Reflections

Chapter 1

(A/N: this first chapter takes place when Katie, our main character, is nine years old. She's staying at her grandmothers house, when she first learns about "the other world". *dramatic BUM BUM BUMMM*)
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I remember that day like it was yesterday.

"So, Katie dear, what are you drawing?" My grandmother asked sweetly, brushing a piece of my long, curly hair out of my beautiful green eyes.
"I'm drawing me and Marley." I said simply, continuing to hum my favorite song. She looked over my shoulder as she continued to watch me draw. Marley was my two month old Black Labrador puppy, and I loved her more than anything in the world. My grandmother chuckled in response as she kissed the top of my head before handing me a plate of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies.
My favorite!
I hungrily grabbed three and stuffed them in my mouth, not even stopping to take a breath. I loved my grandmas cookies. They were the best.
My grandma slowly got up out of her chair beside me and walked back into the kitchen, frowning once she saw what time it was.
"Oh dear. It's way past your bedtime." She said sadly, shaking her fragile old head. I stopped drawing, looking up at her in alarm. She looked back at me with a mischievous smirk.
"But you're at grandmas house. So who cares?" She asked with a laugh, stopping in front of the mirror that hung on the opposite wall from me.
"Well hello there, Myrtle. Long time no see." She said with a chuckle, fixing her hair slightly and sighing at her wrinkles. I scrunched my nose up in confusion.
"Who's Myrtle?" I asked, getting up from my box of crayons and looking at my reflection as well. My dark, curly hair was tangled and knotted in multiple places, which was going to hurt like crazy when my mom tried to brush it out in the morning. My bright green eyes sparkled with a hint of mischievousness as I examined myself closer.
My Snoopy shirt was looking old and faded, but I didn't care. It was my favorite shirt, and I only wore it to bed. I looked down at my knees, which were scabbed and scarred from years of playing and being a kid. My old red converse high tops were getting muddy and gross, but I didn't even care. I'm only nine.
"Myrtle is my guardian. She protects me from the other world." Grandma said simply, as if she had just said 2+2=4 instead of some other world I knew nothing about.
"What other world?" I asked curiously, making my best pig face and going cross eyed to look goofy.
"The better place. From behind the mirrors." She paused for a second and frowned at me.
"I haven't told you about that yet, have I?" She asked finally, studying me carefully. I shook my head and bit my bottom lip.
"Very well then. Get ready for bed. I'll tell you as a bedtime story." She replied, patting my back and scooting me towards my room.
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"The other world has been hidden from us humans for many centuries. Not many know about it. Some say that it's an alien planet, but the rest of us know better. The better world is another dimension. It's the perfect world. There's no sickness or death. No sadness or pain. Everyone in the better world's job is to protect us, the humans, from discovering the truth."
"But what's the truth? Why do they need to hide us from the other world of its so perfect?" I blurted out, jumping up from my bed.
"You'll see when you're older. Now, back to the story. Has your daddy ever told you that if you look in the mirror too long, your brain creates monsters, illusions if you will, because it wants to keep things interesting in your head?"
I nodded my head. I had actually tried it before, and it was scary.
"Well, it's not really your brain at all. It's the seekers from the other world. They know that if humans stare at their reflection for too long, they can enter the better world. So the seekers combine their biggest fear, their biggest flaw, and their biggest nightmare into one, to stop them from coming into the new world. They know that us humans are easily scared, easily manipulated, so they make themselves scary to prevent you from leaving this world."
"How do you defeat a seeker?" I asked curiously, messing with my thumbs as I paid close attention.
"It's usually one seeker---his name is Thaddeus. You just have to yell 'Go away, Thaddeus!' and he'll eventually leave. It's easy." At that, she kissed my forehead and went to turn off the light.
"Goodnight, pumpkin. See you in the morning." She concluded, closing the door behind her and leaving me in the dark.