THE SHIFT IN THE MIRROR

Fiction Prompt:

“The Shift in the Mirror”

Write a short scene (150–250 words) in which:

The main character catches their reflection doing something slightly different from their real movement.

Keep it subtle.

Nothing dramatic.

Nothing horror.

Just off by a fraction of a second, or in a slightly different posture.

Your job:

• Describe the exact moment they notice the mismatch.
• Capture their bodily reaction (heart, breath, tension).
• Let the scene end with a question rather than an answer.
• Keep the tone realistic and grounded — the strangeness should feel possible.
  

Examples of subtle differences (you choose one):

• The reflection blinks a moment late.
• The reflection tilts its head a bit differently.
• The reflection smiles faintly when the character doesn’t.

The reflection stays still while the character moves.

Response:

Emma was an American shorthair—silver, soft, and endlessly curious. She spent most mornings chasing invisible beings only she seemed to detect, her paws clicking lightly across the hardwood floor.

Whenever she passed the hallway mirror, she always stopped. A quick glance to admire herself, a bit of grooming, a delicate paw lick—her usual ritual.

But today, something flickered in the corner of her vision.

As she lifted her paw to her mouth, she froze.

In the reflection, Emma appeared to have two tails.

Her little heart thudded faster.

She spun around in a tight circle, grabbing at her real tail with both paws.

Only one.

She looked back at the mirror.

Just one tail there too.

Everything normal again.

Or at least, normal enough for a cat.

Emma blinked slowly, uncertain.

What is a cat supposed to think when the world hiccups for a moment?