The Mirror in Room Six

Lexile: 1080 | Grade: 9

Passage

Every Thursday, Avery went to the same therapy building, climbed the same six stairs, and sat in the same beige chair by the window. She never liked Room Six—it smelled faintly of lemon cleaner and something else she couldn’t name—but she never asked to change it either.

The mirror was the only thing on the far wall. Not decorative, just a square of glass slightly warped at the edges. It never reflected exactly what she expected. Once, she noticed a shadow on her sleeve that wasn’t there when she looked down. Another time, her eyes seemed just a shade too dark. It was probably the lighting, she told herself. Or stress.

Her therapist, Dr. Merin, was soft-spoken and always asked, 'What are we sitting with today?' Avery never knew how to answer that. It wasn’t one big thing—it was thousands of tiny ones. A word said too sharply. An empty hallway. A memory that shifted when she tried to touch it.

Today, the session felt heavier. She sat down and felt the chair give a little more than usual, like it had been waiting too long. Outside, the sky was that pale color just before rain. Dr. Merin folded her hands. 'Avery, can I ask you something different today?'

Avery nodded.

'Do you remember the first time we met?'

Avery frowned. 'Of course. It was almost a year ago. I sat here, and you were wearing that blue sweater.'

Dr. Merin paused. 'I wasn’t wearing a blue sweater that day.'

Silence expanded in the room like steam. Avery glanced at the mirror. Her reflection blinked a beat too late.

'Maybe I’m mixing it up with another day,' Avery said quickly.

Dr. Merin tilted her head. 'Avery, we've only had three sessions.'

The breath caught in Avery’s throat. 'That’s not… possible.'

Dr. Merin opened a folder. 'Your intake file was completed this month. You've mentioned having gaps in your memory before, but this is the first time it’s shown up here.'

The mirror on the wall shimmered slightly—as if remembering something, too.

Avery stood. Her reflection didn’t. For a moment, they studied each other across the glass. Then slowly, it stood as well, a beat behind. A delay. A difference.

She sat back down. Her fingers trembled. 'Maybe… we should talk about that today.'

Dr. Merin smiled gently. 'I think that’s a good place to begin.'