Reflections Of Angels

Strange Happenings

Jayson and Alysha ran like the wind, careening down winding corridors and around each turn. Behind them, the Draughr persued; more having come from the side tunnels and paths.

"How'd they get in?"

"I don't know!"

"Why are they here?"

"I don't know!"

"What do we do?"

"Jayson, stop yapping and run!"

She grabbed his wrist and ran past him, pulling him with her; putting on a final burst of incredible speed, she ran flat out down the hall at the wall of reflection opposite. She could feel the Draughr at her heels; no time to stop or flag, for then they would get them.

The surface of the reflective stone rippled at Alysha's presence; her eyes burning silver as she focused on it. And then, like a rush of wind, they passed through; narrowly missing the leap of the predators behind them.

They skidded to a halt on the other side; both breathing deeply, panting for breath; Jayson doubled over with his hands on his knees like he was trying not to vomit, Alysha tipping back her head with her eyes screwed shut.

"That was... close." Jayson breathed, letting out a strained chuckle.

"They're in my caves." Alysha snarled with gritted teeth. "Maggots. Parasites!"

"It'll be alright." Jayson offered, reaching out to put his hand on her shoulder.

She flinched. "Don't touch me!" She huffed. "Come on, let's go."

The fog swirled around them as they walked, cocooning them and caressing their forms. It was ghostly silent; compared to the vicious snarls, the pounding feet and the rushing blood of the chase moments before.
Ahead of Jayson, Alysha was a pale figure surrounded by dark fog, leading him like a beacon.

When suddenly, there was a dark dash of movement out the corner of his eye.
Jayson stiffened, spine prickling.
There it was again- a dart, on the other side. Something was there.

Up ahead, Alysha tensed. "Oh no."

The siblings moved in closer together, peering out it to the vapour.

It wasn't there- and then suddenly it was, running at them on s mix of two feet and all fours; a distorted shape coming at them through the dark, letting out an unholy, shrieking sound.

Alysha caught its blow as it came down, throwing it off; the blow barely skimming Jayson.

The creature howled again, a sound of pure bloodthirst and animalistic rage. The deep, cavernous pit of its mouth was visible through the fog.

And Alysha yelled back- for a lack of anything else to do, she had no weapons with her; so she bellowed at the top of her lungs, as loud and long as she could until it beat the figure into silence.

"Go, go!" Alysha shouted once the beast was quieted, quickly turning and tearing a hole through the mist, pushing Jayson through and tumbling after.

They landed in a heap on Jayson's bedroom floor.

"That was close." Alysha breathed as she extricated herself from the the heap.

"What was that?" Jayson exclaimed.

The door swung open and Luci stuck her head in. "What's going on?"

Alysha rose to her feet. "Uh oh." She was looking across at the bedroom mirror; something was moving under the surface. The mirror glass rippled.

Close the mirror! This was the first thought in Alysha's head; nothing had ever followed her through from the mirror realm before, the holes closed up almost as soon as she'd opened them. Except now; something was interfering, trying to come through.
Her eyes turned silver as she fixed them unblinking on the roiling surface, trying to reverse the process; where usually it became fluid and moldable to her, now she tried to will it otherwise; hard, cold and unmoving.

It was working; but it was a tug of war, the figure on one side trying to force its way through, Alysha on the other willing it not so.

Suddenly, the door opened and Luci burst in. "What's going on?"

"Don't touch it!" Alysha bellowed. Luci turned and gasped in horror when she saw the bedroom mirror.

Alysha was winning; the mirror solidifying like freezing water, strong as crystal; the waves fighting it back but ultimately loosing strength.
Behind the glass, the silhouette of a dark hand slammed against the other side.

Alysha and Luci both jumped in fright; Jayson going bug-eyed.

"Go... Away!" Alysha snarled; and then it was like energy pulsed through the air, banishing the creature and the fog from the other side, sealing it all over in thick, reflective glass, in which all that could be seen was their shocked faces.