WE #6 MC

 

 

 

                “I dare you to go inside.”

                “Go in!”

                The dares and snickering of my brothers propelled my feet forward, up the steps of the old, abandoned mansion. Normally, their taunts and teasing wouldn’t affect me, but now they did. I didn’t want to be a scaredy-cat, didn’t want to be a wimp. And I wasn’t even trying to prove it to them. Maybe I was trying to prove it to myself.

                Tentatively, I took the first step into the mansion and the floor creaked underneath me, making me jump back, my heart pounding wildly.

                My brothers, still on the lawn, laughed like a couple of hyenas and taunted me through their howls.

                I glared at them, gathered up my meager courage, and stepped inside again, ignoring the creaking floor. I was determined to go inside and explore – even if it meant going against my sane will.

                Taking a look around at the inside of the mansion, I decided that there was nothing in here that was going to jump out and scare me. A dusty sofa sat against the wall on my left and on my right, there were a couple bookshelves littered with ancient-looking books. A huge crystal chandelier hung from the middle of the ceiling and hovered above the beginning of a gigantic staircase leading to a second floor.

                I motioned for my brothers to come in and they were at my side in a matter of seconds.

                “Wow, nothing’s here. It’s practically empty.”

                “I wonder what’s on the second floor?”

                I followed my brothers as they darted up the grand staircase and burst through the first door they set sight on.

                The room was completely empty, except for a painting of a girl in the farthest corner. I took a step closer and realized that it wasn’t a painting at all – it was a mirror. A mirror with a girl inside.

                A mirror with a girl inside?!?

                I jumped back, toppling over my stunned brothers, my eyes wide in astonishment.

                “Help.”

                The voice was tiny and sad, sending a chill down my spine.

                “Help.”

                My brothers stood up and brushed themselves off, pretending the mirror girl didn’t just frighten the daylights out of them. I did the same, but not bothering to pretend I was anything but what I was – really freaked out.

                The girl in the mirror beckoned us to come closer. “Help.”

                One of my brothers took out a rock from his pocket (he had been collecting them all day) and threw it at the mirror, sending several cracks through it and drawing a high-pitched scream out of the girl.

                The girl reached through the cracked glass and where there should have been a hand, there was a white wisp of air, like smoke, instead.

                I would tell you what happened next…but perhaps you do not want to know…