"Reflections of the Other Side"

My roommate swore the mirror in our hallway was warped. Said it made her reflection breathe

out of sync. I laughed—until the night the power went out and I passed it with a candle.

The flame bent toward the glass, like the mirror was inhaling. I leaned closer

and saw movement behind my reflection—another room, dimly lit, same furniture,

but covered in dust. I reached out; the glass rippled like water. A cold hand pressed

back. For a second, I saw myself on the other side, eyes wide,

pounding at the surface, mouth forming words I couldn’t hear. Then the lights

flickered back, and everything was normal. The next morning, my roommate was