The Bradbury Chronicles

The Man in the Mirror

         Jason yawned.

         His shift was nearly over, and as the last string of giggling teenagers stumbled out of the Haunted Tower tour, he considered stopping by Junior’s Burgers for an early-morning snack.

         After all, most of the customers were quite tast—

         “Clean-up time!” his boss bellowed just as the clock chimed five a.m.

         With a groan, Jason grabbed his tools of the trade and shuffled back inside.

         He began his usual routine: clearing empty popcorn buckets, candy wrappers, bits of cheap jewelry that might fetch a couple of bucks at the pawn shop, and—worst of all—the occasional evidence of couples who thought the dark corners offered enough privacy for their “fun time.”

         Shuddering in disgust, Jason made his way to his favorite part of the attraction—

         The Hall of Mirrors.

         Here, he could lose himself among the ghostly reflections and countless versions of himself.

         As he approached one of the towering antique mirrors, framed by snarling gargoyles and curling dragons, he smiled sheepishly at his reflection in greeting.

         “Took you long enough,” his twin muttered from the glass, frowning.

         “Sorry,” Jason replied. “It never gets old studying humans. They really are fascinating creatures.”

         “Yeah, yeah. Just get in here, will you? Someone might start to suspect something soon.”

         The once-solid glass shimmered and melted into a translucent mist. The two men switched sides effortlessly.

         Jason straightened his uniform and inhaled deeply, the stench of the real world filling his lungs again. He turned back just in time to see the last trace of his twin fade away—leaving a glimmer of mischief in those maroon eyes and a lingering shadow.

         Tomorrow, they would do it all over again.

         After all, a promise to an Immortal was not one easily broken.




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Word Count: 292
Prompt: Write a story that includes the words: tower, shadow, eyes
Written For: "Daily Flash Fiction Challenge"