MIRROR, MIRROR DO YOU SEE ME?
An Original Listener Terror
Written by Wade Mowbray, age 6
Alex anxiously fidgeted in his 4th-grade desk, eagerly awaiting the first-period bell. He regretted chugging that entire Code Red Mountain Dew right before class; now, he wasn’t sure if he could hold it in any longer. Panic started to settle in and he desperately raised his hand.
“Miss Isabella, may I please use the bathroom?”
“Alex, wait until the bell rings,” Miss Isabella replied, shooting him an annoyed look from the whiteboard.
“But it’s an emergency!” Alex cried, squeezing his hand between his legs.
“Alright, but be quick,” his teacher allowed, handing him a hall pass
Without wasting a second, Alex dashed out of the classroom, sprinting down the hall when he was suddenly stopped by Jerome, the strict hall monitor.
“Hold it right there!” Jerome demanded, displaying his hall monitor badge proudly.
Alex’s eyes widened with worry. “I—I really need to use the bathroom, Jerome. It’s urgent!”
Jerome hesitated for a moment, then softened his stern expression. “Alright, hurry up. But remember, no running in the halls!”
Nodding gratefully, Alex rushed past Jerome finally reaching the bathroom. He was relieved to find it empty, but an unusual dimness and a strange fog in the air gave the room an eerie atmosphere. Nonetheless, his need to use the bathroom was overpowering and he quickly took care of his business.
“Much better,” Alex sighed with relief as he stood by the sink, washing his hands.
Suddenly, a movement in the mirror caught his eye. For a split second, it seemed like there was something watching him from within the glass. A chilling sound, almost like a soft, guttural hiss, started to emanate from the mirror, making his skin prickle with fear.
The mirror began to shake and the hissing sound became louder. His heart raced as he looked up again, and this time, his reflection wasn’t alone. A menacing, red scaly monster with sharp teeth, gooey eyes, and a giant scorpion tail glared back at him.
“AHHHH!” Alex screamed, his heart pounding in terror.
The monstrous reflection hissed at him, and before he knew it, the scorpion tail shot out of the mirror, stinging Alex’s arm with a cold, paralyzing venom. He collapsed to the ground, clutching his arm in pain.
“Bring me food!” the ugly creature demanded.
Alex looked back at the monster with confusion. Did the monster mean the mystery meat on today’s cafeteria menu? That couldn’t be right! No one would want to eat that.
Before Alex could finish his thought, he began to feel strange. The area where the monster had stung his arm now throbbed, growing larger and more painful. He sensed an unsettling transformation taking place. Hastily, he rose to his feet and saw his reflection in the mirror, but it was no longer his own familiar face staring back at him.
His reflection contorted into a ghastly image — pale, lifeless skin stretched tightly over bony features, eyes a sickly shade of yellow, and a twisted grin revealing jagged, rotting teeth.
“Oh no! What’s happening to me? Why do I look like a zombie?” Alex exclaimed.
“Bring me food!” the monster demanded, its voice echoing menacingly.
Alex felt the creature’s venom creeping through his veins and felt the urge to suddenly obey; his voice now eerily zombie-like, he replied, “As you wish, master.”
In a slow, deliberate pace, he walked out of the bathroom, arms stretched out in front of him, drool dripping from his mouth, driven solely by the need to feed his master. Along the way, he spotted Jerome, the hallway monitor, making his rounds.
“Ohhhhh,” Alex groaned as he approached Jerome, “Food.”
Jerome, startled, exclaimed, “Hey! No zombies in the hall!” He tried to escape, but Alex grabbed him and hoisted him over his shoulders.
“Put me down! This isn’t funny!” Jerome cried. “Where’s your hall pass?!?”
With vacant eyes, Alex grinned as he carried Jerome back to the boys’ bathroom, where the monstrous reflection eagerly awaited its meal.
“FOOD!” the beast roared, slobber and drool dripping from its oversized mouth.
“Ahhh!” Jerome screamed in terror, but it was too late. The monster extended its red-scaled tongue from the mirror, wrapping it around Jerome and pulled him into its gaping throat.
With a sudden jolt, Alex opened his eyes, finding himself on the cold bathroom floor. Disoriented and confused, he checked his arm, but there was no sting.
“Was it all just a dream?” he wondered.
As he stood up, the bathroom’s dimness returned to normal. “It must have been a nightmare,” he thought.
Unsure of how long he had been asleep for, Alex hurried back to Ms. Isabella’s classroom.
“Where have you been?” scolded Ms. Isabella, her eyes narrowing.
RING RING RING
The second period bell rang and students started to shuffle out of the room.
As the classroom emptied, the principal walked in, looking flustered. He approached Ms. Isabella and asked, “Have you seen Jerome? He’s supposed to be monitoring the halls.”