“The Forgotten Mirror” is a mysterious and suspenseful story for children that explores curiosity, courage, and the importance of listening to warnings. Set in a small town near a dark forest, the story follows Alice, a brave and curious girl who discovers a forgotten mirror hidden deep in an old building.
As Alice uncovers the mirror’s secret, she learns that some mysteries are dangerous and that not everything hidden should be disturbed. The story gently teaches young readers about respecting the unknown, trusting instincts, and understanding consequences, while keeping them engaged with an exciting, magical atmosphere.
Written in simple, descriptive English, this story is suitable for children, school students, and English learners who enjoy light mystery stories that build imagination, vocabulary, and reading confidence.
The Forgotten Mirror Story for Children
A small town called Blackwood sat on the edge of a vast, dark forest, known for its strange legends. Most of the locals kept to the town and avoided the woods, but some, like Alice, loved the mystery that surrounded it. Alice had grown up hearing stories about the forest—about the forgotten things that lived there, things that shouldn’t be disturbed.
Despite the warnings, Alice’s curiosity had always been stronger. She was the kind of person who couldn’t leave an unanswered question alone. So when she found an old map in her grandmother’s attic one rainy afternoon, she knew she had to follow it. The map had strange markings and pointed to an area deep within the forest, where no one had dared to go for generations.
With a feeling of both excitement and fear, Alice decided to explore the woods. Her grandmother had always been the one to warn her about the forest, about the old legends of strange happenings and mysterious figures that stalked the trees. But Alice was determined. She had to know what was out there, in the unknown depths of the forest.
That Saturday afternoon, Alice packed a small bag, put on her boots, and set off towards the woods. The moment she stepped into the trees, she felt the temperature drop, the air turning heavy and cool. The forest was quiet, too quiet. Even the birds and animals seemed to avoid making a sound.
She walked for hours, following the map as best she could, until she found herself at the base of a large hill. At the top, hidden among the trees, was an old, crumbling stone building. The walls were covered with vines, and the windows were dark and shattered. Alice’s heart raced with anticipation. The building wasn’t marked on her map, but it seemed like the place she was looking for.
As she climbed up the hill, her footsteps muffled by the overgrown grass, she wondered what kind of place this had once been. She didn’t think it was a house. It looked more like a forgotten temple or an old mansion—something lost to time. When she reached the door, she hesitated. The air around the building felt strange, as though something was watching her, but she pushed the feeling aside.
The door creaked open, revealing a dark, dusty hallway. Alice stepped inside, the old wooden floor groaning beneath her weight. She could smell the dust and decay, and the air felt thick and heavy, as though the place had been sealed off from the world for a long time.
She walked deeper into the building, her flashlight flickering in the darkness. The walls were covered with faded paintings, portraits of people she didn’t recognize. Some of the paintings were disturbing, with faces twisted in fear or sorrow, and others were blank, as though the images had been erased. The farther she went, the colder it became.
At the end of the hallway, she found a large room. The centerpiece of the room was a grand mirror, its frame made of dark, polished wood, intricate carvings of vines and faces. The mirror was covered with dust, but it still reflected the light from her flashlight. Alice walked closer, drawn to it, as though the mirror was calling to her.
As her hand reached out to wipe away the dust, the air grew even colder. A shiver ran down her spine, but she couldn’t stop herself. She needed to know what was inside the mirror. When she cleared enough of the dust away, she stared at her reflection.
But it wasn’t her reflection. The person in the mirror wasn’t her at all. It was a woman with long, dark hair and pale, lifeless eyes. She was staring back at Alice, her lips curled into a faint, haunting smile. Alice stumbled back in shock, her heart racing in her chest. She looked around the room, but there was no one else.
Her reflection in the mirror began to move, as though it had a life of its own. The woman in the mirror stepped forward, raising her hand, as if reaching for Alice. Alice’s breath caught in her throat. She backed away slowly, but the reflection kept moving closer, its eyes locked onto hers. The smile on the woman’s face grew wider.
Suddenly, the air around Alice seemed to freeze. The woman in the mirror stepped through the glass, her body emerging from the surface as if the mirror had become a doorway. Alice gasped and stumbled backward, falling to the floor. The figure was now standing before her, no longer confined to the glass.
The woman’s face was pale, her eyes empty and dark. She smiled again, but this time, it wasn’t a comforting smile—it was a smile full of malice, full of hunger.
“You should not have come,” the woman whispered, her voice a soft, chilling breath. “You disturbed the mirror.”
Alice’s mind raced as she scrambled to get to her feet. She tried to run, but the air around her felt thick, as though the very room was holding her in place. The woman took another step closer, her hand reaching out toward Alice’s throat.
“I was trapped here,” the woman hissed. “And now, so will you be.”
In that instant, Alice felt a sharp pain in her chest, as though something cold and cruel was sinking into her heart. She gasped for air, struggling to break free of the invisible grip on her. The woman’s hand was inches away from her face, her fingers cold as ice.
But then, just as suddenly, everything stopped.
The woman froze, her hand hovering just above Alice’s skin. The air returned to normal, and Alice found herself gasping for breath, her body trembling in fear. The woman’s expression shifted from one of fury to confusion, as if she didn’t understand what had just happened. Her smile faltered, and for a moment, Alice saw something else in her eyes—something more human, more sorrowful.
The woman opened her mouth to speak again, but this time, the words were different. “You… you don’t belong here,” she whispered, her voice barely a breath.
Before Alice could respond, the woman’s figure began to dissolve, fading into the air like smoke. The coldness lifted, and the room returned to its eerie silence. Alice was left standing there, her heart pounding in her chest, wondering if she had imagined it all.
She stared at the mirror for a long moment, the image of the woman still lingering in her mind. Then, without another word, Alice turned and ran out of the building, her feet pounding the earth as she raced back through the forest. The wind howled around her, and the shadows seemed to twist and stretch, but she didn’t stop.
By the time Alice reached the edge of the forest, the sun was beginning to rise. She collapsed on the ground, gasping for air, her body trembling with exhaustion and fear. She looked back at the forest, but there was nothing to see. The trees stood still, silent, as if nothing had ever happened.
The next day, Alice returned to the village, but the memory of the mirror haunted her. She never spoke of it to anyone, not even her grandmother. She didn’t know if the woman in the mirror had been real, or if it had all been some kind of hallucination. But one thing was certain: there was something about that mirror, something dark and ancient, that had been waiting for someone like her.
And now, she would never be able to forget.
