After graduating high school, Gemma Mitchell doesn't know what she's supposed to do with her life. Reluctantly, she agrees to spend the summer helping her mom take care of Mrs. Callahan's old estate near a lake. But as soon as they arrive, Gemma has...
I flipped on the light switch, but the light didn't go on. Sighing, I flipped it again, on and off, until a flash of light came on quickly. The light went off, so I flipped the switch again as I stood in front of the mirror. As the light flickered on, I caught my reflection in the mirror. Only, I could have sworn it wasn't my reflection that I saw. Startled, I gasped and jumped back. The reflection kind of looked like me, but not quite. It was as though it was someone else who resembled me. Rufus galloped over and I met his eyes.
"It's okay, boy," I assured him. "My eyes are just playing tricks on me, that's all. Guess I'm pretty tired."
I hesitated before walking up to the sink again and meeting the mirror. I allowed my eyes to look and let out a sigh of relief when I saw my own face staring back at me. Shaking my head, I laughed at myself and got ready for bed.
I pulled back the dusty quilt that covered the bed and folded it up, placing it in the corner. I climbed under the stiff sheet and patted the bed at my side. Rufus knew this was his cue and hopped up to lie next to me.
That night I slept terribly. I tossed and turned across the inflexible mattress, my back arching its way to total agony. My head was full of strange nightmares that I couldn't explain. Images of dark shadows following me through Mrs. Callahan's old house that appeared as a windy maze of halls filled my mind. Just before I awoke in the morning, I had a dream about standing in front of the bathroom mirror again, as I had done earlier. But this time, it was different.
This time, in my dream, I didn't back away when the light flickered on and off. The mirror showed me the reflection of a girl that resembled me incredibly as I turned the light back on. Her brown hair hung down the front of her shoulders in wet globs; mine was brushed and was dry. Our faces shared similar features of brown eyes, flushed cheeks, and full lips. I stared into the mirror and got closer.
When I moved, the reflection moved. I turned my head to the side, opened and closed my mouth, and smiled. The reflection did the same. Leaning in, I examined the face staring back at me.
Suddenly, the girl in the mirror opened her mouth and a flood of water poured out. She screamed a screeching, high pitched shriek and I jumped back. Her eyes had turned pitch black.
My own scream woke me and I bolted up in bed. Rufus jumped and began to growl, searching the dark for an intruder. Before I could stop him, he ran into the bathroom and started to bark.
"It's okay!" I yelled after him, throwing off the bedsheet and following him.
Rufus stood at the bathroom entrance growling up toward the mirror. The fur on his back was sticking straight up. Cautiously, I took a few steps closer and reached my hand in to flip on the light.
"See?" I asked him, my voice wobbly. "Nothing is in here. I just had a nightmare, that's all. Come on, back to bed."
He let out another small bark, a tiny woof escaping his mouth before following me back to bed.
"Come on, my big protector," I said lovingly and rubbed his head.
He curled up next to me and I couldn't help but be extra thankful that he was by my side. Although I knew I had simply had a nightmare, I couldn't fully shake the eerie feeling I had. A shiver went up my spine and I scooted closer to my dog.
The rest of the night I barely slept until finally giving up completely. My body ached from the rock hard mattress and I was overtired. I dressed and went downstairs for breakfast, knowing my mom would be surprised to see me up so early. Even in the morning light, the house was strangely dark. A small sitting room was located off to one side at the bottom of the stairs. I bypassed it quickly after peeking in to see uncomfortable looking chairs and a small table. Instead, I turned a corner and entered a formal living room.
The windows were covered with heavy drapery in deep jewel toned fabric that was faded. The furniture - a sofa, chairs, coffee table, and a side table - were all crafted from the same shiny cherrywood and fabric that made my skin itch just by looking at it. A piano sat in the front corner next to a large potted plant that looked starved for water and sunlight.
Walking through that room, I finally found the kitchen. My mom must have brought some of our belongings inside because I spotted Rufus' silver bowls on the counter near the sink. A small bag of dog food was on the floor unopened. I filled his bowls with food and water and set them down next to a back door. Recognizing the sound of the metal hitting the tile floor, Rufus came bounding into the kitchen happily. As he crunched on his breakfast, my own stomach growled.
The refrigerator was massive with two large metal doors and a large space at the bottom for the freezer. I pulled the doors open and then closed them again. The refrigerator was almost bare. The bottom freezer's door was heavy as I yanked it open, expecting to find nothing but ice. But, to my surprise, it was almost completely full. Small containers and freezer bags were labeled with the names of different foods, soups, and meals. I grimaced as I read Beet Soup and slammed the door shut. The pantry was pretty much the same, too. It was stocked with food that looked to be canned by Mrs. Callahan.
"Doesn't she believe in cereal?" I asked aloud.
I decided to go out to the car to find some of our snacks we had picked up for the road.
"I'll be right back," I told Rufus.
I made my way to the front door and grabbed the door handle. The door creaked loudly as I opened it, and as soon as it was completely wide open, I screamed at what I saw in front of me.
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