Jessica's sneakers squeaked against the polished hallway floor as she hurried to her locker, still rattled from the previous night's events at the haunted house. The fluorescent lights overhead buzzed with their usual Monday morning drone, but today the sound felt more ominous than annoying. The memory of Salina collapsing after touching that mirror kept replaying in her mind–the way her friend's fingers had traced the ornate black frame, the sudden rigidity in her spine, and then that horrible moment when her eyes had rolled back and she'd crumpled to the floor like a marionette with cut strings.

  She'd texted her friend repeatedly last night, fingers trembling as she typed message after message. The responses had been sparse–just a single cryptic "I'm fine" that had appeared around 3 AM, doing nothing to ease Jessica's racing thoughts. She'd tossed and turned until dawn, replaying the moment in the mirror room over and over, trying to understand what she'd seen in that split second before Salina collapsed. Had there really been another face reflected behind her friend's? Or was that just her imagination, fueled by too many horror movies and the creepy atmosphere of the abandoned mansion?

  "Hey." Kevin's voice made her jump, her history textbook nearly slipping from her grasp. He leaned against the neighboring locker, dark circles under his eyes suggesting he'd slept about as well as she had. His usually neat button-down shirt was wrinkled, and his black hair stuck up at odd angles like he'd been running his hands through it constantly. "Heard anything from—"

  The words died in his throat. Jessica followed his gaze down the hall and froze, her heart stuttering in her chest.

  Salina strode through the front doors of Moon High like she owned the place. But this wasn't the Salina they knew–not the girl who spent weekends hunting through thrift stores for vintage band t-shirts, who made jewelry from old computer parts and wore mismatched socks on principle. Gone were her usual layered outfits and DIY accessories. Instead, she wore a fitted black dress that probably cost more than Jessica's entire wardrobe; the fabric flowing like a liquid shadow around her frame. Knee-high boots clicked ominously against the floor, each step precise and purposeful. Her makeup was flawless—smoky eyes and blood-red lips that made her look like she'd stepped out of a high-fashion magazine's "Gothic Glamour" spread. Even her hair, usually black, had been transformed into sleek white like snow.

  "Is that...?" Jessica whispered, unable to complete the question.

  "I think so?" Kevin adjusted his glasses like they might malfunction, smudging the lenses in his distraction.

  The usual morning chaos of the hallway parted before Salina like waves before a ship's prow. Even the rowdiest freshman stepped aside, conversations dying mid-sentence as she passed. She moved with a fluid grace Jessica had never seen in her usually awkward friend, who typically stumbled over her own feet at least twice before first period. When she reached them, Salina's lips curved into a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, which seemed darker than Jessica remembered–almost bottomless.

  "Jessica. Kevin." Her voice held an edge Jessica didn't recognize, like honey laced with ground glass. "Love what you've done with your hair, Jessica. The whole 'rolled out of bed' look is very... authentic."

  Jessica's hand flew self-consciously to her hastily assembled blonde hair, suddenly aware of every flyaway strand. "Salina, are you okay? After last night—"

  "Never better." Salina's laugh held a brittle quality that made Jessica's skin crawl, echoing slightly too long in the crowded hallway. "In fact, I've never felt more like myself."

  "But the mirror—" Kevin started, his voice catching as Salina's gaze snapped to him.

  "Ancient glass in a dusty house." Salina waved a perfectly manicured hand, nails gleaming like polished obsidian. "I just got dizzy, that's all. No total worries, okay?" She checked her phone, expression cooling to something that made Jessica think of winter frost on window panes. "I've got to run. Cheer practice this afternoon, right Jessica?"

  Jessica nodded mutely, trying to reconcile this poised creature with the friend who'd once spent an entire pep rally hiding in the bathroom because she couldn't handle a crowd once.

  "Perfect. I have some thoughts about our routine. Can't wait to share them with everyone." With another knife-edge smile, Salina clicked away down the hall, leaving a wake of whispers in her path. The scent of her perfume lingered–something expensive and exotic that made Jessica think of midnight blooming flowers and decay.

  "Okay, that was weird, right?" Kevin asked, voice pitched low as other students drifted back into motion. "Like, we're not imagining things?"

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  "Totally weird." Jessica watched Salina disappear around a corner, that uneasy feeling in her stomach growing stronger with each passing second. "Since when does she care about cheer routines?"

  "Since when does she wear Valentino?" Kevin's eyes widened at Jessica's confused look. "That dress? It's from their latest collection. My mom begged my dad to buy it for their anniversary, but he said it would cost half of his salary. We're talking serious money here–like, more than my car cost."

  Jessica's mind flashed to Salina's well-worn Doc Martens and carefully curated thrift store finds, to all the times they'd split a value meal at the local burger joint because neither of them could afford their own. "But how—"

  The warning bell cut through their conversation like a knife, making them both flinch. Kevin squeezed her shoulder, his hand trembling slightly. "We'll figure it out. Text me after practice?"

  Jessica nodded, but as she headed to class, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong with their friend. The mirror in the haunted house flashed through her mind again–that ornate silver frame, the way the glass had seemed to ripple like water when Salina touched it, and that other face she'd glimpsed for just a moment. A face that looked like Salina's, but older, crueler, with eyes that held nothing but endless darkness.

  *****

  The late afternoon sun beat down on the practice field as Jessica led the Mighty Wolf Squad through their warm-up stretches. The November air held a hint of autumn crispness, but sweat still beaded on her forehead as she showed a proper toe touch. She tried to focus on coaching the newer girls through proper form, but her attention kept drifting to Salina, who hadn't bothered changing into her cheerleading uniform. Instead, she lounged on the sidelines in her designer dress, tapping away at her phone with a bored expression that seemed entirely foreign on her face.

  "Salina?" Jessica called out, keeping her voice steady despite the unease churning in her stomach. "We're about to start the routine. Want to join us?"

  Salina looked up, that unsettling smile playing across her lips again. The late afternoon light caught her eyes strangely, making them appear almost colorless for a moment. "Oh, I thought I'd just observe today. Get a feel for things from a different perspective."

  Something in her tone made Jessica's shoulders tense–a hint of condescension that had never been there before. "Everyone needs to participate—"

  "Actually," Salina rose gracefully to her feet, the movement so fluid it seemed almost choreographed, "I've been watching your routines, and I have some suggestions."

  The other girls stopped stretching, attention drawn to the brewing confrontation. Jessica noticed several of them eyeing Salina's transformation with poorly concealed admiration. Tiffany, their captain, was practically drinking in every detail of Salina's outfit, while Amber and Mia whispered behind their hands, shooting glances between Jessica and her transformed friend.

  "Our routine is totally fine," Jessica reminded her, fighting to keep her voice level even as her heart raced. The routine had been her design, carefully crafted over months of practice. “It helped us win the competition last year.”

  "And it was adequate." Salina's smile sharpened like a blade being honed. "But don't you think it's time we tried something a little more... ambitious?"

  Before Jessica could respond, Salina launched into a complex series of moves that shouldn't have been possible in that dress and those boots. Her body moved with an inhuman grace, each transition flowing seamlessly into the next. The routine was darker, more aggressive than anything they'd done before—almost hypnotic in its intensity. Her limbs seemed to trace patterns in the air that left afterimages in Jessica's vision, like smoke trails that spelled out words in a language she couldn't quite read.

  When she finished, the squad burst into spontaneous applause. Even Tiffany looked impressed, and she never approved of anything that wasn't her idea. Several girls were swaying slightly, as if still caught in the rhythm of Salina's performance.

  "That was amazing!" Amber gushed, her eyes slightly unfocused. "Where did you learn those moves?"

  "Oh, you know." Salina's eyes locked with Jessica's, and for a moment they seemed to reflect the dying sun like mirrors. "I've picked up a few things."

  "We can't change the routine now," Jessica protested, her voice sounding weak even to her own ears. "There is another competition next year that could lead us into the championship—"

  "Which is plenty of time to learn something new." Salina's voice carried across the field like dark honey. "Unless you're worried about not being able to keep up?"

  A few snickers rippled through the squad. Jessica felt her cheeks burn as she noticed several girls nodding along with Salina's words. Even Camella couldn't seem to tear her gaze away from Salina.

  "Alright! All in favor of trying Salina's routine?" Tiffany called out, clearly enjoying the drama. Her smile held a mean edge that reminded Jessica of sharks scenting blood.

  Every hand shot up except Jessica's. Some girls raised both hands, as if compelled by an invisible force.

  "Democracy in action." Salina's smile was pure poison now. "Don't worry, Jessica. I'm sure you'll catch on, eventually. After all, everyone deserves a chance to... improve themselves."

  The rest of practice passed in a blur as Salina took charge, drilling the squad through her new choreography. Jessica watched in growing horror as her teammates fell under Salina's spell, hanging on her every word and movement. Even the most difficult sections came naturally to them, as if some unseen force was guiding their bodies through the motions. Their movements synced up with uncanny precision, like puppets controlled by the same set of strings.

  When Tiffany finally called an end to practice, Jessica lingered behind, watching Salina hold court with a group of admirers. Her friend's laugh carried across the field—cold, sharp, and nothing like the shy giggle Jessica remembered. It reminded her of breaking glass, of winter wind whistling through dead trees.

  "Looking good out there, ladies!" Coach Harris called from the sidelines, his usually critical expression replaced with something approaching awe. "Salina, that new routine will truly lead us to the championships.”

  Jessica's stomach twisted as Salina preened under the praise. This wasn't right. None of this was right. The Salina she knew would rather die than be the center of attention, let alone take over a cheer practice. The same girl who'd had a panic attack before their freshman year talent show was now commanding the squad like she'd been born to it.

  As if sensing her thoughts, Salina turned and met Jessica's gaze. For a split second, Jessica could have sworn her friend's eyes flickered completely black, like empty mirrors reflecting nothing but darkness. The same darkness she'd glimpsed in that ancient mirror the night before, right before Salina collapsed.

  Then Salina blinked, and the moment passed. But as Jessica gathered her things and headed for the parking lot, she couldn't shake the image from her mind. Or the growing certainty that whatever had come back from that haunted house last night wasn't really Salina at all. The thing wearing her friend's face might have everyone else fooled, but Jessica knew better. She'd seen what lived in that mirror, if only for a moment–and now she was watching it walk around in Salina's skin, wearing her smile like an ill-fitting mask.

  The question was: what was she going to do about it?