Hometorius : Coming Home

chapter 42 : A Snow-White Curtain

Kate POV

A few days have passed since my return home. I was slowly getting used to the lack of everyday adventures and dangers that my life in the mirror carefully cared to provide.

One morning I was awakened by the rays of the early sun, which entered my room through pinkish curtains of delicate satin with hand-embroidered rose flowers. I lazily raised my hand to my hair, and without opening my eyes, I took a deep breath. My room still smelled of new bed sheets, which my mother bought for my return home. I lifted one eyelid and my gaze fell on the only picture in the room. Me and Marylin during a visit to a nearby zoo. It was a warm, Friday afternoon, year 2009. We were eleven then. I turned and sighed. I didn't want to do anything, only felt like lazing around. Only recently have I noticed how tired I was with the mirror adventure.

"Kate! Get up!" I heard my mother's voice coming from the kitchen.

"It's still early, mom," I replied quietly, she couldn't have heard me.

However, she stood in the doorway, wearing bright denim dungarees and a checkered flannel shirt with short sleeves. Her hands were dirty, so she probably already started working in the garden.

"Come on, Kate," she cautiously entered the room, trying her best not to leave dirty marks on my soft carpet. "You promised me that you'd visit Marylin today."

Right, I forgot. I rolled out of the warm bed, put on my robe and shuffled to the bathroom. As always, I turned the tap on and while the water was filling the bath, I brushed my teeth. This morning was not different. But when I looked in the mirror, all my current routine was ruined.

In the reflection, I could see scenes flowing very quickly. What I saw looked more like a movie trailer, played at a slightly sped up speed. First appeared Victuvius and some faceless woman who fell to the floor a moment later, lifeless. Later, the scene was like from under the water. Anri pulled Margaret to the bottom of the lake. He killed her. A few seconds passed and he was already killing Sam on a meadow, attacking from behind his back. And then Vic appeared again and killed Joseph in the dark alley. And again Victuvius, this time throwing a knife at Anri. But what I saw at the end was the worst. And the longest. The woman without the face appeared again, with Victuvius and Marylin. I think you can guess what happened. Vic first killed the woman, who was protecting Marilyn, and later it was time for my friend to die, too.

I fell on the ground. I didn't lose consciousness, in a sense. It was just that I somehow lost control over my body... for a moment. Mom immediately hurried to the bathroom to check on me. I'm sure she heard me crash my head into a laundry basket.

"What happened, Katie?" she asked terrified, giving me a hand.

"No, nothing," I assured her and quickly got up, although I still had that strange feeling in my head, as if I was floating on the water.

Whatever, I'll take a bath later. I ran back into my room, grabbed the sweatshirt that was hanging on the chair and threw it on myself. I quickly ran past my mother, ran through the living room and then outside, wearing my slippers. Marylin's house was just across the street. I didn't care that I was still in my pajamas. I had to get to Marylin as soon as possible and warn her.

I moved a little slower through our yard and went to the sidewalk. My eyes fell on Mary's house, and I immediately noticed that something was wrong. The blinds in the windows were closed, the letter box was filled to the brim, the plants withered. I sped up again. It was impossible for them to move out. Right? Not without saying a word.

I went through their wooden fence, because the gate didn't work, as always, and I stood at the door. I listened for a moment. Someone was inside, I heard muffled voices, but I couldn't identify them to save a life. I knocked on the door and the voices instantly died down. A few minutes went by and there was no reaction - no one opened the door, nor spoke again. I started to nervously tap my foot. I will not leave until they let me in. If no one comes for the next two minutes, I'm barging in.