I See Things In The Mirror

 "Yo, what is in this tea?"

 "Dude, it's normal peppermint tea. You got an allergy or something?"

 "I don't know man, I'm seeing weird sh!t." I was frowning at the mirror, but my reflection was smiling, staring straight into my eyes.

 "Oh my - is this like that time at the carnival? That clown was minding his own business, you were the one trippin out."

 "Dude, something's wrong!" My reflection had now turned its face toward my friend, still smiling, impossibly wide.

 "Sh!t. Did you take something? Eric, you know you can't handle-"

 "Shut up! This is too weird!" I ran from the house.

 On the bike ride home I avoided seeing my reflection in passing windows. I waited for a day before checking again. 

It was the same every time. My reflection would grin and stare, no matter what I did. When around other people it looked at them instead. 

 This went on for months. My therapist gave me meds, but it never stopped.

 Yesterday I went to visit my Grandpa in the home. I hate that my mom put him there. I hate that I can't afford to just take care of him myself. 

 He's always been my most trusted confidant, so he's aware of my situation. He asks the nurse to cover all the mirrors in his room when I come to visit, which is twice a week.  

 Before entering the home I glimpsed myself in the window. I did a double take just to be sure I saw right. This time my reflection was frowning. My stomach dropped. 

 Window me slowly shook his head as I reached for the doorbell. I decided to ignore it and jammed the button three times, my hand shaking. 

 When the door finally opened I practically ran inside.

 I didn't mention what happened to my Grandpa, I needed to process. Throughout our visit I avoided the thought in the back of my mind, that I had ignored a warning. 

 After leaving his room I heard a faint call for help, coming from across the hall. I scanned around for a nurse before going to check it out, maybe someone fell down. Upon entering the room I saw a frail looking elderly man in bed, asleep. 

 I then noticed a full length mirror on the wall, directly across from the bed. In the reflection the man was sat straight up, smiling wide, staring at himself. 

 I screamed, I couldn't help it. It had never happened with someone else before. The man on the bed slept on, oblivious.

 When I worked up the courage to look again his reflection was now staring at me, grinning. That was my breaking point. As a 26 year old man I'm not ashamed to say I ran straight back to my grandpa's room. 

 "Is it Friday already?" My Grandpa looked amused, sitting in bed holding a newspaper. 

 "Something happened."

 After I explained what had occurred my Grandpa slowly removed his glasses, his bemused expression replaced with a look of concern. 

 "Son, I'm the only resident in this wing."