Steam drifted over the edge of the cup, and Mike lifted the bitter coffee to his lips, taking a long sip. His neighbors shot him dark glares as the sound drew on and on.

“C’mon Mike, it’s too early for this!” his closest neighbor called.

Mike took another slurp of his coffee, ensuring this one was louder and longer than the last. He pulled up his email as he did, so, if asked, he could pretend he was doing work.

His desk phone rang. He leaned over to read the caller ID, narrowing his eyes. It was the parents of the missing girl, Elle. They were calling about the status of the case again. He stopped his slurping, much to his colleagues’ joy, and sighed, picking up the phone.

“Hello?” He questioned, without introduction or preamble.

“Yes, officer?” The mother asked, her voice high-pitched, strangled. Almost hysterical.

Mike leaned his elbow on his desk, cradling the coffee against his chest.

“Ma’am?” he questioned, taking a quiet sip of his coffee and letting her speak on her terms.

“She’s home! Our baby girl is home!”

Coffee splattered over his desk and monitor. The remnants burned as Mike choked it down his throat. “What?”

“Elle’s home!”

He set the coffee cup to the side, leaning back into his chair and cinching the phone between his neck and head as his fingers rested on the computer keyboard.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“Congratulations,” he said, meaning it.

“Thank you.”

He quickly switched back to duty mode, scheduling a time to speak with her and her daughter to finalize the report, and disconnected the call.

The other officers bustled around him, heralding the beginning of a busy day. Mike twirled a pen in his hands, looking over the little information he’d gotten from the phone call with a frown. He’d suspected she’d gone missing in the same manner of the unsolved missing persons cases sitting at the edge of his desk–the locked doors, windows, timing, name, and mirror in her room all pointed to that–but perhaps he’d overlooked something in his initial investigation.

He was happy she’d returned, of course. Missing children’s cases were one of the worst. But something about the situation still nagged at him.

With another sigh, Mike summoned his partner, Dave, over to discuss the updates to the casein inform him of the good news.

The joy that crossed Dave’s face at the news made him look younger than he already was. It faltered when he noticed the frown still lining Mike’s face.

“You think there’s something wrong,” he stated, already knowing Mike a little too well.

“Something just feels off, is all.”

Elle and her family had been unexpectedly understanding of Mike’s desire to put the case to rest and had offered the opportunity for them to visit at any time in the week. Nagged by Mike’s gut, the two officers headed out immediately after informing their supervisors of the updates to the case.

The air was cool, chilled by the wind and moisture thickening beneath the forming clouds above. It smelled like rain, and thunder rumbled in the distance as they stepped out of their issued vehicle.

The girl, Elle, looked healthier than they’d expected for a missing person of a few months. Her skin was clear and free of injury, and she didn’t appear to have lost any weight. Wherever she was, she was well taken care of.

Dave started recording as they went through routine questions, as Officer Mike noted any suspicious movements or details as he noticed them.

Once they’d gotten through the standard questions, Officer Mike went off-script, following his gut.

“Did you have any contact with another missing person, Anna Smith, before, during, or after you ran away from home?”

Elle’s eyes were molten steel, and she didn’t break eye contact as she answered. “No.”

Officer Mike nodded. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

He scribbled her answer in his notebook, along with the observation of her confidence despite the lack of a picture.

“Are you aware that there are some in the town who think mirrors are connected to the disappearances of men and women in the area?’

She shook her head. “What are you implying, officer? That mirrors eat people?”

Mike didn’t give into the taunt and shrugged. “Not at all. Simply that there’s a rumor..”

Elle shot them a razor-sharp grin and laughed in their face. “Mirrors don’t eat people.”

Your Reflection does.