Lane took a moment to come back to their senses, for their stomach to calm down and their vision to stop swimming. Lane took deep, slow breaths. Carefully, they lifted themself upright again. 

The air felt strangely stagnant. Lane looked around, it didn’t look like any part of the school they knew. A hall infinitely stretched out in front of them, a fractal dream of reflecting surfaces repeating in all directions. Music from a distant calliope echoed faintly.

 Lane turned around but the door was gone. 

Their stomach sank. Lane started forward, eyes darting around for any sign of an exit. Mirrors bulged and twisted, warping Lane’s image. Some reflections towered over Lane, long and skinny, some were small enough to be stepped on. 

“Hello?” Lane called out, receiving no answer.

Lane reached the end of the hall, staring up at the enormous mirror that waited there for them. The mirror’s frame was decorated loudly with faux-ornate red and gold trimming, and the mirror itself seemed to ripple and sag with heat and age. 

Lane stared at their reflection in the mirror. They looked sickly and on the verge of tears. Lane thought they deserved it.

There laid a path to the left, lined with mirrors as well, but the ceiling hung a little lower, the lighting more dimly lit. Something about how the path extended out, shrinking into the distance, Lane found very ominous.

Slowly, Lane made their way through the path. As they walked, the ceiling got lower and lower, until they had to crouch slightly. 

There was a creaking sound.

“Is anyone there?”

Nothing. It must have been an echo.

Lane’s heart started beating faster as they continued in search of an exit. The mirrors warped their form as if in mockery. The music got a little louder, maybe Lane was getting close. They picked up speed. They turned a corner, the music played a little louder, the ceiling hung a little lower.

The sound of footsteps came from behind.

Lane broke out into a full sprint. Their heart was about to beat out from their chest. The path forked into left and right, Lane went right, the footsteps grew louder, the music grew louder. Tears ran down Lane’s face.

A dead end. The footsteps stopped.  

Lane turned around, bracing themself. 

They were inches away from a face, their own. A mirror.

Lane was disoriented. They must have spun around and the mirrors made them lose their bearings. They watched the reflection mirror their actions. Lane tried to ground themself, looking around for a path to take.

Something caught their sleeve.

A hand. 

The arm was outstretched from the reflection. 

The face was pale, contorted into a soundless, pained scream. 

Lane’s blood ran cold.

Lane spotted the path and ripped their sleeve out of the grasping hand, running with everything they had. Lane turned a corner.

All the reflections stared at Lane, the chilling expressions clear through the warped mirror.

“Get away from me!” Lane screamed.

A door became visible, Lane sped up.

A reflection blocked the way.

“I hate you!” 

Lane’s voice was sore, their eyes red and puffy. Lane wiped their tears and sniffed, a heavy lump in their throat.

“You finally get another chance, and you screw everything up!”

Lane turned around, facing away from the door’s reflection, their voice getting quieter, still shaking.

“Why are you so fucking worthless?”

Lane ran through the door.

Lane tumbled out of the back of the auditorium, the door slamming shut behind them. Susan, Sammy and Riley ran up to Lane, Susan turning off her flashlight and wrapping around Lane in a tight embrace. Lane began to sob.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” Lane gasped out between sharp inhales.