Chapter 15: Mirror Messages

 

Amogelang came home late that evening. She was tired from work and just wanted to take a shower and go to bed. The house was quiet. Nothing seemed strange at first. She locked the door behind her, slipped off her shoes, and sighed deeply as she walked down the hallway toward her room. She turned on the bedroom light, and everything inside her froze. Her heart dropped. On her mirror, written in large red letters, was one word: “Confess.” It was written in what looked like red lipstick. The letters were thick and uneven, smeared slightly at the edges, as if someone had rushed to write them and left in a hurry. Her eyes widened, and her whole body went cold. She didn’t move. She couldn’t. Her bag slipped from her shoulder and hit the floor with a soft thud. The sound snapped her out of her shock. She looked around the room quickly, trying to find some explanation. The windows were shut tight. The door had been locked. Nothing else seemed out of place. The bed was made. Her things were still in the same spots.

But the mirror… She stepped closer, very slowly. Her own reflection looked warped behind the red letters, almost like it was hiding behind the word. The message felt loud, even though it was silent. It screamed at her. Judged her. Confess. She reached out and touched the mirror with her fingertips. The lipstick smeared under her touch, proving it was real. Her stomach turned. She had been alone in the house. At least, she thought she had been. But someone had been inside. Someone had stood right where she was standing. Someone close enough to know where her mirror was. Someone who knew exactly what she had done. She grabbed her phone, hands shaking so badly she nearly dropped it. Her first instinct was to call Lulu. The phone rang, but there was no answer. She tried Zinhle next. Still nothing. Desperate, she opened the group chat and typed: "Someone broke into my room. They left a message on my mirror. It says CONFESS.” Her message sent. But no one replied. She waited, staring at the screen, willing someone to respond. Anything. But it stayed silent. She didn’t sleep that night. She didn’t even lie down. She sat on the edge of her bed, knees pulled to her chest, the lights all on. Every little noise made her jump. A creak in the floor. A gust of wind outside. A car driving past. It all felt like a threat. She kept glancing at the mirror, hoping somehow the message would be gone. That it had been a dream. A bad joke. But it stayed there. Bright. Red. Unmoving. The word wasn’t just on the mirror. It was in her head. Heavy. Loud. Unshakable. Confess. It felt like a curse. Like a voice whispering in the dark. Someone wanted her to pay.