It was one morning, about a week later, that the world tilted on its axis.
I woke up feeling exhausted, a deep, cellular weariness. A hot shower, I thought, would shock me back to life. I turned the knob until the water should have been scalding, but as it cascaded over my skin, I felt nothing. Not hot, not cold. Just a strange numbness, a profound disconnect between my body and the world. I chalked it up to fatigue.
"Cass! Breakfast is ready!" Grandma's voice echoed from the kitchen.
I dressed and walked toward the sound, finding her at the stove with her back to me. She was still calling my name.
"I'm right here, Granny," I said, a smile playing on my lips. "You can't see me? I think your eyes are getting old."
"Cass, please be fast, dear!" she called again, completely ignoring me.
A prickle of unease ran down my spine. I reached out to touch her shoulder, to let her know I was there. My fingers made contact with the fabric of her blouse, but she didn't react
"What is wrong with her?" I muttered. I gave the cloth a small, insistent tug.
She turned around with a gasp. "Oh, my Lord!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide as they scanned the empty space around her. "What was that? I felt like something pulled my shirt." She peered past me, down the hallway. "She must have gone out looking for work without eating. Oh, that poor child."
I ran to my bedroom, my heart pounding a frantic rhythm against my ribs. I stared into the full-length mirror on the closet door.
And saw nothing.
Not a reflection. Not a flicker of movement. Just the empty room staring back at me.
"No," I whispered, backing away. I stumbled into the bathroom and stared at the mirror above the sink. The same terrifying emptiness. The soap dish, the toothbrush holder, the floral wallpaper—but no me.
This is a dream. A nightmare. "Wake up, Cass. Wake up!" I slapped my cheek, but there was no sting, only the faint pressure of impact. The world remained stubbornly, terrifyingly real.
The truth crashed down on me with the force of a physical blow. My stupid, childish wish had come true.