Chapter Four: The Mirror That Moved First

The face in the door asked again, “When did you begin to believe the man in the mirror was you?” Tang covered Shen's mouth. It was not asking his name, but a second question was still a trap. In a dusty mirror, Shen's reflection lowered its camera. The real Shen had not moved. Seven minutes after midnight, the mirror was one step ahead. Gray uniform seeped under the door like wet paper. Behind the enormous print, Tang found a darkroom turnstile bearing a rule: WHEN THE REFLECTION MOVES FIRST, DO NOT TURN AROUND. FOR THIRTEEN MINUTES, COMPLETE ITS ACTIONS. The reflected Shen pointed to his chest, then to the empty chair. Shen dragged the chair before the glass. His reflection sat, and the real cushion sank beneath an invisible weight.