Another Life

Flash Fiction February (Day 13)

Image: Hans Isaacson via Unsplash+

Jerry and I worked for Roaring Run State Park for almost ten years. We knew all the hiking trails by heart and never got lost—until that day.

"I don't understand," Jerry said, spinning in place.

"We must have made a wrong turn somewhere," I said, trying to mask the fear in my voice.

None of this looked familiar, and the sun was going down.

"Look, why don't we just start walking East? let me see your compass," I said.

Jerry pulled the compass out of his pocket and handed it to me. I popped it open. It spun nonstop in all directions, so I returned it to him.

"This doesn’t make any sense! What are we going to do?”

Jerry pointed to the direction of the sun. "The Sun's setting in the west. Let's just go the opposite way!"

We made our way east, and eventually, to my complete and utter relief, we hit the parking lot. My red SUV was the only car left.

I climbed into the car and saw the clock. It was just after 6:30. She would have been expecting us for dinner.

I punched the steering wheel as the tears broke through my resolve. Waves of agony washed over me. Reminder after reminder that she was gone.

Jerry laid a hand on my back. "I'm sorry, man.”

"It's fine. Let’s get going.”

The drive home was quiet, save for the music playing off my playlist. I had curated it to avoid anything that reminded me of her.

We turned the corner into my neighborhood. As we approached the driveway, I slammed the brakes.

Jerry shot forward, his seat belt locking midway through the motion.

"What the hell, man?"

I pointed to the car in the driveway.

"Tell me you fucking see that."

Jerry's eyes followed my finger. Sitting in the driveway was a silver sedan with two bumper stickers on the back. One was for a band called Escaping Eden, and the other was a rectangular sticker that read "Maybe buy me dinner before you ride my ass?"

The chances of seeing that exact combination of bumper stickers more than once was infinitesimal. It was her car, no doubt about it.

The last time I had seen it, it was upside down in a ditch and on fire. This one looked brand new by comparison.

"What in the hell?" Jerry asked.

"That's not possible. It's just not," I said.

"Let's just park and go inside. There must be some sort of rational explanation," Jerry replied.

"That's what people always say!"

Jerry shrugged. "You wanna sit out here, be my guest, but I gotta know what's happening."

I pulled into the driveway and put the car in park. Jerry and I went to the front door. I half expected my key not to work, but it did.

We went inside, turned the corner, and entered the dining room.

Another me was sitting at the table, dressed in a button-down shirt and blue tie. Not someone who looked kinda like me, either…

Fucking me. An exact copy.

We stared at each other for a moment before the other version of me leaped to his feet, grabbing the steak knife next to his plate on the table.

He lunged at me, his eyes burning with confusion and fear. I looked around for something to defend myself with but resorted to grabbing his knife-wielding hand with both of mine.

"Stop, just wait!" I shouted.

His face was bright red. Spittle shot from his mouth as he tried with all his might to stab me with that knife.

“Not again! You won’t take her from me!” he shouted.

I heard a crash and saw shards of ceramic explode around his head before the other me fell face-first onto the ground.

Jerry stood behind him, his mouth agape. A half-broken vase was clutched in his hand.

"The hell did you do?" I asked.

"He was going to kill you!" Jerry replied.

I tried to take a deep breath, but midway through, a familiar voice wafted down the hall from the bedroom.

"Babe? Is everything okay? It sounded like something broke."

Jerry and I looked at each other and then down to the unconscious copy of me on the floor.

"Help me move him under the table, now!"

Jerry and I slid the copy beneath the table and pulled the tablecloth over him. I heard footsteps and spun around.

A woman with curly blonde hair and striking eyes stepped around the corner. She looked confused as she scanned both Jerry and me.

"What's going on? And what are you wearing? I thought you had changed already?”

I looked over to Jerry and back to the woman. It was definitely my Rachel. The same person I had helped identify for the coroner. She was much more alive than the last time I had seen her.

"Oh, no, I just got home. Jerry was helping me with something, and then he’s going to head out,” I said.

Rachel nodded. “Okay, well, we’ll be late for our dinner reservations if we don’t leave soon, so please make it quick."

"Of course!”

Rachel headed back down the hall. I looked back to Jerry.

"This is going to sound crazy, but I think we somehow crossed to another universe! A parallel one!"

Jerry rolled his eyes. "You know I don't understand that nerdy shit you go on about."

"Doesn't matter. What matters is that she's alive here. I've gotta stay."

Jerry gestured toward the bottom of the table. "Your spot in this universe is already taken."

Jerry laid a hand on my shoulder. "Let's sneak out while she's getting ready and head back to the park. Assuming you're right, maybe we can find whatever took us here and return to our universe.”

He shook his head, “I seriously can't believe I'm saying that."

He was right; this wasn’t my life. And yet, there was a part of me that wanted this.

A part of me that needed this…

---

Time to Decide…

Do you stay in the universe where your true love is still alive? If so, you’ll have to do something about the other you…

Or do you sneak out with Jerry, head back to the park, and return to your world?

Make Your Choice:

Click here to dispose of your other self and take his place. (or scroll to ending A)

Click here to head back to the park with Jerry. (or scroll to ending B)

---

Ending A

Image: JSB Co. via Unsplash+

I knew in my heart what I had to do; time and space be damned.

I can’t go on without her.

I looked up to Jerry. “Help me carry him to the car.”

Jerry’s mouth dropped open. “What the fuck are you saying?”

“You’re going to help me get rid of him. Don’t worry, I’ll do the deed. I just need you to dispose of the body and the car when you get back to the park.”

Jerry waved his hands in the air and stepped back. “No way, man, hell no, this is insane! I know you miss her, dude, but you can’t just kill this version of yourself and take his place!”

I stepped forward and grabbed Jerry by the collar. I felt his whole body seize up.

“Call it God, call it fate, call it whatever the fuck you want, but something took her from me. Now, I have the chance to get her back, and I’m going to take it. You can either help me, or you can get the fuck out of my way,” I said.

I let Jerry go and saw a sadness reflected in his eyes. He had given up the fight.

“Alright, fine, but Rachel will be back any second. What are we going to do?” he asked.

“Just help me get him to the car.”

Jerry grabbed the other me by the feet, and I took his shoulders. We carefully walked him to the front door. My heart was roaring in my chest as we passed the hall. If Rachel came back out, it was all over.

Jerry pushed the door open with his foot, and we walked across the front lawn to the car. We set the other me down, and I opened the back hatch. The neighborhood was quiet at night, with barely any traffic.

I opened the trunk's spare tire compartment, pulled out the tire iron, and shut the compartment.

“Help me get him into the back here,” I said.

We lifted him and put him in the back, still unconscious.

“You may want to leave for this next part,” I said.

“Come on man…” Jerry said.

“Don’t. I’ve made up my mind. When you get to the park, drive up to the ravine, put the car in neutral, and push it off the edge. No one will find the evidence.”

Jerry sighed. “Alright. If you’re sure this is what you want.”

Jerry walked away and got into the front seat. I looked down at the other me, curled in the trunk.

I raised the tire iron above my head.

This was the right choice.

It had to be.

---

Ending B

Image: Polina via Unsplash+

I nodded. “Yeah, you’re right.”

Jerry sighed and pointed to the front door. “Good. Let’s get out of here; that other you will be fine once he wakes up.”

We made our way quietly out the front door. It took everything in me not to walk down that hall and see her one last time.

Kiss her one last time.

Jerry stood in the doorway. “Hey, you coming?”

I turned away from the hall. “Yeah.”

We walked back out to the car. I climbed into the driver’s seat. It took every single part of me not to go back into that house.

I started the engine. The drive to the park was quiet. When we arrived, Jerry looked over at me.

“I know that wasn’t easy, man, but you have to remember, this isn’t our world.”

I nodded. “Yeah, I know.”

“Maybe take some comfort in the fact that there are other worlds where she’s still alive,” Jerry said.

And other worlds where I’m happy.

“You’re right,” I said, “Come on, let’s go before I change my mind.”

We wandered through the forest using the flashlights on our phones. We went straight and somehow arrived back at the parking lot. I knew it had worked, that we had successfully returned to our universe. I could feel it.

She was gone.

---

Thanks for Reading! Here’s Your Musical Pairing

Listen to this after reading. Like pairing a glass of wine with dinner.