Mirror Image

Mirror Image1

Author: Donald J. Herman2

Lying here, dear reader, I now realize I was naïve. I imagine it would have been the same for most individuals but, for me it has proven costly. I mean, who wouldn’t have been captivated by the opulence and at such a price. I felt truly blessed when I had received the flyer and promptly returned the registration After three years of a bitterly contested divorce, and the stress of struggling to resume a normal life, the purported idyllic vacation was just what I needed. A chance to refresh and renew what had become a rather jaded outlook on life. I laughed at the thought although it was more of an inaudible gurgle than true laughter. I write this now so that the truth will be separated from what the observer might surmise.3

My naïveté began the morning of the first day. At least, as I reflect upon it, it was the first hint of what was to come. It was so subtle that I had dismissed it, although it remained in my thoughts throughout the day. I nicked myself shaving! Not a big deal perhaps but something that I do not recall ever having done. Certainly not with a depth of which it was difficult to stem the blood flow. The thing that haunted me throughout the day however, was the reflection, or what I had then supposed to be my reflection. As I recalled, it had seemed to reflect a smirk rather than a wince of pain, which clearly would have been the reaction to a deep cut. Just one of life’s oddity’s that I could not shake but one that I speculated was merely an aberrant thought and not an aspect of reality. A thought that failed to detract from the glory of the mountain retreat and an otherwise truly superb day.4

A perfect tenderloin and merlot capped off the evening yet I found myself strangely drawn to my room. Having been advised that the Aurora Borealis display was not to be missed, it was odd to chose to retire rather than enjoy their dance across the night sky. I recall that my reaction to preparing myself for bed had been blamed on the wine consumption and proved again to be another, in a chain of gross mistakes. 5

As I finished brushing my teeth, and stood after rinsing my mouth, I had the impression that my reflection had been standing before I moved upright. To be sure it was a fleeting glimpse as I stood however, it seemed that it was watching me brush my teeth rather than reflecting my actual conduct. Looking back it was the first real change and I wish that I had better responded to the chill that I felt as that cursed reflection stared into my eyes. Again I dismissed it as an alcohol daze and did not associate it with the cut of the morning. It is a misjudgment that I now have to live with, or die from.6

The brightness of dawn held the promise of a better day and I laughed at the thoughts of the prior day as I stretched and rose to dress. The mirrored closet doors momentarily brought back the chill from the prior evening and I hit my forehead with the palm of my hand. 7

“Stop thinking stupid thoughts,” I demanded of myself and watched as my reflected image took a startled stumble back.8

“Funny,” I thought. “I didn’t realize I had hit myself so hard.”9

I showered, and shaved without incident although finding it oddly awkward to complete an action that had been rote movements for years. As I dressed, my recollections of the bathroom routine again brought the chill. My reflection had shaved with his right hand…not his left. The difficulty shaving was that we were both shaving with our right hands! I rushed back into the bathroom; pants draped around one leg and the other pant leg flapping behind. I went through sudden and rapid movements before the mirror as it responded in precise mimicry. I was certain that my memory was not faulty but the proof of my error was right before my eyes. I finished dressing in the living room of the suite, not able to face even the mirrors of the bedroom. 10

The day was everything the brochure claimed it would be and I immersed myself in every activity I could find. I had decided that activity was the only counterbalance to the thoughts raging in my head and it was in the lodge’s pairing of tennis doubles that I met Sarah. The distraction of her raging red hair and raucous laughter was as much a key to our victories as any skill we possessed. What opposing male could have focused on a simple ball hurtling toward him when Sarah dominated the court? The rest of the day was a whirlwind and, without any spoken agreement; it was evident that the night would be the same. It was that evening that my dilemma truly began. 11

We had each retired to our respective rooms, to shower and prepare for our dinner date. As I laid out a couple selections on the bed, I heard a voice behind me. Faint, but clear enough to be unmistaken.12

“Gonna get a little tonight?”13

I spun around to find only my reflection in the closet doors.14

“You bet he is. That fox Sarah from the afternoon,” came an even more faint comment from the bathroom.15

Certain that a staff person, or former tennis opponent, was toying with me; I ran into the bathroom. I angrily acknowledged that I had been to slow to catch whoever it was and that they had escaped through the living room entry and then into the hallway. I swallowed my anger and finished preparing for phase one of a romantic evening.16

When Sarah arrived she seemed oddly disheveled, with her hair not fully combed and seeming somewhat confused. Determined to make the most of the evening I elected to remain silent and complimented her on her beauty, She dismissed it abruptly and grasping my hand tightly, almost too tight, she asked if we could get our table and the largest bottle of wine available. When seated, she gradually became the Sarah from the afternoon and, as the wine and conversation flowed, I decided that I could chance discussing her arrival. Her countenance abruptly changed and she seemed to exhibit a twinge of fear.17

“I suppose I was rather unkempt but I just had to get out of that room. You’ll laugh at me if I explain, if there even is an explanation, so let’s just drop it,” she had replied. 18

I leaned back in my chair and carelessly tossed my fork onto the plate, making a clatter that startled her. 19

“Hearing voices?” I asked. My timing was as poor as my word choice and she nearly dropped the goblet she had been sipping.20

“I can’t believe you did that to me. You son-of-a-bitch; it scared the hell out of me!” she said angrily .21

“No Sarah,” I hurriedly replied and leaned forward to talk more privately. “I had voices in my room as well. In fact that whole room scares the hell out of me.”22

“It’s the mirrors isn’t it?” she blurted and drained her glass of wine.23

“At least I know I’m not crazy. Surely we can’t both have the same hallucination,” I replied, relieved that I was not alone in the madness, yet terrified that it was not madness.24

“Sarah, what happened to you tonight?”25

“It wasn’t just tonight but this was the worst. I started to dress and found myself dressing more provocatively, hell I was a slut but, the odd thing was the mirrors were leading before I even started. It was as if they were dictating what I would do next. Then the voices started. “That’s a nice little whore!” Tyler’s going to love jumping on this slut.””26

“It was as if there was a conversation going on and I was the center of attraction!”27

“Ditto Sarah. They teased me about getting a little tonight and I’ve sensed that they have been manipulating me as well as hearing the voices.”28

“Sarah I’m afraid they are getting more aggressive and frankly dangerous. I think we really need to get out of here while we can do so safely!”29

“Tyler I’m ready. Just get me the hell out of here!” and tossed her napkin onto her half eaten lobster.30

I hurriedly signed the charges to my room and reached for her hand. It was agreed that neither should be alone and we went first to her room to collect her belongings. I threw her clothing into her suitcase as she entered the bathroom to gather her cosmetics. I heard her speak and turned to allow her access to the suitcase. It was then that a new level of horror began. She was standing in the bedroom mirror talking to my reflection while I could hear bottles being swept into a bag within the bathroom. I called and received an answer from both the mirror and the bathroom. The laughter from the two figures in the mirror was enough to drown any audible response from Sarah and I grabbed the still open suitcase and rushed into the bathroom. I nearly bowled her over in my haste and shoved what she had collected into the suitcase, closed it, steered her out of the room and into the hall.31

“What was that all about?“ she exclaimed. “I wasn’t finished.”32

“While you were in the bathroom, your image was in the bedroom mirror holding an armful of makeup! You were talking to my reflection and me at the same time. My god Sarah we have got to hurry and finish. If you can have a reflection without even being in the room then it is getting way out of control.”33

“I don’t know Tyler. Is it even safe to continue. Maybe we should just take what we have and run.”34

“We’re okay together but I’ m sure it has to be tonight. Tomorrow we will have lost control over them since it seems that they gain strength with each new day. Now come on.”35

I knew she was right but my weekend get away involved the best of my clothing and jewelry. I had determined to look and be my best and there were thousands of dollars lying in that room. We entered my room and I could feel the tug at my jacket as she maintained her fearful grip on the sleeve edge.36

“Well look who’s here Tyler and the misses”37

I was certain that a response would lead me in deeper with the image, so chose to silently grab the most valuable and run.38

“She’s leaving you Tyler and you know you don’t want to lose her.”39

“No I don’t but we’ll be losing you and that’s a start.” I regretted the response as soon as the words left my mouth and threw a closet door open.40

“Now Tyler how am I supposed to see if you close half the mirror?” a woman’s voice said as the closet door returned to its original position. Sarah walked to my image toweling herself off as if she had just stepped out of the shower. 41

I heard the water start in the bathroom as I dumped the bureau drawers into my suitcase.42

“I asked you a question stupid,” as the Sarah image slapped Tyler’s across the face.43

“Don’t ever try that again you bitch,” and Tyler’s fingers grabbed her throat.44

I threw open the closet and grabbed several suits off the bar before the doors again slammed shut.45

“You are really being stupid Tyler. I don’t want to leave here and if you go I will never enjoy the taste of Sarah on my lips,” and loosened his grip on her throat.46

I saw an image move across the room and found Sarah naked, toweling the water from her body as her red hair glistened in the light.47

“God Sarah you can’t do this,” I exclaimed and began to push her back into the living room.48

“I’m naked, offering you my body and you shove me out. Are you stupid?” she asked and slapped my face. 49

I grabbed her throat and exclaimed, “Don’t ever try that again you bitch!”50

When my image loosened his grip on Sarah, she drove a knee into his groin and slashed his face with her nails.51

I threw a powerful roundhouse as I felt my flesh ripped by her nails.52

Tyler had Sarah pinned in the base of the mirror and mounted her as he ripped his shirt off and dodged her defensive blows.53

I took advantage of her tumble from the powerful punch and ripping my clothes off, I jumped onto her; consummating what I had wanted from the first moment on the courts. I found myself punching her again and again to silence her shouts and vicious expletives.54

I watched Tyler roll off Sarah, smiling at the thrill of conquest. I was transfixed as the Sarah slid a bottle slowly toward her and with one swift motion, laid open a deep gash on the side of his head.55

I had been too intent on our images to realize that my Sarah had risen until I felt the champagne bottle crash onto the side of my head. I was only down for a moment as I rose to my knees, twisted and grabbed the broken remnants from her hand. I slashed twice across her abdomen then stood fully and thrust the shard into her neck. 56

Sarah did not seem to move as I looked toward the mirror and saw Tyler collapsing over Sarah’s lifeless image. I again fell to my knees beside my beauty and realized that she had inflicted a fatal blow as well. I pulled the complimentary pen and note pad from the table and began to write.