"I think it's a waste of time snooping around here," Natt said as she inspected a music box under the beam of her light. "Pretty sure the town made up the whole rumor."

Hunter leaned against a wall, cold and damp, watching her toy with the music box. A faint hum from the distance filled the room. The dust tickled his nose. Some of it made its way over his leather jacket.

"That's how most of the horror movies start, " he muttered. "Some guy denying the truth and label 'em as rumors."

Natt shot him one of her looks, "And another idiot reckless friend who insists on entering a haunted mansion and getting them killed!"

Hunter smirked, unfazed. "Hey, at least I'm not the boring logic-guy."

"Yeah, right."

He looked around, letting his eyes wander. Something caught his eye.

A floor-length mirror, sitting in the corner of the room. Faint moonlight filtered in through the stained glass, falling onto it.

The mirror glinted.

"Ahh..." Hunter tilted his head.

“What now?” Natt said, without looking up. The screw finally budged. But no music came.

Hunter strolled across the dusty carpet and stared into the reflection— his green eyes, sharp, and his messy jet-black hair. He grinned as he ran his hand through his dark, messy strands.

"Hunter?"

"Hmm?" He glanced at her reflection behind him.

"If a tree falls in a forest, and no one’s around to hear it—does it make a sound?” Natt asked, clicking the music box shut.

"Obviously. It's not like trees care who's listening. What does it have to do with all this anyway?"

"Don’t know… Just feels like the kind of place where things happen… whether we hear them or not.”

“Getting spooky now, Natt?”

Hunter expected to see her reflection roll her eyes.

**It was smiling instead. **

"Huh—“

He felt the temperature drop rapidly. Something had changed. It was quiet. _Too quiet. _The humming had stopped.

“H— Hey Natt?” Hunter said, trying to keep his tone even. But his grin was tight.

“Hmm?” Her voice came from behind. But her reflection kept smiling.

He could hear his heartbeat. The silence pressed against his ears.

“What if I said—“

**_CRRRRRAAAASSHHHHHHH!!!!!!_**

Something crashed in the next room. Loud and deafening— evaporating the silence.

His head snapped in the direction of the door. Natalie peered into the corridor.

Nothing.

"What... was that?" Natt said, her voice dangerously low.

Hunter looked back into the mirror.

Natalie was smiling, her grin stretched grotesquely.

"Uh..." Hunter took a step back, the chill of the room pricking his skin.

And then—

**_Click!

_**Distorted notes started to play.

Natalie dropped the box.

It still played. Each note echoed back, letting the eeriness seep into the room.

Hunter looked down at the box and back at the mirror......and nearly jumped out of his skin.

Natt's unnatural reflection stood right behind him-- her eyes wide.

“_Hunter…_” Natt whispered.

He glanced at Natt behind him, whose eyes were now fixed on the dark hallway.

He gulped. His heart hammered in his chest. He caught his breath and slowly turned around.

At the end of the hallway....

Now stood a black figure