Mirrored In The Dark

Chapter 7

When she looks around her apartment, everything seems completely normal. But then, she starts to notice a few small details that are off. The books on her bookshelf are in a different order than she remembers, and there's a small mark on the wall that wasn't there before. As the day goes on, more and more things seem out of place, and she starts to feel uneasy. Is she going crazy, or is something else going on?

Scarlett decides to go out for a walk, hoping that some fresh air will help her clear her head. But as she walks, she starts to notice more and more strange things. The trees in the park have leaves that are the wrong color, and the street signs have letters that are jumbled up. She starts to feel like she's in a different world, and she doesn't know what to do. Then, she sees something that makes her heart stop - a person walking down the street, with a face that's completely blank, no features at all.

Scarlett is frozen in terror, unable to move. Then, she hears the voice again, the voice from her dreams. "Don't be afraid," it says. "I'm here to help you." Scarlett feels a sense of calm wash over her, and she realizes that the voice is coming from the blank-faced person. She's still scared, but she feels like she has to trust the voice. "Who are you?" she asks. The blank-faced person smiles, and then, to her shock, its face starts to shift and change, until it's the face of someone she knows.

The person's face is that of her best friend, Sarah. But it's not really Sarah - the eyes are blank and empty, and the mouth is stretched into a grotesque smile. Scarlett tries to run, but she can't move. "I'm not your friend," the creature says, its voice now deep and menacing. "I'm something else." Scarlett wants to scream, but no sound comes out. She's trapped, unable to move or speak, as the creature starts to approach her.

But then, the creature stops, and it starts to change again. Its features become blurry and indistinct, and it starts to fade away. Scarlett starts to feel herself waking up, and she opens her eyes to find herself back in her own bed. She's safe, and everything is normal. But something still feels off, and she can't shake the feeling that something is watching her. Is it all in her head, or is something out there, waiting for her?

As Scarlett sits up in bed, she realizes that she wasn't dreaming at all. Everything that happened was real. She looks around the room, and everything is as it should be. But she can't shake the feeling that something is wrong. She gets out of bed, and she starts to get dressed, trying to calm herself down. But as she's getting ready, she notices something out of the corner of her eye. She turns around, and she sees a dark figure standing in the doorway, watching her.

Scarlett is terrified, but she forces herself to move towards the figure. As she gets closer, she sees that it's not a person - it's a mirror. But it's not a normal mirror - it's a mirror that shows a reflection of her room, but with everything in reverse. She looks at the mirror in disbelief, and then, she hears a voice behind her. "The mirror is a window into another world. Do you want to see what's on the other side?" the voice asks.

Scarlett doesn't know what to do. Should she answer the voice? Should she run away? She stands frozen, unsure of what to do. But then, the voice speaks again. "I can show you things you've never seen before. I can show you wonders and horrors beyond your imagination. All you have to do is step through the mirror." Scarlett stands, transfixed, and then she takes a deep breath. Slowly, she reaches out her hand towards the mirror. Her hand touches the glass, and then...

Scarlett's hand goes through the glass, and suddenly, she's falling through darkness. She's falling faster and faster, and she can't see anything but blackness all around her. She feels like she's falling forever, but then, suddenly, she lands. She's standing in a strange room, lit only by a single candle. The room is empty, except for a table in the center, with a large book on it.

A deep, reverberating voice fills the room. "This is the Book of Mirrors," it says. "It holds the secrets of all worlds, and all realities. I can show you anything you want to see, and answer any question you have. All you have to do is ask." Scarlett is overwhelmed by the possibilities before her. She could learn anything, see anything, know anything. But then, she remembers why she's here.

"I didn't come here to learn or to know," Scarlett says. "I came here because I need your help. I'm being hunted by something, and I don't know what it is or why it's after me. Can you help me?" The voice pauses for a moment, and then it speaks again. "I can help you, but only if you agree to something in return." Scarlett hesitates, unsure of what the voice might ask for. But then, she realizes that she doesn't have a choice. "I'll do anything," she says.