Glass

Broken

I slip the half-full water bucket into the doorway, waiting a moment to test if it'll hold. It does, the door stays open. I grin, stepping over the bucket. Hundreds of mirrors open up before me. I carefully turn and look at myself into the one on my left.

My hair is beyond greasy. At this point, I can pull it into a braid and it'll stay that way without a hair tie all on its own.

It grosses me out sometimes, so I've stopped touching it or messing with it.

My clothes are stained with blood and the blue shirt I'd been wearing this entire time is a shade darker just from dirt and grime layering into it. I've tried washing my clothes multiple times, but it usually doesn't do much. It definitely doesn't get the smell out.

My eyes look worn. My face looks stretched and tiredness. My lips don't even look happy when I turn them up into a smile.

I sigh.

I don't know why, but I'm afraid of forgetting what I look like. I'm afraid something about me will change and I won't ever notice.

There is something different, though. It's the scars. They layer my arms, my face. My hands. Every part of me has gashes in it, some mostly healed and scarring over, some still scabbed or even bleeding a little.

I look damaged. I look broken.

I feel broken.

I look at my reflection for a few more moments, then step back over the water bucket. That's enough of that, Kanna.

I pick the bucket up and watch as the door closes. I sigh and stare at the white paint.

And then, I feel an arm wrap around my shoulders.

"Hey, Bandages," Lu whispers.

I look up at him and give him a small smile. "Hi."

"Whatcha starin' at the wall for?" He gives me a small nudge, a slight grin spreading across his face.

"Oh, um... nothing, just... spacing out, I guess." I laugh nervously.

"Hmm." He pats me gently on the back, then reaches down and takes the water bucket from me. "Come on, I think I have a plan for getting out of here. Besides, you shouldn't be going off alone. You said there was someone else here, right?"

A shiver runs through my body as I remember Toby's murderer. "Sorry, you're right." I slip my fingers through his and we head back to the square room.

"Okay, I think instead of dealing with..." Lu swallows hard, shaking his head. "Um... whoever killed Toby, we should just focus on getting out of here." He presses his eyes together, holding back tears.

"That sounds like a good idea," I say, giving his hand a soft squeeze.

⧫ ⧫ ⧫

I wake up with a sore throat, just as I've done every morning. I know it's from shouting in my sleep.

Crack.

A sound ripples through my head, and I wince. It feels like my bones are breaking all over again.

I know it's not real.

But it feels real.

I reach across instinctively, looking for Lu. I frown as I turn and see he isn't there. "Lu?" I call, looking around the rest of the small room.

No one's there.

I stand up and make my way to one of the doors.

Whoosh.

Click.

"Lu?" I call down the hallway. No answer. I quickly turn around and head for the opposite door.

Whoosh.

Click.

"Lu!" I shout.

No answer.

"Lu? Where are you! Lu?" I move down the hallway towards the ocean room and swing open the door. Nothing. I open the forest door.

Nothing.

I run back down, cross the square room, and dash into the next hallway. "LU!" I shout, coughing as my voice catches in my scratchy throat.

I open the corn door.

Nothing.

Electric door.

Nothing.

"Lu! Lu!" I call and call, opening door after door, peeking my head into each zone and screaming his name.

Crack.

Fear pulses through me.

Snap.

"Lu! Where are you? This isn't funny!"

Kanna, you died.

"Lu!"

Crunch.

My breathing is fast and heavy. My head feels light. Panic sets in, and my hands start shaking again.

Watch the bitch choke.

"LU!!!"

An image of Toby flashes through my mind, and I stop moving.

And I remember.

There's someone else here.

Someone took Lu.

⧫ ⧫ ⧫

Lu is certain that the world is spinning. His head feels like it's being whipped around again and again, like a yo-yo on the end of a string. "Where am I..." he mumbles.

"Where do you think?"

Lu's body freezes as he hears that familiar voice echo through his head. "How?" He asks. Rage starts to burn through his body.

"Wasn't that hard. You've been so focused on Kanna, we figured you'd slip up sometime." Heels click along the floor as the voice grows closer. "And we took that opportunity to break through."

Suddenly, Lu sees a fuzzy face bending over him. A glare sets in his eyes. "Hello, you witch." 

Author's Note:

Next chapter we get to learn some more about Vanessa and Lu's past. Hope you're excited! What do you think about Kanna right now? Think she's gonna make it through this, or will the trauma drive her insane? 

Thanks for reading! Don't forget to vote and comment!