Mirrors on the Ceiling (Patreon)

This is for a writing challenge in a Telegram group I joined (link here if you're interested: https://t.me/joinchat/TXMB1RU1ETeKOakg). At just over a thousand words, we would write a short story fitting a chosen theme. The new theme for this week is, "Staring into the mirror, it wasn't a reflection that gazed back."

If you're wondering, yes, I did get the title and premise from the lyrics for "Hotel California". Can't tell you why, but I was humming the song while brainstorming ideas for this week's prompt, and it suddenly clicked for me. I hope you enjoy what I came up with, and thank you for reading! :)

Also, Happy Valentine's Day! <3