"You aren't human, are you?"
Mother Chen's icy voice reached her ears.
"Chen Momo" instantly stiffened. Sure enough, the other woman had recognized her too.
She just didn't know when the other woman had figured it out. Was it because she hadn't turned on the lights, or some other detail?
"What about you? You aren't human either, are you?" Unwilling to back down, she threw the question back at her.
"Me?" Mother Chen smiled without finishing her sentence. One hand went straight to "Chen Momo's" neck, and the other quickly closed around it too, squeezing viciously.
"Chen Momo" could barely breathe.
Her body rose into the air. In agony, she kicked her legs wildly.
"I don't know what you are, but you certainly aren't my daughter." Mother Chen tightened her grip, her eyes wide and round.
"Tell me! Where did you put her?" she shouted.
Perhaps she had used too much force. "Chen Momo's" head tilted to one side as she hung in the air, and the light went out of her eyes.
In another blink, "Chen Momo's" corpse vanished as though it had never existed.
Mother Chen heard movement inside the room and immediately opened the door. Her daughter was getting out of bed, rubbing her eyes. "Mom, what are you doing out there?" she asked.
Mother Chen stood motionless, staring fixedly at her daughter as though trying to verify her identity.
Mother Chen silently studied her for a few seconds, then stepped forward to examine her up close, reaching out to touch her cheek.
Mother Chen's hand suddenly shifted to patting her head. "It's nothing. As long as you're all right," she said with a smile.
With that, she looked around.
Moonlight flowed like water, illuminating the floor and lending even the mirror a sheen.
But in the