The Dead and the Restless (Completed with undergoing editing)

Chapter Twenty-Seven

I was in a dark room, the only object in it was a mirror that stood on its own. Small swirls of smoke trailed on the floor, wrapping around my ankles. I didn't know why, but I felt an immense pull toward the mirror, and within the blink of an eye, I found myself in front of it.

The reflection was mine, but there was something different about it. I moved my head right and left, making sure the reflection followed my movement, and it did. It wasn't until I looked closer that I noticed what was off about the nearly identical girl in the mirror. She was smiling.

I wasn't.

I reached my hand up to touch her, but just as my finger was about to touch the glass, she screamed, her eyes and mouth turning into black holes. I backed up quickly, the mirror shattering into a thousand tiny crystals as I did. But as the mirror shattered, the girl that looked like me stood there, staring at me. I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up as she gave me the same eerie smile she had moments before.

I didn't dare move. I just stood there, staring at her as she stared at me.

Then, suddenly I felt something smooth move from hair and graze across my neck. I wanted to scream, but I couldn't; I was petrified. I felt the same smooth feeling on the other side of my neck, and I realized what they were: hands. Both hands covered my mouth, and I tried to scream, to move, to do something, but my body was disabled. I was at the mercy of whatever was controlling this.

I was scared enough with just the hands on my neck, but then I felt breathing in my ear. It was heavy, as though the being was trying to catch its breath. I felt it come closer, the air sliding onto my shoulders and my ears. It came closer and closer until it was practically on my ear, and I could feel its face pressing into my neck. The hands tightened as it breathed, and I was starting to lose my own breath.

Suddenly, the breathing turned into a low, deep chuckle.

"Boo."

As soon as the being spoke, I was able to move. I tore the hands off, closing my eyes as I fell to the ground trying to get away from whatever the creature was that was breathing in my ear.

When I opened my eyes, I had to hold in a gasp. I was on the roof of the hospital, laying on my back, the sun blinding my eyes. I could feel and breathe in the air around me, and surprisingly, it smelled pure. The pungent scent of death was gone. I sat up, holding an arm over my eyes so I could see. I stood up, looking around, trying to figure out what I was looking for.

And then, I saw him.

Liam was standing on the edge of the roof, his arms out. He looked back at me with a kind, tired smile. I started running toward him, fear rushing through my body as I knew what he was going to do. As I got closer, I started to inhale the scent of snappers, and I could hear their moans for flesh followed by the snapping of their jaws. The urgency growing inside me started to overcome me, and I couldn't contain it. I just kept moving faster, trying to get to him in time, because every second that passed made me realize how little time I had.

I was running so fast that I felt like I broke my own skull open when I smacked into an invisible force field in front of him. I flew backwards, the back of my skull connecting with the ground as I landed on my back. I felt pain erupt throughout my body, and black dots clouded my vision as I tried to get up, to get to Liam.

Once I was standing, I was right in front of him. The only thing separating us was the force field. I put my hand up to it, seeing ripples erupt from my touch. I kept my hand there, looking at him. He didn't place his over mine, though. Instead, he just looked at me with that kind smile of his, and then he mouthed the words goodbye and jumped.