THE REFLECTION GAME

:

---

The rain tapped lightly against the windows of the old library as Anna flipped through the yellowed pages of an urban legends book. The room was dimly lit, the overhead light flickering occasionally, casting eerie shadows across the table. Her best friend, Mia, leaned over her shoulder, eyes wide with curiosity.

“Why are you always digging into creepy stuff?” Mia asked, half-laughing, half-nervous.

Anna shrugged, brushing her curly black hair out of her face. “I like stories that make your skin crawl. Look at this one,” she said, pointing to the faded text on the page.

Mia leaned closer. The title read, The Reflection Game.

“What’s that?” asked Logan, sliding into the chair across from them. His leather jacket was damp from the rain, and he ran a hand through his wet blond hair.

“It’s some kind of ritual,” Anna said, her voice dropping to a whisper. “You light a candle, stand in front of a mirror, and say this chant three times. Supposedly, it shows you your destiny.”

“Destiny?” Mia repeated, a skeptical look on her face. “That’s so fake.”

“Not according to this,” Anna said, reading further. “But there’s a warning: ‘Do not play the game alone. Do not break the mirror. And whatever you do, do not look away from your reflection.’”

Logan smirked. “Sounds like a load of crap. But I bet it’d make a great party game.”

Before Anna could respond, Ryan and Sophia joined their table, dumping their backpacks onto the chairs.

“What’s the plan for Friday night?” Ryan asked, cracking open a soda can.

Anna grinned, holding up the book. “How about we try The Reflection Game?”

Sophia’s brows furrowed. “Isn’t that the one where people supposedly disappear or go crazy?”

“Exactly,” Anna replied. “It’ll be fun.”

Mia rolled her eyes. “Or terrifying.”

Logan clapped his hands together. “I’m in. Let’s see if this so-called game can actually scare us.”

By the time the group left the library that evening, the plan was set. None of them noticed the shadowy figure reflected in the glass door as they exited, watching them with unblinking eyes.

---

The rain had stopped by the time they reached Ryan’s house. It was the perfect setting for a game of fear—an old house, creaky floors, and the dim light of the street lamp casting long shadows across the front yard. The others gathered in the living room, their excitement palpable, despite the uneasy feeling creeping up on them.

Ryan had already cleared the coffee table, setting up a large mirror in the center of the room. “Alright,” he said, turning off the overhead lights, “we’re ready. Who’s going first?”

“I’ll do it,” Anna volunteered, her heart racing with a mix of excitement and anxiety. The rest of the group circled around her, whispering quietly amongst themselves, their faces half-lit by the flickering candle she had set on the table.

“Remember the rules,” Logan said, his voice slightly shaky. “You look into the mirror, say the chant three times, and—”

“And don’t break the mirror or look away,” Anna finished for him. “Got it.”

She stood in front of the mirror, taking a deep breath as the others fell silent. The candlelight flickered, casting dancing shadows on the walls. She stared into her own reflection, feeling her heartbeat thump louder with each passing second.

With a slow, deliberate voice, she began the chant, “Mirror, mirror, show me what’s true. What I seek, reveal to me, too.”

She repeated it twice more, the room growing colder with each word.

And then, something moved in the mirror.

----