Chapter 1
We will figure this out
1
.
She could not believe what she was looking at. It was impossible2. How could this happen? Only an hour ago, everything was fine. She thought she was one of the happiest3 women in the world. She had everything: a man who loved her, an excellent job, a bunch4 of friends, and a cute car. She could not wait to wake up every morning and go spend her day with a big smile on her face. And now… Well, now she was not sure that her life would ever go back to what it was. No. Let us rephrase5that. She was not sure that she had life anymore. How did this all happen?
It all began this morning when he told her that he was leaving her. Things went down the hill6afterwards7.
“You what?” she asked.
She was still having her first cup of the day and the words spilled out8 with some coffee.
He was standing near an open window. It was a bright day and it looked as if he had a halo over his head. What an irony!
“We can’t be together anymore,” he added and looked out of the window rather nervously.
“What are you looking out of the window for?” she tried to stay cool. “Is your new girlfriend waiting for you out there?”
Staying cool did not seem like an option.
“I’m sorry, but we have to end it today,” he said looking at her.
“What do you mean today?! What? Do you already have a breakup plan9? Or did you just decide10 it while drinking your coffee?” she asked, barely controlling herself and slowly realizing that it was not a joke of some kind11.
“Listen. We’ll figure this out. Believe me, it’s for the best,” he said.
“Are you being serious now?12” she put her cup down on the kitchen table, suddenly13 realizing that she might throw it at him right about now14.
He opened his mouth and that was the exact15 moment when something cracked16 loudly outside, and he fell on the floor with his head covered in blood. Then her phone started to ring.
***
She answered in a zombie mode, still not realizing what had just happened.
“You’d better17 leave now,” a female voice said on the other side of the line.
“Ah?” all she could master, with her eyes fixed on the motionless body on the floor.
“Go now or you’ll be lying next to him in a minute,” not a hint ofcompassion18 in the voice.
“Who are you?” she was almost screaming.
“Don’t believe anyone. Run!” the same coolness19.
Then the phone went dead.
She looked around her apartment. What was going on? She ran to him, still hoping it was a terrible prank20. Nope. This was blood on her floor. And this was one dead man. Her man. Well, her ex-man. When she was about to check his pulse, just in case, she heard someone running in the corridor outside her door. She jumped up.
***
The morning street felt strange. How can these people go about their business when he is lying dead on the floor up there in their apartment? Where is she supposed to go now?21 Somehow, calling the police did not seem like a clever idea. But why? She did not do anything wrong. She just had a cup of coffee and her soon-to-be-proposing boyfriend was murdered just after breaking up with her. Should she call the police after all22? Perhaps, she should.
She looked for her phone, but … Oh no! She left it on the kitchen table. All her contacts. She doesn’t remember any numbers by heart. Who does? Are there still payphones on the streets these days? Who should she call even if she finds one?
“Don’t scream,” the same cool voice from the call, but … behind her.
She stopped in disbelief23.
“Keep walking,” a slight push on the back.
She complied24. A decision triggered25 by her survival mechanism26 rather than her brain.
“Who are you?” she asked quietly.
“In a minute,” the stranger said. “Turn right here.” another slight push on the back.
They walked in a quiet alley. A few moms with baby strollers27 and senior citizens sitting on benches.
“Here’s good,” the stranger said when they reached an empty bench. “Sit down.”
“May I turn?” she asked sitting down.
“If you want,” the stranger said.
She did.
Perhaps, it is not a good comparison, but what she saw shocked her almost as much as the death of her boyfriend.
***
She was looking at herself. Well, she was looking at a young woman who looked exactly like her, as if they were identical twins in different outfits.
“Yes, I know,” the stranger said. “It took quite a bit of time for me to understand this.28”
“Are you …?” she began.
“You?” the stranger guessed. “Yes. I am you.”
“From the future?” the only guess she could venture29.
“Not really,” the other she said. “I’m your other copy.”
“My other copy?”
“Yes. Some of us come with a back-up copy, but they never tell us that,” the other she said as if it was common knowledge30.
“Who are they?” she was confused.
“They,” the other she shrugged31. “The ones who make and control us. And now they are trying to erase32 us for some reason.”
What?!
“I haven’t done anything illegal. What is happening?” she said.
“Listen, we don’t have much time, so let’s get the hell out of here first and then we can properly catch up33,” the other she said looking around.
“But I don’t understand …” she started.
