Haunted

It was midnight. Sharon sat in front of the mirror where she and her sister used to admire so long ago. The attic was covered in dust, for it was long forgotten by the Rider sisters since they stepped into their teenage years. Cobwebs filled the corners and blanketed most furniture and boxes. In the middle of the room was the grand mirror Sharon loved. Silver vines and leaves framed the broad rectangular glass, its edges were smudged with time, and cracks were visible on the smooth surface. It looked as if it would fall apart, yet it stood tall.

There was a myth about that mirror. Rumors said it was once owned by a noble family, whose daughter would spend hours and hours looking at her reflection because she was so beautiful. She had eyes of onyx, her hair long and silky as the corn field; her skin was like fresh milk, and her lips resembled roses’ petals. One day, the noble lady was killed in an accident. But she loved the mirror too much to go on and lingered in the attic, haunting the mansion and continued to stare at her reflection every day. No one was to disturb her in her domain, especially at midnight.

Sharon and her sister, Shelly, had heard about the ghost story, but they ignored the warning. As children, they’d play hide-n-seek in the attic whenever they could, roaming around the haunted place, though luckily, they had not entered the attic after midnight because they’d be asleep by then. When they had grown past their immature state, they made no visit to the attic due to they were preoccupied with other things such as school works and boyfriends, until recently.

Tragedy hit the Riders family as their beloved daughter, Shelly Rider, had passed away in a car accident. Sharon was heart-broken by the news, and mourned for her lost sister. She thought it would be a good way to relieve her pain by recalling the happy times she had shared with Shelly, thus the reason why she was once again sitting in the centre of the attic.
She stared at the mirror longingly, scenes of past memories surfaced in her mind. Every smile, every laughter, was vivid and alive, as if Shelly had not left her alone in this world. Stroking the mirror gently with her hand, Sharon closed her eyes, picturing her sibling and her running around in this very room. Watery substance began to form in her eyes, making its way stubbornly down her face.

‘Oh, Shelly. I miss you so,’ Sharon whispered.

‘Sharon…’

Sharon snapped open her eyes at the voice. It sounded eerily like her late sister. She looked around, and saw nothing but the dirty attic. Her heart sank at the sight. Perhaps her ears were playing tricks on her, Sharon thought.

‘Sharon…’

She looked around again, trying to locate the source of the voice.

‘Sharon…’

Turning back at the mirror, her eyes widened in surprise. She gasped as she put her shaking hand on the mirror. In the other side of the glass was not her reflection, but her dead sister standing a few steps away. Her shoulder-length straight hair, opposite from Sharon’s waist-length wavy hair, blew delicately in the wind; she was wearing a white gown. She looked exactly like in the funeral; her skin was pale like chalk.

Looking behind her, Sharon held back another gasp as she discovered she was no longer in the attic, but in a forest. The skies were tainted grey, the tress were leave-less and dead. There was a small lake at the back of the mirror. Crows flew above her head, the land was blighted, cursed and transformed, plagued by darkness.

‘Sharon…’

‘I’m here, sister.’ Sharon focused on the mirage of Shelly anew, who approached the mirror in small steps. The grass flattered like an invisible foot stepped on it, yet there was only air. Silence surrounded the area, shadows roofed the wasteland.

Sharon felt happiness came back to her, as if her sister was still alive. Sharon felt something stepped on her white dress, though she could not see it with her eyes.
Suddenly, Shelly stretched her hand to suffocate Sharon. Shocked by her sister’s betrayal, Sharon could do nothing but stare at Shelly, who was smiling in delight. More pressure was added to the grasp, Sharon began to see stars and air was running out. She could not comprehend the reason behind her sister’s action.

‘Why?’ she managed to choke out.

‘Because you dare to disturb me at my domain,’ Shelly growled.

Sharon did not understand her sister’s words. Yet she noticed her sister’s chocolate brown eyes were now a dark shade of onyx.

Sharon finally realized the person was not her sister.

She knew it was useless to hope because no one could save her now. The story of the noble lady came into her mind abruptly, yet it was pointless now. She had already overstepped the boundaries.

Her vision began to narrow and grew dimmer…

‘Ron…Sharon…Sharon!’

Light flooded the scene, melting away the darkness. Sharon opened her brown eyes slowly, staring into a pair of blue ones.

‘…James?’
‘Thanks goodness, I thought you were going to sleep forever,’ the man laughed.

‘What happened?’ She asked her boyfriend softly.

‘Nobody knew where you are. It’s past midnight now. You must have fallen asleep here. By the way, why are you in the attic?’

‘I was missing my sister, that’s all.’

James sighed. ‘Come on, let’s get you to bed.’

Sharon followed James down the stairs. She glanced at the mirror one more time before closing the door, a shiver went down her spine.

What a terrible nightmare.

‘She escaped…’a feminine voice came from the mirror. ‘How dare that peasant.’

A pale hand reached out from the shadow of the mirror, passing the glass into the other side, gradually materialized into the reality world.