Mirror Image

Chapter Four

The rest of the evening passed uneventfully. Dinner went smoothly, and I managed to get reacquainted with my children. As I lay in bed now, I have trouble sleeping. I keep slipping in and out of consciousness, tossing and turning. Dark shapes dance behind myeyelids, whispering quietly in the blackness. One of the shapes contorts into the shape of the bony hand, like the one in the water.It curls and flexes its long, bony fingers, stretching and writhing.Another shape turns white, twisting up into a thin, creepy smile asthe gums stretch back over the white, sharp teeth. I shudder violently in my sleep, trying to wake up.

A raspy, croaking laugh echoes towards me in the darkness, filling my ears. The hand reaches for me, black smoke curling around its thinshape. "Feeeaaarrrrrr..." a hissing voice breathes outthrough those gnarled, white teeth. "Leeeettttt mmmeeeeetaasssteee iiittttt..."

Its outstretched hand barely scrapes my cheek, and I shoot up in bed,awake. My eyes snap open wide as a scream rips out of my throat. My breath comes out in heavy gasps, a cold sweat breaking out all overme. Violent, uncontrollable trembles rack my body. The pitch blackgreets me as I jerk my head to and fro. The shadows dance and writheall around me, and it seems that they're reaching for me, clawing atme. Freaking out, I scramble around for my bedside table, trying tofind my light. The shadows are closing in. I clutch the neck of thelamp, fingers scrabbling for the switch. I find it and click it on aslight floods the room. The shadows immediately vanish, washed away bythe light.

Taking deep, shaky breaths, I try to calm myself down. It was onlya dream, Saffron. Only a dream. No need to freak out. Nothing's trying to get you. It's only because of that stupid shadow Isaw in the water earlier today. There was no hand. It was just atrick of the light. My foot must have been stuck on something. Yeah,that's it. My foot was just stuck on something.

My eyes flit about the room, searching for more shadows. Long, slimones creep along the walls and the floor, seeming to inch towards mefrom where I sit bunched up in a ball on my bed. I squeeze my eyesshut and shake my head. It's only my imagination, only myimagination. They're not creeping towards me. They're not moving atall. I open my eyes. The shadows have not moved.

"I have to get out of this room," I whisper, slinging the coversoff of me. I sprint across the room to the door, and exit. I foundmyself in a long, dark corridor. Moonlight streams in from a windowat the end of the hall. It casts my shadow upon the floor in agrotesque display. My limbs appear much too long, my arms stretchingall the way down to my feet. My head forms an oblong, oval shape thatrests on a slim, crooked neck. Could that really be my shadow? Orsomething else's? Maybe there's something behind you, ahissing voice whispers in my ear.

Holding back a shriek of terror, I whirl around. Nothing's there. Agiant sigh of relief escapes me as I place a hand over my chest. Whatthe hell is wrong with me? I just can't shake that weird dream. But Idefinitely heard something just now. It was right in my ear.

I walk over to the window at the end of the hall. It is one of thosefancy windows that goes all the way down to the floor. It is round atthe top, but forms a long rectangle at the bottom. I briefly observemy reflection in the glass, but as I look closer, it vanishes. Iplace my hand against the cool glass, staring outside. The sky isdark without a single star in sight. Thick, gray clouds slightlyobscure the light of the moon. The trees stand tall in the distance,their branches swaying with the gentle breeze.

My reflection reappears in the glass. Slightly startled, I take astep back from the window, dropping my hand from the glass. A mirrorimage of myself stares back at me from the window's reflection,reflecting the startled look on my face. A creak of the floorboardsounds. I freeze. A dark figure shifts into view from behind me. Myheart starts to pound. Maybe it's just something outside. Ilook out the window again. Upon close inspection, it was clear thatthe dark figure too was a reflection. It's behind me. It really isbehind me this time. Don't move.