“Yes, we’re finally here!” Meghna squealed excitedly.

Meghna was a 20-year-old girl who had never known fear. She was kind and helpful. The only thing that gave her pleasure was adventure. She was always in search of adventure and never stopped. Today was yet another day of her adventures.

“I don’t think we are in the right place. Let’s go back.” Aman said with a shaky and frightened voice.

Aman was Meghna’s partner in crime, though he was afraid of Meghna’s plans for adventure sometimes, he never left her alone.

In front of them stood a mansion which was believed to be haunted. It was believed to be haunted, but Meghna never believed in ghost stories so without any trace of hesitation, she went on to explore the grey and gloomy mansion. Aman followed her quietly knowing that any other word from him will only strengthen his image as a coward.

They went inside the mansion and felt as if each room was trying to tell them a story. The walls were covered with mirrors and so were the doors and windows of the house. They could see their multiple shadowy reflections. 

Aman’s throat felt dry and he had a bad feeling about the house, leading him to insist on leaving the place immediately. “You can leave if you want. I am staying here and I will explore this place myself,” said Meghna knowing that Aman would never leave her alone.

The sun went down by the time Meghna and Aman started exploring each corner of the mysterious mansion. The whole mansion was lighted then with bulbs in every part, and the pair noticed a door that stood apart from all others – a larger wooden door. Meghna immediately tried to open it, but the door didn’t open  and the lights went out which caused Aman to freak.

“Meghna, please let’s get out of here! I feel sick…and I’m getting a bad feeling about this place! Something could happen, listen to me for once!”

“Aman! Don’t be afraid. It’s not like ghosts exist anyway. It was just a coincidence – give me the torch now.”

“I left it downstairs…”

“why would you do that? Go and bring it then!” Meghna yelled, annoyed at her friend. Aman walked down the hall as Meghna waited by the door. She tried to unlock her phone but was surprised to see that it was dead. How could that happen? It was completely charged 30 minutes ago and now it was dead. She convinced herself that her phone had grown old and was just not working properly. 

She waited for Aman when she suddenly heard a faint voice from the room call her name. Her blood froze in her veins when she heard it again, and realized whose voice it was…how could she forget the voice of her mother? It was the first time she felt afraid hearing her mom’s voice. This time she tried to unlock the door and surprisingly it opened without any struggle. She was just about to step inside the room when a hand swung onto her shoulder. The fear inside her grew and, turning around she screamed, making Aman scream as well, “Relax, what happened it’s just me”

“Nothing, it was all in my head. Come on now, let’s go in.” Meghna told Aman, suppressing a shiver.

Aman passed the torch to her as she started to walk inside the room with Aman following her, when all of a sudden the door closed behind Meghna.

“Aman, open the door! I am not in the mood for jokes! Open the door right now!’

“I didn’t close the door!” shouted Aman but Meghna couldn’t even hear a whisper of anyone’s voice.

She was met with not only walls filled with mirrors, but also the bed, chair, and table – everything was covered with mirrors. Feeling helpless, she sat down in the corner where a few seconds later, she was surprised when she heard an all too familiar humming sound.

She saw a little girl humming, sitting far at the other corner of the room. The scene looked familiar to her, so she got up and went near her. Her pulse skipped and she was only anchored to fear at that moment. She ran back to the other corner and stood there, her heart pounding as fast as a running cheetah’s. That little girl was a young Meghna. She asked her why she was here and what was this place but the girl didn’t reply. Gathering up courage, Meghna walked towards her to ask the same question a bit louder but she then realized that her younger self could not see her. A few seconds later a young beautiful woman entered announcing, “Jenna, dinner is ready. Wash your hands and come quickly.” 

She heard the voice of the most amazing woman again; her mother’s. Jenna, the nickname she hadn’t heard for years. This was when she realized that she was living in her memory. The magical charm in the room was forcing her to go back and relive the worst and horrible day of her life. Never had she expected the past will haunt her like this. She knew what was coming next. She shouted Amans name for help, hit the door to break the glass but she couldn’t break it. Her hands were sweaty from fear. 

Young Jenna was running to the table when she fell down making a beautiful glass vase break and fell to the ground as well. Present-time Meghna was about to pick her up when she felt a gut-wrenching fear all of a sudden making her feel confused. Why was she so afraid? She found an explanation for her question when she saw her father running towards young Jenna. Meghna realized that she could feel the overflowing emotional pain of her younger self.

“Don’t you know how to walk, Meghna?! You broke one of my most precious vases – you ungrateful brat, this vase was so expensive!”

“I’m really sorry papa, I-.”

“Get off the floor and clean up the mess you made right this second. You will not be getting any food today.”

Young and Innocent Meghna’s face was instantly covered with fear, and she got up to clean the floor. After that, she went to her bed and cried. A while later, she got up and went to the kitchen. She was too hungry. She went there and poured some water in the glass.

“Jenna, Take this and eat quietly.” her mother whispered beside her handing over a plate full of her favourite chocolate dessert.

“Thank you mama” Meghna hugged her mother keeping the plate aside.

“And yeah don’t make any noise your father is asleep in the other room” Her mother said and Meghna could see the fear in her mother’s eyes. She knew that if her father got even a little idea about her mother sneaking her food without asking him – the results would be horrible.

The older Meghna was standing there watching her own memory again. Though the glass memory didn’t know what was gonna happen today, she knew. She knew it all from the beginning. So deep she went into her thoughts that she forgot to analyse why exactly the glass door broke.

Jenna was drinking the water when the glass fell down.

“Oh no, what did you just do Jenna? Now your father is going to find out.”

The sound of the broken glass woke her father up. Seeing Meghna eat even after he ordered her not to made him furious. He brought a thin wooden stick and started hitting her. Her younger version cried and screamed but now Meghna felt no physical pain. What she felt is not indescribable. She was and still is afraid of her father, but at the same time, she was angry and wanted to stop this. She wanted to stop this dreading fear, she wants it to go away forever. Though she cried helplessly.

Seeing her daughter get hit, Meghna’s mom came to her rescue but as usual her father was drunk and started hitting her mother instead. She asked Meghna to leave, and she left quickly without a second thought.

The same memory replayed again and again. Meghna was tired, restless and scared at the same time. This was a nightmare. When the memory played again for the fourth time, she had made up her mind. She thought if she was to live in this hell, she would rather prefer to live fearlessly. When her father started hitting her mother, this time she took the glass of water and threw it on her father. Young Meghna also did the same but the glass missed and a slight cut appeared on her father’s neck. 

The crack in the mirror appeared on the door where Meghna was locked. She couldn’t figure out why an identical crack appeared on the door.

 Megna’s father, who valued objects more than relations, grew uncontrollable and rushed towards Meghna with a piece of rope. Boiling with rage, he tried to strangle her with it. Little Meghna was unable to breathe and the same happened with the present Meghna. Confused as to what should be done, the older Meghna grabbed the knife just beside her and  dragged it across his hand to try to save the younger Megna.

Much to her surprise, blood oozed out of his hand and as soon as a drop of blood fell on the ground, there was a crack on the door. With each drop the cracks increased. The older Meghna realised that as she was living her memories and the quicker she overcame her fear, the faster she would be able to escape the room. She went to her father, took the knife out and stabbed her father everywhere and the door burst into pieces. 

She fell on the ground. Aman was waiting the whole night outside. He picked her up. She whispered, “Let’s get out of here. It was a hell of a ride, indeed.”