Jorden groaned as he sat up. One moment he was having the strangest dream he could ever remember, and the next moment he was on his bedroom floor with a splitting headache.
�Ow�at least I don�t have a bunk bed,� he grumbled. Jorden closed his eyes and tried to remember what his dream was about, but it was like he was trying to hold water in his hands. All he could remember was that there were three people. No, they weren�t people. They were too big to be human. It was very dark in his dream (was it a dream? It seemed too real�), so he couldn�t see their faces. There was another�thing, but it was bigger and it seemed like it was trying to hurt the others. Jorden was disappointed that he couldn�t remember more. It seemed to him that this dream was special, almost as if it really happened. But it couldn�t have, could it?
Jorden shook his head and stood up. As he walked across his room, he made a quick glance at his mirror. No bruise was forming on his head as he could see. Suddenly, a silver flash blazed in the mirror, then it left as quickly as it came. Jorden stumbled back in surprise. Not only was there a blaze of silver, but also when he looked at it, it seemed to have had some sort of shape to it. Shaped almost like a face, yet not like a human because it was a long face, kind of horse-like. It had gray eyes as well, just like the color of steel. Jorden was amazed he could remember the details of the image since it the face only lasted a split second. Almost as if it was supposed to be imprinted perfectly in his mind.
Jorden shook his head in wonder. �I have to remember to call a shrink,� he mumbled. He quickly changed and walked out of his room, down the stairs, and into the kitchen. Jorden opened the cupboard and pulled out a box of Cheerios, which he poured into a bowl. However, just as he picked up his spoon, he jumped and dropped it. The spoon landed on the table with a clank and tumbled to the floor. Jorden ran his fingers through his hair.
�Not again. Oh, God, not again�� he trailed off. A cold sweat started to form on his forehead. For when he picked up the spoon, he glanced at it quickly but it also glanced at him. The face was back, right where his reflection should have been. Only this time, it stayed until it hit the table. Then the face faltered and disappeared before the spoon landed on the floor. Jorden leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor, not even daring to look at the spoon.
A week later, Jess and Jorden were walking through the mall again. Jess hadn�t failed to notice that Jorden�s eyes were avoiding any windows that they passed. Finally, she had enough of it.
�For Pete�s sake, Jorden! What the heck is wrong with you? You�re all�shifty�and stuff,� she said.
�It-It�s nothing. Nothing�� Jorden said, but as he answered he accidentally glanced in the window behind Jess and caught his reflection. It was suddenly replaced with the head, neck, and shoulders of a creature that looked extremely like a dragon. Jorden gasped and closed his eyes. Ever since the day he first saw the creature, every single thing that caught his reflection changed into the monster. And every time he looked, it seemed to become more detailed. He was afraid to look in any type of large window now because it seemed the bigger the window or mirror, the more he could see of the creature. Jorden shuddered at the thought of looking at the whole of it.
Jess arched an eyebrow as she saw her friend quickly shut his eyes visibly shiver at something. She turned around, and as she did, she saw a flash of silver, but thought nothing of it. As she looked to her right, a man was taking a picture of his daughter who was getting her face painted by a woman at one of the stands.
�Okay�so you�re afraid of pictures? Is that it?� Jess asked. Somehow that didn�t fit. Jorden always seemed to want his picture taken, and received second place for Most Pictured in the yearbook. Jess turned around again when Jorden made no reply and looked at the man. Her brow furrowed slightly as she noticed that the man was facing the other direction from them. �So, what was that flash then?� Jess mumbled to herself.
Jorden must have heard her, because he abruptly opened his eyes. �You saw a flash? You saw it?� he asked anxiously.
�Yeah, but I thought it was that guy over there with the camera. He probably moved because he�s facing-�
Jorden cut her off. �Where did you see the flash?�
�On that window, but-�
Jorden dashed over to the window and pointed to it without looking at it and asked, �This window? Was it this window?�
�Um, yeah. Jorden what�s the big deal? You�re starting to scare me.�
�Look. Look in the window. At your reflection,� he said quickly.
Jess sighed. �Alright,� she said and looked in the window at her reflection. �I don�t see the point to this, but-�
Suddenly she stopped and jumped back. Her eyes widened and she took a few steps foreword. Touching the mirror with her hand, she looked back at Jorden.
�W-what was that?�
�That�s what I have been seeing for the past week. Was it just a silver flash?� he asked.
�Yeah, but it looked like a face too.�
�That�s exactly how it started for me. First it was the flash, and then it just stayed there, staring at me. And if I moved and looked at it, it would just follow me with its eyes,� Jorden whispered.
�I-I think we should go now,� Jess said softly.
�Yeah, let�s get out of here.�
The two started to walk quickly out of the mall. Jess couldn�t help but look in a few of the windows and soon the face would stay longer, and eventually she could see its neck and shoulders. She stopped and looked in the mirror, mesmerized. Jorden looked back. He ran toward her and pulled her away. He grabbed her arm and made way towards the exit. They came out to the back parking lot that was hardly ever used. Jorden sat down on the curb and Jess did the same.
�This is way too creepy,� she gasped. �I swear, if that ever happens again, I�ll probably go-�
Jorden looked at her when he noticed she hadn�t finished her sentence. She was looking down at their feet, which were inches away from a large puddle. Jorden�s eyes grew big as he saw the creature�s reflection. It blinked at them with its steel-gray eyes. Then suddenly, the water began to ripple and the creature�s head and neck rose out from the pool. Jess and Jorden were paralyzed with fear.