As the boy danced and you stared, coldness ran through you, the emptiness of this house and the snow outside making it freezing, but only now did it suddenly hit you. You wrapped your arms around yourself, clutching to the thick, dark navy fabric of your winter coat. You stayed in the shadows, not daring to go closer; too scared of what might happen if he knew you were there. You didn’t want to disrupt this beautiful performance, even if it was only ever intended for his eyes only.

But, maybe it was the tension and suspense that made you imagine things, or maybe there was something terrifying to this house, to this boy who seemed to live here. Whatever it was, you were sure something brushed the side of your hand as you lurked in the shadows that sent a shiver down your spine and a sudden shock of panic.

Releasing a harsh breath but refraining from screaming, you stumbled out of the shadows and into the doorway.

You stared back in shock at your many reflections that stood glaringly obvious around the room. You watched in a terrified trance as his eyes snapped open and widened at the sight of the many figures of not just himself, but a stranger in the mirrors.

The only choice you had was to turn and run, only to be followed by the boy who quickly gathered his bearings and immediately found the door way in this optical illusion that seemed to create the impression of many doors, many escapes.

You ran hastily down the hall way trying to breathe. You didn’t dare turn around to see where he was; hearing his fast footsteps behind you was enough. You didn’t have a logical explanation to give him to why you were there, why you had been staring at him. You didn’t have an explanation to why you were running away either, but you were.

You also didn’t have an explanation to why, instead of heading for the front door and running across the ice and snow and away from this place, you turned in and started running up that staircase.

What the hell are you doing? You went straight past the only way out!

Realising your panicked mistake, you nearly tripped up the stairs looking ahead to choose a room to shut yourself in to try and buy yourself some time. What you needed the time for, you didn’t know. The first door seemed too easy, the last, too far away. Instead, you forced a stiff door on the right open and managed to close it in time. Tears rolled down your cheek as you tried to decide what to do.

Did he see me come in here? Do I hide under these sheets? What choice do I have?

But the boy had seen, his lean figure gliding up the stairs in an instant and he stood calmly at the top of the stairs, a smile creeping onto his face as he walked calmly and confidently towards the door. He knew that there was only one way out of that room and he was sure you wouldn’t be stupid enough to try it.

Your eyes fixed on the window at the far end of the room. Perhaps you were stupid enough to try it. You ran through the obstacles of covered furniture and placed your shaking hands on the latch of the window. You whimpered in a panic as you shook the window viciously to try and open it. It clearly hadn’t been opened in years, its wood sticking to the window sill, before you gave up screaming it finally opened. You looked down to see how far you had to fall.

The fall was too great.

You tried to work out in your head if the snow would make it safer, or if it would just numb the crippling injuries or even death that would hit you if you jumped. The door creaked open and you spun around.

The boy in the door way paced over calmly; steadily… he was too scary, too beautiful. 

You shut your eyes tightly for a second before hastily climbing up on the window ledge, hearing the footsteps approaching you quicken their pace. Clenching your fists and shutting your eyes tightly… a hand reached out and grabbed your arm, throwing you screaming from the window ledge and sliding onto the wooden floor.

The boy chewed his lip, slamming the window shut effortlessly and stared at the cool, fogged glass before turning to face your stiff body on the floor, wincing and sobbing in pain. He looked down at you as you trembled in fear, clutching onto your arm and trying to move it. You lay almost paralysed as he approached you, your eyes wide and glistening with tears. He stood directly above you, his shadow casting over your face, only bleak light from the window reflecting in your eyes.

His voice was calm, monotone and like a luxury as he spoke. ‘I wondered when you were going to get here.’