Garret was faceless in the mirror. The glare from the ceiling light reflected off the smooth surface, eliminating his features, replacing them with a blank, searing white. No matter how he positioned himself, Garret couldn’t get a glimpse of his face. It was as if the glass in front of him were absorbing his essence.

“I know you’re watching me,” Garret said aloud, directing his words to the mirror. “I know you’re back there.”

A tepid silence greeted him.

Gazing around the room, Garret took in the broken-down wooden stool collapsed in the corner and the battered table at the center of the room. Dark maple stains stood out starkly against the blond wood. Scratches shined like silver streaks under the glaring white light from the ceiling lamp.

Garret’s eyes caught sight of the sickly green door in the back corner of the room. He tried the knob, but it was cold and unmoving in his palm.

Turning his attention back to the mirror, Garret squinted against the bright light that obscured his reflection. “Who are you?” he asked. “What is this place?”

As if in response, the light bulb above began to emit a soft buzzing sound.

“I know you’re there,” Garret said, voice quavering. “I know somebody’s back there. What do you want with me? _And why can’t I see myself?_”

The soft buzzing continued, uninterrupted.

“_Let me see myself!_”

The bulb began to flicker, emitting little pops of sound that disrupted its steady buzzing.

With each flicker, the bright light in the mirror faded, giving Garret a momentary view of his face.

The man staring back at him was unfamiliar and alien. His dead eyes stared out from the glass, unblinking. His hair, instead of a shining bronze, was a deep, endless black.

“This isn’t me…” Garret murmured, perturbed. He slowly approached the glass, watching the man do the same.

“_What have you done to me?_” Garret shouted, addressing the figure he supposed stood behind the mirror. “_Change me back! This isn’t me!_”

The man in the mirror began to blink; his mouth curled up at the corners. He stood there, staring at Garret, grinning silently. The bulb overhead continued to buzz and flicker.