The Hollow Whisper

Chapter 13: The Mirror's Grasp

Jacob struggled against the suffocating darkness, the cold tendrils wrapping around his arms and legs, pulling him toward the mirror. It felt as though the very air in the room had been swallowed by the shadows, leaving only a chilling void that gnawed at the edges of his mind. Emily's panicked cries echoed in the blackness, her voice faint and distant, like she was slipping away.

Parker grunted in defiance, swinging his flashlight through the darkness, but the beam was swallowed whole by the writhing shadows. "Hold on!" he shouted, his voice barely audible over the cold, whispering voices that filled the room.

"There's no escape..."

Sarah's twisted form stood by the mirror, her black eyes watching them with a cold, predatory amusement. Her smile was unnatural, stretched too wide, revealing those sharp, jagged teeth that had no place in her once human face. The room itself seemed to pulse in rhythm with the shadows, alive with the malevolent presence that had overtaken the house.

Jacob could feel the pull of the mirror growing stronger, a weight dragging him toward it like an anchor around his soul. He reached for Emily, barely able to grasp her hand as the darkness dragged her closer to the rippling surface of the mirror.

"I won't let it take you!" Jacob shouted, tightening his grip on her.

Emily's eyes were wide with terror, but there was a glimmer of determination in them as she gripped his hand tightly. "We have to break the mirror!" she gasped. "That's where it's coming from!"

Parker was struggling against the shadows as well, but he managed to yank free one arm and raised his gun. "Get clear of the mirror!" he yelled, leveling his aim at its cracked surface.

But Sarah moved faster than any of them could have anticipated.

She stepped forward with impossible speed, her arm swinging out like a whip, knocking the gun from Parker's hand. Her voice, low and distorted, cut through the shadows like a blade. "You think you can stop me? You can't even comprehend what I am."

The shadows coiled tighter, dragging Jacob and Emily closer to the mirror's surface. Jacob felt the cold edge of the glass press against his back, and for a brief, heart-stopping moment, he saw his reflection.

But it wasn't his reflection at all.

In the mirror, his face was twisted and hollow, his eyes empty and black, just like Sarah's. His skin was drawn tight over his bones, pale and sickly, as though the life had been drained from him.

The reflection smiled, a sick, knowing grin that sent ice through his veins.

Jacob's heart pounded in his chest, panic rising like bile in his throat. "No... this isn't real. It's just trying to get inside my head!"

Emily's hand tightened around his. "Don't look at it! Don't let it pull you in!"

Parker, recovering from Sarah's blow, lunged for his flashlight. In one swift motion, he swung it toward the mirror, but Sarah was already on him. Her movements were inhumanly fast, and she slammed Parker into the wall with a force that made the old wooden beams groan under the pressure.

"You're too late," she hissed, her voice a venomous snarl. "The house has already claimed you."

The mirror behind Jacob began to hum, a low, vibrating sound that reverberated through his bones. The surface rippled like water, and the dark reflection of himself seemed to grow more real, more solid. He could feel its cold gaze on him, pulling him in, whispering in his mind, promising him peace, an end to the fear, an end to the pain...

Just let go...

"No!" Jacob roared, tearing his gaze away from the mirror with all his strength. He grabbed Emily with both arms, pulling her toward him, away from the dark surface.

Sarah's laughter filled the room. "You can't fight it, Jacob. The mirror shows the truth. You belong to the darkness."

But something flickered in Jacob's mind—something stronger than the fear. It was a memory, hazy and distant but filled with warmth. He remembered the nights spent with Emily and Sarah, sitting on the porch of his old house, laughing under the stars. He remembered the light in Sarah's eyes before all of this happened, before the darkness had claimed her.

There was still a piece of her left. Somewhere inside the creature she had become, Sarah was still there.

He had to believe that.

"Emily," Jacob gasped, pulling her close, "the mirror—it's how this thing is controlling her. We have to destroy it!"

Emily nodded, her breath coming in shallow gasps as she fought against the cold grip of the shadows. "But how? It's too strong."

Parker, struggling to his feet, grabbed a nearby chair and swung it at Sarah, trying to keep her at bay. "I'll hold her off! You two, break that damn thing!"

Sarah lunged at Parker again, but he dodged, throwing the chair in her path. It was enough to give Jacob and Emily a few precious seconds.

Jacob glanced around the room, searching for anything they could use. His eyes landed on a shard of broken glass from the window, lying near the corner. It wasn't much, but it was sharp enough.

He grabbed it and turned to Emily. "On three, we hit the mirror together. Ready?"

Emily nodded, her face pale but resolute.

"One... two..."

Sarah's inhuman scream tore through the room as she charged toward them, her arms outstretched, her fingers twisted into claws.

"Three!"

They swung together—Jacob with the shard of glass, Emily with all her strength—and slammed into the mirror.

For a moment, the surface of the mirror seemed to resist, its dark, rippling light pushing back against their efforts. But then, with a deafening crack, the glass shattered.

The sound was like an explosion, a high-pitched scream that echoed through the house. The shadows recoiled violently, pulling away from Jacob and Emily, unraveling like smoke in the wind.

Sarah's scream was the loudest of all—a scream of rage and pain as the mirror shattered, its dark power splintering into a thousand tiny shards. The force of the explosion sent her flying backward, crashing into the far wall.

The room was suddenly filled with light, a blinding, burning light that pierced the darkness, cutting through the malevolent force that had gripped the house.

Jacob fell to his knees, gasping for breath, the shard of glass falling from his hand. Emily collapsed beside him, her body trembling from the effort.

Parker staggered forward, his eyes wide in disbelief. "Did... did we do it?"

The room was silent now. The shadows were gone, the oppressive weight lifted. The mirror was nothing more than a pile of broken glass on the floor.

But Sarah...

Jacob looked up, his heart heavy with dread.

Sarah lay crumpled against the wall, her body still and pale, her eyes closed. For a long moment, no one moved. The only sound was the soft drip of rainwater from the broken window.

Then, slowly, Sarah's chest rose and fell. She was breathing.

Jacob crawled toward her, his hands shaking. "Sarah?"

Her eyes fluttered open, and for the first time in what felt like an eternity, they were no longer black. They were the soft, brown eyes Jacob remembered, filled with confusion and fear.

"Jacob...?" she whispered, her voice hoarse. "What... what happened?"

Tears filled Jacob's eyes as he pulled her into his arms. "It's over," he whispered. "It's finally over."

But deep inside, a cold shiver of doubt crept through him.

Had they really destroyed the darkness? Or had they merely shattered its vessel?

End of Chapter 13