THE FOLLOWING FILE IS RECORDED HOURS AFTER THE EVENTS OF THE PREVIOUS FILE.

--File 049: Reflections--

When the camera begins filming, it is immediately obvious that it is much later in the day. The room the cameraperson is currently in is lit only by the setting sun outside, and the streetlights. They say nothing as the scan the room with the camera, revealing more about the scene of their refuge.

The trio is currently holed up in the motel room. The blinds are drawn, but when the cameraperson walks over to quirk one of the blinds open, there is no one in the parking lot. Not a single car can be seen; the lights in the main office are on, but no employees within can be seen. Seemingly, there is no one there, and yet...

The longer the cameraperson stares out the window, the more it seems that this is an illusory lie. As the camera shifts slightly, a figure seemingly... phases... into existence in the parking lot. Even at a distance, their face is contorted by a freakishly large smile operating almost like a hinge. The camera falters slightly, but as it continues to move, the person phases out of existence; a few more phase in and out. Clearly, reality is not what it seems.

The blind quirks shut again, though the filmer's breathing is harder. They turn, and it becomes clear, now, that the person filming is Blaine.

Emma is curled up in the fetal position on the only bed, wrapped in blankets, her head half-hidden under a pillow. The faint shapes of her journals are on the bed near her, lying open and facedown. Alex is curled up in a similar position on the floor, in front of the door, deep in the darkness of the room and away from the apparently omnipresent eyes out in the parking lot.

Blaine turns and heads toward the bathroom, walking so quietly that his footsteps are nearly silent. He steps in, closes the bathroom into sheer darkness, and then flicks on the cheap, overhead fluorescents. He is facing the mirror.

He looks exhausted, despite what must be about 8 hours of sleeping. Deep shadows sit under his eyes, and his hair is matted. There is an expression of despair hidden in his eyes, and the camera is shaking as he stares at his reflection. He looks like he wants to say something, but just swallows, putting a hand on the sink and bowing his head, lowering the camera as he does so. This presents a unique perspective in which both his actions and the mirror are filmed, which is important, because there is one, major problem: the head in the reflection doesn't bow.

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Blaine's eyes are squeezed shut, head bowed, but his reflection is staring straight at him. The eyes in the reflection are filling in with black, but the expression is flickering between rage and despair.

For several seconds, Blaine doesn't move, but he heaves a heavy sigh, lifts his head, and realizes that his reflection is no longer him. He freezes, staring at it, before slowly lifting the camera so film it, his hands shaking enough that the stabilizer isn't able to perfectly catch the motions.

Reflection: "Emma must not die."

The words are said as if speaking through a tunnel. It stares at Blaine, unflinching.

Blaine: "Who... the fuck are you?"

Blaine's voice is as quiet as he can make it, but it's shaking. The reflection smiles, and black liquid oozes from its mouth, shards of glass embedded in the ooze.

Reflection: "I am you."

Blaine: "Fuck off. Are you the one possessing Emma?"

Reflection: "Yes."

Blaine: "Who the fuck are you?!"

The reflection shakes its head, and raises a hand so that it presses up against the glass of the mirror. Horrifyingly, the glass bulges outward, toward Blaine.

Reflection: "I. Am. You."

Blaine: "What, from... from other... iterations?"

Reflection: "There you go."

Blaine: "Fuck... off. No. That's not-"

Reflection: "Shut the hell up. Emma must not die."

Blaine: "How the fuck am I supposed to pull that off if I kill her every single time?! What's the point?"

Reflection: "You're not me. I made sure of it."

This causes Blaine to pause, presumably staring at the reflection in confusion and mistrust. His body is angling away from the glass, indicating as much.

Blaine: "What are you talking about?"

Reflection: "I am you. I am the survivor. I am the arbiter. I am the one who brings the end. I am the one who killed them both."

Blaine stiffens, going stock still. The camera stops shaking. Something about what the reflection said has resonated with him, but he says nothing in return.

Reflection: "Emma must not die, Blaine."

The reflection smiles again, and the glass continues to bulge outward. The smile is spreading wide across his face, too wide, and suddenly, the reflection of Blaine gasps, snapping back; he snarls, then roars, and several things happen at once.

Blaine- the one in reality- shouts and flails, falling backward into the bathtub behind him. The glass of the mirror shatters into millions of pieces, and the fluorescents overhead all shatter, as well, sparks falling down into sudden blackness.

There's immediately shouting in the room beyond the bathroom.

Emma: "Blaine?! Blaine! Blaine, where are you?!"

Alex: "The fuck was that?!"

Blaine doesn't answer, but there's pounding on the bathroom door, and some light flickers in under the door into the room. After several too-long seconds of this, Blaine finally swears and shuts the camera off.

--END TRANSMISSION--