My Dark Doppelgänger
Tags: Short Story, Doppelganger, Thriller, Fiveminread, Suspense

“You’ve got a ten second head-start. Use it wisely,” the voice called ominously. I scrambled up, and started running like my life depended on it- which to be fair- it did. I could hear his voice cackling at me from behind. As I ran further and further, his evil laugh crescendoed in the distance. I knew this day would come, and I had despised it from the start. All I could do now was pray that he would go easy on me.

It had all started 11 years ago. It was a sultry day. The air was crisp, and the sun sparkled over the horizon. I was enjoying the pleasant weather, when all of a sudden he was behind me. I said

“Hello?” and asked him what his name was. But he wouldn’t respond. He just stood there, mimicking me like a fool. If I put my arms up, he’d copy me, if I let them down, he’d do it too. That was my first experience with him.

The next time we met was just a couple days later. I was at preschool with my friends, playing on the swings, when all of a sudden, he appeared behind me. Every time I swung up, and got further away from him, he would get larger. I leaped off the swings and screamed for my teacher asking,

“Mrs. Crane, tell the scary man to go away!” All she did was laugh at me, and roll her eyes like I was joking. I wish I was. When I looked back, he had vanished into thin air.

For the next few years, I’d stopped looking for him. I’d concluded that he was gone for good, and would no longer bother me. Life without panic was like a dream. I thought I could go anywhere without worrying about his figure taunting me. But I was wrong.

He showed up next at the beach with my family. I turned around to see his menacing figure. I sauntered up to him, but he didn’t move. We were face to face. It was his intimidating look that caused me to snap. I needed to finish him off once and for all. I took the bucket of sand my sister was holding, and dumped it on him, thinking I’d finally won. But he didn’t even flinch. Was he already dead? I swung my arm up to check, and as usual he did the same.

“Who are you, and what do you want with me?” I screamed, running along the shore. He followed me endlessly. Even when I faked going left, and turned around, he didn’t miss a beat. How did he know my every move?

I ran into our beach house, panting. I twisted my head, nervously, scrutinizing every inch of the room. I sighed a breath of relief once I realized he was gone. I looked out the window to see if he was still there, but couldn’t find him. I’d thought he’d disappeared again, until I spun around. There he stood, leaning up against the wall, his body elongated ten-fold.

“P-please don’t h-hurt me…” I whimpered, collapsing on the ground. The weaker I got, the more strength he seemed to gain.

“Justin?” my parents called, loudly. They burst in, and dropped to their knees beside me, shrieking. They lifted my limp body, simultaneously calling 911.

I woke up in a hospital bed, hooked up to numerous machines. The first thing I did was look around to see if he was still there. Huh. He was gone for now. All I remembered was seeing his figure glowering above me before everything went dark. As I scrunched my forehead, trying to recollect my thoughts, my family, and several doctors burst through the door.

“Honey, are you alright?” my parents asked in unison, pouncing on me. But one of the doctors held up a finger, signaling for them to wait a moment.

“He seems to have some anxiety. I’d recommend weekly group therapy.” One doctor commented. The others all nodded in unanimous agreement.

The next week I was seated in a circle, among ten other kids. We went around telling each other our struggles. When the instructor motioned for me to begin, I bit my lip. Without making eye contact, I mumbled,

“Ummm… my problem is there’s always a man chasing me. He goes and comes without any warnings. I can never stop thinking about when he’s going to strike next. I can’t even look behind me, because I’m afraid he’s here now.” As I expected, everyone looked at me with strange expressions. That is everyone except for the girl next to me. She had a pensive look on her face.

“Hmm… sounds like anxiety of anxiety to me,” the therapist remarked. The girl seated next to me, looked me straight in the eyes and suddenly burst out,

“I see him too! He follows me everywhere. He’s actually here right now…” she added shuddering. I turned around to see the two sitting behind us with contemptuous sneers across their faces. My jaw dropped for a second, before it twisted upwards into a huge grin.

I was never really scared of my shadow. Being alone, with no one to understand me, frightened me the most. But free from his tight grasp, I no longer had anything to fear.