The Preview

 

                                     

My bare feet pounded on the wooden floor as I sped down the dark hallway.

Tonight, it was a full moon night, but the glow was blocked by the black, heavy curtains on every window. The corridors seemed to suppress and close in on me, trying to stop me from running away.

The old grandfather clock in the lounge was audible even on a floor above. It was as if it was ticking down the seconds before my death.

I tried to quieten my breath. I cannot give away my location. He must not know that I am aware of him. I tried to clear my mind, but my lungs were having trouble taking in clear breaths. My heart thumped so loudly that I just knew I would give my location away in a second.

I reached the end of the corridor and started up the stairs. They creaked under my weight, and I chewed on my lips nervously. Hoping against hope that he would not hear me. Would not come after me.

I tried to keep my mind empty, pushing back my thoughts and fears. I could not let my thoughts cloud my judgment. He senses my thoughts. He will find me.

I was now on the second floor. It had all the locked doors. Each hiding a sinister secret. Each holding back a monster, too terrible to be set free.

Except for the last door. Which stood open its dark mouth, gaping at me and laughing at our foolish decision to put its demon loose.

It was no use, I knew I could not stay in this hallway. I was remembering things. It was all coming back, and as soon as I remembered how we had opened this door last week, I could hear him moving up the stairs. He knows I saw him. He is coming after me.

It turned around to look at the ceiling. This was the only way now. I had to face my fears. I was not only doing it for myself, but also for my brother. He was counting on me. I cannot let him down. Not again, I cannot lose him, too.

I locate the door to the attic and jump to grab the hook. The stairs spill out. Before they could hit the floor, I caught them and bit my lips to hold in the gasp of anguish. He was still on the first floor. Banging doors trying to find me. I had to get out of here.

I started to climb up the ladder, its old rungs rickety and squeaky. Right when I was inches away, the rung came loose and fell onto the floor with a loud clatter. He was thundering up the stairs. I panicked, and pure fear coursed through my veins as I pulled myself up the attic and shut the trap door.

I slide a heavy box on it and sit against it. I can hear him pacing angrily, muttering, and talking to himself. I try to breathe in as I shut my eyes. Tears pricked my eyes, but they did not pour out. I cannot cry. I refuse to allow myself to be weak.

“You are weak.” My father's voice pierces through my memories. My heart beat anxiously as I slipped into another memory. My father was training me to fight. But I had fallen again. My brother was helping me up, but my father just pushed him away.

“What are you, a weakling? How dare you fall again? Why can’t you be strong? Did that ugly face damage your brain, too? You are nothing like your brother.” I looked over at my brother. His terrified eyes stayed towards the floor. He used to tease me and pull my leg, but we both knew who the real bully was. He stayed at home and had a wild temper.

I was so scared that day. I thought nothing could make me more afraid than my dad, but remembering this monster's cruel smile. I am terrified of him. Because I cannot escape him, he was the ultimate demon because he was my reflection that wanted to leave the mirror dimension.

The words beat against my head, “Your reflection looks like you, acts like you, smiles like you, but what if it wants to be you?”

He will kill my brother after he takes my place.

But I can stop him; my dad was wrong, and I am not weak. I know my strengths. I can stand up to him. I reach the window and push aside the heavy covers.

Outside, the moon shone brightly. It was being reflected on the glass, and so was my pale face. But it was not me.  I shut my eyes and pushed the window open.

A cold wind blew against my face, but the chill that crept up my heart was more intense. That creepy smile, he knew I was here. And I could hear him pounding on the trap door. He would be breaking in anytime. I pushed myself over the roof. The snow-laden roof was another level of torture for my bare feet. I grit my teeth as I start to move on the ledge.

I knew I had to jump. It would be an easy landing. It had been snowing for a week now, and I could jump; it would be as soft as a trampoline. I could never have prepared myself to jump, but the old stilts had carried my weight for a long time, then they could stay on, so they slipped, and I fell down screaming.

My glasses knocked off my face as I lay in the snow, my breath knocked out of me; it had not been that soft a landing anyway. He looked down at me from the window. I could not see his face, but I knew he was grinning wickedly. He wanted me, and he will take me. I had to run. I had to get away from him.

As a cloud covered the moon and darkness fell around me, the hair on my neck prickled as I realised that I could not really escape him. He would follow me.

I had to go back and face the Mirror Me.

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Mirror Me is my upcoming novel to be released by the end of this year. This was an extract from the novel. Stay tuned for more updates. Your comments will help me better shape this novel. Thank you for being my OG readers.