GRAND WINNER

Stepping Into The Reflectaverse 

Water flooded the pavement, its essence dark. It was like a foreign substance flooding the parisian streets, purple moonlight reflecting off the ever-growing black mirror.

Marinette backed away from it. Something was off.

"Halloween's light, a shimmering, purple night. Obsidian waters come in rushes, but the way out will be powerful in its jerking clutches. To the top you will rise, but only when all fear flies. Do not let It in, for when It knocks does curiosity win. Once snagged, It you will be tagged. It becomes you, and you become It. Only when all are lifeless will you awake from the darkness," chanted the four students in unison.

A flame lit each lantern spontaneously, and each widened their eyes.

Without much question nor haste did they offer the beacons a hesitant push, lifting them into the sky to lead lost spirits back to their paths.

But the spirits had other plans in mind.

A gust of wind came crashing from the sky towards their boat, and the flames were whisked from their perches, sending the lanterns back into gravity's pull. Half toppled into the boat and half splashed into the water.

Next to go was the group of friends, as they were shoved by unseen forces into the river with protesting shrieks and shouts. An incalculable weight reeled them in deeper, and a cold grip dragged them into the Reflectaverse.

"Nino, don't touch the water!" the blunette warned frantically.

Her warning was fruitless; the black mass flooded towards him faster than he could step away, and the instant it licked his shoe, electricity climbed into his veins and violated his muscles. They convulsed with uncontrollable jerks, and he flopped, still shaking, into the dark substance. Soon his movement ceased altogether.

"Nino! No!" Alya shrilled. A shivering hand covered her mouth, which was agape with shock. She pivoted to face the two remaining, but turned back immediately as a sickening sound prickled from her boyfriend's body.

His skin bubbled, and slowly he dissolved into the water. Vapor hissed from the spot where he had laid, unmoving.

His friends were appalled.

Consecutively, Nino rose to the surface of the river, next to their boat. But he didn't breath; he didn't move.

Alya squeaked, but she backed away as the liquid continued to close in on them.

Someone had to take charge.

"Follow me," Adrien said before running off.

The two girls did as told, too frightened to decide otherwise.

Busted down were the front gates of his mansion, but they warily rushed into the house and slammed the front door shut, which was left ajar upon their arrival.

Inside it was gloomy, except for a few flickering lights. There was no sound; no sound at all. All except their beating hearts. The silence rung in their ears. They stood there, breathing heavily.

Marinette let her back fall against the door with a thunk, and she slid down to the floor, head in her hands. She sat there for a moment, a consistent ba-bump, ba-bump echoing in her ears.

Sssshhhhhhh.

A small sound crescendoed into existence.

SSSSHHHH.

It became louder.

"Do you hear that?" Alya asked, looking around, although it didn't do much.

"I think the appropriate question is 'Do you see that?'" Adrien replied, the alarm clear in his voice.

Both girls turned their heads to the staircase, which loomed just ahead.

A light flashed, illuminating the room. Black liquid flooded down the steps.

Abruptly, Marinette stood.

Sight flickered in her eyes once again. The floor, too, had water flowing across its marbled surface.

They only had one chance to get this right.

"Quickly, come with me!" Marinette shouted. Adrien followed, but Alya stayed behind, mesmerized by something.

Knock, knock, knock.

Someone was at the door. She had to answer.

A trance of curiosity brought her hand to the doorknob. But curiosity killed the cat. The substance was only a few feet from her foot as she opened the door.

Thick fog greeted her. It was palpable, and she choked on it as tendrils of It invaded the house, snaking through the small opening and into the darkness. She fell to her knees, wheezing; unable to breath.

The silhouette of a person stood in the mist, waiting. Finally, the fog cleared, and It faded into view.

There stood Nino. His pupils had expanded to cover the whites of his eyes, and he grinned. "I've come to play tag."

Marinette and Adrien stood, petrified, on the landing. "Run," they said in unison, and did so, knowing that there was no way to help Alya, for it most certainly wasn't Nino at the door.

Not at all.

The water rushed into contact with the ombre's knees. She shook violently before falling at the feet of It. Her body bubbled into nothingness, and a vapor swirled from where she had laid.

Alya rose to the surface of the river, and she bobbed next to Nino, still as a statue, as if she wasn't alive.

It inhaled the vapor like it was a sweet scent, and stepped into the house, unphased by the electricity flowing in growing proportions as it coursed through the black liquid splashing at his shoes.

The imposter began to count down from ten, taking one step shortly after the other as he maneuvered toward the staircase.

"Ten... nine... eight... seven..."

His voice resonated from every corner of the house, not a single number going unheard.

"Six... five... four..."

Marinette and Adrien raced through dark hallways, quick breaths filling and emptying their lungs with fear.

"Three... two..."

The blond silently noted after passing several bathrooms that the water pooled from every sink, every bathtub in the house. Every faucet was turned on, a midnight-purple substance pouring out onto the floor.

A light-bulb on the ceiling flickered, revealing the visage of their friend standing at the end of the hallway.

His grin widened.

In a low voice, he announced, "Ready or not, here I come."

It charged at them at an inhuman speed.

Marinette found herself searching around for something, anything to help them. Just behind, water crawled forwards, marking that escape as a dead end. But beside her, she spotted a candlestick resting on a dusty table.

She snatched it, blew out the flame, and brandished it like a sword. A blade grew in the candle's place.

Nino attacked, and so did she, stepping in front of Adrien.

But the steel sliced through thin air. Nino's visage dissipated into fog.

Marinette heard a splash from behind her and whipped around.

Alya stood in front of Adrien, who convulsed in the water, sparks of electricity shocking his muscles. Her hands were outstretched as if she'd pushed him, and a despicable grin spread across her face.

Adrien's body floated to the surface of the river.

"No!" the blunette screeched.

The imposter dispersed once again, and Marinette began to hyperventilate. Her hands became clammy, and she dropped the candlestick sword on the ground with a clang.

The blade shrunk back into a candle.

She braced herself with a sharp intake of breath as she let the obsidian liquid reach her feet. Her eyes were squeezed shut. Pain filled her every nerve, then everything blackened.

Suddenly she was clambering for oxygen, gasping for air as she paddled in the dark water. They all were. Each breath puffed a cloud, for the air was frigid, and so was the river.