A jarring screech roared throughout the room.

The woman in red got up suddenly from her comfortable bed, shaking in a cold sweat.  She looked around in a hurried fashion, her eyes searching around the room rapidly in search of anything unfamiliar.  

The room was compact with only a tightly packed desk chair, a surprisingly congenial bed, a dim lamp sat next to it, and a lengthy, dusty mirror attached to the wall across from the bed.

The walls of the room were dark brown, covered in torn wallpaper and scratches.  There was little ventilation, and hidden in the room was only one deafening sound.

Silence.

Must’ve been from outside, she thought reassuringly.

The woman, comforted, sat back down, ready to go back to sleep, when another jarring screech began.  

She started to look around again, prepared to walk around the room.  

Getting down from her bed, she trod carefully around the room, not making any sudden movements.  The only sounds she could hear were her hushed breathing and her gradually increasing heart rate, with not a peep coming from any other part of the room.

I’m overthinking this- it’s nothing.

Her fatigue now gone, she sat down on her bed, irritated, as she stared into her reflection in the mirror.

Voluminous curls wrapped around her head all the way to her lower back, as her icy fingertips felt around her oval-shaped face for anything recognizable.  Her fierce eyes glanced herself up and down- her delicate skin was covered in a white and red dress, going down to her mid-thighs.  Her red-painted feet scraped the dark floorboards.  She looked back up to catch her savage stare.

CREAK

She ignored the sound as she continued to stare at herself.  Despite it all, she was beautiful.  She had nothing to fear.

The sound got louder.

She continued to ignore it.  She had never realized how captivating she looked in red.

And louder.

Wait, what was she doing?  She was running- and rightfully so.  When they caught her, they would do horrible things to her.

And louder.

She was a monster- but she had to run.  She didn’t know why they called her so, but she knew she had to protect herself.

And louder.

She had nobody.  She must leave- be on red alert at all times.  She didn’t have time to ogle herself, she needed to go soon, she needed to hide again, she needed to-

Louder.

She searched the room anxiously with her eyes, trembling.

Louder.

Please, don’t do this. I’m a good person, I don’t do bad things, this isn’t me.

LOUDER.

She sat down on the floor, curled up in a ball, ready for impact.

LOUDER.

Please- I’m begging you, whoever-whatever you are.  I’m good, I didn’t do this!

LOUDER.

A booming knock came from the room door.  They had come for her.

LOUDER.

“Open up, Monster- you will pay for what you’ve done!”

LOUDER.

I’ll do anything- please.  I’m a good person, I just want to be safe, I’ll do whatever you ask!

The screeching stopped.

The knocking continued; however, as she slowly looked up, teary-eyed, she saw her reflection grinning at her, glinty-eyed.

Whatever I ask, eh?  Your wish is my command.

As the woman’s facial expression began to resemble the reflection, the knocking stopped as the person on the other side began to realize what was happening.

The woman looked down at her red-stained dress and feet from the person on the other side’s family, smiling ear to ear before getting up to open the door eagerly.

Run.