Emily stood frozen on the doorstep, with Sophia’s screams still echoing in her ears. Tears welled up in her eyes. She had never felt so utterly alone and rejected. Even her own sister couldn’t bear to look at her. But what did she see? What was going on? And what had happened at the beach? She wiped her tears away and glanced at the closed door in front of her. Then, finally, she saw it…
An icy shiver of horror coursed through Emily as she caught sight of her reflection in the window beside the door. “What the…”, she stammered. A stranger stared back at her—a grotesque caricature, with blistered skin and swollen features. This shocking sight rattled Emily’s understanding, making it hard for her to believe what she was seeing. “No wonder everybody is disgusted by me…”, she mumbled.