The Man in the Mirror

Chapter 2: Stared Blank in the Eye

Darkness... The thought of darkness... It went through her head as all that she could see was darkness. Pain rushed through her head like a bad memory. The sharp pain of crisp air was like going through Hell. But the only thing that was wrong was, she wasn't dead. But she couldn't tell if she was dead or not. She had believed that she was. Until she saw him.

Her eyes slightly peeled open she could only see a glimpse of what she saw, but it was enough. The shadow kneeled down in front of her and stared her in the eyes. The deep pitch black indents in the shadows face were dark enough to block out light. It had a look of anger, staring Joann straight in the eyes. It wanted something from her.

The shadow reached out to grab Joann, it had gotten about an inch away from her face. As the pitch black hand continued to move forward, the shadow dissolved. The light had turned on.

"What happened. Is everything okay?" A woman's voice came from the staircase. Joann's mom came up the stairs screaming. "Are you two hurt?" She made it up the stairs and saw Joann lying on the ground, "Oh no, Honey are you okay?"

Joann Coughed and answered, "I-I'm okay, Just breathed in a bit of dust, that's all."

She picked herself up off the ground and started walking towards the bathroom.

"She's an odd child," Her mother stated. 

Joann turned on the faucet. The water rushed from the solid steel pipe into the sink bowl. She dove her hands under the water as it flowed. She cupped her hands and splashed the water on her face. The water was warm. It relieved her of the pain It was as if she had just taken a spa bath.

She took a break from the water and took a stern look in the mirror. She had deep blue eyes and a smile that could light up a whole room. Her hair had brown locks with braids on the tips.  If you looked at her, you would think that she was 17, but she was only 14. She had started her freshman year in high school two months ago. She continued to stare at herself. She grew weary of her reflection. It had blinked. The smile in the mirror turned into a crooked grin The skin started to age and peel until her whole reflection had changed. It was a bloody figure staring her in the eyes. Blood dripped down its chin. The torn flesh now showed open wounds as if it had been stabbed. It slowly opened its mouth.

Joann stepped back. She couldn't tell what was happening until it happened. The reflections mouth opened all the way. And it screamed. It was a sharp, high pitched scream as the face got closer to the mirror. The face seemed to be popping out of the mirror. Joann grabbed the door handle and ran out of the bathroom in horror.

"Mom, Mom, Mom," Joann yelled through her house.

"What's the problem dear?" Her mother replies.

"Th-tha-that damn thing is in the bathroom. 

"What thing?" Her mother sounded angry. 

Joann whispered "Dad"

Her mother grabbed her by the ear, "You do not talk abou your father that way."

Joann wanted to say something, but she knew that she shouldn't fight the authority of her mother. Joann's mother dragged her to her room. "Now, you stay in your room. You're grounded!" Joann looked at her mother. Her mother had stopped talking. She was staring beside Joann. The shadow was standing beside her. 

Joann looked to her side and saw the shadow. Joann screamed. The shadow jumped at her, but it faded through her body. Then the ghost faded through her mother's body. A chill fell through their spines as the shadow faded into Joann's little sister (Suzies) room. There was no sound. 

Joann and her mother quickly ran into Suzie's room. They shoved the door open, but they were too late. Suzie's body had been laying on the ground. Her small intestine had been on the floor right next to her. Her head was cracked open with chunks of the skull were lodged in her brain. Her chest had been impaled with a metal pipe right through the heart. Her stomach had been torn open. The carpet was stained with blood. It flowed from her carpet on to the wood floor. Tears were dripping into the blood. 

"What the hell?!" Screamed Joann with tears running down her face. "Suzie, why."

They sat on the carpet in Suzie's room for at least two hours before they had called the police. The police arrived at one in the morning, they had at least six squad cars and four ambulances.