Darkness pooled into my house, blanketing it with night's embrace. Stirred awake by an incessant knocking, I stumbled out of bed and angrily made my way over to the door. However, all that greeted me through the little window of the peephole was still air.

I couldn't see anyone but the knocking continued, as loud and irritating as ever. Frustrated, I opened the door. The second the door cracked open all the knocking ceased. It was painfully silent. Neither the quiet hum of the busted streetlight or the soft chirps of crickets could be heard. At my feet was a box, it's weathered sides were held together by bright warning tape. Every so often the box would rattle. The muffled scratching coming from within made me question how the measly tape wrapped around it even managed to hold the box together.

Did someone abandon their pet?

Maybe it was a prank.

But who would be out at this hour?

I took a look around again. There was still nobody in sight. I nudged the box with my foot and suddenly the scratching stopped. Cautiously, I pushed it to the end of the porch. I would just get rid of it in the morning. For now, all I wanted to do was get back into bed.

The door creaked shut behind me as I wandered through the darkness of my home once more. Yawning, I shuffled back into my bedroom, only to stop dead in the doorway. Sitting atop my bed was the same box I left on my porch. This time, instead of the soft scratching sounds, an angry snarl drew my attention. The box shook on my bed as though something were trying to escape.

As alarmed as I was, a deep rooted curiosity gnawed at my mind. Part of me wanted to tear the box open and see what was inside. Unfortunately, logic was not enough to drown the impulse and I approached the box. When I got close the growling and shaking stopped the way it had when I first touched it. A faint whispering filled the room but it was too low to make out. So against my better judgement I shuffled to my bed and pressed my ear to the box.

The sound was suddenly so clear that I couldn't help but flinch. I grabbed the box and swiftly tossed it back onto the porch.

The lack of sleep must be getting to me.

Yeah. That's it. I just need to go back to bed. Everything will be fine in the morning. Crawling into bed, I pulled the covers over my head. Minutes turned into hours and yet still I was unable to fall asleep. Each time I felt myself beginning to drift I would be shaken awake by the call of whatever was in that box.

It called to me so fervently that I began to feel guilty for not taking a look at whatever was inside. Try as I might, I could no longer ignore it when the knocking resumed. I threw myself out of bed once more and b-lined for the door. With an urgency I didn't even know I could muster, I swung the door open and fell to my knees, tearing at tape like a desperate animal. I stopped only to pull the box back into my house. It was all I could do to keep from ripping apart the already mangled box itself.

My chest heaved with anticipation as I gingerly pulled open the box. Once it was opened everything stopped. There was no more whispering, no more scratching, just...silence. I leaned over to look at what was inside. A small hand mirror lay at the bottom, clearly too small for the size of the box it was in. The delicate little carvings on it's handle looked faded, it's colour having long been worn out. I picked up the aged mirror and wiped the dust off of it's surface. It was then that I noticed something peculiar. My reflection had no face!

I dropped the mirror, instinctively bringing my hands up to my face. I felt silly. Of course there was nothing wrong with my face. Collecting myself, I glanced down at the shattered pieces of glass at my feet to see the skin on my faceless reflection tear open as if it were smiling.

"You opened it!" It sang in it's distorted voice.

The broken reflection touched it's face and before I knew it, I was mirroring their actions. My finger's grazed my skin except this time, there was something off. I drew my hand back and was met with fresh blood. A deep sense of dread hammered in my chest and I sprinted to the bathroom. The lights flickered on to reveal my severely cracked face. The bloodied pieces fit together at uncomfortable angles, the same way it did in the broken hand mirror. It's deformed mouth opened disturbingly, letting out an inhuman wail.

An equally horrified scream ripped itself from my throat as I covered my ears and shut my eyes as tight as I could, willing it all to be some kind of nightmare.

Perhaps the universe heard my pleas because when I opened my eyes again, I was in bed, drenched in sweat and breathing heavily. With shaking hands I pulled myself out of bed and raced to the bathroom.

Everything was...normal?

A knock at my door startled me. With each hesitant step I took towards it I could feel my heartbeat quicken and my palms get just a tad bit sweatier. Poking my head around the door, I felt myself forget how to breathe.

Sitting on my porch was a mangled cardboard box held together by bright warning tape and from within it came a soft whisper.

"Open it."