Today I used a prompt that suggested the face in the mirror didn't quite match the one looking into the glass. This is what I came up with.
Michael rolled out of bed and trudged to the bathroom. Had someone tethered a case of water to his ankles? It sure felt like it as he flipped on the bathroom light and walked over to the vanity mirror.
Dark crescents accented bloodshot eyes. A shadow of a beard covered his jaw. He turned on the tap and splashed cold water over his face. It did little to wake him up. Was he coming down with a bug?
Michael turned the shower on and crawled inside. after a few minutes of standing under the spray, he forced himself to bathe and give his face a quick shave. Afterwards, he pushed the curtain back and quickly toweled off, wrapping the wet towel around his waist before heading back into the bedroom.
As he passed the vanity mirror, Michael glanced at his reflection...and froze. Gone were the circles under his eyes and his eyes were no longer bloodshot. His eyes had always been green, but now they practically glowed with a vibrance he hadn't seen in a decade. Even his hair was different. Darker, glossier. Clear skin had replaced the odd blemish. Michael hadn't thought of himself as handsome for a long time, but at this moment, he could say with hand on heart that he looked good. Better than good. He looked amazing. The shower had obviously done wonders.
Hmm...he'd never looked amazing.
Michael frowned at his reflection. He expected his reflection to frown back, but it didn't. Instead, his reflection smiled, flashing startlingly white teeth.
"Hello Michael," his reflection said, turning his head enough for Michael to catch sight of his pointy ears. "I've been searching for you for a long time."
"M-me?" Michael squeaked. "W-why?"
He cocked his head. "You really don't remember, do you?"
Michael shook his head and took an instinctive step back.
"You were granted twenty-five years in this world, but you over-stayed and have been here for thirty. You broke our agreement," he said. "You know what happens when you make a deal with the Fey and break it."
Michael shook his head. No, he didn't. He'd never made any kind of deal with this creature. But before he could say so, someone grabbed him from behind. He glanced over his shoulder to see who and was staring at his own face. This couldn't be happening. He had to be hallucinating. Strong arms lifted him off the ground and moved him toward the mirror. Michael struggled, but he was no match for this creature's strength.
"You're making a mistake," he cried as he was moved bodily closer and closer. He expected to be shoved against the glass. Instead, his 'reflection' reached out of the mirror and grabbed him, pulling him inside.
"The Fey don't make mistakes," his reflection said, then shattered the glass.