Chapter 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Epilogue
cross, hovering closely, so that I couldn't see who was holding it.
From the stranger in my room came a low, terrified whine. "Demon child! You can't be. You can't be!"
I flailed against my attacker, kicking and shoving. Remembering the broach in my hand, I pulled the little knife out and stabbed blindly until I came into contact with something. The cross fell on my nose, then slid to the side. Standing beside my bed, clutching his wounded hand, was my creepy stalker.
"You!" His face was twisted into exactly the same expression as that of Bradley from the dream I'd just been having. The same expression.. and the same features. The only difference was his age.
I kicked at him, and he jumped back. I opened my mouth to scream for my father, but before I could make a sound, everything changed. There was a howling sound from over by the closet, and light burst out of the mirror. Standing in front of it were Grace and Mama, faces twisted in righteous anger. Mama reached for the old man. He backed into my dresser. I watched as Grace's face changed again, her eyes vanishing, her mouth widening to match the injuries I suffered at Bradley's hands.
"No!" The old man skittered sideways, trying to escape. "You can't be here. You died. You died!"
He looked at me. "You DIED. I KILLED you. You CAN'T be. You can't be. Make them stop!"
As he chattered, Mama grabbed his legs. He screamed and kicked at her, but even though her grip was solid, his kick went right through her. Grace moved around behind him, grabbing his shoulders. The two spirits faced each other, then lifted the kicking, screaming man off of the ground.
He struggled, twisting and turning, thrashing and shrieking wildly, as the spirits moved toward the mirror. "NO! You're not REAL!"
For one moment, his terror-filled eyes met mine, and he howled at me. "Noooo! It's all your fault! You cheated! YOU CHEATED, YOU BITCH!"
Mama's hair began to move as if disturbed by an unseen wind. Grace's form began to change, looking like it was being sucked into a vacuum, back toward the light emanating from the mirror. The old man continued to hurl obscenities and abuse, still struggling to get out of their grip. Suddenly, all three bodies twisted and warped, as if none of them were solid. Grace disappeared into the mirror. The old man slammed up against the frame, eyes wide as Mama went right through him. As her boots disappeared through his thighs, the old man made a strangled, whimpering sound. His hand rose to his chest. His eyes glazed over, and he fell to his knees, knocking the mirror off of the door. It slid down, and I could see the images two spirits on the other side, with the image of the old man still held between them. He seemed to be fighting, trying to get back out of the mirror.
The old man in the room collapsed, and the mirror toppled over, hitting my desk, shattering the glass. I heard a long, thin scream, and then there was nothing.
Footsteps pounded in the hallway, and my door slammed open. Dad came running in. His eyes darted around the room, and lit on the old man's body. As Mom flicked on the lights, Dad bounded across the room and grabbed one bony shoulder, rolling him over to reveal a completely expressionless face. The old man's body was there, but the old man was gone.
Chapter 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Epilogue
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