Kurome's Bedtime Stories #2

It Took My Reflection

Yes. I am actually making this a real series. I don't know why I haven't thought of this before, but that one shot I made was a stroke of genius. O_O Its gonna be hard to make new and original stories though, so we'll see how this goes. >_>

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How I love the things that go bump in the creepy, creaky night. The things that send shivers down the spine. Make you hate looking into the mirror every morning-... Well, look at that- how fitting in regards to the current story.

"Are you ready, my wovely wittle wuver?" I questioned Kurome while she crawled towards my side of the bed, then tucking herself under the covers while I began to open my omnibus of horror stories collected into a rather large hardcover book.

"Go ahead and get started." I could hear the hesitation in her voice. Holding on to a pillow, perhaps to protect her from the monster in the closet, maybe under the bed, hell, there might even be one lying in wait in the mirror.

"You know, you can hold my hand if you're feeling too scared." I offered.

"I'm not scared of something that isn't real."

"Your lips say something, yet your body says something else."

Saying this earned a light jab on my shoulder.

"Very well, my lovely... Lets begin."

Begin, indeed.

I cracked open the page of a particulary good story that I fell in love with today. "This, Kurome, is called... It Took My Reflection."

She had folded her arms, resting her chin on top of them. "That doesn't sound too scary..."

Oh, I can't wait for you to regret saying that by the time I'm done!

... Pardon me, but have I turned into a bit of a sadist?

No matter, lets get started.

Ahem...

This... This has been happening for about a month now. When i see my reflection, I see it behind me, briefly before it goes away. I have absolutely no idea what the hell it could possibly be, and it always manages to escape just before I turn my head!

When I first noticed it I didn't pay it too much attention, I convinced myself that it was just a trick of the light. However, I started seeing it a bit more frequently. But just like I said, everytime I turn around its gone. After several days of looking behind my shoulder, wondering what it is, I started to get even more freaked out. Now I know it’s no trick of the light or my imagination. Something is there in every reflective surface I look into.

I feared going into the bathroom or looking into the mirror, I don't want to see those bright eyes of it looking at me. Even if I... Close the bathroom door or move something in between myself and a window, I can still feel it there watching me. No matter how much I try to avoid or ignore it, I always know it is there, seemingly waiting in the shadows for the perfect moment to strike. I don’t dare tell anyone; I’m not going to risk making a fool of myself. Then again, I'd rather be a fool than dead... Even so, I just endure it and not tell anybody.

For the first weeks I just lived like this, pathetic, constant paranoia and an almost irrational fear of my reflection. But eventually I realized that whatever it was, if it wants to harm me it would have already done so. After a few days of relaying this reassuring fact in my head each time I stepped up to the bathroom mirror, I begin to treat the sightings as though it is as mundane as a pigeon or stray cat. Now I’m at the point where I sometimes talk to it.

“Hey there, buddy. Have a good night’s sleep?” or even "Yo. I'm going outto get me a milkshake, want one?”

It never responded, thank god. Although every once in a while it stays around for a few seconds longer than usual before hiding again. It’s been a strange few weeks or so; I know the being is there, but I don’t care at all.It is a part of my every day routine.

I come home from work late and begin readying up for bed. I step into the bathroom, not even bothering to glance into the mirror as I get my toothbrush and toothpaste out. I am just raising the brush to my mouth when I look up at the mirror and freeze.

There it is.

Its... Different this time.

It isn’t hiding behind the door in the edges of the shadows as it usually does; no, it is right there standing in the doorway. This is the first time I have ever had a full view of it, and if I had known what it truly looked like,I would have never been so casual about it before.

It is tall, gaunt, and humanoid in shape, with a head like a snake’s. Coarse dark purple fur covers its body, broken by scaly spines along its arms, legs, and neck. Its eyes burn out a piercing yellow, with sleek wolf-like ears placed on the side of its head. Worst of all is its mouth: a skeletal,fanged grin that stretches across its hideous face.

Going on my first instinct, I whirl around, expecting its vicious jaws to be the last thing I see. But to my surprise, there is nothing there. I even scramble to the door to look around, but my house is as normal and quiet as usual. It couldn’t have hidden that quickly, could it? I turn back around and give a short scream as I see it now standing directly behind me, its long, black claws raised up above my shoulders. I spin around, punching out and hitting nothing but air. My heart pounding and my mind in a panic, I look back at the mirror again, not knowing what to expect.

Then it happens. As if in a dream, I stand transfixed as the monster latches its claws onto my reflection’s neck, yanking it back. I reach up andfeel my own neck, but there is nothing. No pain, no grip. It’s as if I am watching a horror movie in my mirror. My reflection kicks and flails aboutfrantically, its face a mask of pure fear and agony as the claws dig deeper into its shoulders and the beast begins pulling it out the bathroom door.

In a sudden burst of uncanny protectiveness for my own reflection, I whirlaround and slam the bathroom door shut, hoping that it will halt the creature. But when I turn back, the door in the mirror is still open, and myreflection is now desperately clinging to the doorframe as blood spills down its body.

I can never describe the sheer horror of seeing yourself –even just a reflection of yourself- being brutally attacked and not being able to do anything about it. Its like watching your own personal snuff film... Then for the first time since the attack had begun, my reflection looks at up me,

right into my eyes with its terror-stricken gaze. It mouths one word, “Help…” before going limp and being dragged off into the blackness beyond the doorframe.

I stand there for what seems like hours, my whole body quaking, and tearsflowing freely down my face. My mind is totally numb as I gaze into the empty mirror.

Dear Reader...

I have no reflection.

...

"Another down!" I slammed the book shut after finishing the story, with a smile of satisfaction on my face, as I enjoyed the story a great deal. "Pretty decent in my book. Plays on the classic human fear of their own relfection. Bloody good show. "What'd you think, lovely?"

I looked towards Kurome only to see that she had two pillows covering her ears, most likely to block out the chilling words of the chilling tale.

"Okay..." I began... "Good night, my lovely." I patted her back a few times while reaching for the lamp illuminating the room.

Yet, that was halted by her tightly gripping my right arm. "Relinquish, wait!"

"Yes, my lovely?"

".... I have to go to the bathroom."

"..."

"... Okay."

There was another silence.

"... Would you like me to escort you, Kurome?"

She nodded while still holding my arm ever so tightly, so much so I fear she may have cut off my blood circulation. Soon I took her hand and led her to the bathroom in our bedroom, folding my arms and leaning against the wall while trying to think of anything to break the awkward tension.

Afterwards I tucked her into bed, turned the light out, told her it was just a story, gave her a kiss on the forehead; holding each other in our arms while

she buried her head into my shoulder.

Still... This could have just been my mind playing tricks on me.

But I could have sworn that out of the corner of my eye.

I saw something dance lightly in the shadowy darkness. Taunting me.

I did not fear it. Not in the slightest.

When you're a madman, when you were born and raised in the dark, when you've walked among the same monsters others fear, not much scares you anymore. The only thing that possibly could is losing someone I care about- such as Kurome.

This thing, whatever it is, could surely do that.

I gave the creature a powerful, evil, horrifying glare of absolute malice, much more terrible than that of its own. Ordering it just with my eyes to get the hell out of my house, and to never show its face before me again. After I did that, I felt the tension in the room lift. If anything was there, it was gone now.

To be honest though, I was most likely staring down nothing but the very monster I created.

But just remember, its all a story.

Monsters.

Urban legends.

The things that go bump in the night.

They're only as real as you make them.

If they ever do become real just tell them to piss off and return to nonexistence, you have that power- you created them.

Always remember that.

Sweet dreams... Dear Reader.

END

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Kurome: Relinquish... Do you think monsters are real? :o

Relinquish: There are many types of monsters, my lovely. Monsters that killthe innocent. Monsters who eat the dreams of others. Monsters that rape menwoman and children, and plently more- Those are the real monsters. What you call "monsters" do exist, but are just artificial constructs of your mind created by you yourself. :)