Chapter 14 Smile
Kate's POV
I froze for a moment, I couldn't even move. To scream became hard for me, I couldn't find my tongue.
The mirror reflected my face, yes. But I wasn't smiling, so that's definitely not me.
I grabbed the edge of the sink to steady my shaky feet. Then the woman in the mirror tilted her head slowly, just enough to say, ‘I see you.’
Then slowly, she raised her hand above her face and began to write something on her face.
She began to carve out something on her face, and her face began to bleed as she continued to carve words on it.
It was as if she was using a blade to carve the words out.
She still smiled while she continued to carve the words out of her face.
I watched in horror as the sentence formed on her face.
And then, there it was. ‘Lucifer was here’ was carved on her face, blood dripping from the words.
I screamed out loud and rushed to the door, but before I could get hold of the door knob, the door immediately shot locked by itself, leaving me breathless inside the bathroom.
With trembling feet, I slowly turned around to see what's next. But I didn't see the woman in the mirror again.
My fears intensified.
I began to struggle with the doorknob—pulling it continuously until my hands began to hurt, but the door remained locked from the outside.
My legs were giving up already, I slowly fell to my knees while still battling with the door.
“Please, open up. I beg you, please.” I cried as I struggled to open the door.
Tears were streaming down my eyes, so I began to scream for help.
“Help, please help me. I'm over here, somebody please help.” I screamed out loud.
I knew it was going to be very hard for me to get help in this kind of building, and worst of all, rain was falling, so my voice was going nowhere, it only stayed with me in the bathroom.
Then suddenly, the door silently made a quiet click—it was as if someone helped me open it from outside.
I didn't even wait to see who it was. I instantly bolted out of the room, running back to my bedroom to pick my phone.
I suddenly missed my steps while running through the hallway, causing me to fall to the ground with a heavy thud.
I groaned in pain as I tried to stand, but I couldn’t. I must have broken my ankle. I began to crawl away, constantly glancing over my shoulder as if someone were chasing me.
I hurriedly crawled into my bedroom, fumbling for my phone. I dialed Detective Lina’s number. Maybe calling her was a bad idea—not after running out of her office on Friday, after the ominous thing I witnessed.
I was a coward. I ran away when I was supposed to help. And now, here I am, thinking of calling her to come and save me—the same person I refused to help. Will she even answer my call?
Oh God, what’s happening to me?
“Please, pick up. Please pick up, Lina.” I mumbled, my hands still trembling.
Lina picked almost immediately after the first ring as if she was expecting my call.
“Lina, please help me. Somebody is in my house, please help me, Lina.” I cried on the call.
I expected Lina to try to calm me down but she instantly said, “I know, come and open the door. I'm at your door right now.” Lina's voice was cracking because of the rain outside—maybe due to a bad signal.
I felt like the happiest woman on earth, glad that Lina was here.
Just when I thought I’d injured my ankle—even thinking I might never be able to walk properly again—the moment I heard Lina was at the door, I suddenly jumped up, and boom! My twisted ankle was no longer twisted. I found myself running to the door to let Lina in.
But the moment I opened the door, it wasn't Lina at the door. It was the lady from the mirror, still smiling at me, with the imprinted words on her face, ‘Lucifer was here.’ She was standing under the rain, drenched and demonic.
It was my own reflection at the door. I immediately grabbed the door knob and slammed the door shot on her face.
Then my phone began to ring, I glanced at the screen and it was detective Lina calling.
I became scared, my hands began to tremble.
How am I supposed to know if it's the real Lina or just some demonic trick playing chess with me?
With a trembling hand, I picked the call but I didn't speak, as I slowly placed it on my ear.
“Open up, my dare. Don't lock me out, I'm catching a cold in the rain.” The creepy voice spoke from the other end of the call. This time around, it wasn't Lina's voice I heard, it sounded just like my voice. Perhaps, it was my voice.
Why am I seeing myself everywhere I go?
Why is my own reflection haunting me?
I slowly slumped down to the ground while still resting against the door.
I screamed out loud, tears streaming down my eyes.
I stared at my phone in my hand and the screen began to glitch. Then it went blank, leaving me in total darkness and vulnerability.
My breath began to hitch.
I wanted to scream again, but I couldn't. My voice was gone.
I begged for all of these to be a dream but it seems not to be.
It wasn't my imagination either. It was reality, and I'm being haunted for the first time in my entire life on earth.
I began to question reality.
I couldn't run out of the house, and I can't survive for long inside of the house too.
So what's left of me?
Is this how everything is going to end?
Just as I was about to give up on life. The doorbell suddenly rang.
I sprang up immediately and peeped through the hole from my door, only to set my eyes on Lina.
I didn't hesitate, I immediately flung the door open again.
Lina's eyes widened at the sight of how disoriented I was.
Lina stepped in, dropping her umbrella at the corner of the room, eyes still fixated on me.
“Hey, hey, it's okay. I'm here now.” Lina didn't even demand for an explanation, she only stepped closer to me, pulling me into her arms for a hug.
I tried to explain things to her but I couldn't find the right words to use, I couldn't even feel my tongue. My throat suddenly went dry from exhaustion and my hands wouldn't stop trembling.
I clutched onto Lina's sweater, while I tried to stop sobbing but convulsive sobs kept creeping in, and my body shakes involuntarily.