The Mirror That Wouldn’t Let Go
In the town of Gribbleton, where the cheese squeaked when you sliced it and the lampposts wore little knitted scarves in winter, there was an antique shop owned by a woman named Madam Fig. She was old enough to remember when the moon was only half-regulated and smart enough to know when to sell a cursed object for a good price.
At the very back of her shop, hidden behind a pile of teacups shaped like knees and clocks that only ticked when you weren’t looking, stood a tall, dusty mirror. It was framed in blackened silver vines, its surface always cold to the touch — even in the middle of a dragon’s sneeze.
No one bought it. Not because it was ugly (it was quite elegant), or haunted (though it definitely was), but because… well, the mirror had a little problem. You see, once you looked into it, your reflection didn’t want to leave.
It started with small things.
Customers would glance at it and swear they saw themselves blink a moment too late.
Others claimed their reflections smirked when they weren’t smirking.
Once, a man named Crispin Higglethorpe caught his reflection rolling its eyes at his bowtie — which was made entirely of miniature muffins. Crispin was deeply offended.
But things got weirder.
One day, a woman named Penny Wagtail walked in, admired herself in the mirror for a few seconds, turned around… and her reflection stayed. It waved. It winked. It blew her a kiss and then proceeded to stretch, yawn, and sit down inside the glass like it was on vacation.
From that day on, it was chaos.
Reflections would refuse to go back. They danced when you were still, posed dramatically when you scratched your nose, and occasionally tried to write HELP ME backwards on the inside of the glass.
Children loved it. Parents did not.
Madam Fig eventually had to put up a sign:
PLEASE DO NOT MAKE EYE CONTACT WITH THE MIRROR UNLESS YOU ARE PREPARED FOR EXISTENTIAL BETRAYAL.
But of course, that only made things worse.
People lined up to try it. Some left laughing. Others left horrified. One man proposed to his reflection because “she finally understands me.” They’re still together. It’s complicated.
Then one day, a boy named Toby — clever, curious, and slightly allergic to raisins — walked in. He stared into the mirror for a long time. His reflection grinned.
“Wanna switch?” it said.
Toby blinked. “Excuse me?”
“Just for a bit! You go in here, I go out there. Think of it like… a vacation from yourself.”
“No thanks,” Toby said.
But the reflection didn’t ask again. It just reached out, grabbed Toby by the shirt, and PULLED.
There was a tremendous whoosh, a puff of glittery fog, and when it cleared… the reflection was outside. Toby was inside.
And guess what?
The reflection LOVED it.
He did Toby’s homework. Cleaned his room. Was kind to his sister. Ate broccoli voluntarily.
Meanwhile, real Toby inside the mirror quickly learned two things:
- He could tap-dance on the surface of the mirror.
- Being a reflection was incredibly boring.
So he started making trouble: sticking out his tongue, photobombing tourists, pretending to be trapped in an invisible box during school picture day.
Eventually, reflection-Toby felt guilty.
“I miss you, bro,” he said one day, standing before the mirror.
“You miss me? I miss pizza!” Toby snapped.
So they swapped back — with one final whoosh — and Toby was so grateful to be solid again that he hugged a mailbox and kissed the pavement.
From then on, the mirror was moved to a museum where it could mess with philosophers and overconfident influencers.
But if you ever find yourself in Gribbleton and feel the need to fix your hair, maybe… just maybe… don’t look too closely into the mirror at the back of the room. Because it might just look back… and decide you’d be a better reflection than you are a person.
Some mirrors reflect who you are. Others reflect who you think you are. But the worst ones? They just want your life. So moisturize. And be careful.
Note:
Thank you for reading “The Mirror That Wouldn’t Let Go”! This is a story in a series created for avid readers and English learners who want to enjoy captivating tales while practicing their language skills. Stay tuned for more stories and language tips to enhance your journey!
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