Chapter 1: The Beginning

As I ran through the cold, dark woods, I stumbled across a boulder with weird ancient markings on it. There were no trees or bushes within ten feet of the boulder. I had run for miles until I was out of breath. My family was not very welcoming of me, so I ran away.

My name is Marsha, and I am fifteen years old. I am not a popular girl nor do I have any friends, so I am a complete loner when it comes to both home and school. My parents thought that I was not very pretty. When I was born, my parents said that I was the ugliest baby they had ever seen. My mother started crying, and my father left the hospital room. I didn't let their feelings about me bother me.

But when my little sister Bella was born, both of my parents cried, but they were tears of joy. They both said that she was the most beautiful baby girl ever and that she should be treated like a princess. And they kept their word. They treated Bella like an actual princess. Even though she was a total brat, they still bought her whatever she wanted and got her the most dazzling clothing and jewelry. They even got her a throne! Of course it was made of plastic, but she still got the better treatment.

I had long, wavy blonde hair that fell past my shoulders and emerald-green eyes, and I had a very weird fashion sense. I always thought to myself that I was pretty, but my parents thought otherwise.

Because of my appearances, my parents thought of me as the "ugly toad" of the family, so they just gave me hand-me-downs. They hadn't given me new clothes since last year, so mine were all ripped up and had holes everywhere.

I was running the way I had been for miles when I suddenly came across an old cabin. I knocked and waited for a few minutes, wondering if there was anyone inside. Dusk was falling and I was sweating from all the running I had just done. I was also panting very heavily. After what seemed like seven minutes, I knocked again, waiting patiently. This time, after three minutes, I tried the door handle. It opened easily and silently.

I stepped into the cinnamon-scented cabin and took my shoes off by the front door. I stepped lightly onto the cushiony carpet and walked across to the fireplace, which was only a few feet away from the door. Oddly enough, the fireplace was blazing with a bright fire that lit up the whole room I was in. I sat down in the chair in front of the fireplace and let the warmth come over me. Eventually, I fell asleep.

About ten minutes into my slumber, I opened my eyes to a figure that looked a lot like me. Although I couldn't make out much of the figure, I saw that it had the same emerald-green eyes and blonde hair as me. Just as soon as it had appeared, it disappeared and left me shocked. I had only seen a glimpse of the figure before it was gone. After that experience, I just sat staring at the blazing flames of the fire.

I must've fallen asleep again because next thing I knew, it was morning. The rays of sunshine shone brightly through the tinted windows of the cabin. The fire was out when I woke up. I was under a blanket with little snowflakes all over it. I found this very odd. It seemed like someone had put the fire out because the ashes were wet with water. I got up and found some chocolate bars in the pantry and tea bags in the cupboards. I sat back down on the chair I had slept on.

I looked up onto the fireplace and saw some odd-looking photos. A little boy playing on a tire swing. A family watching the sunset. Then I came across a picture that looked exactly like me. I became fearful when I saw it moving the same way that I was. It looked like me and moved like me too. I moved my left hand and it waved in the picture along with mine just like a mirror would. I looked further into the picture and saw that Bella was in the background playing on the tire swing like the little boy had been in the picture to my right.

I was shocked to feel, not a flat picture, but a hand when I reached out to touch the picture. The "other me" copied my every move as if I was looking into a mirror. Then I was grabbed by the "me" and pulled into the picture. Everything went black.

I woke up at what felt like noon, and figured out that I passed out from fright when I was grabbed. I found that I was looking out to the room where I had just been. I glanced behind me and saw that Bella was waving for me to come and join her on the tire swing. But I couldn't move at all. I tried to move my legs, but they would not budge.

Suddenly, an old woman walked up to the picture and looked around. I tried screaming for help, but my lips wouldn't budge. She looked at me and then headed off to the kitchen. I was hungry and remembered that I had the chocolate bars in my pocket. But because I couldn't move, I wasn't able to grab them. I stood there, unable to move for about nine hours.

Finally, after some time, evening came. For the whole time that I was standing there in that picture, the old woman sat on the chair that I had slept on and watched the fire. Around nine o'clock, she headed off to her room and quietly closed the door. Almost immediately after she shut the door, I was able to move again. I had missed the ability to move. I reached into my pocket and devoured the rest of the chocolate bars.

Bella was sitting on the swing turned away from me because she was mad that I hadn't played with her. I came over and pushed the swing a little bit. She told me to stop and that she didn't want to play with me anymore and wanted to be left alone. At that, I pushed her again but harder this time. I heard her giggle but immediately stopped. She said that she was still angry with me and wanted me to go away. When she said this, I pulled her back as far as I could then let go and pushed her super hard. She went forward, then came swinging back like a bullet. By this time, she was laughing and swinging her legs.

When she turned back to me though, I saw that her eyes were just holes on her face. There was black liquid dripping out. She leapt forward to grab me and my world went instantly black.

I woke up on the chair again and the fire was still going. I looked around the room for a clock and found one. The time read five A.M. I then looked up at the fireplace and saw that the picture was missing. The other pictures were there, though. I looked at the one to my right and saw the same family watching the same sunset, and the same boy playing. I was really scared now. I stayed awake until the sun came up. I was afraid when I found that I had the chocolate bars in my pocket. I wondered how they got there since the whole "me in a picture" thing was just a dream. I began to think I was going crazy.

I heard someone walking around in the room where the old woman had been. The phone started ringing and was answered just a few seconds later. But I was shocked to hear that it was a man's voice. I hopped behind the sofa that was a few feet away from the chair. I hid and tried not to make a sound when the door of the room opened. I thought I was the only one in this cabin. I heard the man go into the living room then turn on the television. He sat down on the sofa that I was hiding behind.

I slowly and quietly stood up from behind the sofa. I looked down and, strangely, there was no one there. But the television was on. I quickly walked as quietly as I could toward the door and put on my shoes. I slipped through the door unnoticed by the odd people that lived there. I thought that was the end of my troubles, but that was only the beginning.