The Shadow That Followed: Part 2

A New Beginning… or So She Thought

Lena’s parents filed a missing person’s report, but the police found nothing. Her belongings were still in the apartment, her phone lay on the nightstand, and the door was locked from the inside.

Eventually, the case went cold. The landlord wasted no time finding a new tenant.

That’s how Ethan ended up in Apartment 6C.

He was looking for a fresh start, a place to escape the chaos of his life. The cheap rent was a bonus. The landlord gave him the keys with his usual warning: "Be careful at night."

Ethan brushed it off. "Weird old man," he muttered.

That night, he settled into bed, exhausted. As he reached for the lamp, he paused. His mirror—he swore he hadn’t placed it facing the bed.

Shrugging it off, he turned out the light.

Scrape… scrape… scrape.

Ethan’s eyes flew open.

The sound was coming from the corner of the room.

A chill crept up his spine. He turned on the lamp. Nothing was there.

But when he glanced at the mirror, his blood turned to ice.

His reflection wasn’t facing him. It was staring at the corner of the room.

Lena’s Prison

Inside the mirror, Lena screamed. She pounded against the glass, but Ethan couldn’t hear her.

She had been here for days… weeks… maybe longer.

Trapped. Watching.

The shadow stood beside her, a featureless darkness, whispering things that made her mind feel like it was unraveling.

"Another one has come," it rasped. "Will he join us?"

Lena shook her head, tears in her eyes. "Let him go," she pleaded.

The shadow laughed, a dry, hollow sound.

"That’s up to him."

The Choice

Ethan couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. He tried moving the mirror, but no matter where he placed it, his reflection always felt… wrong.

One night, as he was about to sleep, a whisper drifted through the room.

"Help me."

He sat up, heart pounding. "Who’s there?"

The voice came again. Faint. Desperate.

"Please… let me out."

Ethan turned to the mirror.

Lena was there, on the other side. Her hands pressed against the glass. Her mouth moving soundlessly.

For the first time, he saw the thing standing behind her. The Shadow.

It lifted a hand.

Ethan felt the room grow cold. His breath came out in white puffs.

The whisper came one last time:

"Let me in."

The lights flickered. The door creaked open.

And behind him, the shadow moved.

The Landlord’s Secret

The next morning, the landlord sighed as he locked the door to Apartment 6C. Another empty room.

Another lost tenant.

He turned to the mirror in the hallway.

Now, there were two reflections trapped behind the glass.

And both were smiling.

The End…?

Or should I continue? 😈 Let me know what you think!