Tale of the Prophet Bearer: The Dark Queen's Reign

Chapter 13: We Become Mortal Enemies with the Mirrors

^ Mirror man^

(A/N)

Aaaaaand look at that. On time again. Maybe I'll be able to keep this up.

Maybe......

~

I'm not sure what woke me up, but I did. The sky outside glows dark and the menu screen plays in an endless loop. I yawn and sit up, my back stiff from sleeping on the couch. I touch my face and feel relieved to feel no makeup. Tucker had told us to sleep with one eye open, but that isn't what's keeping me up. I'm not scared of his threats. Maybe it's everything that happened today in VR land. It drained me and I thought I would be able to sleep well after the chaotic day.

I can't sleep because of everything I saw... I shudder and pull the blanket closer around me. The images still loom in my thoughts, sneaking up whenever I feel relaxed. I tiptoe across the floor, the wood cold against my bare feet. I fix a mug of hot chocolate and let the warmth envelop my fingers. The floor feel cold against my feet as the hot chocolate pours into the mug. I take a sip, careful not to burn myself.

There's nothing quite as calming as hot chocolate at four in the morning. I slip back in the living room, pausing when I notice an absence on the couch.

"Abby?" I whisper. She might have gone up to her room. But she rarely does that, I tell myself. Whenever she's not sleeping at her apartment, she sleeps on the couch because she always falls asleep from watching movies all night.

I go upstairs anyway. I knock on her door and peek in. The room is empty, save the mess on the floor. "Are you in here, Abby?" I whisper. Silence tells me she's not here, but I step in, flicking on the light so the room wouldn't seem so spooky. Taped on the wall are several rough sketches of intentions she plans on making. I study a few but can't interpret the gibberish she wrote.

I step over the loose wires and strange looking trinkets. "Aaaabyyyyy?" I listen, but sigh and turn to leave. It's almost morning. She comes for breakfast and I can ask where she went when I see her then.

A movement catches my attention. I glance over at the full-length mirror, catching my reflection move in the smooth glass. But my reflection isn't wearing Kawaii-cat pajamas. My mug slips from my grasp. I gasp and stumble back, something crunching under my bare feet. It hurt, but I didn't process it much with the sight in front of me.

Abby's fist pound against the mirror and her mouth is open wide, although no sound comes out.

"Abby?" I breathe. I swallow hard and take a slow step forward. I touch the glass, the cool touch telling me that I'm not dreaming. "How did you get in there?" I ask louder but realize asking is dumb since she looks like she's screaming now and I still can't hear her.

My mind races. What are you supposed to do when your friend is stuck in a mirror? "I'll be right back," I point towards the door. "I don't know if you can even hear me, but I'll be back as soon as I can, I promise."

I turn and rush from the room, still tiptoeing around the mess in the floor. I knock on Cody's door. "Cody, wake up!"

I hear a groan and then the squeaking of the bedsprings. Cody opens the door, his eyes squinted and tired. "Yeah?"

"You need to come here now," I turn and march to Abby's room, trying to keep myself from trembling.

He follows me, yawning. He stops upon seeing he mirror, his eyes growing wide. "What..." He frowns, his brow furrowing together. "How did this happen?"

"I don't know!" I throw my hands in the air. "I just found her like this! How do you expect me to know what to do?!"

"Calm down—"