Crooked Man

F O R T Y N I N E

"But why? Why me? Why him?" I ask. "Why does Rick have to kill me?"

"Because YOU answered!" He shouts. "You answered to the voices! And the rule of the forest. Never answer!"

I sigh and keep walking in the mirror. It sounds pretty weird when you say it like that. But...like...I'm literally walking in a mirror.

"You have my name." He says in a cold voice.

"I...how?"

"There was a crooked man..." he says. "You have it. You've always had it. Every night since your dad left."

"Whoah!" I say. "You're who took care of me at night!"

"What do you mean?"

"I...thought you looked after me as my father. Who was dead. So I thought you were his ghost." I feel tears coming. "But you're not...my dad." I sniff. "Then...what were you doing there?"

"Watching you. Planning."

"For what?"

"This moment..." he says and just then we hear a voice.