The Bizarre Detective Agency

Chapter 159: Number 2

Name: Number 2

Form: Identical to the client's appearance, currently exists only in mirrors.

Level: Ghost (undetermined)

In life: (no data)

Nature: Hostile, poses a threat.

Location: Any reflective surface.

Client: Senger

Service Fee: To be determined.

Client Record

——————First phone contact with client:

"Save me, save me! It wants to get out! It wants to replace me!"

"Who is this? Should I call the police for you?"

"It's a ghost... The ghost wants to take everything I have, it's studying me!"

"Please, calm down. Can you tell me your name?"

"My name is Senger. Save me! Quickly, save me! It's coming out!"

"Senger, hello. If you need help, you need to describe the situation in detail. Shouting won't solve anything."

"It's hiding somewhere nearby... I need to hide... I need to hide!"

The sound of frantic footsteps.

A clatter.

The call was disconnected.

End of first phone call.

——————

Second phone contact with client:

"I'm hidden... I don't think it can see me..."

"Senger?"

"Yes... I... I'm hiding in... in a closet. It's dark in here, no mirrors, it can't see me."

"Can you tell me what happened now?"

"I... I've seen... terrible things."

"Supernatural?"

"Yes! Yes... I've encountered something supernatural, but I don't know if it's a ghost..."

"Can you describe it? What does it look like, for instance?"

"It... it's me. The me in the mirror..."

"You mean your reflection in the mirror isn't behaving the way you are?"

"Yes! Exactly!"

"Have you been under a lot of stress lately? Did you see a doctor after this started?"

"I..."

"A few weeks ago, I would have advised you to see a doctor. But now, I'm inclined to believe this is a supernatural phenomenon. If you're able, tell me everything from the beginning. Don't leave anything out."

"Okay... You'll help me, right?"

"Yes."

The client swallowed hard.

"It started seven days ago... I was working in my study, it was late, probably two in the morning... or three. I have oily skin, so I went to wash my face. There's a mirror on the bathroom wall. I was washing my face, head down, and then, as I closed my eyes to lather up with soap, I thought I saw something out of the corner of my eye..."

"I thought I'd imagined it, so I kept my eyes closed and continued washing, since my face was covered in lather. But with my eyes shut, everything was dark, and I felt a presence nearby, as if... as if someone was pacing behind me. I quickly rinsed my eyes and looked around—no one was there."

"Then I looked in the mirror again—everything was normal. I quickly left the bathroom. And that's when I realized something was wrong... because my face was already clean, but my reflection's face was still covered in suds... I... I went back to the doorway and looked at the mirror. And I saw myself, standing there in the reflection, perfectly still, but its eyes were locked on me, angled to the very corners of their sockets, staring..."

The client was breathing heavily.

"I... I don't know how to describe it... I never thought my own face could look so terrifying..."

"Terrified, I ran to my bedroom, lit every candle and lamp I could find, and hid under the covers. I thought everything would be okay. But after a few minutes, I saw my reflection in the window... No, not mine. Its reflection. It appeared there."

"Whatever I do... it copies me..."

"You mean like a normal reflection?"

"No! No... not at all... It's definitely it! Because it copies all my actions on a delay! I scream—a moment later, it screams too. I throw a pillow at it—it throws a pillow back at me... It's learning from me... It's mimicking me... It's already taken over my reflection, and now it wants to take over my body!"

"Please, try to calm down."

"Okay... thank you... Can you help me? I heard you're a detective who handles supernatural cases..."

"Yes, if this is a ghost or some other supernatural phenomenon, I will help you. But first, I need to know something. Have you visited any unusual places recently?"

"No... I haven't. I've been at work the whole time, and otherwise just at home. I haven't gone anywhere."

"I see... Does it only appear at your home, or outside as well?"

"It follows me everywhere..."

"It sounds like you brought it back with you. It's been six days since you first noticed it. What is the ghost in the mirror doing now?"

"I don't know... It just keeps mimicking me. At first, it was clumsy, repeating my movements with a long delay. But then it started learning faster and faster... I smashed the mirror, but it just kept copying my movements in the shards. I got scared, so I covered every reflective surface, drew all the curtains. Damn this Night Calamity! If only I could hide in the dark... It can't see me without light..."

"I've been hiding at home all these days. But... last night, my parents came to visit, and I saw it in the window... Its movements have become completely identical to mine... I clench my fist—it clenches its fist. I blink—it blinks. What do I do? What am I going to do...?"

"Are you certain that the one in the mirror is it, and not you?"

"Of course! It's it! It has completely taken over my reflection!"

"Alright, I understand. If it's as you say, you should come to the agency as soon as possible."

"Can't you come to me?! If I go outside, that ghost will see me!"

"We can, of course, but it sounds like the situation is critical... You might not have that much time."

A brief silence.

"What should I do... I don't want to die... I'm so young..."

"As I said, you need to get to our detective agency as quickly as possible. But I have one more question: does it appear during the day?"

"No... It only appears after dark..."

"Excellent. It may be overcast, but it's still daytime. You have time to get to my detective agency."

A rustling sound.

"I'll come... I'm leaving right now! I'm on my way!"

End of second phone call.

——————

Analysis: The ghost's motives are unclear. It appears only in mirrors reflecting the client. The "replacement" is merely the client's assumption. The entity in the mirror may have other objectives. There is insufficient information to draw any conclusions. Awaiting the client's arrival to continue the investigation.