Being the party wallflower was a drag — something that Edwin knew too well. He could clear a conversation circle —
Without even trying.
The office party fell two days before Christmas Eve, the usual end-of-year celebration.
Before he’d even tried to share his anecdote, a listener had remembered another urgent meeting.
The foul restroom became a source of respite for another.
The wall clock gained a new admirer. The number of minutes it took before he could leave became particularly sexy.
Edwin noticed. Very much. He sensed, rightly, that people were tolerating rather than enjoying him.
And decided that it was time for a change.
On the way home, an advertisement by a Public Speaking Guru caught his eye —
Become a scintillating conversationalist.
And underneath it the irresistible promise —
Never bore another soul.
Edwin reached for his cell.
The package the Guru sold him was —
Unconventional.
Scintillating in and of itself.
It contained a few silver tablets and a cryptic instruction —
Take one tablet before any social engagement.
So the night of the gathering —
Edwin swallowed one with gusto —
And became more magnetic than Magneto.
He was magnificent.
Astute. Everyone wanted to listen to his wonderfully charming anecdotes.
Laughter broke out —
At the right moments.
People crowded round exits —
Refusing to leave.
He started wearing studded suits that —
Sparkled.
His 70’s hustle was a hit at every gathering.
He had studs multiplying —
And was electrifying.
Edwin swallowed another tablet before the next party —
A little too eagerly.
He scintillated.
Again.
But cheeky, malfunctioning executive functions decided —
The anecdotes had to lengthen.
And became too long.
Midway through one, his mouth circled —
And paused.
For seconds too long.
Then —
Zap.
A spark got his tongue.
His mouth circled again.
Zap.
He pulled out all the stops to remain interesting. Circled his mouth once more and —
Zap.
Every pause electrified. Literally. Edwin filled pauses with silly jokes, unwanted trivia and lame stories.
“A real entertainer,” someone said.
Burning from his now almost permanently circular mouth, Edwin agreed.
His sparkle became the office must-have.
At the next dinner party, his tablet became —
Relentless.
Edwin just couldn’t stop.
The studded suits drifted between courses, with flowing anecdotes to complete them.
People chewing cheese? They needed cheese trivia.
Drinking a Martini? That poor soul needed a 007 joke.
Soon, the guests’ fascination turned to —
Fatigue.
One finally snapped.
“Edwin?”
He paused mid-sentence.
“Shut up.”
But his mouth continued circling. He sparkled furiously.
So Edwin stopped being scintillating.
The office accepted boring —
When needed.
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
