Chapter I: Through the Looking Glass
My friend Meghan shrieked with laughter as our other friend Kaley painted her toes a bright pink. "So what's happening Friday night?" I asked, brushing my hair. We were at Kaley's house just hanging out, which normally we happened on Fridays. But we had been off of school that day, so we took advantage and called each other.
"Madison's having a party." Meghan said, inspecting her nails.
Kaley shook her head and groaned. "Ugh, forget it. Her parents usually have to supervise everything." She thought for a moment. "Wanna go see Paranormal Activity 4?"
Meghan frowned. "We'd never get in." She flipped through a Teen Vogue magazine. "Check out the top Shay Mitchell's wearing; she wore it on Pretty Little Liars."
I just absent-mindedly nodded. "Eh, it's not that great of a color."
Kaley smiled, painting Meghan s baby toe. "So what color do you want?" she asked me.
I shrugged, looking through Kaley's vast selection of nail polish."I can't decide . . . bright blue?" I then sighed deeply. "Ugh, I don t know. I'm going to be late." I said, looking up at her purple alarm clock. I grabbed my purse and my shoes.
"Late for what?" Meghan asked, raising her eyebrows.
I turned in the doorway. "My Grandpa s house for his 96th birthday." I said, rolling my eyes. "I'll call you guys later about tonight."
They waved, and I walked out the front door. Once home, I pushed open the front door angrily. I did not want to have to be drug into going to some lame get together with my family. It was the same every year for Grandpa's birthday: I'd have to dress up nicely, with my mom fussing over what I wore. My parents would stress me out in the car by telling me I had to actually talk to people this year. We would walk in, I'd plaster on some fake smile, and greet people, which included getting squeezed to death by my aunts, high fived really hard by my uncles, grossly kissed by my grandparents, and then jumped on by their dog. Then I would wander over to the couch and sit down, staring at the clock while my older cousin, Elizabeth, would cuss at me, complaining that she didn't want to be here.
"I'm getting ready!" I called as I rushed up the stairs to my room.
"You were supposed to be home at 4:30," my mother called from her room.
"You have ten minutes, Hailey!" My dad chimed in, fixing his tie. "I said ten, not fifteen!"
My mother stepped into my room before I could close it. "I laid out your dress on your bed; I just ironed it. Can you at least say thank you?"
I rolled my eyes, and closed my door. "Do I have to go?" I muttered to her.
My mom gave me a stern mom look. "We've been over this. Get dressed." I sighed and walked into my parent's bathroom where my dad was using mouth wash.
"Why do I have to go? It's a waste of time."
My dad gargled and then spit in the sink. "Some things you have to do."
I stomped over to my mom who was putting on some earrings. "Come on, Mom?"
"We're going because it's important." She said, putting on the earring back.
"Why is it important?"
"It's important because I said so," she scolded, shooing me away. I rolled my eyes and stormed off to my room, slamming the door.
I took off my jeans and t-shirt, standing in my bra and underwear. Suddenly my door flung open; I don't have a lock. I screamed.
"Do you have five bucks I could borrow?" My older brother Matt asked, not caring if I was fuming.
"Matt!" I yelled, covering myself with my robe.
Matt raised his eyebrows. "Actually, do you have twenty bucks I could borrow?"
"Get out!"
"Can I borrow fifty bucks?" he asked, before I shoved his out, and slammed my door again.
Groaning, I put on my dress, and brushed out my mid-back length hair.
By the time we got to my Grandpa s house, it was dark out. Once we got in the house, music poured from the walls. I groaned again. It was traditional Italian music, my heritage.
"Oh, Katherine!" My great aunt greeted my mother, hugging her.
"It's so good to see you," my mother replied, smiling. My parents were led in by the other adults.
"Matty!" Great Aunt Maya exclaimed, hugging Matt in a death grip. "You re getting so big! Eighth grade, now?"
"Sophomore in high school." Matt said, returning a fake smile.
"Hailey," My aunt Audrey patted my head. "You look lovely. Every time I see you, you look more like your mother."
I grinned. Aunt Audrey and I were super close. "Hey,"
"We need you to save the day in the kitchen." My other aunt Mary said, to Aunt Audrey. Aunt Audrey nodded, and winked at me.
"We ll catch up later, yeah?"
I nodded, smiling. I loved her New York accent. She had lived there with my mom and their family when they were younger. I wandered over through my grandpa's large house, and found myself in my grandmother's old room. She had past away last December, and grandpa had gotten very depressed.
"Have I ever told you about the time I was thrown in jail?" I heard my grandpa asking Matt.
Matt tried to look interested. "Lots of times, Grandpa."
"What about the one when-"
"I think they're starting to light the candles, Grandpa." I said, coming to my older brother's rescue.
But Grandpa looked intrigued. "Why were you in Grandmother's room?" he asked.
"I don't know." I admitted, while Matt walked away. Grandpa motioned for me to come over. I followed him into Grandma's room. He stepped over to a full-length antique mirror. "What?" I asked, not understanding.
"It's in the glass." He whispered before looking around several times.
"What is?" I asked.
"Shh!" he yelled. I raised my eyebrows. He pointed to the glass. "The strike. It's in the glass."
I furrowed my brow. "Huh," I said, nodding slowly. "What does that mean?"
He simply shook his head and left the room. Whatever. He s just a crazy old man.
"Happy birthday to you" came the familiar tune as our family sang to Grandpa.
After he blew out the candles, I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Are you okay?" I looked into the eyes of Aunt Audrey.
"Yeah, just can t wait to get through this." I mumbled. To make things worse, Mom and Dad made me spend the night there. She said I'll be able to bond more with my grandpa. I sighed as I got into my white nightgown. Turning off the lamp light, I looked around the dark room that once belonged to Grandma.
I couldn't believe I had to stay here. Looking around the room, my eyes rested on the mirror. It s glass shimmered in the moon light from outside. But something was off. It wasn t shimmering, it was glimmering. No, shining.
I tossed aside the blankets and stepped over to the mirror. I tugged on my long dark hair. What the hell was happening?
Stupidly, I touched the glass, and my hand went right through. And then it was as if something pushed me the rest of the way through. I felt as though I was falling through a blinding light. And then all was silenced. All was dark. All was still. And for a moment, I thought I was dead.