“Eirini?” This word sounded different from the others. It was like nostalgia and déjà vu had a baby together.

  “It's just a story.” Ash’s face seemed to get even more serious than it already was. “This is as confusing to me as it is to you. Eirini is only a fairy tale: A fantasy world,” Ash explained. “But it's not really a real place.”

  “So, like Neverland?”

  “I guess, but it’s a little more than that.”

  Nicolas was about to ask what they meant, but the intense, unreal-feeling coldness that blew through the tunnel made him decide to stay quiet.

  “We should get going, we can talk more at the hotel,” Ash whispered.

  Nicolas made a mental note to ask them more about this Eirini place later, before then grabbing onto the ladder. The metal felt cold, almost like ice, but once he started climbing, the ladder began to feel warmer as his fingers became used to the temperature.

  It felt like one of the longest climbs he’d ever done; Nicolas’ muscles ached in his fingers and forearms, his whole body starting to feel sore by the time he made it to the top.

  For a moment, there was a feeling of dread, as Nicolas looked up to find a metal dead end above him. But that feeling passed a second later, when he realized that it was just a cover.

  “It’s quite heavy,” Ash told him, though he guessed that. He stepped higher up, so he was closer to the lid; then he pushed on it.

  The metal didn’t so much as twitch. Instead, it remained motionless against Nicolas’ shoves and pushes. He tried again, clenching his jaw and closing his eyes as he forced as much pressure as he could into his arm, but the cover wouldn’t budge. When his arm gave out, there was a clunk sound, as if he’d maybe picked it up half a centimeter before dropping it right back in place.

  “It's stuck.”

  “Let me do it,” Ash said with an annoyed tone. They climbed up, and Nicolas moved over to let them through.

  Ash placed their hands on the steel lid, and took in a quick breath before pushing the lid up.

  They were definitely stronger than Nicolas, because almost immediately, drops of water splashed onto Nicolas’ face as the chaotic city noise began to erupt through the tunnel.

  Once they had slid the cover over, drops of water fell from where it had collected around the manhole as he followed Ash out of the tunnel, glad to be out of the cold darkness.

  They were in a park. Or at least, it looked like a park. There was grass, bushes, trees, a bench that sat beside a dirt trail.

  And beyond that, the city that Nicolas had lived in most of his life.

  But the buildings looked slightly different. Nicolas couldn't quite figure out what it was: Maybe it was the sky that looked slightly less blue, or the way the shadows appeared to have gotten darker, clinging to the city like vines wrapping around an old, rusty bike; or ivy growing along a forgotten house.

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  “I don’t think we’re in Portland anymore,” Nicolas whispered to himself.

  He followed Ash as they led him out of the park, and through the familiar streets, the buildings looking both familiar and foreign.

  Am I dreaming right now?

  Nicolas pinched himself, the pain piercing the nerves on his skin. He knew it wasn’t a very accurate way to check if you're dreaming or not, but it was worth a try. People always say you can’t feel pain in your dreams, but Nicolas could always feel things in his.

  After a long walk through the edges of the city Nicolas hated, he finally saw the lights up ahead, illuminating through the twilight.

  The hotel was small, and green letters illuminated the words Nightlight Inn.

  It wasn't a building he'd ever seen before.

  He followed Ash into room 004, and as soon as he stepped through the doorway, he sat down on a chair near the window, taking in a long, deep breath.

  “So, what now?”

  “We hide here for now.”

  “So, do these kako things just chase people for no reason?”

  “Not unless you make them mad or something,” Ash answered.

  “Did you make them mad?”

  “Well I didn't travel all the way to Seattle because I thought it'd be fun, you know,” Ash said in their usual sarcastic annoyance.

  Nicolas remembered why they moved to Seattle.

  He remembered it all too well.

  “Wasn't it because of the bullying?”

  “That was part of it, yeah; but the main reason I moved was because, well…” Ash hesitated for a moment, as if they were trying to decide if they wanted to tell him. And at last, they did: “The kako don't like people like me.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “For more than one reason, the kako think I'm dangerous. They're scared of people who are different.”

  “Is that why they hate me?” Nicolas wondered out loud.

  “Maybe, you are kind of weird,” Ash joked, before turning serious once more. “For a dead boy, anyways.”

  ***

  Nicolas stared out of the hotel room window, watching the raindrops shatter onto the pavement of Portland: The drops that hit the puddles sending chaotic ripples gliding through the water, reminding Nicolas of the way that mirror moved when he touched it.

  His reflection was gone, he knew that. It was one of the first things he did when he entered the hotel room. He wanted to prove to Ash he wasn’t crazy, so he showed them the mirror.

  In the reflection, Ash stared blankly, their face turning from interest to shock. Beside them, where Nicolas’ reflection was supposed to be, the room was empty.

  “I—” Ash tried to speak, but it looked like they had completely forgotten how. Nicolas moved his hand toward the surface, passing his fingers through as the green glow radiated off it, those strange, unearthly lines that resembled cracks beginning to appear around his wrist.

  “I don't believe it,” Ash breathed.

  “Well then that makes two of us.”

  He had proved to Ash that he was telling the truth about the mirror.

  And tomorrow, Ash will prove to me that they're right about me dying, Nicolas thought to himself.

  Now, Nicolas watched the city beyond, the hotel room's reflection making it hard to see.

  And yet even still, the hotel only had one person in it; at least according to the reflection.

  The rain was easing off now, and it was getting closer and closer to morning, but thanks to his sleep disorder, Nicolas couldn't fall asleep. Ash had already, which Nicolas found surprising considering their distrust of him. The events that unfolded the past few hours were strange ones: Maybe I'll wake up tomorrow and this'll all just be a dream, he thought to himself, though it was more of a wish than a thought. He just wanted everything to be normal. Just Nicolas, the lonely seventeen-year-old, and Sam, his loving older brother. No sudden deaths, no demonic creatures trying to kill him, no magic mirrors. He wanted to wake up and find out that this was all just a dream.

  I just want Sam back.

  He wasn’t sure what would happen tomorrow, if anything at all. But if things continued the way they were currently going, Nicolas was in for a long day.

  Thank you So Much for Reading!!<3

  I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I upload new chapters Every Monday!