The boardwalk had been condemned since before any of us were born, but the dare never died: six kids, one flashlight, the Hall of Mirrors at the dead end of the pier. Salt wind rattled the boarded ticket booth as we squeezed inside. The air went still and warm, like breath. Then our six reflections stepped in beside us, perfectly in time. "Okay," Maya whispered. "Now what?"

I shined the light right at my reflection to prove it was just me. But my reflection didn't squint at the brightness. It smiled instead, slow and wrong, and lifted one finger to its lips. Shhh. Behind me, someone gasped.

I stumbled back into Theo, and we both stared as every reflection in the maze stopped copying us. They turned their heads toward the center of the hall, all at once, like they heard something we couldn't. "We have to go," Theo breathed. "Right now."

We ran for the exit, but the reflections ran the other way, deeper in, dragging the warmth with them. The air turned freezing and ordinary. We climbed out the broken board onto the windy pier and looked back. The Hall of Mirrors was dark and silent now, like it had finally fallen asleep. Six of us walked home.