Short Story Collection

Our Reality

Cassandra awoke to the small rustling, the sound echoing off the walls of her house. She quietly threw her covers off of her, tip-toeing towards her door. It didn't sound like it was coming from her room, instead another part of the old home. The girl opened the door, wincing at the small creaking sound it made. She froze, waiting for a moment. No one seemed to notice the sound, and if they did, no one said anything. She crept down the halls, trying to avoid the floorboards that squeaked. The rustling noise continued, coming from down the hall towards the bathroom. Cassandra made her way, only letting out a breath as she reached the bathroom door.

There was a perfectly logical explanation, like mice or just the wind. That's what they always said in horror movies before they died.

She entered the dark room, flipping on the lights. Nothing. There was absolutely nothing that looked unusual or was out of place. Cassandra looked over, her brown eyes landing on the open window. It was just the wind. Shutting it, she turned to head back to her room. Except the door was closed. Did she close the door behind her? Shaking her head, she ignored the thoughts in her head, telling her that this was a bad idea. She tried the door handle, but it wouldn't open.

It had been locked from the outside, something she knew couldn't happen, but refused to think of that. She rattled it, trying her best to get it open. Taking the last course of action she could think of, she ran her body into the white painted door. It didn't even budge. Of course, Cassandra thought that her parents would notice, wake up and get her out of there, but there was no sign that anyone was awake.

"Stuck, are we?" An oddly cheerful voice sounded from behind her.

She turned around, coming face to face with a strange boy. He sat on the bathroom sink, though it really shouldn't be able to support a human's weight. Cassandra pressed her back against the door, trying to stay a far away from this stranger as possible. He grinned widely, much like the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland.

"Don't be scared, I don't want to hurt you," He said softly, sliding off from the sink.

"Who, who are you?" The young girl asked, eyeing him warily.

He continued smiling that creepy smile, but he didn't come any closer to her. She studied him, noticing his odd features. His pupils were slits, much like a cats. Black stripes ran along his cheeks. The tip of his nose was black. His hair was the same color as his nose, but also short and fluffy. Out of the top of his head were small points.

"I'm surprised you even see me," He remarked, his yellow eyes staring at her, "Though, the boss told me you probably could."

"Boss?" Cassandra asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"The person in charge of me. He asked me pop by and check on you or something," The cat-boy said, shrugging.

"But why?" She pressed.

"Aren't you a curious one?" He smirked, chuckling softly, "You know what they say, curiosity killed the cat."

"But satisfaction brought it back," Cassandra finished the saying.

The boy's eyebrows raised in surprise, "Smart girl."

She rolled her eyes at him, dropping her hands to her side. Taking a step away from the wall, she approached him.

"How'd you get here?" She asked him, narrowing her eyes as she looked down at the boy.

"The mirror, of course," He said, pointing to the mirror behind him.

Flicking his hand, the reflection of them turned into a purple glow. He sat back on top of the sink, his grin fading.

"I have to go now," He said, his yellow eyes darting away from her, "But maybe you'll remember me if I give you this."

He handed her a necklace, a strange symbol on the pendant. She looked up, about to say something when he disappeared into the purple mist. The second he was gone, the mirror returned back to normal, leaving her staring at a reflection of herself. She twirled the necklace around in her fingers. A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.

"Cassie?" He father's voice sounded from the other side, "What're you doing awake."

"Nothing," she shouted in response.

Stuffing the key into her pocket, she opened the door. Her father left her back to bed, tucking her in and kissing her goodnight. The door closed, leaving her darkness again. Cassandra pulled out the necklace, looking at it for awhile before setting it back on her nightstand.

She wasn't awake to notice the necklace starting to glow or the same purple mist surrounding it. That might've been a good thing since she also wasn't awake to notice the dark figure standing over her bed, it's yellow, cat-like eyes watching her.

Word Count: 824