Cliffhanger Castle

Mirrors: Chapter 3

By Denise Murdoch - GhostWriter_63

"Zombies," Austen whispered before he could stop himself.

"No. That!" She raised the phone toward a shimmering specter across the room that seemed to grow larger...and held a glowing phone. "It's us!" she realized with a small laugh. "It's a mirror."

Tiffany stepped boldly forward into the gloom, nudging one of the lumps with her toe. She nudged harder. "Looks like one of the zombies left their clothes."

Austen felt his face grow warm. He cleared his throat.

She held the phone high, twirling around. "Mirrors on the whole wall and mirrors behind too. It's a dance studio! This is fabulous!"

"If it's a dance studio they could fit the whole ballet in here."

"Oh, are you an expert on ballet?"

"A marching band then," he spat. "And it's not fabulous, it's weird."

"Why is it weird to have a dance studio?"

"That you get to from a secret entrance?" He looked around. "There has to be a hallway or a dressing room or an office or something..."

"You are an expert on dance studios!" She laughed.

"Rhea!" he called angrily. "Rhea, where are you!"

"Does your sister always hide from you?" Tiffany asked dismissively. "Is this a game you play?"

He felt angry. And a little embarrassed, because actually, it was a game she liked to play.

"Is there a light switch?"

"No power," he said. "It's been off for years.

"Do you have any matches or a lighter?"

"You want to start a fire now? Are you crazy?"

She was studying her phone. "Well, you better think of something because my phone's about to die."

"You didn't charge..."

She started across the vast room, tiptoeing and he followed quietly behind.

"Come on," She called over her shoulder. But he was right behind and nearly stepped on her heels. She whirled away from him. "Don't scare me like that!"

"I didn't mean to scare you. I was just staying close."

"Well, make more noise when you're staying close!" She backed away, exasperated.

"I just need to find my sister. Do you think we should check out all these lumps? Maybe she's unconscious." He worried, looking around.

"Then where's the dog?"

"There aren't that many. We better check them all."

"Maybe this was a ballroom."

"There wouldn't be mirrors like this in a ballroom."

"Austen," she sighed tiredly. "You're always such a know it all. There would be mirrors if they were taking lessons. They'd need to see that they're doing the steps right..." With that she walked up to the mirror to check her hair and make-up.

He rolled his eyes, standing impatiently. He folded his arms but then gasped when he realized a gray form slowly materialized beside him in the reflection. He leaped aside, startling her away from the mirror.

"What?" she demanded. But then she shrieked sharply, the sound echoing around the room. She jumped up and down, stomping with her feet and clutching the phone with both hands, her hair flying. "Something touched me!" she wailed. "It felt like spider webs across my face! Only cold! I hate this place." She threw herself into Austen's arms.

Surprised, he held her tightly. Their hearts pounded.

"Let's go back and call your dad for real this time." He soothed. "We need help."

She nodded, pulling awkwardly away. "And you'll bash a hole in the door?"

"Yes. But I don't know with what."

"With your fist, your shoe, your head! Anything!"

"Come on." He took her hand to lead her through the bundles of clothes back toward the door. But they both stopped abruptly, horrified as one of the lumps began to rise, taking a human form, arms moving out eerily to embrace. They held their breath, paralyzed with fear, too scared to scream. Tiffany's phone died, plunging them into darkness.