I’ve had a Doppelganger for about a year now, I didn’t realise at first, but when people began to remind me of things we’d apparently did together, it became more and more apparent that I had a copycat of sorts. Someone pretending to be me. I had originally put it down to my bad memory, but it wasn’t. I have a Doppelganger.
Now, rest assured, it’s never done anything that has harmed my reputation or anyone around me. It just acted how I would, but it turned weird. Really weird without warning and it felt almost out of nowhere.
I came home and set my keys down on the counter, sighing deeply. I’d had some errands to run and had been gone for about 3 and a half hours, and in that time, “it” had been up to something. Something it’d never done before. “Sal.” My fiancé, Lacey came up behind me, standing in the doorway to the kitchen. “Yeah? What’s up?” I raised an eyebrow, she looked sad, almost. “I’m sorry about earlier. You were right.” She stepped into the kitchen.
“Earlier? What happened earlier?” I took a step towards her and she seemed to step back a little. “The arguing. I’ll tell my boss I can’t work nights anymore.. if that’s what you want.” Lacey held her hands behind her back and she seemed almost frightened of me. “Sal?” She waved her hand at me as I stood and stared at the floor, deep in thought. Had the doppelganger been mingling with my life again? But it never argued with anyone bef- “Sal!”
Lacey stepped forward into the kitchen again, raising her voice. “Huh? Sorry.” I shook my head a little, meeting her gaze. “You were right about me working too long. I won’t work night shifts anymore.” She sighed a little bit. I frowned. “I don’t remember.. talking about that? I was running errands, remember?” Lacey gestured to the door. “Well yeah? You came back just after you left and then we argued about my work hours. Then you just left again!” She raised her voice again.
I went to speak, but then nodded. “Maybe you’re right. I’m just tired. I’m gonna go lie down.”
I woke up a few hours later, it was about 8pm, but at first, I didn’t move, I just stared at the ceiling. Something felt wrong. Lacey and I never argued. I didn’t even have a problem with her hours, by the time I got back from work, I wanted a little time to myself, and her working late gave me that. I couldn’t exactly explain to her that I had a Doppelganger interfering with my life. But I could at least try to explain myself. So, I got out of bed and came into the living room, where Lacey sat on the couch and leapt up, tossing a bag at me.
“GET YOUR SHIT! GET THE FUCK OUT!” She screamed at me as I caught the bag. “I-“ I tried to speak but was interrupted. “WHO THE FUCK HITS THEIR PREGNANT FIANCÉ?! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU, SAL?” Lacey pointed at the door. “GET OUT!” I quickly left, not wanting to add fuel to the fire. But as I got into my car and drove to my friend’s house, I cried, smacking my wheel as hard as I could. That damned doppelganger.. it hit Lacey. And why? Because she told me, or it… that she was pregnant?!
I didn’t know what to do with myself. I stayed at my friend’s house for 3 days before I mustered up the courage to return to my now pregnant fiancé and try to explain that, as crazy as it sounds, I have a Doppelganger that’s been interfering with my life… trying to destroy it. So, I got in my car and drove back to our home.
I sat in my car for 20 or so minutes and lit a cigarette, trying to calm my nerves before I approached the house. The door was slightly cracked open, so I pushed it open. “Lacey, I-“ I stepped into the living room, and I froze. My eyes widened and my pupils shook with nothing but pure fear. The cigarette I held in my hand dropped to the ground, and it felt like time slowed down as I fell to my knees, shaking. Lacey stared right at me, not blinking at all, her bright blue eyes met mine as I let out a terrified scream.
Her body lay still on the ground, her stomach soaked in crimson blood, a sharp kitchen knife coated in that same blood lying on the floor next to her.. corpse.
My world went dark that very moment, but it suddenly lit up again, illuminated by red and blue flashing lights just outside my house, a siren blaring in my ears.