The Boy In The Mirror

Fifteen

Breakfast wasn't any different for the family, small talk from the parents and silence from their daughter, yet everyone at the table had questions to ask; they did not say anything out of the ordinary. Maybe, if one of them had asked then these following events would never have happened, everything could have gone back to how it was before the house. Hazeh finished first, she carried her plate and utensils to the sink and went to her room without a sound. Her mother watched her whilst her father stared at his food lost in thought. 

Hazeh sat opposite Jimin and smiled, Jimin did the same. 

"My parents are acting weird," Hazeh admitted, pulling her legs to her chest and resting her chin on her knees. "It's as if they are different people altogether, at first I thought it was their coping mechanism for the death of my brother but this is not normal. I don't know what to do, I am scared I am the only sane person in this house, I am scared that they'll eventually drive me mad."

"They seem strange?" Jimin opened his mouth to speak but shut it. "My mother was acting quite peculiar when we first moved in and my father was always sneaking about and asking strange questions-"

"That is exactly how my parents are being!" Hazeh nearly shouted. "Is there any way for them to snap out of it? Like a magic potion or something?"

"Now who is acting strange?" Jimin said jokingly. "This is not a story where with a swish of a wand everything returns to normal."

"How did your parents stop being strange?" Hazeh asked, worried about his response. "Please, tell me that they stopped."

"I am afraid to say they never did," Jimin shuffled forward and leaned in. "This is a better occasion than any to tell you how I managed to get myself stuck in a mirror.."

"I'm listening," Hazeh sat up straight and folded her arms. "Go on."

"We renovated some of the house before we moved in," Jimin explained using his arms. "One of the renovations was to have a mirrored practice room so I could dance freely without being told off for the noise, they're soundproof you see, and as soon as we came to live here I set out to find the practice room. This is a good place to point out that the builders working on the house had all died from 'falling' off the roof, my father said that they must have not started on it yet. That's when I found a small door in my bedroom, behind my wardrobe. Obviously, I went inside and I was thrilled to find out that they did build the practice room after all. I accidentally fell asleep in here in the early hours of the morning and when I woke up the door had gone. I soon learnt that my father decided to redecorate my room, thinking I went for a walk in the village, and took the door off and built a wall in the gap. He didn't see me in the room because it was dark and he didn't go in because of his fear of darkness, when my parents were crying over their lost son, I was upstairs dying from dehydration and screaming for them."

Shivers crawled up Hazeh's spine but she shook them off.

"One night, I woke inside the mirrors," Jimin stared off into the distance. "I then learnt that I must be in a parallel universe as I was living in the house but without any other person. You see, I can't leave the house and I can only see into your house through mirrors. I then watched my parents mourn me and drive themselves crazy. I am not going to tell you how my parents ended up as I do not want to scare you, I am sure your parents will not be like mine."

"Was it really that bad?" Hazeh asked, gritting her teeth. "Can you, please, tell me what happened to my parents? What if it happens to mine? I want to be prepared and you not telling me is going to make me paranoid."

"No," Jimin shook his head and stood. "You can't persuade me to tell you, trust me, you'll be even more paranoid."

"Should I trust you?" Hazeh teased standing up too. "You are a strange cute guy I found in a mirror after all."

"I am cute?" Jimin teased back, earning a blush from Hazeh. "Am I handsome too? Does Hazeh have a crush on me, 'a strange cute guy you found in a mirror'?"

"Shut up," Hazeh hid her cheeks with he hands. "Stop teasing me, you are so annoying!"

"But am I cutely annoying?" Jimin poked his cheeks and pouted. "Hazeh, am I cuter now?"

"Jimin," Hazeh pointed at him. "If you weren't protected by that mirror I would have beaten you up."

"If there wasn't a mirror I would hug you," Jimin smiled nervously. "Too bad we both can't get what we want."

"Me too," Hazeh quietly replied. "Never thought I would have a close bond with someone in a mirror."

"Wait," Jimin frowned slightly. "Do you hear...screaming?"

"I don't hear anything," Hazeh listened. "You are just hearing things."

"It's because your in a sound proof room, silly." Jimin cocked his head to the side. "Someone is screaming, and it's not from my side of the mirror."

"Oh no," all the colour of Hazeh's face drained away. "Why is someone screaming? I have to go."

"Don't," Jimin hit the mirror. "Don't go."

"Why?" Hazeh asked, panicking. "What's happening?"

"You're safe here," Jimin pressed his hand against the mirror. "If you leave.."

"Goodbye," Hazeh said softly before opening the door. "Jimin."

As soon as Hazeh entered her bedroom, screams pierced her ears from downstairs. Quickly, Hazeh ran down stairs to see her mother bending over a mangled cats corpse. Blood seemed to be everywhere in the room, Hazeh saw he father in the corner crouched down with a bloodied knife in both hands. Hazeh watched as he stood up and walked towards her mother's weeping figure. 

"Honey," her mother pleaded. "Why? Is it because I gave more attention to her? You should have said something, dear, stop. Please, put the knife down, your are scaring me. Honey? Honey!"

One of Hazeh's wishes came true, time stopped, he father had the knife raised and his pupils wee dilated. Her mother was cowering and had tears streaming down her cheeks. Hazeh did not know what to do so time played again and the knife came down onto her mother's shoulder. Again. Again. 

"Stop!" Hazeh screamed at her father, finally finding her voice. "Please, stop!"

His neck snapped round at Hazeh making her step back, her mother's body fell to the floor as he took the knife out. A terrifying smile appeared on his lips, his eyes were wide and drool was dripping down his chin. He looked like a monster from the darkest of nightmares. Hazeh stumbled backwards before breaking into a sprint up the stairs, Hazeh was never the sportiest person in her class but when she was in a position of life and death she was quick as time. Hearing heavy footsteps behind her only made her go faster. 

"Jimin!" Hazeh screamed slamming her bedroom shut and pushing her desk in front of it. "I am going to be murdered by my father, I am going to die and for the first time I want to live."

Making her jump, a loud thud came from her door, her father was running into it to try and open it; and he was succeeding. Hazeh opened the small door as her father opened hers, her father grabbed her legs when the bright light came on.

"Ha-"

"Jimin!" Hazeh screams as she grabs onto the wood surrounding the doorway. "Help me!"

"I.." Jimin kicked and punched the mirror, frustration evident in his face. "I can't!"

Hazeh kicked her father in the face and he stumbled back clutching his eye, Hazeh scrambled into the room and slammed the door shut. The door opened and Hazeh shuffled backwards until her back hit the mirror, her father crawled through the doorway with the knife in his mouth, cutting his lips. 

"Jimin," Hazeh cried as Jimin appeared in the mirror beside her. "What am I going to do?"

"Place your hand onto mine," Jimin's voice broke. "Turn away from him and only look at me, everything is going to be okay."

"I'm scared," Hazeh whimpered, as she heard her father coming towards her. "Will I see you again?"

Jimin looked up at the knife that was about to be thrown into her head.

"Yes," Jimin smiled, his arm trembling. "I promise."