Mirrors

Chapter 5: Zooey

Journal Entry: March 31, 2017

Connor and I found Paul and Sharlotte today. Paul was leaning up against a tree staring at a big rectangular hole in the ground muttering something like "it's all my fault" over and over and Shar's lifeless body was covered in dirt beside the hole.

I wasn't sure how to react.

I mean obviously Sharlotte's dead but why would he dig her out of her grave?

Then Connor asked Paul what happened and I was in no way prepared for his answer.

Day 882.

I'm still breathing and I don't know why.

This is Zooey Vega, signing out once again on a cliffhanger.

Stay tuned folks.

October 1, 2015

"Get the hell out of my house!" I hear my father scream.

Mom says, "Your house?! When have you ever paid the rent for it you no good drunk pathetic son of a--"

She's cut off by the sound of a smack which I assume was my fathers palm on her cheek.

I put my headphones on and lie back on my bed.

This is it. This is life. Couldn't get much crappier than this could it?

Even with my music at full volume I can stil hear the fight, the glass breaking, the voices screaming, the empty threats, the nasty words, the house being torn apart. I hate this.

My mother thinks she has the right to be a bitch since she works all hours of the day and night and my father lets his life and our money waste away on booze.

Then there's me. The unwanted child in a broken home. The one who has to listen as her legal guardians constantly try to kill each other secretly hoping that one day they succeed.

I get up after a while and decide to take a shower.

As soon as I get to the bathroom I black out.

Next thing I know I'm standing in the backyard looking down at the dead bodies of my parents and I know, I just know that I'm responsible.

There's another voice in my head.

It sounds like mine but it's not.

"What next?" The voice says out loud.

I try to speak but I seem to have lost control of every part of my body.

"The girl?" It says, "Or should I keep the body?"

I have no idea what's going on but then I remember something some people were talking about on the bus, reflections possessing us and making us murder ourselves and our families.

Shit.

I need to get out.

I need to figure out how to control myself.

How to get this thing out of me.

"Oh," It says, "you're awake. Lovely."

I feel myself smile.

I muster all my energy up and try to speak, "Get...out," it comes out as a whisper.

It laughs, "that was cute. Do it again!"

I get angry at it's teasing and try to walk, I figure the only way to make it go away is to kill myself so I try to make my way to the kitchen for a weapon.

It takes a while but eventually I'm able to do it, I can move.

"What are you?" It says weakly, "how are you doing this?"

I get to the back door and see that my reflection in the glass is completely gone, I step through the doorway to the kitchen and look for a knife. I remember mom was doing dishes today so I rush to the sink and stick my hand in the soapy water in search of one.

As soon as my hand hits the water I feel an overwhelming sensation of pain shoot through me and the thing inside me screams in agony.

Then, everything goes quiet.

I look at my hand and it's perfectly fine.

Is it gone?

I rush to the window, my reflection is back and with a terrified look.

I am so confused.

What the hell just happened?

March 31, 2017

"I woke up and I couldn't hear her breathing," Paul says, "I tried to give her CPR and the heimlech and everything but nothing worked and I couldn't find her pulse..."

He swallows hard and continues, "I didn't want to talk to anyone about it so I decided to go bury her myself, right there." He gestures to the hole.

"I stayed hear talking to her.. Well mainly myself but I pretended she could hear me and after a while I started to hear something...

"She was alive... I fucking buries her alive guys! She's dead because of me! How the hell could I be so stupid?!"

He breaks down in tears.

Neither me or Connor are the kind of people that hug you and tell you it's all gonna be okay so we kinda just stand there staring at him.

I clear my throat after a while, "I'm sorry Paul."

He sniffles.

"I know you loved her and--" I start but Connor cuts me off.

"And she's dead and there's nothing you can do about it except move on because if you stay here forever you'll die too so get off your ass and back to camp, you have a lot of fishing to do." He says and walks off.

Paul looks at me and I awkwardly shrug not really sure what to do.

"You're an asshole!" He shouts after Connor and stomps after the man.

Journal Entry: March 31, 2017 #2

Life is shit.

Love, Zooey.