The Silent Witness: A Policeman's Unseen Ally

The moon hung low in the sky, casting long shadows over the narrow, winding road. Policeman Liu had been on his rounds, the night's silence only occasionally broken by the distant howl of a dog or the rustle of leaves in the wind. His flashlight cut through the darkness, illuminating the road ahead and the occasional patch of damp earth where rainwater lingered.

The call had come in just before midnight. A report of a possible break-in at a small, abandoned farmhouse a few miles off the main road. Liu had little to go on but the address and the vague description of a suspicious figure seen loitering around the property. He decided to check it out, his instincts telling him there was more to this than met the eye.

As he approached the farm, the house loomed large and imposing, its windows dark and lifeless. Liu stepped out of his car, the sound of his footsteps echoing off the surrounding fields. He could feel an eerie presence, a sense of being watched, but no one was there. He approached the front door, his flashlight cutting through the darkness as he peered inside.

The house was old, its wooden floorboards creaking under his weight. The air was cool and stale, and the faint scent of decay lingered in the air. He moved cautiously, searching for any signs of the break-in, but found nothing. It was as if someone had cleaned up immediately after the incident.

Liu's phone buzzed in his pocket, the screen lighting up in the darkness. He ignored it, his attention focused on the house. As he continued his search, he felt a cold breeze brush against his back, a chill that sent shivers down his spine. He turned, but saw nothing but the darkness of the night.

Suddenly, the floorboards creaked again, louder than before. Liu spun around, his flashlight beam cutting through the darkness, but saw nothing. He moved forward, his footsteps growing heavier, the silence in the house oppressive. He reached the end of the hallway, the door to what appeared to be the attic open a crack.

Without thinking, Liu pushed the door open and stepped inside. The attic was filled with old furniture and dusty trunks, the air thick with musty scent. He began to search the room, his flashlight flickering over the various items, when he noticed a small, ornate mirror sitting on a wooden shelf.

Curiosity piqued, Liu approached the mirror. It was old, its glass cloudy with age, but the frame was intricately carved, depicting scenes of a life long past. He reached out and touched it, the wood cool and smooth under his fingers. As his hand brushed against the glass, a shadow seemed to form within it, a figure standing motionless.

Liu's heart skipped a beat. He stepped back, the presence in the mirror solidifying into a figure, a woman in period clothing, her eyes wide with fear. She reached out to him, her hand passing through his own, her voice a whisper carried on the wind.

"Help me," she said, her voice trembling.

Liu was taken aback, his mind racing. He had seen many things in his time as a policeman, but this was different. The woman in the mirror had eyes that seemed to know him, to understand him. He looked around the attic, searching for any sign of her, but saw nothing.

He turned back to the mirror, the woman still there, her eyes filled with urgency. "I need to find my daughter," she said. "She's been taken by someone... someone evil."

Liu's mind raced. He had no idea who she was or what had happened to her daughter, but he knew one thing: he couldn't turn his back on her. "I'll help you," he said, his voice steady despite the fear that gripped him.

The woman nodded, her eyes closing as if she were slipping away. "Thank you," she whispered before the mirror went dark, the figure disappearing into the night.

Liu's phone buzzed again, its light cutting through the darkness. He reached into his pocket and pulled it out, the screen displaying a message from a number he didn't recognize.

"Keep looking," the message read. "She's out there, waiting for you."

Liu's heart pounded as he put the phone back in his pocket. He knew what he had to do. He had to find this woman's daughter, and he had to do it quickly.

He left the attic, the door shutting with a finality that felt like a promise. Liu stepped back outside, the night air cold and crisp. He looked up at the sky, the moon now a sliver in the heavens. He knew that he was on a journey that would take him far from the comfort of his own home, a journey that would test his resolve and his courage.

But he was ready. He was a policeman, and that meant that sometimes, you had to chase the shadows, even when they seemed to be chasing you.

As Liu set off down the road, the moonlight fading behind him, he couldn't shake the feeling that he wasn't alone. There was a presence, a silent witness, guiding him through the darkness, a guardian of the unseen world, ready to reveal its secrets to those who dared to look.