Horror at the Daily News
------Chapter 1------
Miranda Johns, managing editor of the daily news newspaper, ran upstairs to the bathroom, breathing heavily and slammed the door. She braced herself and, shaking violently, looked into the hand-held mirror. Seconds later she screamed and ran out of the bathroom dropping the mirror into the wash-basin; it smashed into a million pieces. No wonder she screamed, you see, when she looked into the mirror there was nothing reflected back at her; it was as if she did not exist.
Miranda, still breathing heavily, was sitting on her bed. Her mind was racing with fear, disbelief, shock and worry. All these feelings were so intense that they lasted less than a millisecond. All Miranda could see in her mind was the reflection in the mirror, or rather, Miranda looking into the mirror, but seeing nothing reflected back at her. This image was all she could see, regardless of whether her eyes were open or closed. She couldn't see anything else apart from this image. It was like a film was being played straight onto her eyes, constantly looping itself, Miranda unable to switch it off.
There was a quiet knock at the front door. The knock at the door was quiet enough so that you normally wouldn't be able to hear it. But the house was so empty, so quiet and eerie, that the sound carried all through the house, from the basement right through to the attic. Miranda was still sitting on the edge of her bed, her back rocking backwards and forwards, in shock.
Miranda slowly stood up and, began to walk slowly to the stairs; her eyes were fixed on a point far ahead. Tears were slowly trickling down her beautiful face, making its features blotchy and blurred, but for the first time in her 35 year career she couldn't give a damn.
Miranda started to walk downstairs slowly, holding onto the rail as she descended; something she very rarely does. When Miranda neared the front door she looked into the hall mirror, to double-check that she hadn't made a mistake and that she was seeing things. There was still no reflection.
Miranda slowly opened the front door, there was a man standing there in front of her, he was in his 30's wearing a suit. He was just standing there, moth dropped; Miranda was confused as to why he looked so shocked, until she saw that he wasn't staring at her, he was staring at a point several metres behind Miranda, and he was looking straight through her as if he couldn't see her.