S I X

The voice was sharp yet slow, a failed attempt to display innocence. It came again, and then once more. It was impossible not to ignore it. Her heartbeat quickened to the extent that it was the only thing she heard.

She folded her hands into fists her nails clawing into her palms, taking in deep breaths to calm herself down. She tightly shut her eyes to prevent them from flying open without her will and began counting.

Mia counted to ten then stopped, then started from one once more. It wasn't enough distraction and she resorted to biting her cheeks till the familiar taste of iron rushed in. Fair enough.

A shrill cry broke out from her side and she jumped, moving to the wall. A faint light in the darkness made her realise that it was just her phone. She picked it up and turned it to silent.

Cold gush of wind hit her and she turned to the window. She would have sworn of was closed. Light from the moonlight poured in on the oblivious nurse snoring softly on the bean bag.

And she saw the form, with a white tattered gown seated on her desk. Her porcelain hands were placed on her lap, and only the smile was all Mia saw of her face.

Terror creeper in and her feet went instantly numb. She reached out for her phone and quickly glanced down to switch on her flashlight. There was no one.

She sighed and flashed the light around the entire room, her hands trembling slightly. She sighed and moved back into her covers, hoping that her mind won't be bothered by the open window. She gripped tightly onto her covers when the sharp voice re - surfaced. Sweat trickled down her forehead and her stomach felt awfully heavy, like it was being churned by some machine.

She sat up on her back terrified by the idea of being watched and picked her phone one more time from underneath the covers and quickly searched for her favourite play list.

She sighed and began searching for her headphones under the pillow where she always left them.

"Music? I like music." A husky voice laced with excitement came from the window. She was back.

Her form got up slowly, a bone cracking in the process as she straightened her back giggling. She lifted her garments and attempted a dance on the purple lush carpet, waltzing and bouncing up and down.

Mia noticed that her feet were bare, three toes in place and awfully long nails filled with black dirt. Her heels were cracked and veins ran up her leg. Mia's breath quickened and she shut her eyes willing that she would go away, willing that it all be a dream.

She was now twirling.

The song came to an end and the lady facing the closet snapped her head back and growled in an uncomfortable chilling sound.

"Music!"

Mia stared in shock trying to take in the scene unfolding in her own eyes. "Music!" The woman shouted this time gripping her throat. Mia couldn't understand how she got there, and as much as she tried her limbs couldn't work. The lady reeked of vomit and vinegar, and she tried with all her might not to puke.

Her hands managed to reach for her phone and she started the song one more time. The lady gave her a tired smile and jumped back to her dance floor.

"There's no music in there..." She echoed doing her own funny dance. "Just silence and silence and silence..." She twirled on every mention of the world silence.

"It's only the sly who know how to escape..." She made a sort of dance where she was on her tip toes and just moving around. "Am one of them Mia."

"H-ow, how do you know my name?" Mia asked gasping.

"I've been watching you darling, for such a long time to know your weakness." She stopped suddenly pushing her hair back, so that Mia could make out her whole face. Her nose was okay and so was her mouth, but her eye sockets were two tiny lines, sewn shut with a black thread, one side cut so that a tiny piece of it was hanging.

"And you are helping me get free." She growled slowly approaching her bed. Mia opened her mouth to let out the scream forming at the back of her throat but the familiar pain of cut throat was back, and she clasped her mouth to cry in pain, silently.

The lady dragged her by her hair into the bathroom, used her finger to poke the mirror for a crack before taking out a small gem from her fold of clothes. She placed it in and as the mirror materialized to a door, she dragged Mia throwing and it shut almost immediately.

A sly smile formed on her mouth and her face disintegrated into her victim's. A new Mia was born.