The Mirror in Room 22
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The Mirror in Room 22 is one of the very few short stories, written by René Raymond, better known by his pen name James Hadley Chase.
The story was published in 1946 in the Slipstream anthology under the author's real name.[1]
Plot summary[edit]
The story is set in an old lonely dreary house, where 6 army officers are staying temporarily. It is Christmas Eve, the night is boring and somewhat scary. All officers have just finished dinner and are gathered around a fire, trying to remove one another's sense of fear, although even those who are trying to do so, are themselves somewhat afraid. A dog is howling in the dark, which no one has been able to see, perhaps because it is too dark outside. The best room in the house is number 22 [the title of the story incidentally]. This is occupied by one Hopkins, who tells others, he would be too happy to move out of that dreary house.
Suddenly two more people come in. One is the Squadron Commanding Officer [CO], whom all know already. But the other one is a stranger. He is Wing Commander Adams and is introduced to the entire group by the CO. Both have to spend just one night there. The CO already had a cottage across the house, but Adams needed to stay in the same old dreary house.
As all were conversing, Adams - who had earlier stayed at the same house - began recounting his earlier experiences. He recounted that the owner of this house had lost money in some transaction and on Christmas Eve had committed suicide. His dog had also gone missing, but nobody knew where. Perhaps it was dead, but no one was sure. On two subsequent years of the suicide, some strange dog always used to howl on Christmas Even, but was always invisible. Next morning the occupant of room no. 22 was found dead. Two such incidents had occurred, but last year it was Adams who was occupying that room.
He said, that he did not believe in such stories, and on the expected day of his suicide [Christmas], he was shaving in front of mirror. Suddenly he saw in the mirror, that it was not he but someone else, but yet his movements were the same. Suddenly the reflection in the mirror made a move different from what Adams had been making. The reflection suddenly slashed his own neck. Adams fell down, and realized he would have cut his own throat, had he not been using the safety razor.
As the story goes on, Hopkins leaves for some time and returns a bit happier. In the end, as the CO leaves for his own cottage, he asks Adams, if he would be comfortable in the house. Adams replies yes, and with a smile, starts going towards Room no. 22, which has already been vacated by Hopkins.[1]
Interpretations[edit]
This is an open ended ghost story, much like English author W. W. Jacobs' horror short story "The Monkey's Paw", which may be interpreted the way, reader takes it. One obvious interpretation is that Adams's story is real, and is still occupying room no 22, because he knows how to tackle the situation. Another is that he knowingly spun the tale, so he would get the occupy the best room in that house. His smile in the end, while going towards room no. 22 is probably the only indication leading to the latter interpretation
References[edit]
- ^ a b Haining, Peter (1998). The Mammoth Book of Twentieth-Century Ghost Stories (1 ed.). New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers. p. 334. ISBN 0786705833.