The silver orb hung above in the starless sky, washing down rays of faint light on the weary traveler. The road was completely deserted, no creature stirring in the woods. The man trudged on the rough pavement scraping his shoes, his breath twisting in the breeze that rustled the dead leaves. Large trees stood at the edge of the road, their gnarled branches and trunks groaning. A crack sounded making the man jump, but he relaxed when he saw it was only a twig that broke off. He clutched his lapel and sighed heavily, continuing on to find the inn. The old hag said that the inn was three miles from the town where he started, but he has been walking much longer than expected. He was starting to question if he should have even believed her, though it was too late to turn back now.

Suddenly, rain began to plunge to the ground, piercing the man's exposed skin. Thunder rumbled angrily as bolts of lightning lashed out. The man tried to cover his face to no avail, for the howling wind drove the deluge at him. He whistled when he saw a hazy light in the distance. Could it be...? The man wasted no time. He broke into a sprint and sped down the road, relief flooding through him as an enormous house loomed in front of his eyes. It was an old mansion with splintered wood and iron gates. Ivy clung to the sides desperately, snaking up chimneys and dramatic arches. He paused at the gateway, inspecting the structure of the house. Although time and weather had worn away its exterior, it seemed that it would shield him from the storm.

He pushed open the gate, cringing at the squeal of the rusted iron. He hurried towards the doorway, pounding on it with the knocker. There was no answer besides the murmur of the gale, so he awkwardly shoved the door open to reveal a vast room. The walls were decorated with peeling wallpaper and unlit candles and numerous paintings. Lavish furniture was spread across the wooden floor, crimson rugs lying on the ground.

The man exhaled happily and took off his drenched coat and muddy boots. All of a sudden, an odd rap, rap, rap sound echoed in the room. He glanced around but saw nothing out of the ordinary. He walked to the base of a spiraling staircase and strained his ears, listening intently. The sound came again, a little louder this time. As he was about to go upstairs, a gust slammed the door shut behind him, sending the man into a thick, inky darkness. He gulped and scanned the room for a light source. He grabbed a candle and took out a match, allowing the light to illuminate his face. He lit the candle and crept up the steps slowly.

At the top rail, the sinister rap, rap, rap grew slightly louder. The man realized it was coming from the left hallway, so cautiously walked down it. He came to a heavy, wooden door with a bolt. The sound was coming from behind it. He unbolted the door and found himself in front of another yet more suffocated staircase. He climbed the tight stairs and came upon a hatch above him. He pushed his shoulder against it, but it would not budge. Rap, rap, rap. The sound was almost deafening now.

Determination surged through the man as he struggled to open the hatch. Throwing all his weight against it, he managed to shove it open. Crawling out he collapsed onto the floor. The man wheezed and stood up shakily.      

The room was completely desolate, apart from a lonely mirror propped against the back wall. The rim of the mirror was a faded silver with intricate roses engraved on it. The man stepped closer hesitantly, his breath catching in his throat as the rap, rap, rap reverberated again. He stiffened as a child appeared in the mirror. Her dark hair cascaded over her shoulders, curling at the edges. The girl's skin was a ghostly pale, while she wore a white, lace dress coming right below her knees. Her eyes were a dull silver and glazed over, peering at the man who was frozen with fear.

She lifted her delicate hand, tapping her nails against the glass. On the third tap, the mirror shattered into millions of shards just as the match sizzled out. The man gasped as the child stepped out of the mirror. With every crackle of lightning, he saw her glide closer. Then, before he knew it, the little girl was standing in front of him.

She grinned innocently and whispered softly into his ear, "Welcome." She touched his shoulder, causing a searing pain to erupt through his body. The man shrieked in agony while he crumpled to the cold floor, writhing. He held out his hand, watching in horror as it began to disintegrate. The girl giggled and stepped back into the mirror as it mended itself. The man screamed one last time as his flesh disappeared, his remains only a pile of ash that was scattered in the abandoned house, never to be found.