The Man in the Mirror

Chapter 1: Shadow in the Dark

                Joann leaped forwards. She was playing a game of dodgeball. The ball whipped right past her and hit her friend, Mary. She dashed for a ball and grabbed it. She swiftly tossed the ball and hit John Terret.  Joann's team had won the game and everyone surrounded Joann and cheered for her. Joann was part of a national dodgeball team after the school district decided to have professional teams. She was the most valuable player. She was probably the most determined too.

        She had never missed a practice. Even when she was sick, she still came to the game with a smile. There was practice Tuesdays,  Thursdays, and Saturdays.  Today was Tuesday, and Joann just got done with practice. She rushed out of the auditorium and picked up her biking gear. She hopped on her bicycle and started peddling away.

         Though she seems like she had a perfect life that everyone wanted, she doesn't. Her father had died four years ago. He had been murdered by a woman wearing an orange ski mask. He was stabbed thirty-six times in the chest with a shard of glass.  No one at Joann's school had known about this until she accidentally slipped it into a conversation.  She hated herself for mentioning it because now, everyone in the school had known about it. 

             She wasn't thinking about it now because of the dodgeball game that she was about to be late for. Two hours had passed and she was on her way to Raleigh, North Carolina. She had made it in time, but the game was about to start.  She ran inside and put on her uniform and got ready.

            Even though her team had lost the game, one of her teammates took the team to get smoothies. After every game, a girl named Martha would take the team out to eat. She always paid for it, and she always went somewhere special. She had a Strawberry banana smoothie topped off with a cherry. 

             After they were done with their smoothies, Martha dropped off Joann at her house at 11:34. Joann walked up to the door before she realized that it was open. She stared at the door in awe. She creaked the door open slowly, expecting something to pop out. But nothing happened. She crept through her house, trying to find whatever opened the door. She peered through the window. She saw a dark figure swiftly pass by the window. She flinched, falling into a chair then onto the floor. She got up off the floor with her head dripping blood from the chair. She stood up, ignoring the pain and grabbed a flashlight. She raced to the front door. She creaked the door open and peered through the crack. She beamed the flashlight in every direction. But then the figure was right in front of her.

      She screamed and shut the door. Whatever was out there, it must have opened the door. What did it want? Why was it here? What is it? She swallowed her fear and opened the door again. She looked forwards but didn't see anything. Was she crazy? She couldn't be. She looks forwards again. The black shadow was on the edge of the sidewalk. It tilted it's head as if it was confused.

"You," Joann exclaimed.

The figure hissed and dashed towards her. She slams the door shut, as the door c She swiftly ran upstairs. She dashed inside of her room and slammed the door. She panted heavily and felt lucky that she had gotten away

 Once she had gotten upstairs she peered out of her window. She stood there for about an hour, trying to find that creature again. She had known what it was. It was clear to her that the creature was...   Her father.

She spoke lightly to herself, "This can't be happening, It's not real, He is not here." She looked up and saw her little sister standing in front of her with her neck creaked.

"What's wrong sis." 

"Nothing, um it's nothing really." 

"But you look so sad."

"I said it was nothing!"

Her sister started to crying and ran off into her room. Inside her room, she was crying her heart out. "Why does she hate me so much?" She sobbed. 

"It's okay, Don't be sad, She doesn't understand."

"Who are you?" She asked

"It's okay," it whispered into her ear. She felt someone hugging her. "it's alright." She lay her head down on its shoulder.

Joann leaped up on her bed. "Oh... my... god." she panted. A crisp air, burning her lungs, suddenly flowed into her bedroom. She swiftly lifted her head up as the air consumed every last breath of air inside her body and filled her lungs with burning pain. She gasped for air, but only inhaled a burning sensation. She fell out of her bed, and with every last muscle that she could move, she pushed herself away from the ground and walked over to her door. She reached for the knob with the hope of fresh air.

The knob slowly turned. The door creaked open slowly. Joann had been standing at the doorway. she took a breath, it was the greatest relief in her life. The fresh air filled her lungs once more. But her legs were still weak, she was still weak. Her whole body collapsed as her body slowly gave in and hit the floor. As she lost consciousness, she had seen the shadowy figure slowly creaked its feet in front of her face. 

Her eyes caved in and shut.