“Stop running!”

“No!” I scream back just in time for them to throw me to the cold cold snow. I fight hard. As hard as I can. I’m drenched in snow and cold cold water but I don’t stop.

“Your coming with us.” One of the assassins yell at me but I can still barely hear him over the wind and snow that is hitting my face like a thousand tiny knives.

I kicked the person on me hard in the chest and that was the last thing I saw before I blacked out.

I saw her out of the corner of my eye. Dressed in black hiding behind a car, then a wall then she was right behind me. Holding a knife, “any last words?” She hissed at me. I closed my eyes and prepared for the next step of my plan. Hunting.

Every time I have ever looked in the mirror I have seen him. I don’t know who he is all I know is that he is not my reflection and he is trapped. I don’t know why or how. He can’t speak or move on his own, just move when I do.

It’s been like that for as long I as could remember. A boy my age was always in my reflection.

He grew up with me although I could tell he was a little bit older. I named him Micheal. We grew close, even if he only copied what I did.

I went to the bathroom and did my homework with him every day. I knew that I could never tell anyone though. When I was little mentioned him to my mother, she though I was joking when I insisted I wasn’t she looked at me like I was crazy and made me talk to a therapist who came to the conclusion I was just being a silly kid.

Once a year Micheal was granted the power to say ten words though. Whenever he tried to talk about the curse he was under all he could say was “find the secret to life, to youth eternal” I learned that those didn’t count as his ten words. Every day

It was one of those days of the year. Ten words was all he could say.

I asked about the curse, I knew his answer wouldn’t change but I was hoping that maybe someday…

He responded as expected and looked at me sadly. I was determined to figure out what he was saying.

It wasn’t until history class. I dropped bag on the floor durning class. “Miss King are you done interrupting my class?”

I have to find the fountain of youth.

“I'm not going to hurt you. Just put the gun down I promise.”

“Why should I trust you?!”

She took off her mask and revealed her face. “Because you always have.”

“Megan?!”

“I’m not doing this again with you!!” Mary yelled when she woke up in the same bed again next to John for the fourth time today.

“This isn’t a picnic for me either Mary.” John grinned and tried to get ready.

It’s hard Your peers make it harder Get dressed Go to school Find a groups of friends and pretend to fit in Be smart Get good grades But not to good or your a nerd Be tough but not to tough or your a bully Come home and pretend your fine Depression and anxiety but is too hard to ask for therapy Smile in front of company and be good Don’t cry when your yelled at and when your friends leave you behind Find a new group and change your appearance to fit in with them And the cycle repeats Day after day

Ella’s marriage wasn’t great. Her husband was hardly ever home anymore. She knew that he was under a lot of stress, being the CEO of queen consolidated and everything but he was hardly ever home, always at work.

He kept canceling their dinner dates and she was sick of it. When he was home they argued about it.

So Ella volunteered at the suicided hotline rather than staying home alone all day.

She shook the thought out of her mind when angry tears started too well up in her eyes.

Ella was sitting in her singed cubical when she got a call.

“Hello?” A man said.

“Hi It’s Ella how are you?” Ella kept her voice cheerful.

“Uh I’m calling the suicided hotline, how do you think I’m doing?!” The man responded harshly. “ sorry that was rude I’ll just hang up.” The man sighed.

“Wait, don’t do that! It’s okay I get it. What’s your name?”

“Why?” He asked after a second.

“You don’t have to it’s just easier than calling you sir.” There was silence on the other end of the line. “It’s okay You don’t need to. Are you alone?”

“Ya I am.” He said

“Good you plan to be alone tonight?” Ella asked.

“Kind of.”

“Okay are there any weapons around? Things you can hurt yourself with?”

“I’m holding a gun”

“Okay I need you to put the gun down and move to another room away from it.” Ella said.

There was shuffling from the other end of the line “Okay.”

“Now is there anyone you can call?” Ella asked.

“No I could never put her through that I would just be more of a burden for her.”

“I’m sure your not a burden. Marital problems are on both sides.”

“No no is all me I’m terrible at my job and I am always staying late and i never have enough time for her anymore.”

“Have you ever told her how you are feeling lately or even that you have a gun?”

“No i could never do that to Ella.”

Suddenly all of the similarities all make sense.

“Max?”

“No no no!!”

“Wait don’t hang up!”

But he did and the line went blank.

Ella rushed home.

He was holding a gun to his head and standing in the living room. “Drop the gun I’m here for you!!” Ella yelled right before he pulled the trigger.

In the deep wooded Kingdom ofJared Usually peaceful and quiet it was
But not on a day like today Trouble was coming Not slowly but quickly and not barely prepared But no one knew Except old mr. Pew He fished and told tales but no one listened Even when he was warning of the knights coming So they killed and slaughtered and then scattered Their job was done and old mr. Pew does with them

He walks into a cafe and sees none other than Emily Bett Richards, his favorite actor and celebrity crush being proposed to by her boyfriend. He stood up snd turned around.