As the game began, I found myself standing beside Kirah, feeling nervous. Kirah handed me a ball, and whispered, "Alright, Dex, remember the plan. We take out Jake first, then we clean up the rest. Got it?"
I nodded, my heart pounding. Moving up the court with Kirah by my side, I tried to keep my focus on Jake, and the plan. He was quick, dodging every dodgeball.
Kirah and I both threw the balls at him, but Jake avoided our balls. Before we could react, Mike, took the opportunity. he threw a dodgeball directly at me, hitting me in the head.
I woke up, everything was pitch black, and I couldn't tell where I was or what was happening. A rush of panic swept over me as I struggled to make sense of my surroundings.
As the dodgeball collided with my head, everything went black. When I regained consciousness, I found myself in a dark place, disoriented and confused. It was so dark that I couldn't see anything around me, and a sense of unease washed over me.
Suddenly, a figure materialized in front of me.
"You're pathetic," the figure sneered. "I can't believe I'm sharing a body with you."
"Sharing a body? Is this a prank? Who was this figure, "Kirah!, Kirah!" I yelled out.
Am I dreaming? Hallucinating? Or was this some kind of nightmare come to life?
The figure drew closer, its presence overwhelming. "You're nothing,"
Trembling with fear and uncertainty, I couldn't tell if I was Hallucinating this anymore.
A small light appeared. It was dim at first, but it got brighter and brighter until it lit up everything, showing who it was.
It was me.
Suddenly, a voice cut through the silence, breaking me out of my reverie. "Dex, are you okay?" Kirah's voice was filled with concern, pulling me back to reality.
I blinked, trying to orient myself as I realized that I was no longer in the dark place, but lying on the gym floor. "Kirah," I gasped, relief flooding through me. "I... I think so."
Kirah knelt beside me, her eyes wide with worry. "You suddenly passed out. Are you sure you're okay?"
I nodded, still trying to process everything that had happened. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just... a bad dream, I think."
Kirah frowned, her brow furrowing with concern. "You were doing so well in the game," she said, her voice tinged with confusion. "I didn't know you could play dodgeball like that. You even took Mike out."
I blinked, my mind racing to catch up with her words. "What are you talking about? Mike got me out," I said, my voice trailing off as I remembered the dodgeball hitting me in the head.
Kirah shook her head, her expression puzzled. "That was the first round," she said. "What do you mean? Are you really okay?"
I managed to sit up, my head still throbbing. "I'm fine, Kirah," I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt. "I just... I think I need to use the bathroom."
Kirah looked at me, concern etched on her face. "Are you sure you're okay?" she asked, her voice filled with genuine worry.
I pushed myself up from the gym floor, still feeling a bit woozy. Kirah offered me a supportive hand, and together we made our way to the coach.
"Coach, can I use the bathroom, please?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
"Of course, Dex. Take your time," Coach replied, giving me a reassuring nod.
With Kirah by my side, I headed towards the bathroom, hoping that a moment alone would help clear my head. But as I pushed open the stall door
I locked myself in a stall, leaning against the cool metal door as I tried to steady my breathing. what happened in that dark place, and that person ... it all felt so surreal, like a nightmare that I couldn't wake up from.
And then, I felt the bile rise in my throat, and before I could react, I was vomiting into the toilet, my body heaving with the force of it. As I retched, a sudden realization struck me like a bolt of lightning.
It was real. The dark place, the figure... they were real.
As I sat there, trembling and confused, I couldn't make sense of what had happened. How could it be real? Was I losing my mind?
Slowly, I rose to my feet, I headed to the sink splashing some water on my face in a feeble attempt to wash away the lingering sense of dread. But as I looked up into the mirror, I froze.
My reflection... it was moving on its own.
My heart pounded in my chest as I watched in horror, unable to tear my eyes away. The reflection seemed to smirk at me, its movements mocking and sinister. I stumbled backward, my breath catching in my throat.
"W-who are you?" I stammered, my voice trembling with fear.
The reflection chuckled darkly, its eyes gleaming with malice. "You," it replied, its voice a chilling echo of my own. "And yet, not you."
I felt a cold shiver run down my spine as I struggled to comprehend what was happening. Was this some kind of hallucination? Or had I truly lost my grip on reality?
Before I could gather my wits, the reflection suddenly snapped back into place, as if nothing had happened. I blinked, my heart still racing with adrenaline.
"What... what just happened?" I whispered, my hands trembling as I reached out to touch the mirror. But the glass was cold and unyielding, offering no answers.
Just then, the sound of the bell rang.