‘Reflections of Terror’ by Sara M
Chaewon creaked open the door, her heart racing. The air was thick with decay and smoke. She stepped inside, her eyes adjusting to the dim light. The rumors were true; the Nyxs did live here, at least something of them did. Suddenly, she felt a chill run down her spine. She was being watched.
Chaewon stumbled upon a room frozen in time; the furniture still there, the walls scarred by the fire. A small, charred toy doll caught her eye; its glass eyes cracked. As she picked it up, she felt a jolt of electricity. The room faded away, and she saw them, the Nyx children, trapped in the burning house. The flames danced around them, but their eyes locked onto hers.
A figure watched her from the doorway. Chaewon's eyes snapped back open. She turned to run, but a whisper echoed in her ear saying, "You shouldn't be here."
She flinched as she dropped the doll on the floor. The fire. The sirens. The crowd. She shook her head trying to differentiate reality from nightmares. She gulped, looked around, and got to her feet slowly. She cautiously tiptoed her way to the door, cautiously peeked into the corridor. Nothing. It was nothing. She sighed.
She crept down the corridor, the air colder, and shadows deeper than the one before. Suddenly aware of her surroundings, her skin prickled, and the hair at the back of her neck stood up.
CREAK...
Who was on the stairs? It was only her who was in this place; the sense of trepidation kept everyone away from Nyx's house. Unless...
All the color drained from her face. Her blood ran cold. No. It couldn't be. He was dead. He was supposed to be dead. This was her worst nightmare coming to life. She was woken up by these delusions in the middle of night, especially after she gained her memory back, except that now she was placed in one of them.
CREAK...
Except she didn't have Choi Seung with her this time.
CREAK...
Except she wasn't prepared this time.
She froze in the spot, flinched after a moment of haunting silence, turned and ran right into something cold and hard. A loud crash pierced right through the sharp silence as the vase crashed onto the marble floor. The footsteps now thundered up the stairs.
Chaewon bolted into the master bedroom and slammed the door. She locked the door, as she gripped the handle until her knuckles went white.
Silence. Nothing to worry abo-
Then there was scratching. Slow. Deliberate. Hard. On the other side of the door.
She backed away, her heart hammering against her chest, her eyes darting for a chance of escape. She looked around the room; her gaze landed on the mirror above the dresser. It shimmered abnormally.
She stepped toward the mirror. Her reflection glitched.
Wait, that wasn't her.
The mirror shook and a hand reached through- a small, charred doll like. It held the toy she had dropped.
Chaewon gasped. The room began to burn. The smoke floated through the walls. The door flung open. But no one came through.
However, the whisper came back, colder: “You came back for us."
She turned back to the mirror. The Nyx children stood behind it, their eyes hollow, their mouth pinched into a thin line. All of them started to raise their hands and one by one, pointed at her.
She tried to scream, but there was no sound except silence.
Then the mirror cracked.
The whisper came back, joined with a second voice: “Now you stay this time."
Hands erupted from within the mirror, clawing and grabbing at her, dragging her in. Her nails scratched the frame; her breath fogged the surface- but it was too late.
The fire stopped. The house went silent.
Outside the wind stirred the ashes.
Inside the mirror, the doll sat untouched as if nothing had happened.
And Chaewon’s reflection glitched.
And it smiled.