Young Writers Society

Here is a plot we can use.

When people start disappearing mysteriously, Maximillian Montague is called in to investigate after fruitless investigations. The only piece of evidence is an old murder mystery video with the suspect in it. Try as they may, they can find no evidence of tampering.

Bewildered by this evidence, Max goes online and asks a conspiracy theory forum if they know anything that might account for it.

The next day, Max gets a message. A meeting is arranged at a coffee shop.

Our opening scene is at the coffee shop.

But who is meeting him at the coffee shop?

We should make a discussion thread. Grif, do that and we'll talk about that there. After that we should each clean up our messages that aren't needed here.

Turtle Brown drank his coffee.

"So what does he look like?" he muttered, looking down at his coffee. A reflection glimmered in the coffee.

"You won't miss him," the reflection replied.

"Well that's a recommendation," Turtle muttered.

The door to the cafe opened. One glance told Turtle that this was the man.

He reminded him of Humphrey Bogart, he wore a fedora and a khaki trench coat.

"Hi Max, the usual?"

"I'll take it black this time Sam," Max said. He made his way to the counter and sat on a stool near Turtle.

"I've never seen you around here before stranger," Max said.

"I heard this place had good coffee."

"The best," Max said smiling. "What's your name?"

"My employees call me Mr. Brown, but my friends call me Turtle."

"That's an interesting name, Mr. Brown. What business are you in?"

Turtle smiled. A pattern began to emerge. Max would pair a polite observation with a question.

"I'm a researcher for Emerson Psychiatric Laboratory. I saw your little post and I think I can explain it." Turtle was pleased to see that Max had switched from idle curiosity to full attention.

"I'm all ears."

"Recently we received a piece of equipment from our sister lab in Japan. Perhaps you heard of it, it is called the DC mini."

"I confess I haven't."

"No, I expect not. The DC mini is a machine that allows people to share dreams. Psychologists have been using it to analyze their patients dreams."

"I'm with you so far."

"In order to protect ourselves, we have developed personalities, alter egos if you will, to protect us in case there is a sudden shut down."

"What we've found is that we haven't been able to fully isolate these personalities. They seem to have gained consciousness. To make it worse, they seemed to have combined with the original personalities."

"You lost me."

"I didn't think you would."

"More coffee?" Sam asked.

"Please." After Sam poured the coffee, Turtle spoke again.

"What has occurred is that the line between reality and imagination has become blurry with these people. This has given them abilities that may explain the video you have. I've asked a few of them to join me. Would you like to meet them?"

Delilah stepped out on cue, just as Mr.Brown had told her to. The man, Max, sat across from him, and Delilah pulled up a chair next to Mr. Brown. She had called her old friend Turtle that morning, when her reflection had begun talking to her. She remembered him telling her something about reflections doing this.

"Delilah?" Max asked, looking the girl up and down. She had met Max at the supermarket a few days before, when she had knocked him over.

"Good morning Max," she said kindly.

"Delilah, dear, when did you realize that you were different?" Mr. Brown asked, handing her a coffee.

"Turtle, I didn't notice until just this morning. I had been doing my hair, and i told myself I looked absolutely horrid. My refleciton started arguing with me; but it didn't actually look like me...it was, to say the least, strange."

Louise (The name of my runner's human)

Slowly, one by one, we approached the counter, ordered our drinks and greeted Max.

"I'll have a hot chocolate please," I ordered with a smile.

"Over here Louise," Turtle called and I turned my smile on him as I followed the sound of his voice to a chair.

"It's nice to meet you Max," I said as I took a seat.

"You too," He responded in a firm, monotone voice.

"Uh... Louise doesn't shake hands, friend," An additional voice explained and I imagined his lips twitching into a smile as he took the offered hand in my place and gave it a hearty shake.

"Oh..." Max hesitated, his voice filled with curiosity.

Delilah watched Max as he processed everything that was happening. She was curious as to what he was thinking, but she couldn't tell.

"Delilah, would you try to make your reflection speak again please?"

"Yes, of course," she pulled out her pocket mirror and looked at herself. "Dammit, my hair's messed up."

"No it's not, you look fine," the mirror replied.

***Sorry, it's all I've got***

Louise

"But that's impossible!" Max exclaimed confidently. "A mere trick. She can throw her voice." I noted by his tone of voice that he was upset and fluxiating note suggested that he was nodding his head. Probably in a reassuring manner but the only one who needed reassuring was himself.

"And why is the reflection frowning, hmm?" Turtle asked cheerfully with a slight note of smug, satisfaction and a childish glee in his voice.

"How is that unusual?" Max retorted.

"Delilah is no doubt smiling," I replied confidently.

"A trick of the light then," Max replied after a pause but he certainly sounded less confident now.

"Is that what you really believe, Max, or what you wish to believe?" Delilah queried.

Max

Underneath the table, Max was wringing his hands. It wasn't right, it just wasn't right. There must be something they've done, something.

While his mind searched for the answer the reflection looked Max straight in the eye, and winked. Involuntarily, he flinched. Turtle Brown pounced.

"Now do you believe us?"

The question echoed in Max's head for a moment before he understood the full weight of it. This was more than just trickery, this was paranormal. This was...

Max gasped and stood up, pushing back his chair. He clutched one hand to his throat and pointed the other accusing finger at Turtle.

"You've drugged me!" He still couldn't accept it. Max had expected deceit from the start. "You've drugged me and used to power of suggestion to make me see these things!"

Turtle looked at Louise and rolled his eyes. He began to try and calm Max down but the reflection of Delilah cut in.

"Reality is your perception. If you perceive it, it's real for you. But don't worry sunshine, you're not alone in your reality!" With a cheeky grin the reflection turned and disappeared from the mirror.

Max sat back heavily on his seat. It was too much, just too much.