Chapter-1 The strange guest
It was a stormy night.
Anushka sat alone in her old creaky house. The wind howled outside, and rain pounded on the window, The lights flickered from time to time, making the shadows in the room dance in strange shapes.
"Why does it feel so ... empty?"
Anushka whispered to herself. She tried to ignore felt alive, like it was watching her every move.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
Anushka jumped.
"Who could it be at this hour?" she murmured, her voice trembling. She hesitated. The storm outside made everything feel darker, and the knock came again, louder this time.
"Please... I need a shelter,' a soft, trembling voice said from outside.
Anushka opened the door.
Standing there was a young man, tall, drenched in rain. His dark hair stuck to his forehead, and his eyes.... almost haunted.
"Who are you?" Anushka asked cautiously.
"My name is Aarav. I...I was on the road, and the storm. I had nowhere to go. replied shivering.
Anushka hesitated for a moment. Something about him felt.... mysterious. But she couldn't just leave him in the storm.
"Come inside.... quickly," she said.
Aarav stepped in, and Anushka offered him a warm towel and some tea.
"You look exhausted....and scared." Anushka said softly.
"You have no idea," Aarav muttered, staring at the dark corners of the room as if he could see something she couldn't.
After a few minutes, the storm grew louder thunder cracked, and the windows rattled. Anushka felt a shiver run down her spine. Something wasn't right.
She tried to make small talk.
"How did you even find this house?" She asked.
"I...I didn't. Something led me here," Aarav replied, his voice low and serious.
Anushka frowned. She felt a strange tension in the air, like the room itself was holding its broken.
Later that night, Anushka went to her room to sleep.
The Strom had calmed a little, but the house felt colder than before.
She noticed something she hadn't before- the large antique mirror in the corner of her room.
It was beautiful, framed in dark wood with intricate designs, but it gave her an unsetting feeling.
She glanced at it.
And for a brief moment... She thought she saw a shadow moving behind to her reflection.
"I must be imagined things," she whispered to herself.
She climbed into bed, but sleep didn't come. The feeling of being watched grew stronger.
Aarav, who had decided to check on her, knocked slightly on her door.
"Anushka, I thought I'd make sure you are okay," he said entering her room carefully.
Anushka felt relieved to see him.
"Thank god... I thought, I was imaging things, she said.
But when Aarav looked at the mirror, his eyes widened.
"Did you see that?" he asked quitely.
" See what?" Anushka asked
Aarav swallowed hard.
"The reflection.... it's not yours. Somethings in the mirror."
Anushka froze. She stared at the glass.
Her own reflection stared back.... but the eyes weren't hers. The lips curved into a cold, cruel smile.
And then she heard a whisper.
"I've been waiting...and now I see you both."
Anushka heart pounded.
Aarav grabbed her hand.
"Don't panic... whatever it is, we will face it together," he said. Suddenly, the lights flickered violently, shadows danced along the walls. The mirror seemed to ripple like water.
The reflection of the smiling figure leaned closer,its face twisted, almost like it wanted to step out of the glass.
"Run...you cannot escape me," it whispered.
Anushka screamed. The sound echoed through the empty house. Aarav tried to pull out the room felt alive, stretching around them, walls bending around them, walls bending, shadows moving closer.
"We need to leave...now!" Aarav shouted.
But when they ran to the door- it was locked.
The mirror glowed faintly in the dark, and the whisper came again,"
"This is just the beginning.... Your first night had only started."
Anushka clutched Anushka's hand tightly. The storm outside had stopped, but the feeling of being trapped, watched, and hunted never left the room.
And in the last moment before she closed her eyes, she saw it- a pair of glowing eyes in the mirror, staring directly at her.
"Next time.... I wil step out."