Work Text:
Mirror Manifestation
a Ghost Hunt drabble
Noll leaned into the mirror, wiping away the fog with his fist so he could see her clearly. His own bedroom reflected back at him, dark. Empty. Except for a girl standing slumped, face buried in her hands.
Noll glanced slowly over his shoulder, holding tightly to the towel around his waist. "Hello," he said lightly. He was expecting this.
And when he turned, there was no one. The space where she had stood between the unmade bed and oak desk was empty, but this was also to be expected. What he wasn't expecting as he found her reflection again in the foggy mirror, were the sobs that filled the room. The sound bounced around his head as if it were coming from right beside him. Noll glanced again over his shoulder but of course there was nothing. Looking back, her reflection shuddered, shoulders trembling along with the sound.
Noll's hip dig into the counter as he leaned so close his breath fogged over her. She seemed so solid; no hint of blurry edges or static. Was she a ghost? He leaned back, unsure.
"...Hello?" He tried again.
The sobs quieted.
The girl swayed on the spot, long brown hair whipping as she turned, searching.
When she faced the mirror, her face was splotchy and red and wet. Their eyes met.
The bracelet made a metallic clink against the porcelain sink.
Noll fell forward, a wave of nausea mastering him. What was that? Looking up, his blurry face stared back at him, the mirror fogged over once more. Hesitant, he wiped it away.
Nothing.
He stood upright, searching for a better angle. The bracelet caught under his palm and fell to the floor. He didn't bend to retrieve it.
The room reflected in the mirror was just as empty as it should have been. No girl, no crying. Well, he hummed to himself, that was further than he'd gotten before. Noll reached for the small notebook he kept shoved behind his toothbrush. Skipping past more than a handful of previous entries he uncapped the pen and wrote:
July 18, 9am. Attempt 12. Auditory hallucinations, investigator describes as crying. Words otherwise unintelligible. He paused before adding: Subject responded to investigator's voice. Further research is needed.
He grabbed a wash cloth and folded the bracelet inside. Psychometry was a fickle thing, he mused. A single object could show him anything. At least, anything that has already happened. The past. Events that could not be changed. Noll thought of her face and the look in her eye as she saw him. Noticed him. What could it mean?
He sighed and put the notebook back in the drawer, the bracelet tucked safely away next to it. He would try again tomorrow.