Reflection of the Damned

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Reflection of the Damned


Jennifer stood at the edge of the old cabin’s porch, clutching her grandmother's shawl around her shoulders. The forest loomed like a dark sea, its trees swaying with an unsettling whisper. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and decay. 

Every night, she walked the familiar trails, a fearless explorer in the darkness. Her parents? She had never known them. Just stories of their absence, tales spun by her grandmother, filled with love and loss. The forest was her home, her friend. 

Tonight, however, something felt different. As Jennifer made her way to her favorite spot—the lake—she heard laughter echoing through the trees. It was jarring. Campers. She had seen them before, but tonight their bright lights and raucous music invaded her sacred space. 

The lake, normally a crystal mirror during the day, now appeared as a black void, absorbing the moonlight. It was unsettling, and Jennifer felt an urge to protect it. She crept closer, her heart racing as anger pulsed through her veins. 

The campers splashed and shouted, each peal of laughter aggravating her. The sounds of her usual companions—the soothing whispers of the forest—were drowned out. Instead, a new chorus filled her ears, a cacophony of screams, desperate and haunting. They clawed at her mind, demanding to be set free.

Jennifer pressed her hands to her ears, confusion washing over her. Blood trickled from her ears, warm and sticky. The screams grew louder, piercing her sanity. Her body started to convulse, a violent dance she couldn’t control. 

Then, silence fell.

In that moment, everything changed. She felt herself stretching, bones cracking and rearranging. She grew taller, towering above the trees. A wave of power surged through her, and as she stood, her legs bent at unnatural angles and her hands twisted grotesquely. 

Jennifer’s head hung low, but she turned it slowly, drawn to the campers like a moth to flame. She felt hunger—a primal, insatiable urge. They would pay for their intrusion.

One camper, a tall boy with a baseball cap, noticed the movement. He squinted, convinced it was just a tree swaying in the wind. But as he focused, his heart froze. The tree had a face. 

Jennifer smiled, a horrific grin splitting her face open. Her mouth gaped wide, the edges torn as if by claws. Hollowed eyes stared back at him, dark and empty. 

“Run!” he screamed, but it was too late. The others turned, their laughter dying in their throats as they faced the twisted figure that was once Jennifer.

She lunged, something primal taking over. The voices in her head intensified, screaming for retribution. They were familiar—her parents’ voices, echoing from the depths of her mind, urging her on. 

One by one, she tore into them, slitting them open and ripping them apart. They had invaded her sanctuary, and now they would understand the price of their intrusion. 

The boy she had seen first stood paralyzed, horror etched on his face as he watched his friends fall. Blood sprayed, painting the ground, soaking into the earth. Jennifer's laughter mingled with the screams, a haunting melody that echoed through the woods.

Finally, the boy found his voice. “Stop! Please!” He stumbled back, falling to the ground. 

Jennifer paused, tilting her head. The air was thick with coppery blood and the scent of fear. She leaned closer, feeling a strange satisfaction wash over her, but something else stirred within her. 

For a moment, clarity broke through the haze. She saw the boy, terrified and helpless, and in that instant, she felt a flicker of humanity. Who was she? What had she become?

But the voices were relentless. “Finish it!” they screamed. “They took your place!”

With a roar, she lunged again, her body moving without her consent. 

The boy’s scream pierced the night, but it was overwhelmed by a new sound—a deep, resonant laughter that seemed to echo from the lake itself. The water bubbled and churned, as if something beneath the surface rejoiced at the chaos. 

Jennifer’s vision blurred. She was both hunter and hunted, a puppet dancing to the tune of her parents’ dark legacy. In that moment of realization, she felt the weight of her actions. 

As she tore into the last camper, she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the lake. The creature staring back was no longer just a girl but a twisted version of her parents. The darkness had claimed her, just as it had claimed them. 

And then, the forest fell silent. The lake returned to its dark stillness. 

Jennifer stood alone, her mind swirling with the horror of what she had done. The voices faded, leaving only a haunting whisper, “You are one of us now.” 

The cabin stood empty, a witness to the darkness that roamed the woods, waiting for the next intruder to awaken the wrath of the forest.



Written By:- Muskan Nim
Date:- 15-08-2025

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