He could see the demon in the mirror.

The demon’s face covered the old woman’s, and for the first time in decades, he didn’t recognize her face in the mirror anymore.

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I originally planned this story to be about Alzheimer's Disease in honor of my grandpa, who died after a seven-and-a-half-year battle with the disease several years ago. The demon was supposed to be a metaphor for memory loss, nothing more and nothing less. But as I was getting started, a member of my writing discord linked me to the Lewy Body Dementia Association website. I’d never heard of it, and I was devastated to hear that, for some people, the demon in the mirror behind Abigail is real.

Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

Lewy Body Dementia is an actual disease with three possible symptom paths. The first appears very similar to Parkinson's Disease. The second initially presents very similarly to Alzheimer’s Disease. And the last begins with hallucinations, behavior problems, and difficulty with complex mental activities, according to the LBDA website. Regardless, all three paths end up with similar symptoms over time. While there are treatments, there isn’t a way to stop it, and more research is needed into how LBD attacks the brain.

If this story has made an impression on you, consider donating to the Lewy Body Dementia Association at the following link:

https://www.lbda.org/donate/

Thanks,

Aest Belequa