

My reflection copied me.

This time perfectly.

“Just my imagination,” I said.

My reflection nodded.

A second after I did.

I stepped back.

My reflection stayed where it was.

Now my heart started racing.

“Nope,” I said. “Nope, nope, nope.”

I turned away from the mirror.

Behind me, I heard a soft knock.

Not on the door.

On the glass.

I slowly turned back.

My reflection was tapping from the inside.

“Hey,” it said.

Its voice sounded like mine.

But flatter.

Wrong.

I couldn’t speak.

“Relax,” it said. “You noticed. That’s good.”

“What… are you?” I whispered.

It leaned closer to the glass.

“I’m you,” it said.

“Just… a little ahead.”

---

“That doesn’t make sense.”

“It will,” it said.

“Soon.”

---

I grabbed a towel and threw it over the mirror.

My hands were shaking.

“Okay,” I said. “Okay. I’m done with this.”

---

From behind the towel, I heard it laugh.

A quiet, muffled laugh.

“Covering it won’t help,” it said.

“It’s already started.”

-

“What has?” I asked.

There was a pause.

Then:

“The switch.”

My stomach dropped.

“What switch?”

Silence.

Then the towel slowly slid down.

By itself.

The mirror was clear again.

But now…

The reflection was gone.

I stared at the empty glass.

No me.

Nothing.

Then I heard something behind me.

Breathing.

I didn’t turn around.

I already knew.

Because from the mirror—

I saw myself.

Standing there.

Smiling.

And it waved.

Before stepping away from the glass.

And out of view.

Leaving me alone.

Outside.