I don't know how long it's been since they brought me here. A few days? A week? Are my parents still ok? When are they going to test on me again?

I've started writing in the notebook more and more. I don't know why I am. Maybe it's to keep me sane. I haven't seen my own reflection in what feels like years. Will I ever be able to see myself again?

Am I going to trapped here forever?

Am I just a caged. . . Thing?

Am I going to die here?

I stared at the page, letting out a sigh and setting down my pen, I closed the notebook.

"Jackson. You keep writing and doodling in that thing man. That can't be healthy."

"Well you never thought it was before!"

"Because you wouldn't let me read them! And, because I couldn't talk to you about it before!"

"Holt- just- just shut up, ok?"

"No- not okay! I can't stand being in here anymore! This room Is a cage, and on top of that, it's tacky!"

"It is not!"

"Dude- come on- look at it. Grey carpets, wood panelling for walls, blue and brown bed sheets that match the rest of it? Sound familiar?!"

"What do you-"

"They looked through our iCoffin, Poindexter!"

Holt was right- the design of the room and the similarity couldn't be a coincidence. The only difference was this was like a living area and a bedroom in one room. There were two lounge chairs around a glass table on the front wall, and between the chairs and the bed was a glass coffee table, where Crossfade's cage sat.

But if they had looked through their phone. . .

That meant they had seen all his texts, all Holt's music, and their pictures.

Did he have no privacy?

"No. Now get up and do something, yo. You can't just sit around and mope."

I glanced at the small mirror on the desk, where Holt was, glaring at me with crossed arms, and brighter orange hair. "Why should I?"

"Because sitting around and moping and whatever crud you're doing right now isn't helpful at all."

"So?"

"Doing something that's actually going to be productive, yo. Like, work out a little or think about what they're doin' to us-"

I stared at him, not replying as he rambled on, before I reached over and laid the mirror on its face, shutting Holt out.

"That's enough." I said, before resting my head in my hands, wondering what to do now.

I thought of when they last tested on either of us. They made Holt come out, and they apparently sprayed him with a bottle, like a dog.

Wait- if Holt could remember what he was doing, what I was doing, even though he isn't out. . .

"Why can't I?"

I flipped the mirror back up, seeing a still fuming Holt.

"Hey yo-"

"Not now- Holt- what's it like for you right now- even though you aren't in control?"

"Well- it's all kinda fuzzy and weird, yo. I'm still trying to get used to it. Like making a video call and being limited, I guess."

"Do you recall everything I'm doing- right now?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Because when they tested on you- I don't remember any of it."

Holt's eyes widened, staring at me. "Maybe- maybe it only works one way?"

"Did you have a reflection anywhere in that room?"

"Um, I don't know, yo. I might've not."

"So maybe, as long as there's a reflection, we know what each other does?"

"I guess."

So then that was our tie, a link between us. The reflection.

Maybe.

I flipped the mirror back down, getting up and walking to the bed. I laid down on my side, closing my eyes and releasing a sigh.

"So my only friend in here is my alter ego, I'm practically alone, I have no more privacy or link to the outside world, and I'm a lab rat."

"We're lab rats."

My eyes reopened at Holt's voice.

"Wasn't flipping down a mirror a sign for you to shut up?"

"I'm not good at sign reading, yo."

"Look- just go away- ok?"

"No, because I'm bored and alone and you're the only person around here. Plus, I can't go away. Not as long as you have a reflection. For example, I'm in the three mirrors that are folded to angle you on the dresser desk thing that girls use. I'm in the mirrors on the walls, the silver cups and tea pots on the table, in the table."

It was more and more disturbing with each place he discribed.

"Well try to go away. Cause I'm tired of you." I wanted to be alone, really. Which was hard to do when Holt was around.

"You're tired of me? You're tired of me? I'm done with you!"

I glanced to him, seeing his hair turn a brighter shade of orange.

"Jackson I am really freaking through with you and your crap!"

I turned onto my other side, only to stare at him in another mirror. only beginning to enrage, "Well good! If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't be in this mess!"

"For me?! You came first, Poindexter! It's our Mom that carried on the Jekyll and Hyde thing!"

"Don't blame Mom!"

"Well then don't give me a reason to blame her! If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be struggling to be cool!"

"What that suppose to mean?!"

"I mean- I'm the coolest guy around, but it's hard to be cool when your alter ego is a complete Normie DORK!"

I sat up, staring at Holt and beginning to glare.

"Well its hard to keep friends when your alter ego is a completely, uncontrolled child!"

"A child?! You wanna talk about being a child? You know how you say you didn't see the moon for years after I showed up? Well how about not remembering anything before you were nine, and added to that, never saw the sun until you were 14? I never saw the sun for five years, Jack! I practically don't even have a childhood!"

I could feel Holt becoming enraged, and tried to calm myself down a little.

"You're the reason I could never go to sleep overs or do anything fun with any of my friends at school!"

Holt growled, and I gasped as he seemed to leap out of my reflection, grabbing my neck. I was forced up onto my knees, staring into Holt's red eyes. "What do you mean friends? You didn't have friends because no one liked you!"

I started gasping, grabbing Holt's arm, trying to pry him off. I saw Holt glance toward the door, then to the ceiling, and my ears began to hurt. The door burst open, and my ears only hurt more.

I saw Holt pull away, recoiling and screaming, covering up his ears and trying to deafen the noise.

"Make it stop! Make it stop! Jack make it stop!"

I stared at him, a feeling of pity filling me as Holt started yelling in agony.

I couldn't stand seeing him like that- and I curled up, placing my hands over my ears, praying Holt would go away.

My ears only kept hurting, the pain even increasing, as I felt someone grab me by my hair, and the face I was met with was-

"Mom?"