Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
25<br />
The light flashed on.<br />
I went invisible.<br />
My reflection remained in the mirror, open palms pressed against the inside of the glass, staring<br />
out.<br />
“I’m waiting for you, Max,” he said. “In a few minutes, you’ll join me in here.”<br />
“No!” I shouted. “I’m leaving. I’m going downstairs.”<br />
“No, you’re not,” my reflection said, shaking his head. “Erin and Zack won’t let you escape. But<br />
don’t be so frightened, Max. It’s all quite painless. Really.” He smiled. It was my smile. But it was<br />
cold. Cruel.<br />
“I don’t get this,” April was protesting back by the door. “Will someone tell me what’s going<br />
on?”<br />
“You’ll see, April,” Erin told her soothingly.<br />
What am I going to do? I wondered, frozen in panic.<br />
What can I do?<br />
“Just a few more minutes,” my reflection said calmly, already celebrating his victory. His<br />
freedom.<br />
“April, get help!” I cried.<br />
She spun around at the sound of my voice. “Huh?”<br />
“Get help! Go downstairs. Get help! Hurry!” I screamed.<br />
“But—I don’t understand—” April hesitated.<br />
Erin and Zack moved to block her path.<br />
But the door suddenly swung open.<br />
I saw Lefty stop at the doorway. He peered in. Saw my reflection.<br />
He must have thought the reflection was me.<br />
“Think fast!” he shouted, and he tossed a softball.<br />
The ball smashed into the mirror.<br />
I saw the startled look on Lefty’s face. And then I heard the crash and saw the mirror crack and<br />
shatter.<br />
My reflection didn’t have time to react. He broke into shards of glass and fell to the floor.<br />
“Nooooo!” Erin and Zack shrieked.<br />
I popped back into view just as Erin’s and Zack’s reflections floated up off the floor. They were<br />
sucked into the broken mirror—screaming all the way—sucked into it as if a powerful vacuum<br />
cleaner were pulling them in.<br />
The two reflections flew screaming into the mirror and appeared to crack into hundreds of<br />
pieces.<br />
“Whoa!” Lefty cried, gripping the door with all his strength, pressing his body against the<br />
doorframe, struggling to keep himself from being sucked into the room.