Chapter 91 - Ghosted

                                    

                                          
Standing in front of the mirror in the locker room, I lather up soap in my hands and place them under the running water to wash the soap off.
I turn off the water and look up into the mirror, jumping back slightly when my reflection changes into that of a different woman. 
She has wild curly blonde hair and as soon as she turns around to walk away from me I notice the background behind her is in some sort of neighborhood.
Closing my eyes and shaking my head softly for just a moment, when I open them again the reflection in the mirror is back to the locker room and my very wide bewildered eyes looking back at me. 
I slowly reach my hand out, my fingertips touching the cold glass of the mirror before a bright light illuminates around my hand, and the hard plane of the mirror morphs into a rippling effect– pulling my hand through the mirror. 
The next thing I know, I'm completely pulled through the mirror and I land into the same neighborhood I saw behind the woman when I come out the other side.
Noticing the retreating back of the woman, who was standing before me a moment ago, walk further and further down the road I'm standing on– I quicken my steps down the street of the neighborhood after her "Hello– wait!"
She doesn't seem to be running away from me, however she keeps her steps just quick enough that I'm not able to catch up to her I wonder if she can even see me
The woman walks under a banner sign hanging above the street that reads: 
35th Annual Neighborhood Block Party 
Canaan Day 
Saturday 4pm
I lose her in a crowd, stopping my steps and looking around at the groups of people mulling about in the street and in front of their houses. 
There's families all around, laughing and enjoying a cookout while kids play on their bikes, riding through the street and younger kids are riding a carousel situated near the picnic tables.
A boombox on one of the tables clicks on and the sounds of Duran Duran's 'Hungry Like the Wolf' blares from the speakers.
I slowly move around the people, noticing every detail I can place that would put this block party as happening sometime in the 80's.
Coming to a stop near the carousel I watch it go around in a circle, seeing kids happily entertained until I notice one of the horses is empty of anyone riding it, the reason becoming clearer when it passes by me and I notice it is covered in blood.
Almost instantly, there's a darkness that comes over the atmosphere. The wind picks up, blowing my hair across my face as well as the remnants of the party. I tuck my hair behind my ears, looking up and watching the dark clouds quickly roll in the sky above me before I hear the carousel screech to a halt.
A man runs out the front door of his house, the screen slamming shut behind him and as soon as he reaches the street, he disappears in a puff of green smoke right in front of me. 
Screaming people run in all directions around me, my eyes quickly moving with each of them as I watch them run away from invisible threats. The kids on the carousel quickly disappear into the flash of green smoke, turning away from them I watch a man try to get away on his skateboard– him also disappearing in the flash of the green smoke.
Each and everyone of the people I had previously seen laughing and enjoying the party eventually all disappear in the same fashion until only the blonde woman remains.