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— -
Milo returned to Fulfilment, key tightly gripped.
The Department of Purpose secured it for an inspection.
But something was off. It clicked the baker’s elbow —
No access.
— -
So the officials promptly tested it on others.
The mailman.
The teacher.
Even the mayor.
Everyone-
Remained locked. Yielded zilch. Wouldn’t budge.
So the Department’s report declared-
Defective.
— -
Their labels fitted.
Once.
However…
The baker now painted.
The teacher baked.
The Mayor?
Was unimportant.
The key recalled, but they…
Moved on.
— -
So Milo smiled and put the condemned key in his pocket.
Perhaps Purpose was —
A temporary guest.
He brought his findings to the Department, which promptly created:
The Repurposing Division.
Mirrors of the Mind by Michelle Liew is a collection of psychological and supernatural short stories that explore the quiet unease beneath ordinary moments. These are not tales of spectacle, but of subtle fracture — where memory distorts, silence speaks, and the self is not always singular. In these stories, what is unseen often carries the greatest weight, and what lingers is not what is shown, but what is felt
.