The Haunted Gazebo

When Casandra went outside to play that Tuesday afternoon, the sky had turned a murky gray, and the leaves had hunkered down- seeming to protect the branches of their trees. The wind whistled an eerie sound, and short bursts of light pulsed through the clouds.

Casandra ran into the gazebo to take cover and also to finish the book she'd left there; THE HAUNTED GAZEBO. She picked it up- but dropped it just as fast as if someone had slapped her hand.

“HELP!” the book yelled…

Cassandra spun around to see what was wrong. Rain sprinkled down, coming faster until it began pelting the flowers in the garden.

“Casandra…look into the mirror” she heard the book say.

Although there normally wasn’t a mirror in the gazebo, a portrait sized golden-framed mirror dropped from the roof, hovering in the center of the gazebo. Casandra crept towards it, and peeked up.

“AUGH!!!!”

A scared girl looked back at Casandra; about the same age but with long braids, and a flower in her hair. She was holding a book.

“It’s just me,” said Casandra…”I’m not scary.” The girl in the mirror took a deep breath, slowly exhaling.

“Why do you need help?” asked Casandra.

“I’m reading THE HAUNTED GAZEBO,” said the girl. “and I can’t find my page. My name is Casandra.”

“But I’m Casandra!” said Casandra. “Who are you really?”

“I’m Casandra!” said the girl.

There was a clap of thunder and Casandra covered her ears. When she looked up again, the mirror was GONE! The rain slowed, the flowers hung their heads, and her damp book lay on the ground, looking innocent; just like any other book.

Cassandra picked up the book so she could read the last chapter and forget about the other Cassandra. But as she removed her bookmark, she realized it had been moved to an earlier chapter… was that why the other Cassandra couldn’t find her place?

“WEIRD!” said Cassandra. “Maybe there really are haunted gazebos…” She shrugged her shoulders, flipped to the last chapter, and finished her book.

The End