THE DOPPLEGANGER When the room went dark, she head her name. But first, let's revert back in time to a few hours prior shall we? To a place earlier in the evening when all Luna had to worry about was a fever and sore throat. To where there was a cure for what ailed her. To before the dark room and the voice.The night was windswept and pellets of rain stung her face. Shivering from the effects of her high fever Luna quickened her pace down the dark abandoned street. Visions of warm pyjamas, her cozy bed, a nice hot cup of tea were soon to be her reward.Turning the corner a gust of wind, like the icy hands of the long ago dead, whipped open her coat. Luna quickly turned her back against the onslaught and clutched her coat collar tightly to her neck. A hoarse cough was triggered as the cold wind ripped down her throat. Finally she saw it. Her house. It sat further back from the street and was surrounded by a well manicured lawn with a diverse variety of flowers bordering the grounds.	Just a few more feet, Luna. Come on girl.Now within reach of the railing, she gripped it firmly and climbed the ten steps to her front door. With shaky hands she fumbled the key into the lock and let out a sigh of relief as she felt the warmth from inside emit from the open door, welcoming her home. Closing and locking the door behind her, Luna kicked off her water logged shoes, shrugged out of her rain drenched coat. She placed her purse on the entry table and dropped the keys into the dish for miscellaneous items next to her purse. Standing in the soft glow of the foyer, Luna shook her head back and forth, looking very much like a dog shaking water from its coat of fur. Beads of water hit the wall, the pictures, and spotted the hardwood flooring. As Luna lifted her head back up her eyes caught sight of a slight movement from the darkened room in front of her. Her heart leapt to her throat. The reaction brought on another cough. Luna grimaced from the pain tearing through her air way. She slowly opened one of the drawers of the entry table and pulled out a revolver. She released the safety.	“I've got a gun. Come out of there now.”With hopes to intimidate, she drew back the hammer knowing the movement was audible in the deadly silence. She moved cautiously closer to the doorway. Holding the gun firmly in one hand out in front of her, she reached with the other hand to the left of the doorway and found the light switch. She flipped it on immediately. The room was empty. A cool breeze wafted across her still wet feet. One of the lengthily drapes was gently billowing. Luna now recalled having cranked the window open earlier that day. She moved across the room keeping in mind not to be too relaxed just yet. Always in the horror shows the victim assumed false safety and that's what did her in. After cranking the window shut and locking it Luna then went on the hunt through the lower floor. All was clear. Doors and windows were all securely locked. She armed the security system then headed to the upper floor. Feeling the heat radiating from her body she knew she had to get out of her wet clothes which were still clinging to her like a second skin. She needed to get into something dry and to take something for her fever.Now in her pyjamas, slippers, and three Tylenol in her system, Luna stands in the kitchen in front of her kettle waiting for the water to boil. A cup with a honey lemon tea bag in it sits on the counter. The overhead light flickers. The winds howl. Branches scratch across the window as they are torn from the trees from the gusting winds.	No No No. Not the lights. Luna scavenges the kitchen drawers. With a sigh she pulls out some candles and a box of matches. Not wanting to be caught short, she lights four candles right away. Then the house is pitched into semi darkness. Only the candlelight is there to guide her. Luna scans her surroundings. A chill creeps up her spine. Taking one of the candles she walks to the doorway of the next room. The temperature seemed to have dropped rapidly. A wisp of air blows across her face. The candle flame flickers low then goes out. This is what brings us to this place in time. The room went dark, she heard her name.	LUNA. She backed from the room dropping the candle as she went. Once in the kitchen she grabbed another candle and made her way back to the foyer to retrieve the gun. Just as her hand settled on the hand grip a sliding kind of dragging sound came from the left side of where she stood. Slowly, ever so slowly, she turned her head. A form began to step from the darkness. First a foot. Then a leg up to the knee. Then a paisley dress which Luna was all too familiar with. It was her own. Her favourite dress. Now the hips. The waist. Hand and arm. Slowly the figure advanced into the dim candle light as Luna stood frozen with fear. The neck. The chin. Lips and nose. The eyes. The entire face. A face Luna saw every time she looked into a mirror. Luna stood paralyzed. Mouth agape, eyes bulging in disbelief as she saw herself edging out of the shadows.Luna's body was discovered four days later when a concerned co-worker happened by to check up on her. The cause of death was deemed a heart attack but what actually killed her was fear. It stopped her heart the second she felt the cold hand of herself upon her shoulder. Who was to know that Luna had been scared to death? And who wouldn't be if they were to ever come face to face with their very own, Doppelganger? 	DOPPLEGANGER- To meet one's double is a sign that one's death is imminent. THE END CYNTHIA GOGUEN

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Doppleganger

grammybear

Cynthia Goguen

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The Doppleganger

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Cynthia Goguen

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