I arrived home a little earlier than usual, just enough time for me to breathe before Sam comes home. Five minutes is all I needed to myself before having to do anything else, but it seemed to have gotten the better of me. I awoke to a sudden slam of the back door and pounding footsteps heading my way.

“Dad! D-aaa-d”

“I’m in here”

“Look what I found”

“Is that a mirror? Where did you get that at?”

“It was a special present just for me!”

It didn’t concern me too much, just kid stuff, a plastic compact was the least of my worries. While I was prepping dinner and Sam was doing homework at the kitchen table I could not help but notice her staring at herself in the mirror.

“The faster you get your homework done, the quicker you can play. So put down the toys okay?”

I was met with mild frustration and a piercing glare before I took ahold of the mirror myself. To make light of the situation and prevent myself from being seen as the devil himself I playfully opened the mirror to pamper up. I was met by a laugh from Sam, but when I looked closer behind my reflection seemed to warp and change, almost like it was below a creek. I didn’t want to show my fright in the moment but something is wrong with this and I needed to find out more.

After Sam was asleep I opened the mirror again, my reflection was there but almost delayed. As if it was not actually me in the mirror but another who was replicating my movements, something false pretending to be me. I don’t remember how long I looked into the warped perception of myself but all I know now is my skin is no longer my own. I couldn’t handle it anymore, I smashed it against the ground, shattering and breaking. It felt like it was over, the dread left my body, so I cleaned up the mess and went to bed.

When I awoke my own reflection did not deceive me, my skin was swimming around as if a mask of myself was layed on top of my face. A droop in the eye and mouth, the edge of someone’s jaw lifting. It was quick and didn’t last for long but it started happening to everyone over the next few days. At first strangers out of the corner of my eye, then co-workers, then Sam.

I had to know the truth, it was eating me alive. I stood over the bathroom sink one night, staring at myself until it happened. At first I tried to grab it, but to no avail it was like the false me was taunting me. A parasite infected me, and is now tormenting me, it had to be removed. I grabbed a pair of tweezers and caught the seam of it, pulling it off fast. It appeared to be a copy of my face on some sort of mask with thousands of tiny legs on it. I dropped everything and stood back as I watched it separate into tiny insects and crawl down the drain. My face was my own again, and so was everyone else’s, but sometimes I wonder what would happen if I let it stay a little longer.