(flash story)

My phone buzzed with a message:

“Congratulations! You’ve been selected to beta test MirrorMe™ – the app that shows your reflection in 24 hours.”

I downloaded it because, well, who wouldn’t want to see their future? The interface was simple: just a black screen with a timer counting down from 24:00:00. That night, I dreamed of winning lottery numbers and getting stock market tips. Instead, when the timer hit zero, I saw myself with a black eye and a split lip.

“Must be a glitch,” I muttered, closing the app.

Walking to work, I kept checking my perfectly normal reflection in store windows. No bruises. No cuts. The whole thing was probably just another scam app. Then I saw the guy struggling with his grocery bags near the subway entrance. Being a good citizen, I stopped to help. As he fumbled for his wallet to tip me (which I would’ve refused), a brick from the construction site above us broke loose. I looked up, remembering my “glitchy” reflection, and jumped left instead of right. The brick shattered where I would have been standing. That evening, I checked the app again. My reflection showed me smiling, holding a lottery ticket. I deleted the app immediately. Some futures are better left unseen.