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Mirrored Closets




My parents made me sleep in the room with the mirrored closets. They knew I was afraid, but they said big kids faced their fears, not run away from them.

I tried sleeping with my lights on, but they would come in and turn them off in my sleep. I’d wake up, night after night, shrouded in darkness and terrified. I would lie perfectly still. I didn’t even dare move my eyes away from the ceiling.

Seconds…minutes…soon a couple of hours would be gone and I would still be lying in bed, afraid to move or even breathe too loudly. And then the sun would begin to rise and my body would relax. Mirrors aren’t nearly as scary during the day.

One weekend my parents had to fly out of the state for a wedding, but they decided I was old enough to stay home alone. I hugged them goodbye and sat around the rest of the day watching TV until I was tired. 

I switched the TV off and walked up to my room lazily, switching on my lights and climbing into bed. I didn’t even think about my mirrors as I was drifting off to sleep.

I awoke a couple of hours later, drenched in sweat and shrouded in darkness. They had come in and turned my lights off again.

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