The Man in the Mirror

The room was overlaid with an unusual serenity. The kind of serenity after a roaring thunder. It was not soothing and comfortable but intensified and disturbing. Meanwhile I managed to find cover under the bed. I was shivering and whimpering in terror. Everything went motionless except the ticking of the clock which was immensely audible. I can feel my heart pounding like hell and chills of countless goose bumps all over my body. I waited for a minute or two before I pulled myself out and started to run outside. Trembling with terror, I stumbled out of the bedroom. Stealthily sneaking my way out in the living room, I glimpsed a shadowy figure on the right. I took a second look and found no-one. But there was something wrong with the mirror. I felt this sudden urge to learn what it was which disrupted my movement and I slowed down. Mystified I sidled towards the mirror. There was something in the mirror. There was a man in the mirror. It wasn’t me!!!!

2 hours ago I felt the shrilling whimpers of the sailing wind as I struggled my way home on foot in the middle of a chilly December night. The town was roaring in silence which was not a surprise at this hour of night and a thick veneer of murky mist smeared the whole town. The roads were flooded with immense loneliness. There was not a single sight of a living human being in my visual proximity.

After a while I felt like I am the only one left in the town. My only companion, witnessing my every move in this gloomy night, was my voiceless dark shadow. The weather is bleak and deceitful and I am anticipating heavy rain soon. The town is not safe at this hour especially when there’s a serial killer on the loose. I scrambled my way through the empty boulevards which were enfolded by looming dark shadows of tall buildings. The moon was high and glimmered faintly through the mists. It’s a half hour walk from the bus stop to my place and my phone is off so I can’t call anybody to pick me up. I reside on the outskirts of the town adjacent to my college; a more secluded and deserted part of this grim town.

After a while I started hearing distant police sirens and barking of wild street dogs. Wonder what that could be. It’s still a 15 minute walk to my destination when I discovered a convenience store at the corner of the street. I craved to breathe smoke. I searched for extras as I hurried my way towards the shop. The front door says open but it doesn’t look like its open. The lights were dim and there was no one around.

“Hello, anybody there?” I yelled at the whole place.

Then came a voice from behind “its 12 o’clock sir, how are you still roaming the streets? Don’t you know there’s a serial killer on the loose?” the shopkeeper warned me, who was apparently bewildered to see me at this hour.

“Its 12 o’clock sir, how are you still open? Don’t you know it violates the rules of this town” I replied and asked for a pack of cigarettes.

He handed me the pack, I paid him the money and just when I was about to leave the shop, came an abrupt and heavy voice from inside, a much darker and indistinct side of the shop “He is gonna gouge your eyes out with a long sharp screw driver.”

Initially I was only able to see a tall, shadowy figure silhouetted against the pale wall but as the voice came closer, I was able to picture the old figure approaching towards the counter. “The sadistic bastard is gonna agonize and torture your soul until you scream for a merciful death. “The Riverside Slasher” is no joke son.”

“yeah then what are you father and son doing up so late. Is it worthwhile to risk your life just for a few bucks?”

The old man gave me a tough look like I offended him in some way and grabbed a shotgun from underneath the counter “Oh we have better plans to welcome him son. Also he has no interest in ancient people like us. He has a sadistic lust for you and your peers. People of your age are more likely to get murdered by him.” said he, pointing the loaded gun at me.

“Whoa whoa!!! Take it easy man” exclaimed I, in a defensive body gesture. “p.s I have no interest in roaming the streets at this hour; I was on my way home. Anyways thanks for the warning old man and for pointing the shotgun at me. Goodnight”

Both of them gave me a stern look and stared at me until I left the shop and disappeared into darkness. But they are right “The Riverside Slasher” is no joke. 3 confirmed kills in the last couple of days. All of them were from my college. They have definitely made me neurotic. I lit a cigarette to ease off the anxiety and tried to get back to normal. I have reached my area now. This part of the town is creepy all day long but it is much scarier right now. The night was growing darker and darker every second. A howling silence of the spooky night loomed all over me and the more I fastened my steps the more it feels like I am being stalked by some tall dark shadowy figure.

At this very moment I am almost sprinting, my heart started to pound like someone is beating drums really hard. I can feel the chills of countless goose bumps all over my body. Whoa!!! I thought I had a glimpse of a mysterious figure, slithering on the right shady side of the street underneath the crooked old oak trees. I halted, turned my head to have a second glance at it and found nothing. Maybe I am just being paranoid, or maybe not. Maybe I should speed up a little bit.

Whoa!!! Again!!! Now this is not happening. I twirled round and round, again and again and there was no one around. I felt disoriented. I reassured myself fully that there is no one around and these fears are just figments of my imagination amplified by apprehension. I turned my head again in the direction of my destination and there she is, standing right in front of me. An old shabby hag with a wide eerie grin stretched all over her face. Her mysteriously psychotic eyes stared right at me, with a slight sense of satisfaction someone gets after they have hunted down their prey. And she smells like farts and gasoline.

“Do you have anything to eat my dear, I have not eaten anything all day?” she pleaded without restraining the wide grin on her face.

“Damn it lady!! You almost gave me a heart attack! No I don’t have anything to eat. Leave me alone.” I yelled at her and started running in the opposite direction. I don’t think she heard all of it as I started taking my initial steps simultaneously. Now I just want to go to my 2BHK apartment and relax in the enclosed area devoid of any terrors of serial killers, stalkers or crazy old people. A deep rumble roared over my head and I felt the first heavy drops of rain on my cheeks. I have reached my lane now.

I was just feeling a little revitalized again when my neighbor’s German Shepherd barked at me from inside the house, in maximum volume and scared the crap out of me. I swear to god, I am gonna kill that son of a bitch one day. Finally I arrived at my home. Oh this feels really good. I have been staying here away from my family to complete my medical college education for the last three years but I never really felt I belong here. It never felt like home. It’s not the college; it’s this locality I inhabited. Maybe that’s because I am not a social guy, just in formal speaking terms with the neighbors here.

I live on the first floor with my roommate slash classmate Eddy who is staying at his girlfriend Emily’s house this weekend who is also in our college. I visit my family every weekend but unlike me Eddy seldom visits his home. That’s because it’s a 24 hour journey by bus or train to his place. On the ground floor resides our landlord, a nice and generous family of four. I hustled my way up the stairs, hurried through the front balcony, unlocked the door and entered the living room. The first thing I did was locking all the doors and windows of the house except Eddy’s room because I don’t have access. We don’t have each other’s keys and we have this pact to never invade each other’s rooms in the absence of the other one.

I was just making myself comfortable when I found out that there were five voice mails on my telephone. All the mails are from last three hours and all are from Veronica, Emily’s roommate who must have come back after spending the weekend with her family.

The first mail that was 3 hours ago goes something like this—- “Eddy! Eddy! Pick up the phone I want to talk to my roommate Emily, she is not picking up my phone for the last two days and your phone is off. It’s urgent! I am coming back in the town and I don’t have the keys to our house. Just wanna make sure Emily is still there and is not at your place.”

Second mail- “Eddy! Where the f**k are you? Reply god dammit. I am standing in front of the house and nobody is here”

That’s weird because I thought Eddy was staying there at his girlfriend’s. All the other mails are similar to the second one and are insignificant. I tried calling Eddy, his phone is off. I tried calling Emily, she is not picking up the call. I tried calling Veronica, her phone is off. Weird sh*t. I put on my night wears, made myself a good cup of coffee and started watching TV for a while.

KNOCK! KNOCK! There was a knock on the door and I fell off my sofa. Who the f**k is it gonna be at this hour of night, I wondered.

“Who is there?” I asked, no one replied. “I am calling the police tell me who is there?”

I warned whoever was there, no reply again. I peeped through the peephole and there was nobody. I don’t know how or why but I accumulated all the courage inside me, grabbed my baseball bat and prowled outside to learn who was there. There was no one. I examined the whole balcony and found no one. It was raining torrentially outside and the raindrops spattered hard on my flesh. I observed the wooden door and concluded that it was the hasp that banged on the door because of all the rapid and heavy movements of the curtain adjoining the door, caused by the enormous force of the sailing wind.

Is this what really happened or am I just lying to myself to make myself feel better? I rushed inside and went straight to sleep. Shielding my head under the pillow and wrapping the quilt around my body, I can feel a certain level of detachment from the outside world. I feel peaceful, I feel safe.

KNOCK! KNOCK! Another knock on the door and there was an instantaneous widening of my terrified eyes. I threw the pillow and the quilt and peace and safety on the other side of the bed and grabbed the bat again. Trembling with fear I peeped through the peephole. Still no clue of who the f**k is behind all this. I sat down on the floor, leaning my back against the wooden door. With shaking hands I took out my phone and tried calling the landlord but there was no answer. I tried again, still no answer. I tried calling their son and he also didn’t answer, which is highly unlikely and weird, given the fact that it’s his exam tomorrow and he never sleeps a day before his exam.

KNOCK! KNOCK! I felt the rattling sensation of the knock on my back as I was leaning against the door. I covered my quivering mouth with both of my hands as I whimpered with immense fear.

“Who is there?” I cried. A piece of paper breezed in, from underneath the door, that says “your death”. It horrified my soul. I noticed the handwriting and realized it was Eddy’s. It was Eddy playing a prank on me. I placed my ear on the door and heard a furtive snigger. I felt so ridiculed. Oh I am going to kill this ba***rd. My immediate response to this absurdness was opening the door and yelling at him.

“You son of a bi**h” I yelled and grabbed his collar. He was drunk and was bursting in laughter. “Are you nuts? I almost got a heart attack.”

“hahaha you should have listened to your voice. Who’s there? Who’s there?” mocked Eddy and thoughts of committing my first murder infiltrated my mind.

“You drunk as**ole, I have called the police on you, you idiot” I remarked.

“What?” asked he as his laughter got transmuted by a shocking silence.

“Are you crazy?”

“Yeah! You are the one playing stupid-ass horror pranks at midnight on people who are alone at home, when there is a serial killer on the loose and I am the one who is crazy?” yelled I as I hold the door for him to come in. “Why do you have to do it twice? Wasn’t the first knock enough? And where did you hide when I came outside to check the balcony?”

“What first knock? This was my first one” replied Eddy.

His reply baffled my spine. “Wait! What do you mean first one? Weren’t you the one to knock on the door 15 minutes ago?” I asked.

“Nope”

“Ohh! it must be the hasp then” relieved I.

“What hasp?”

“No, nothing. And what the f**k are you doing here at this hour of night? And where’s Emily? Veronica called asking for the keys of her house. She said none of you were there when she arrived. Where were you? And where’s your phone, and why is Emily not picking up her phone?”

“Whoa! Whoa! Easy there amigo! We were out having dinner! I just dropped her off at her place.”

“Oh you better be telling the truth man. I hope she hasn’t spent her weekend here. You clearly know the consequences of bringing a girl here. You know our landlords would….”

“Yeah! Yeah! I know our landlord will kick us out. Leave me alone man, Emily and I just broke up.”

“What!! Why? What happened?” asked I filled with bewilderment.

“Hakuna Matata my friend Hakuna Matata. It’s a long story. I’ll tell you everything later. I am really whacked out right now. Just want a peaceful sleep.” said he as he headed straight towards his room. He looks pensive and exhausted. Hakuna matata means “no worries” in Swahili language. He uses this phrase when he is worried a lot. I hate this phrase. It is so juvenile. Timon and Pumba used to say this.

“It’s juvenile for you, it’s reassuring for me. It’s all about how you want to see it” said he, doing that exasperating mind reading thing once again.

“Oh for f**k sake, this is the last time I am telling you to stop reading my mind you freak show. Next time you try and read my mind, will be the last time you’ll hear from me.” I yelled at him, I warned him, again. But I know just like thousand times before, he won’t stop doing this. It’s immensely intimidating. Sometimes I feel like not in control of my thoughts.

“How would you know that I am not reading your mind, if I don’t tell you about it?” he gave me a big smile, I gave him the middle finger, he shuts his door and locks it from the inside. I don’t know why he always locks it and isolates himself from the outside world completely for tens of hours. I don’t know what really happens behind that closed door of his. Honestly speaking, I never really cared but this guy is real creep, that’s for sure and it’s creepier when he reads my mind like that. Kinda crazy-ass psychic punk or something. Thank my goodness grace; this is his last month with me.

I couldn’t sleep now so I made myself another cup of coffee and started watching TV again. Nothing interesting to watch. Was just skipping channels when I hurdled on some news channel that was broadcasting some relevant information about the “Riverside Slasher”. As it turns out, given his meticulous and precise procedure of killing, the serial killer might be a trained medical surgeon or at least acquire pro knowledge in it. The forensics is unable to catch DNA, fingerprints or any other kind of evidence on any of the three murder sites. The gender and age are still unknown.

Ring! Ring! I was startled by the ringing of the phone that interrupted the news-feed. I picked up the phone and found out it was Veronica on the other side who is apparently really furious about something.

“Eddy where the f**k is Emily? Why aren’t you people picking up my phone. I am staying at my landlord’s who apparently don’t seem real excited about it.” she yelled without even confirming who is on the other side of the phone.

“Veronica, this is not Eddy. I am his roommate. Eddy just came home and he told me that he has dropped Emily at your place.”

“Do not f**k with me Eddy. I know it’s you. I know who you really are. Emily has told me about you. We are tired of your silly little games you freak. Just tell me where is Emily. She is not here. Nobody has heard from her since Friday. What have you done to her?”

“Hey lady, are you crazy? I told you I am not Eddy. I got nothing to do with this.”

I was exasperated. I screamed Eddy’s name. He didn’t reply. I screamed again, and this time so hard that I jeopardize the safety of my vocal chords. But still no reply. Mother f**ker must be sleeping. I banged on his door, he is still not replying. I banged harder, yelling his name all over the place only to get disappointed again. He is really getting on my nerves today. I was just about to break the wooden door when I heard the screaming of distinct police siren invading the silence of the night. It seems it’s from our lane and heading fast towards our place. I rushed through the living room to the balcony and encountered a police car parked right outside the house. Two police officers got out of it and started approaching the main gate of our house. I don’t want to involve my landlord and bear a much bigger drama so I hurried down before they could ring the bell.

“Yes officers. May I help you?” I was pretentiously polite pretending that I don’t know why they are here.

“Hello! I am Detective Charles Brown and this is my partner Monica Woods. We are looking for Eddy F. Brooks.”

“Why? What’s the matter officer?” I asked without losing my calm.

“His girlfriend Emily Walsh is missing for the last couple of days. Nobody has seen her since Friday, her friends, her neighbors, her landlord, no one! She is not even answering the calls from her family. Just want to know if Eddy knew anything about this.”

“Well he is upstairs sleeping and may I add a little whacked out too.” I was way too calm on the matter which was seemingly vague and I think the officers have sensed something wrong here. I guided them upstairs, through the living room to his bedroom. I knocked on the door, calling out his name. He is not replying. After a couple of knocks the detectives suspected something wrong and uncertain here. Detective Charles ordered me to step aside and started hitting the door with his right shoulder, trying to break in. After a couple of hits the wooden door laid flat on the surface of the floor. He then gesticulates the lady officer to search the whole house and he himself went in. I too went in with him.

The room smelt like someone ate a decomposing pig and puked it all over the place. There was no one in the room. We checked the bathroom and found no sign of Eddy. All the doors and windows are locked from inside. This is literally incomprehensible. The officer asked me where he is and I told him I don’t know. He was here 20 minutes ago, the doors and windows are locked. He vanished into thin air. I can’t see how this is possible. The lady officer came back after examining the whole house and told us that there is no one in the house and the other bedroom smells like farts and gasoline.

Both the officers stared at me in suspicion. Detective Charles began hunting the core source of this stinking smell. The other detective was keeping an eye on me like I am gonna try and escape and she is gonna bust my ass. He searched the first cupboard and found nothing. He opened the second cupboard and a drooling blood faced dead corpse fell on him. It was Emily Walsh. Eddy’s girlfriend. Her eyes were gouged. All three of us were utterly thunderstruck. Stupefied he picked himself up and both of them pulled their guns on me.

“What the f**k?” Detective Charles seemed appalled as he wiped the blood off his face with his handkerchief. “Detective Monica, arrest this man.”

He commanded. And just when she was about to pull out the handcuffs, a sudden and unexpected black out engulfed the whole place.

“Don’t you dare to run Mister.”

I was warned by Detective Charles who was struggling his way towards me in darkness. The lady officer tried to grab my collar but I felt like something prevented her from doing so, and she screamed. I heard a thud or two and she stopped screaming. I stumble on something and fell down. Shots fired, blood spattered on my face, I don’t know whose blood was it. I was overwhelmed and horrified by the freakishly bizarre events that were taking place. I heard detective Charles screaming like a little girl while simultaneously shooting at something I don’t know what. Another thud or two and Charles was soundless. The room was overlaid with an unusual serenity.

The kind of serenity after a roaring thunder. It was not soothing and comfortable but intensified and disturbing. Meanwhile I managed to find cover under the bed. I was shivering and whimpering in terror. Everything went motionless except the ticking of the clock which was immensely audible. I can feel my heart pounding like hell and chills of countless goose bumps all over my body. I waited for a minute or two before I pulled myself out and started to run outside.

Trembling with terror, I stumbled my way out of the bedroom. Stealthily sneaking my way out in the living room, I glimpsed a shadowy figure on the right. I took a second look and found no-one. But there was something wrong with the mirror. I felt this sudden urge to learn what it was which disrupted my movement and I slowed down. Mystified I sidled towards the mirror. There was something in the mirror. There was a man in the mirror. It wasn’t me!!!!

It looked like me but it wasn’t me. It was Eddy!!! Eddy Brooks my roommate, with a blood dripping screw driver in his hand. Silently and motionlessly standing inside the mirror like a silent and scary hill in the middle of a thunder, witnessing everyone and everything silently. His lips stretched to decorate an eerie grin over his face and his devilish eyes were staring right into my petrified soul through the windows of my eyes. He is still smiling, waiting for me to question him something. I felt disoriented and overwhelmingly disturbed. I don’t know how any of this is possible.

Am I dreaming? Have I gone insane? Am I losing my sense of reality? I don’t know what’s real anymore. Having a personnel dilemma, I was quarreling with my own self. Should I run the hell out of here, as far as I can until my body gives up or should I stay and learn what the f**k is really going on?

“Eddy! what the f**k!! What the f**k is this? What the f**k is going on?” I decided to stay hoping for an explanation of all of this.

“We don’t have much time for any explanation of all this. Our landlord’s son has woken up because of all the noise, and is coming upstairs. We gotta do, what we gotta do. We have to do what we were doing. Don’t stop now. It’s you and I against them remember. Remember what they did to you and Emily. Remember why you have this condition?”

“What? What condition? What the f**k are you talking about?” I shouted in bewilderment.

“Listen to me. There is no place left in the world for love and compassion. There’s no justified purpose of humanity today. Humanity should have gone extinct by now. Its hell already, It’s already going down. We are just doing humanity a favor. I don’t like reminding everything to you every-f**king-time. You should really stop these petty arguments of yours now otherwise you will miss all the fun.”

“Eddy I don’t understand a word of what you are saying.”

“You will, in a while. Till then Hakuna matata my friend hakuna matata!”

And he dissipated slowly from the mirror leaving me in a constant state of horrifying delusion. I can only see my reflection in the mirror now. I looked down and I saw the blood dripping screw driver in my hand reflecting in the mirror, the screw driver with which the officers were butchered. At this very moment, the reason behind everything struck me like a bolt of lightning.

Knock! Knock! There was a knock on the door. Hiding the screwdriver behind my back I rushed to open the door. It was James, our landlords son.

“Hey what’s up? I heard noises. Is everything alright?” he looked worried.

“Yeah everything is alright. You weren’t picking up my call earlier and neither were your parents.” Said I leaning to the left side of the door.

“Yeah I was studying and my parents are out attending a marriage ceremony.” explained he. “Are you sure everything is alright because the noises were immensely audible, even at the end of the street?”

“Yeah man I am telling you, everything is alright. I was just watching a movie.” I seemed vague.

“Okay. Alright, Hey! Can I have my DVD’s back? I am having my last exam tomorrow, so I am gonna need them now. It’s been a hectic last month and I just want to ease off the pressure now and relax for a while”

Given the situation I was in, I paused for a moment or two before responding to his request. It was seemingly sly.

“Alright, sure. They are in the bedroom. Come in.” I opened the door for him to come in, still hiding the blood dripping screw driver behind my back.

“I am sorry to disturb you at this hour of night, EDDY!” Locking the door behind him I said “Hakuna matata my friend, hakuna matata!”

__END__