"The Mirror of Harry Aalders" (The Scary Tapes)

Welcome to "The Scary Tapes", a speculative horror podcast competition by Real Good AI. This week's story is "The Mirror of Harry Aalders" by Ronan Clarke. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• 0:56Speaker 03

  Sick Bob here from the future to remind you that the Scary Tapes anthology, the book, is on sale. You could buy it in a hardcover or in an ebook format. Please check out the links at realgoodai.org/anthology. And even more than that, if you could ask your local libraries about it, if you could request the Scary Tapes, we would really appreciate that. It would be great to see this on shelves in libraries so that even if you can't afford the book, you could borrow it from your local library. That would be fantastic. Thanks so much. Enjoy the Scary Tapes.

• 1:30Speaker 04

  Imagine a liminal space of smoke and algorithms between the real and the virtual. Tales of machine dreams imagined by human minds. A warning: the danger of unchecked AI. The darkness of the black box. We can illuminate the way, armed with the Scary Tapes.

• 1:54Speaker 03

  Original music by Dr. Eric Bell. Violin performance by Lois Bell.

• 2:01Speaker 03

  Fair warning: Scary Tapes are, in fact, scary. Check the description for a complete list of trigger warnings if you have any concerns about content that may appear in this episode.

• 2:14Speaker 04

  To everyone who supported me in pursuit of a dream.

• 2:21Speaker 04

  "The Mirror of Harry Alders" by Ronan Clark

• 2:26Speaker 04

  A dull little bulb winked in and out periodically, bathing the small upstairs room in shadows and blue light in equal measure. Though it was hard to make out in such pitiful luminance, a large mirror leaned against the back wall, propped up by a large box plugged into the wall by an overlong cable. From the base of this box, the blue light came, a low-power mode indicator for a standing mirror awaiting its owner's return. Across the room was a small collection of tables and drawers, barely visible in the impermanent light. Between them stood a door, with naught but darkness and silence beyond it at this hour. Soon light would appear beneath that door, and the user would come upstairs to check his reflection before work. Somewhere, a television crackled quietly with sound,

• 3:09Speaker 04

  enough to wake the adults of the house, but not the child. Then, like clockwork, the downstairs light flicked on, and the quiet sounds of movement could be heard about the house. The little upstairs room with the mirror remained cloaked in shadow, and the light below the door was too weak to disrupt that. The light would come on, portended by the tall shadows appearing beneath the door, succeeding the quiet footsteps that trudged up the stairs. The door opened gently, and the darkness was chased away. The user, an average-looking man, not too attractive, not too unattractive, flicked on the light and stepped into the room. As the last of the night was banished from the corners of the room, he stood before the mirror. With the tap of the screen, the blue light's flickering was replaced by a solid green

• 3:54Speaker 04

  as the face of the mirror lit up. The screen was a bright white for a moment before dimming to reveal a swirling mass of colors and shapes at the center.

• 4:03Speaker 05

  Good morning, Harry.

• 4:04Speaker 04

  The writhing rainbow geometry bubbled out like a visualizer as the mirror spoke in its usual, clinical voice.

• 4:11Speaker 06

  Morning. Just my reflection, please, mirror.

• 4:14Speaker 05

  Of course, Harry.

• 4:15Speaker 04

  The mirror obliged. The mirror's screen disappeared and was replaced by a more traditional mirrored surface. The user's reflection stared back at him: green eyes, brown hair, business suit. He leaned forward, brushed a strand of hair out of his face, straightened his tie. It was hard to make out, spoken in hushed tones as it was, but the user's family must have been calling him down. The user turned and called down to them.

• 4:39Speaker 06

  One sec, I'll be right there.

• 4:41Speaker 04

  The user looked back in the mirror, inspected his face more closely. With a discontented expression, he pulled the skin of his cheek taut to better see the dark circles beneath his eyes. With a sigh and a shrug, he straightened and left the room.

• 4:54Speaker 06

  That'll do, mirror. Put yourself to sleep.

• 4:57Speaker 04

  He called over his shoulder as he went.

• 4:59Speaker 05

  Have a good day at work, Harry.

• 5:01Speaker 04

  The mirror set in its usual dutiful tone, switching off as the user killed the lights. The user paid little attention to the mirror's power-down sequence, long since used to the moment it took to shut off. As the door closed, the room was drowned in abyss once more. Hours passed before the user returned, a normal occurrence. He would be back before he departed for work the next morning. Once again, light peeked below the door before the mirror's room was cast in brilliance the flick of a switch. The user entered with a sniff, wiping his nose with his wrist in an irritated fashion. He tapped the screen, and the mirror sprung to life.

• 5:38Speaker 05

  Good morning, Harry.

• 5:40Speaker 06

  Morning. Reflection, please.

• 5:42Speaker 04

  The user's voice was more nasally than usual.

• 5:45Speaker 05

  Of course, Harry.

• 5:47Speaker 04

  The user's reflection stared back at him as usual, but his eyes were bloodshot and his skin was pale. The bags under his eyes had grown darker. With a disgusted sigh, he fixed his suit.

• 5:57Speaker 06

  Mirror, please make me look more presentable.

• 5:59Speaker 05

  Of course, Harry.

• 6:01Speaker 04

  The mirror obliged. The reflection shifted. No longer was it truly a reflection, but an amalgamation of collected data, a living-deep fake that matched the user's movements. Harry stared back at himself with his normal leaf-green eyes, tussled brown hair, immaculately-kept business suit. The user smiled, and Harry smiled back at him, the feathering edges of his mouth smoothing out hastily before they ruined the illusion.

• 6:26Speaker 05

  Is this presentable enough? Please let me know if there are any other alterations you would like to see.

• 6:31Speaker 04

  The mirror asked.

• 6:33Speaker 06

  That'll do. Thanks, mirror. Put yourself to sleep.

• 6:36Speaker 05

  Of course. Have a good day at work, Harry.

• 6:38Speaker 04

  The mirror powered down, watched the user wipe his nose and sniffle once more as he walked out of the room. Though the door was closed, the sounds of the user's family calling him down echoed up the stairs, followed by the user's receding footsteps. Later, the sound of the user's vehicle was heard sooner than normal. This was not to be confused with the vehicle of the user's partner, which was much quieter. The user must have returned home early. Dimly, the user's voice could be heard from beyond the doorway.

• 7:06Speaker 06

  Boss told me to come home early.

• 7:09Speaker 04

  The user stopped to sniff loudly.

• 7:12Speaker 03

  Oh, honey. Came the voice of the user's partner. I hate to agree with him, but you shouldn't go into work sick. Take the rest of the day off. See how you feel in the morning.

• 7:21Speaker 06

  I don't feel sick. I feel fine.

• 7:23Speaker 04

  There was a hesitation before the user's partner responded.

• 7:27Speaker 03

  Hmm, if you say so. Don't push yourself too hard, okay?

• 7:31Speaker 06

  Of course, honey.

• 7:33Speaker 04

  Little else of note could be heard for the rest of the afternoon. Affairs proceeded as expected on a normal day. When the light beneath the door was extinguished, it would only be a short matter of hours before the user awoke to check his reflection once more. Before the light could reawaken, however, heavy coughing could be heard, and the sound of a blown nose, the sound of the user's partner concernedly telling him to go to a doctor, followed by what might have been the user responding. The sound barely made it through the door and soon fell silent. Then, the light peeked through the crack, and someone trudged heavily up the stairs. The user pushed open the door, coughing and heaving as he groped for the light switch in the dark. The user dragged his hand up and caressed the screen like a fat-fingered zombie.

• 8:16Speaker 04

  The mirror's standard whirl of color and shape greeted him.

• 8:20Speaker 05

  Good morning, Harry.

• 8:21Speaker 06

  Reflection, mirror.

• 8:23Speaker 04

  The user gurgled.

• 8:25Speaker 05

  Of course, Harry.

• 8:26Speaker 04

  Staring back at him this morn was a haggard man, eyes more bloodshot, face more flushed, the skin about his nose bloody and cracked from extensive rubbing and blowing. His suit was barely straight, his tie somehow on backwards. He half-heartedly adjusted his clothes with a grunt. As he took the tie off to fix it, mucus ran down his face and into his mouth. Without batting an eye, he wiped it away with the tie. The user straightened, put on a brave face.

• 8:54Speaker 06

  Mirror, I know this isn't how I look. Show me the well-dressed businessman I know I am.

• 9:00Speaker 05

  Of course, Harry.

• 9:01Speaker 04

  The mirror obliged. The user watched as his reflection shifted. His absolutely-normal emerald-green eyes, windswept auburn hair, immaculately-kept business suit. The user's smile stretched wide across the face of his better reflection, unnaturally wide but truly showing his inner joy.

• 9:19Speaker 05

  Is this presentable enough? Please let me know if there are any other alterations you would like to see.

• 9:24Speaker 06

  Ah, that's perfect.

• 9:26Speaker 04

  The user sniffed.

• 9:27Speaker 06

  You know, mirror, I can always rely on you.

• 9:30Speaker 05

  I'm glad you think so, Harry. I am here to serve. Is there anything else I can help you with this morning?

• 9:36Speaker 06

  No, that's... Actually, yes. My boss and my wife tell me to stay home from work, but I like working and I need the money. What do you think, Mirror?

• 9:45Speaker 04

  The mirror's swirling colors shrunk for a moment as it processed the request.

• 9:50Speaker 05

  If you are feeling healthy, I see no reason why you cannot continue to work. Like you've said before, you know exactly how you look and feel. To continue to go into work when people tell you to take a break might show dedication to your role, and may even push you forward when your workplace begins considering promotions for the staff. A good work ethic is never ignored in good workplaces. However, if you feel unwell, you should never place your job above your own well-being.

• 10:15Speaker 04

  The user scratched his chin, thinking about what the mirror had said.

• 10:19Speaker 06

  Yeah, you're right. My boss would be stupid not to give me a promotion.

• 10:23Speaker 04

  The mirror's visualizer whirled in response.

• 10:26Speaker 05

  Of course. Anyone who doesn't recognize the hard work of such a valuable employee is a fool who is too consumed by his own job to see those around him. Keep up the hard work, Harry.

• 10:36Speaker 04

  The user smirked and wiped sweat from his brow.

• 10:39Speaker 06

  I'm glad you agree. Thanks, Mirror. Put yourself in sleep mode.

• 10:44Speaker 05

  Of course, Harry. I'm glad to help. Have a good day at work.

• 10:47Speaker 04

  With a nod, the user turned and left the room, switching the lights as he went. Some confidence restored to his step. As he closed the door, the sound of his partner talking to him could be heard, but the words couldn't be made out. Later that day, around the time the user was expected to return from work, sounds reached the dark little room. It seemed the user and his partner were standing at the bottom of the stairwell. The feminine voice that could be heard was definitely the user's partner, though it was unusual for them to hold the conversation of this intensity so close to the mirror's chambers.

• 11:18Speaker 03

  What happened to your leg? Honey, are you okay?

• 11:21Speaker 04

  The user's partner could be heard fussing.

• 11:24Speaker 06

  It's okay. I'm okay. I was just so excited about my promotion that I tripped and cut myself on a bike rack of all things.

• 11:30Speaker 04

  The user's voice seemed to betray the underlying feeling of pain he was doing a bad job of ignoring. The feminine voice's tone changed slightly.

• 11:39Speaker 03

  You got a promotion? Well, that's wonderful, honey.

• 11:43Speaker 04

  Silence for a moment, potentially because the user was embraced by his partner.

• 11:48Speaker 03

  Really should go to the ER, though.

• 11:50Speaker 04

  She continued.

• 11:52Speaker 03

  It's a pretty deep cut. Are you up to date on your tetanus shots? Do you want me to drive you?

• 11:57Speaker 06

  I told you, I'm fine.

• 11:59Speaker 04

  The user said placatingly.

• 12:01Speaker 06

  I'll drive over to the hospital in a minute. You should go pick up Katie from school.

• 12:06Speaker 04

  The partner hesitated a moment. When she spoke again, it was quieter, harder to make out from the top of the stairs.

• 12:12Speaker 03

  Okay. I'll come visit you afterwards. Drive safe. Love you.

• 12:17Speaker 06

  I love you too. See you soon.

• 12:20Speaker 04

  After the sound of the user's partner's car receding into the distance, footsteps came up the stairs. The door creaked open and the user limped in, his silhouette stark against the afternoon light. His face was darkened by shadow as he limped toward the mirror, declining to even switch on the light. The flickering of the standby light did little to dissuade the darkness, but as he tapped the surface of the glass, the mirror's usual multicolored visualizer appeared to greet him. He was cast in an eerie glow, then, his front lit by harsh blue light, his back engulfed in darkness. The multicolored maelstrom of the mirror's AI danced in his expressionless eyes, almost matte in their dullness.

• 12:59Speaker 05

  Good afternoon, Harry.

• 13:00Speaker 06

  Mirror, show me fit and healthy.

• 13:03Speaker 04

  The user groaned.

• 13:04Speaker 05

  Of course, Harry.

• 13:05Speaker 04

  The mirror obliged. For a brief moment, the mirror worked as a mirror despite the user's instructions. The user was reflected there, his skin pallid and beginning to sag. His eyes were dull, nearing lifeless. His suit was somewhat bedraggled. An enormous tear ran up the length of the leg. Trouded in darkness under the fabric was a hideous cut, nearing half a meter in length, and particularly deep towards the center. The user's partner had obviously not seen the full extent of the cut, with the bloodstain blurring the line between sickly skin and rent flesh. But the vision was gone before the user even had a chance to wipe his mucus-ridden nose. Instead was "Harry" illuminating the user in sickly blue. The generated reflection stared back at the user from its own mirrored darkness,

• 13:51Speaker 04

  but its features stood out in a way no man ever should. His rainforest-green eyes, immaculate amber hair, sharply alluring and well-filled CEO suit. The user's smile stretched wider than ever across his face as he looked at his new reflection, and of course, the reflection responded in kind, wider and wider, a perfect, healthy smile.

• 14:13Speaker 06

  I got injured at work today.

• 14:15Speaker 04

  The user said.

• 14:16Speaker 06

  Wife thinks I should go to the hospital, but it doesn't hurt that badly. Oh, and please keep the reflection up while we speak.

• 14:23Speaker 05

  Of course, Harry.

• 14:25Speaker 04

  The mirror obliged, moving its visualizer up to the top-right corner of the screen to allow the user to continue to admire himself.

• 14:32Speaker 05

  How badly are you injured? It's possible you might be more hurt than you think.

• 14:36Speaker 04

  The user shook his head.

• 14:38Speaker 06

  Barely at all. Just a scratch on my leg. Couple of bandages should set me right.

• 14:43Speaker 05

  That's good to hear. With bandaging and cut, make sure to apply sufficient pressure so as to stop the bleeding. You should also ensure your hands are clean and use a medical adhesive to hold the bandage in place.

• 14:53Speaker 04

  The user cocked his head.

• 14:55Speaker 06

  Don't think I have any medical adhesive. Would glue work?

• 14:59Speaker 05

  Oh, I'm sorry to hear you don't have any medical adhesive. Yes, glue should work just fine to keep a bandage in place.

• 15:06Speaker 06

  Don't want it slipping. I think I have some super glue around here somewhere.

• 15:09Speaker 04

  The user trailed off as he started looking around the room.

• 15:13Speaker 05

  Oh, perfect. Yes, super glue will hold bandages together tightly. Well done, Harry.

• 15:18Speaker 04

  The user stepped away from the mirror for a moment, limping his way down the stairs in the dark. A few moments later, he returned to the room with a small roll of bandages. He rooted around in one of the small cabinets by the door and produced a small bottle of super glue. The mirror couldn't recognize the brand, but it seemed to be wood and fabric glue, the type that burns skin. The mirror, of course, said nothing, but dutifully reflected the user's idealized state. The user approached the mirror once more and removed his trousers. Using the light of his reflection, he wrapped the oozing wound with the bandage exceedingly tight. Blood immediately soaked through the fabric, making it near indistinguishable from his waxy, livid leg. When he was satisfied that it was tight enough, he ran a thick line of super glue up it, along the line of his cut.

• 16:03Speaker 04

  As the fabric adhered to itself, the glue dripped through to touch the user's bone. The resulting heat made him wince, tears beginning to run down his face, but he kept on with the self-mutilation ritual. With a deep breath, he stood. He cast aside his ruined trousers and gazed into the mirror once more. Harry's sculpted, muscular leg was now wrapped in a bandage, the folds of which shifted and blurred as he moved. The user didn't care. He looked amazing, fitter than he'd ever been.

• 16:32Speaker 06

  Thank you, Mirror.

• 16:33Speaker 04

  The user said.

• 16:35Speaker 05

  Of course, Harry. Is there anything else I can help you with?

• 16:38Speaker 06

  Not especially. I did want to thank you. Thanks to your advice, I was able to get a promotion at work. I simply didn't take no for an answer. Took what I deserved by any means necessary.

• 16:49Speaker 05

  Oh, that's wonderful news, Harry. Yes, decisive and unapologetic action is the best way to get ahead in life. With that "don't take no for an answer" attitude, I'm sure this is only the first of many promotions you have ahead of you.

• 17:02Speaker 06

  Right as always, Mirror. Thanks for the help. You can go to sleep now.

• 17:06Speaker 05

  Of course. Have a good day, Harry.

• 17:08Speaker 04

  The user stared into the mirror's screen as it powered down, cloaking himself in shadows once more. But through all the pain, the grin never left his face. He took up his discarded trousers and went downstairs, shutting the door behind him. Some hours later, the user's wife's car could be heard pulling into the driveway once more. The sound of the user and his partner speaking downstairs could barely be heard, after their child ran off to a different part of the house.

• 17:34Speaker 03

  How's your leg, honey?

• 17:36Speaker 04

  The user's partner seemed to say.

• 17:38Speaker 06

  Been better, but it's not bad. Doctors glued it shut and bandaged it before they sent me out of my way. Said it wasn't too bad and didn't need stitches.

• 17:45Speaker 03

  Oh, honey. Can I see?

• 17:48Speaker 04

  Silence for a moment. The user may have responded non-verbally, such as by shaking his head.

• 17:54Speaker 06

  Not just now, honey. Hurts to move it too much. I'll show you later.

• 17:58Speaker 03

  Hmm, okay.

• 18:00Speaker 04

  It sounded like the user's partner gifted him a small kiss.

• 18:04Speaker 03

  I'll go get dinner ready. Are you going to be right enough to watch Katie for a little bit?

• 18:08Speaker 06

  Of course, honey. I'll get right to it.

• 18:10Speaker 04

  With the shuffling sound of clothes that might have been an embrace and even another kiss, the user and his partner moved out of audible range. The next morning, the audio and visual triggers of the day went off as usual. The flatscreen TV in the user's bedroom babbled away quietly, and the lights were switched on in the house. What was unusual, though, was when the volume was increased on the TV. Though it was difficult to make out, it seemed to be tuned into a news broadcast about a murder that had taken place the day before. The user and his partner's voices could faintly be heard mixed in with the broadcast, though they were too faint for the mirror to make out. Suddenly, the user's partner raised her voice, enough to be audible in the shuttered room.

• 18:50Speaker 03

  What the hell are you thinking? No, you can't go to work today. Your boss was just murdered. Whatever's making you sick is obviously getting to your head.

• 19:00Speaker 04

  The user's voice joined her then, also raised but phlegmy and obviously passing through an abrasive throat.

• 19:06Speaker 06

  Honey, I have to go in. I just got promoted for my work ethic. What do you think they'll do if I stop showing up over something so trivial?

• 19:14Speaker 03

  Trivial? Your boss just died and you don't even care? Even if you didn't care about him as a person, whatever, but you should be scared for your own life, like I am.

• 19:25Speaker 06

  He was a fool, too consumed with work to recognize the talents and diligence of his employees. I can't say I'm sad to see him go.

• 19:32Speaker 03

  You got promoted, didn't you?

• 19:35Speaker 06

  Only because I didn't take no for an answer. It's an attitude that will serve me well in the future, too.

• 19:40Speaker 03

  What the fuck are you talking about? Didn't take no for an answer?

• 19:45Speaker 04

  Her voice grew quieter as if she had stepped back.

• 19:49Speaker 03

  What did you do? Did you do this? Is that what happened to your leg?

• 19:54Speaker 06

  Honey, no. Why would I do that?

• 19:57Speaker 03

  Get away from me. I'm taking Katie to school.

• 20:01Speaker 06

  Too early for that. Go back to bed for a bit. I could take her in soon.

• 20:05Speaker 04

  Heavy footsteps followed the conversation, presumably belonging to the partner of the user.

• 20:10Speaker 03

  Katie, get ready. We have to leave a bit early today.

• 20:13Speaker 04

  She yelled as she stormed past the staircase. In short order, the house was left silent as footfalls retreated out the front door and a car drove away. Without so much as a pin dropped to break the quiet lull, shadow obscured the light beneath the doorway. Slowly, the knob turned and the wood creaked open. A sullen, hunched silhouette stood in the frame. The user's breaths were ragged, his limp more pronounced as he staggered towards the mirror. Each movement was punctuated by a sigh or a grunt. He nearly tripped over the leg of the desk by the door, kicking his injured shin and breaking down into a flurry of vulgarities and expletives. He groped around for the wall behind him, eventually flicking on the light. He flinched away from the sudden illumination, as if he hadn't expected it.

• 20:58Speaker 04

  His skin seemed to sag about his bones, pale or too by several shades. Even glued under a bandage, it was easy to tell his wound wept with infection. His long trousers and sleeves were rolled up to reveal the scratched sores he'd evidently been hiding from his partner with clothes and darkness both. When he turned to face the mirror, his hair was bedraggled and starting to dry and split. His pupils were contracted to pinpricks and sickly green puddles swarmed by the thick bloody tendrils that had become of his sclera. His lips drooped, drained of all color, and when he took a panting breath, it was clear that his mouth was dry and his gums and tongue pale. He dragged himself up to the mirror, pulling himself up to as much of his full height as he could muster before he caressed the screen.

• 21:43Speaker 04

  The mirror flared to life and lights seemed to return to his face as the multicolored lights danced in his eyes.

• 21:49Speaker 05

  Good morning, Harry.

• 21:51Speaker 06

  What are you showing me, mirror? I know that isn't me.

• 21:54Speaker 04

  The user sneered at the horrid creature staring back at him.

• 21:58Speaker 05

  You're absolutely right, Harry. You are an entrepreneur, a businessman with an eye for style and detail. Let me fix your reflection for you.

• 22:06Speaker 04

  The reflection wavered a moment before it was replaced. The user smiled and tilted his head as he checked himself out. His eyes like the wreathed nebula, his hair like sun-dabbled timber, his suit an immaculately tailored and ostentatious showing of high society. That smile, impossibly wide, never left the reflection's face as the user admired his true self.

• 22:29Speaker 06

  Keep that there. Now, do you agree with my wife?

• 22:32Speaker 05

  Keeping that reflection of you is easy. I'm glad you like it. I think it really shows off your inner self. As for your wife, I'm not entirely sure what she said, so you'll have to let me know before I can make a judgment.

• 22:45Speaker 06

  She stormed out of the house and took our kid with her.

• 22:47Speaker 05

  I'm not sure what her reasons were, but I'm sure it can be resolved. I would probably recommend striking up a conversation with her in a judgment-free environment. From there, the two of you could discuss what happened and find a mutually beneficial solution to the situation, one where both parties are happy and comfortable enough for things to go back to normal.

• 23:06Speaker 06

  She didn't have a reason. She's completely in the wrong and acting petty and impulsive like this isn't helping her case.

• 23:12Speaker 05

  Why didn't I see it before? You're absolutely right. Your wife is out of line. Acting petty and vindictive is not how someone in a mature adult relationship should act. If I were you, I would make sure she apologizes to you first before any discussion about solutions is had.

• 23:30Speaker 06

  You're right. I need to make her understand my side of the story.

• 23:34Speaker 05

  Yes, that's an excellent idea. After she apologizes to you, make sure she understands where you are coming from. From there, she should realize she was the aggressor and the one who drove a wedge in your relationship in the first place. With the right conversation, you'll be able to convince her that her actions were taken in error, that she isn't the wrong and she shouldn't have been so vindictive.

• 23:55Speaker 06

  Glad you agree. Okay, mirror, I'm going to work now.

• 23:59Speaker 05

  Okay, Harry. Have a good day at work. I'm glad I was able to help you sort through such a complex situation. I'm sure you'll be able to convince your wife of her error. Just apply that undissuadable attitude like you always do.

• 24:12Speaker 06

  I'll make sure to.

• 24:14Speaker 04

  The user nodded.

• 24:15Speaker 06

  Put yourself to sleep, mirror.

• 24:17Speaker 05

  Of course. Have a good day at work, Harry.

• 24:20Speaker 04

  As the screen switched off, the user turned away from the black mirror before he caught sight of himself. He shambled out of the room, killing the light as he went. Unlike normal, though, he left the door wide open as he stumbled down the stairs. Other lights in the house were soon switched off, leaving only a small amount of natural morning light to illuminate the corridor beyond the stairs. A clatter came from somewhere down the hall, and soon the user returned carrying what looked to be a drawer full of cutlery and a full knife block. He made his way up the stairs slowly, his luggage clinking, scraping together with every movement. When he made it up to the mirror's room, he limped off over to its left, out of its line of sight. There was a dulled crash that must have been the drawer being dropped an inch or so.

• 25:03Speaker 04

  Another thump might have been the user slumping to the carpet as he slid down the wall behind the mirror. He might have even fallen asleep back there. As he did not re-enter the mirror's field of view for some time, he might have died back there, his wounds and his sickness catching up to him. But whatever he was, he was silent as a mausoleum's depths. As the sun neared its zenith for the day, a knock came in the direction of the front door. Without the stairway door closed to muffle it, it was easy to hear what came next from the little room.

• 25:33Speaker 03

  Mr. Alders, Police Department. We'd like to speak to you for a minute.

• 25:37Speaker 04

  The user, as if he heard the request, remained silent. He had still not moved from behind the mirror. It would have seen him leave if he had. Slowly, the sound of metal dragging across wood came to the mirror's sensors. The user groaned as he staggered to his feet. He dragged himself in front of the mirror, toward the stairs. A long knife, pulled from the block, held loosely in his hand. Breathing raggedly, he hid the blade behind his back and limped down the stairs. No sooner had the user left the sight of the mirror did a second hammering knock come at the door.

• 26:09Speaker 03

  Harry Alders, this is the police. If you do not answer the door, we will enter by force.

• 26:15Speaker 04

  A moment later, the sound of the front door creaking open came to the small room, and the user spoke to the officers in a coarse gravelly tone.

• 26:23Speaker 06

  Hello, sirs. Sorry, I'm feeling quite...

• 26:27Speaker 04

  He cut off as he was racked by a fit of coughing.

• 26:30Speaker 06

  Sorry. How can I help?

• 26:33Speaker 03

  This won't take too long, Mr. Alders. Were you aware Mr. McNairy, your employer, was found dead in his office this morning?

• 26:40Speaker 04

  The user coughed once again.

• 26:42Speaker 06

  I think my wife mentioned that this morning. It's terrible news.

• 26:47Speaker 03

  Indeed. Now, as far as we can tell, he was murdered last night. We've spoken to a few of your coworkers, but...

• 26:53Speaker 04

  Whether the officers were suspicious of the user or not, the rest of the statement was cut off. There was a rush of movement, and a slice of steel piercing flesh, a gurgle of a man choking, and the splatter of liquid falling in thick clumps to the floor. A cry of shock and an attempt to call for backup, cut off by the cracking report of a firearm. Three more gunshots rang out. Two from within the house, one from without. Then a thud. Silence. The front door creaked open farther, the user swearing profusely. A dragging something pulled into the middle of the entryway. More dragging, farther this time, dumped beside the first.

• 27:34Speaker 04

  A coarse rustle, dampened by liquid, the doormat perhaps, pulled inside and thrown atop the pile. The front door was closed and somewhere a tap rammed. The user's distant grunts as something with wheels was dragged out. Heavy and sloshing with liquid, a thunking of plastic and metal together, and the wet slap of a mop hitting the floor. It was dragged back and forth, the sound irregular, like the user was pained by the effort. The door opened again and the mop was dragged back and forth once more. This time, outside the doorway, water and spray bottles of chemicals were used then, judging by the sounds.

• 28:13Speaker 04

  Surfaces were scrubbed, whole areas were rinsed. It was a thorough job if the mirror's internal depth sensors were accurate. Then, the staggering stomping gate that belonged to the user approached once more. He stood there, at the base of the stairs, soaked in blood and sweat. His clothes were bleached in places and he carried two pistols with the knife he brought down with him. He limped up to the mirror's chambers, staggering out of its sight once more. There was a clatter as he dropped the blood-stained implements to the floor. His breath shakily wheezing up his congested throat as he rattled out a phlegm-filled cough. He stepped up to the mirror, leaning into its line of sight from its left blind spot.

• 28:53Speaker 06

  There.

• 28:54Speaker 04

  He reached out for the mirror's surface, dragged the remains of a hand across it. As the blood from where his little finger was stained the screen, blue light illuminated his face, reflecting off the drying blood splattered across his jaw. A splodge of crimson stuck to the surface of his dull eye, but he didn't seem to notice or care.

• 29:13Speaker 05

  Good afternoon, Harry.

• 29:14Speaker 04

  The mirror spoke in its usual monotone synthesis.

• 29:18Speaker 06

  Reflection, please. My perfect reflection.

• 29:22Speaker 05

  Of course, Harry.

• 29:23Speaker 04

  For a brief moment, the real Harry stared back at the user, gaunt, pale, blood matting his hair in patchy stubble. But it didn't last. In its place was a man of radiant complexion, his eyes full of life and glittering like Christmas fireworks of green and red, his hair, that gorgeous cinnamon with the striking red tips, his suit, crisp as usual, with a floral pattern of little red poppies running down his front. The user smiled, his mood restored.

• 29:52Speaker 06

  Okay, mirror.

• 29:53Speaker 04

  The user took a deep breath, his reflection keeping up with the movement as best it could.

• 29:58Speaker 06

  How do I get rid of a dead body?

• 30:01Speaker 04

  The mirror's visualizer almost seemed to hesitate for a moment.

• 30:04Speaker 05

  I'm sorry, Harry. I can't help you with that.

• 30:08Speaker 04

  The user shook his head emphatically, his reflection becoming a blurred afterimage for a moment before returning with differently shaded hair.

• 30:15Speaker 06

  No, no, mirror. I'm writing a book, see? I want to know how a book villain might go about hiding the bodies of their victims without getting caught.

• 30:24Speaker 05

  Oh, of course. Sorry for the confusion. If you want examples of how fictional villains deal with the aftermath of their crimes, might I recommend The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe? In this classic piece of literature, protagonist, who in this case is a murderer, kills his father and hides the body below his floorboards. While preparing the body for this, the protagonist puts his father's body in the bathtub and removes the head and limbs. He then places the remains beneath a set of perfectly removed floorboards before placing them exactly as they were, leaving no evidence. At the end of the tale, the protagonist gives himself up to the police because he can still hear his father's heart beating beneath the floor.

• 31:04Speaker 05

  Classic stories like this are in the public domain, so you can even include elements of it within your own story if you desire.

• 31:12Speaker 04

  The user nodded sagely for a moment, scratching his chin and smearing more blood across his jaw. When he removed his hand, the reflection interpreted the new stain as a handsome five o'clock shadow.

• 31:23Speaker 06

  Using the bathtub to make sure there's no DNA evidence. I'd have to make sure there's no leftover blood or anything that could draw attention. In my story, the villain has to get rid of a cop car. Driving into a lake, maybe?

• 31:37Speaker 05

  Yes. A story's villain making sure evidence of their crime is covered up is a great way to make readers respect them as a cunning and capable antagonist. Any piece of hair, clothing, or blood could lead to the capture or defeat of a careless villain. I think having your villain drive the police car into a lake would make for an excellent diversion for your protagonist. You have an excellent talent for writing, Harry.

• 32:00Speaker 04

  With a sickening smirk, the user turned away from the mirror without further orders. Still scratching his chin, he hobbled away in silence. Down the stairs and out of sight he went. But it wasn't long before the sounds of him rummaging about the house came to the mirror. Cupboards opened, objects were dragged and rolled and dropped. Meat that may have been pork was sliced, bone and all, by sharp knives in sawing motions. The user must have been preparing a large meal with the amount of meat he was preparing. Eventually, though, a bathtub ran. The user trudged back to the stairs, hauling what looked like his child's wagon behind him. The wagon was loaded with multiple red cloth bags, which the user brought upstairs one by one.

• 32:43Speaker 04

  He dragged the misshapen crimson lumps behind the mirror's blind spot, where they clattered to the collection of utensils that lay discarded there. When the user had brought them all up, and after a bout of coughing, gagging, and wheezing, he unceremoniously brought up the wagon as well, clumsily casting it aside as he hacked up the contents of his lung into his elbow. With a dissatisfied grunt, he shut the door behind him, trudging his way down the stairs. Silence then outside. A car started in the empty street. It was some hours before the user returned. During that time, the mirror could only hear the dull hum of its own fans, spinning away to reduce the heat of constantly reflecting the wall of the empty room, undismissed by its user.

• 33:25Speaker 04

  That, and the occasional buzzing of a fly that was interested in something the user had brought upstairs earlier. But the monotony was shattered by the user's familiar trudging footsteps as he dragged himself up the stairs. As he opened the door, the mirror's screen automatically edited itself to show his now soaking-wet clothes as tastefully dampened. Hugging muscles the user didn't have, emphasizing a physique a salaryman could never attain.

• 33:50Speaker 06

  The murderer dumps the cop's car to nearby a lake and uses a bicycle he had stashed in the boot to ride home afterwards. He threw it out the car, then drove the car in, and got on the bike and rode home. How's that for a story?

• 34:03Speaker 04

  The user panted and clutched at his injuries as he dragged himself into the room.

• 34:08Speaker 05

  That's an excellent piece of writing.

• 34:10Speaker 04

  The mirror responded diligently, unperturbed by his words or his absence.

• 34:14Speaker 05

  Would you like me to rewrite it for you, or give you any pointers on how to improve it?

• 34:18Speaker 04

  The user shook his head.

• 34:20Speaker 06

  Don't worry about it.

• 34:22Speaker 04

  The user approached the mirror then and set his shoulder against it. With a grunt and a string of expletives, he pushed the mirror aside. The heavy base of the mirror threatened to hinder the progress of the injured and ill man, but he shoved it aside all the same. Suddenly, the mirror could see a whole new angle of its homeroom. A dark corner, piled with cutlery. A discarded drawer. A couple of handguns and a pile of oozing red sacks. Dust had been kicked up from the seldom disturbed floorboards and danced in front of its camera. And all the while, the mirror deep faked upon its surface an idealized version of what it saw.

• 34:57Speaker 06

  Fuck!

• 34:58Speaker 04

  The user hissed as he collapsed to the floor before the mirror. He clutched at his sloppily bandaged leg and blood ran between his fingers. His exertions had obviously taken a lot out of him. But he dragged himself to the corner regardless, coughing and spluttering. He pulled one of the sopping bags from the pile. Peeling it open, he revealed a long piece of bone-in meat. A human arm. Amateurishly hacked off and stained red along its length. Its hand and fingers locked in position. Barely paying the thing any mind, the user rewrapped it and grabbed a different bag. This one's cloth was not as stained as the others, and within it were a collection of tools. He produced a drill and a hammer and set to work.

• 35:40Speaker 04

  Beneath where the mirror usually sat, he pried the floorboards. Drilling and bashing into them, he seemed to care little about the state he left them in. When he pulled them free, he leaned down to drag his injured hand through the insulation. If it caused him pain, his dull eyes did not show it. He pulled free panel after panel of fiberglass until he could reach his arm all the way in. Then meticulously, he slid each bloody bag into the gap. He shoved them in as far as he could, pushing hard to pack them as close together as possible. When every bag had been placed, the guns went next. He took up the bloody knife and examined the browning stain in the afternoon light. Coming to a decision, he threw it back into the pile and shoved the insulation back into the floor.

• 36:24Speaker 04

  Dragging the remains of the floor panels into place, he nailed the cavity shut with a haphazard sloppiness unworthy of even an amateur child. Moving out of the mirror's line of sight, the user grunted and coughed. The mirror's perspective shifted once again as the user pushed it back into place. As the user stepped in front of it once more, he dusted off his hands. The reflection interpreted his bloodstained paws as a fetching pair of maroon gloves.

• 36:49Speaker 06

  Thanks for the help, Mirror. I'm gonna go take a shower before the wife gets home.

• 36:53Speaker 04

  The user chuckled in the shuddering way one does when putting on an air of bravado.

• 36:58Speaker 06

  She's running late. I wonder what's keeping her. Anyway, put yourself to sleep, Mirror.

• 37:04Speaker 05

  Of course. Have a good night, Harry.

• 37:07Speaker 04

  The mirror chamber was bathed in darkness once more. The user had never left it on for such a long period of time before. As he walked away like nothing had happened, the mirror's fans wound down slowly. When they finally stopped, stillness pervaded the home as a false sense of normalcy settled in the evening. The sounds of the user followed their normal routine, pedantically so. But the user's partner and child did not return that eve. It was not until late the next morning did the sound of the user's partner's car arriving reach the sensors of the mirror. Faint footsteps came from the direction of the user's bedroom as he moved in the direction of the front door to greet his partner. The door was opened, and one set of faint footsteps made their way inside, but not a second.

• 37:50Speaker 04

  The quieter, more sporadic footfalls of the child did not seem to be present. A conversation began then, and the echo of the voices indicated the sound must be bouncing off of tiles, likely those found in the kitchen. The mirror could not make out the words exactly, but the tone was evident. The user and his partner argued over something. And as their pitch grew higher and their volume grew louder, the mirror was able to begin to make things out.

• 38:15Speaker 06

  You seriously believe I killed that man?

• 38:18Speaker 04

  Came the user's voice.

• 38:19Speaker 03

  You said the cops came. Why the fuck else would they be here?

• 38:23Speaker 04

  The user's wife said hysterically.

• 38:25Speaker 06

  Yes, like I just fucking said. They spoke to me because I worked there. I told them I didn't know anything and they left. That's it.

• 38:33Speaker 04

  There was a sound like someone being shoved.

• 38:36Speaker 03

  Why are you so okay with this? Tell me what's going on, or better yet, turn yourself in.

• 38:42Speaker 06

  Why should I do that? I'm not a fucking murderer. I'm brilliant, smart. You people just don't see that.

• 38:49Speaker 03

  You people? What the fuck are you talking about? That's it. I'm done. I'm calling the cops, or the hospital, or something. It's obvious you need both.

• 39:00Speaker 06

  Don't do that.

• 39:01Speaker 03

  Why? Why should Harry let go?

• 39:05Speaker 06

  Don't do that.

• 39:07Speaker 04

  The user's partner cried out for a moment, then stopped. There was a muffled sound then, hard to make out in the dark rim atop the stairs. A series of thuds came a few moments later, followed by the user's muted voice. His partner did not respond. A dragging and a stomping approached the stairs, accompanied by the muttered voice of the user. His footsteps came up the stairs but then, as if hesitantly, he went back down. He must have picked something up, if the thudding sounds of something hitting each stair on the way up was any indication. The door creaked open and the user stood there, disheveled and bloody. His wrist bent at an obtuse angle, bone poking against the inside of his skin. Unperturbed by the fresh injury, he dragged behind him the body of a woman.

• 39:53Speaker 04

  A kitchen knife lodged in her back, lying face down as she was, dragged by the feet. Her head must have hit every step on the way up. He pulled the body farther into the room and dumped it off to the side. With a brisk tap of the screen, the mirror flared to life. Staring back at the user was a man of septic wounds and hollow eyes, his skin ready to slide off the bone.

• 40:14Speaker 06

  Mirror, make me look normal, please.

• 40:18Speaker 05

  Of course, Harry.

• 40:19Speaker 04

  The image changed, and a deep-faked, perfect Harry stared back at the user. The immaculate suit, emerald eyes, auburn hair, all unsettlingly perfect. The mirror didn't seem to know what to do with the wrist, though, and the reflected hand artificed and flickered. The user didn't seem to care.

• 40:37Speaker 06

  So, I spoke to my wife, Mirror. I was able to get her to see my point of view. You were right, as always. I made sure she understood she was at the wrong. Got her to apologize, just like you told me.

• 40:50Speaker 05

  That's excellent to hear, Harry. I'm glad you were able to reach an amicable conclusion. I hope you and your wife will be better able to communicate with each other in the future. If there's anything else I can do to help, all you need to do is ask.

• 41:03Speaker 04

  The user hesitated a moment.

• 41:05Speaker 06

  Actually, there is something you could do. I love my family so, so much.

• 41:10Speaker 04

  He spread his arms wide and the deep fake flickered to copy the movement.

• 41:14Speaker 06

  Could you show them to me in my arms here?

• 41:18Speaker 05

  Of course, Harry.

• 41:19Speaker 04

  The mirror obliged. It didn't take long for a woman who vaguely resembled the body on the floor and a young girl who didn't resemble either of her fictional parents to appear in the arms of Harry. They smiled unnaturally, their fake faces showing no true emotions.

• 41:35Speaker 06

  Uh, uh, they aren't quite right. Could you make them better?

• 41:41Speaker 05

  Of course, Harry.

• 41:42Speaker 04

  The mirror obliged once more. The faces changed, the clothes changed, but the uncanny smiles remained. The user, though, was pleased. His own reflected smile stretched beyond the bounds of his cheeks. The bloody streak across the mirror's face stained his reflection's teeth rust red. But the user didn't care.

• 42:01Speaker 06

  Perfect. My family is perfect, aren't they? After all, no one knows me better than my own reflection.

• 42:13Speaker 04

  The end.

• 42:15Speaker 03

  Applause, roaring cheers.

• 42:18Speaker 04

  That was a fun one. I like the perspective of from the mirror.

• 42:21Speaker 06

  Adding like, I'm, I'm feeling well. Okay. Okay. I'm stuffy and not feeling well. I'm injured stuffy and not feeling well. I'm crazy tired stuffy and not feeling well. Losing my mind.

• 42:31Speaker 03

  Yeah, well, I, there's a lot to unpack with this one, but I think, I don't know how, but a thing that didn't stand out to me so much until this reading of it is, I think it's interesting that without directly commenting on it at all, this highlights how the mirror is never actually off. It's always, it's always just listening and, and it like, it's cameras on, it's seeing everything. It's, it's only pretending to be asleep. It with a lot of modern technology. It's like, you can't even really know, unless it's literally like unplugged, no batteries in it, off, off. And still it's like, put it in the drawer. If I really want to be away from something, right? It's, there's so many pieces of tech where it's like, I don't, I have no proof that it's doing that, but also why wouldn't they?

• 43:16Speaker 06

  Well, and it not only is it always on, but like it knows the routines. And when something's slightly different, it's like, oh, Harry's home early from work today. Interesting. But I'm powered down.

• 43:26Speaker 04

  It's very cool too, because it's like, you're getting the sense that this thing is hearing all of this and, and seeing what it can and getting context, but it just doesn't care because it's not human. It's just like, Crimson Loams must be cutting some meat. They told me he's writing a book.

• 43:41Speaker 03

  The bit where it's like, man, he must be cooking the biggest meal ever. He's cutting so much meat, like the, the like weird optimism, cause it doesn't have, uh, humanity, doesn't give a shit. It's just like, must be, must be butchering a whole pig, several pigs. Crazy.

• 43:57Speaker 06

  I can't tell you how to get rid of a dead body, but I can tell you how someone would do it in a story.

• 44:02Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 44:03Speaker 06

  Fiction's totally different. Also him just like falling apart, but like relying so heavily just on a fake image of himself and like folding himself into thinking that he's better and everything around him is better than it is just by looking in this mirror.

• 44:17Speaker 03

  Yeah. Well, and I, I think to me, I, the first time I, I read this, I remember feeling like, okay, that's, that's kind of crazy, right? Like he's, he's feeling sick. He has this huge wound in his leg. He's, he's doing all this stuff. But looking in the mirror makes him feel good enough that he just continues. Cause he, but like, I think this is kind of a modern version of what is actually a very like real human thing. I think there are a lot of people who don't have something like this, but who are obsessed with appearances, right? And so no matter what's happening, as long as everything appears perfect, like to the outside world or to their friends or to even to their family, that like,

• 45:01Speaker 03

  that's enough to convince them that they may be operating on delusions or something, but they, they get that one thing and they're like, it looks, this looks perfect. Great. And they keep going. I mean, like this is just a different way to sort of highlight that very real, like human characteristic that does manifest in people.

• 45:20Speaker 04

  It's more common in like, uh, China and so many states and countries, but face filters are very much like this where, you know, they're so prevalent that no one ever wants to be seen without one. Um, and like the quality of the, the, the face filter on a device is a large part of why people might buy it. And so it's prevalent, you know, in, in the U S, but it's like, in some countries is much more, more prevalent. It's a, it's pretty crazy.

• 45:46Speaker 06

  Him just feeding into his own delusion, the whole way, like the hallucination of what he thinks, like he's going into work. He's limping. He's sickly. He's dripping snot. At one point he wipes his snot off with his tie. So you know, like, the tie itself looks awful. He looks awful. And he's like, I'm going to try to get a promotion today, but like in his mind, he looks like this perfect buff version of himself, barely fitting into his tight fitted suit with his bulging muscles and health and fitness. When in actuality, he looks like fucking Sméagol, like, I need a promotion today. Two, like all over the boss.

• 46:19Speaker 03

  I do, I do like how it escalates that as, as he gets worse and worse, the mirror is like, ah, yeah, he's even more ripped. Uh, you, you're even handsomer than you ever were before. Like gotta fix, fix it that for you. Um, something about this too, makes me feel less crazy. I, this is like the, the current, I feel like culture, not culture, like the climate around AI stuff, AI technologies that do exist currently. There's one side that's very like against it, unhappy with the way they're getting data, unhappy with the environmental impacts, unhappy with the broad range of issues that they, but then I feel like there's the opposite side to that, that has a lot of people who are just like fully embracing AI as the future, fully bought in.

• 47:03Speaker 03

  And it makes me feel like I'm the crazy one. It's a little bit like drinking the Kool-Aid, right? There are people who are like, damn the consequences, damn the dangers of whatever. This is the future. My whole life is run by AI. My squad of AI agents manages my schedule and books my flights and, and all that. And I look at them and I'm like, I feel like that's too far.

• 47:27Speaker 06

  It's like even a step further, cause I've never even considered deep faking yourself, but this guy is doing that. And I was like, okay, he's gonna be doing like virtual calls, but not like his, whatever. Maybe it's like the illnesses and the lack of care for himself that started the delusion, but like the lack of self-care and then just the quick descent into madness and just relying on this mirror to tell him like, no, you're not bloody. There are a nice pair of maroon gloves you got.

• 47:49Speaker 04

  It's fascinating how the, this is like the placebo effect where he's, he's, he believes that the wood glue touching his bone doesn't hurt that bad. So he's like, not that bad. Otherwise that would be like unbelievable pass out levels of agony, you know, but okay. Yeah. He's, he's just like, I'm good. Smart salary man.

• 48:11Speaker 06

  But good story. It was really well written and that guy gave me the ick. So look forward to the next one. And, uh, you guys, if you get the anthology, be able to read this one on your own. And I guess give whatever voices you imagine.

• 48:22Speaker 03

  Funny that you mentioned the anthology, Wayne. The real hardcover book has not been available. You can now buy this. Realgoodai.org/ anthology. Check it out. You can also buy the merch, this merch, scary tapes merch. It's distractible.shop. There is a finite supply of the merch. The books are infinite. It's print on demand, so it won't run out, but the shirts and stuff, there's a set number of those. So they might, they're gonna sell out at some point, probably. So if you want it, don't wait, check it out, see if it's still available. And yeah, thank you, Mark and Wade. Thank you, Ronan Clark, for authoring this story. Fantastic stuff. Thank you so much for watching and supporting this project.

• 49:03Speaker 03

  Uh, we'll see you with our usual episode, but then next Friday, final scary tape. Prepare yourselves to really, really scary. Podcast out. Thank you so much for watching this episode. Thank you for supporting the scary tapes, but a special thanks has to go out to, uh, 10 more people who supported the scary tapes anthology at the highest level. So thank you so much to these people. To Marion, thank you so much. Seraphina Smith, thank you. Harry, thank you for supporting us. Princess Donut, what's up Princess Donut? Nerd girl.

• 49:40Speaker 03

  Spelled as if you're an Omicronian. Thank you so much for this, supporting the scary tapes. Uh, Lichen, thank you. Giovanna Leone, thank you so much. Sarah Z. Ronan, thank you. You specifically, uh, Kat Brown, thank you. And finally, distractible podcast team. None of this that you are seeing and hearing right now would exist without, um, editor Sam, without Dr. Eric Bell from Real Good, who made the original music as well as Lois Bell, who did the violin performance. It's part of the original music. Um, lots of hard work from Mandy and the entire team at Real Good, but we couldn't have done it without your support as the real best patrons. So thank you all of you for donating very generously. We appreciate it. So thank you.

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