Living alone for years & I developed a habit of talking to myself.
It’s just, sometimes
the statue in the corner of my room, talks back.
My friend and I were having a heated conversation over something in her room & I realized that it got dark outside for I had to reach home in time. Suddenly the lights went off. And in a flickered moment it came back. So, I continued with my immature obnoxious comments that I hate her, won’t talk to her again, in fact will leave her right this moment in a non-serious tone because I knew I had to rush back to my far-away home. As I was climbing down her bed she grabbed me by my arm so hard that almost pulled me towards her.
“What did you say? Are you going to leave me?”
I admit I got a bit scared. I had never seen her like this before. But since we were already arguing & that it would seem so foolishly coward admitting that I got scared of her murderous look , I retorted. “Yes! I will.”
With the same chilling but cool look she replied “Then I am going to cut you into pieces.”
I saw her eyes entering blood , her grip turning harder which made me sure will leave imprints on my arm & before I knew I screamed at her “What the hell is happening to you?”
A loud thud at the door drove my attention from her and there I see her, again, standing at the doorway with torch in her hand. As frightened as I was she asked “Why are you screaming?”
In a total bewilderment, I looked at my friend first at the doorway and then the one holding me tight in her own bed.
Finally upon finding words I asked “How come you’re standing there with that torch. You were here with me.”
The look on her face made me look like an idiot so she stated,
“I told you I am going to find torch because the electricity went out & I didn’t know where mom kept it so it took me around 15-20 mins to find it. What happened to you?”
I couldn’t speak. Hundred of thoughts occupied my mind. Was the electricity gone for this long? But it came back, within a second. And why the hell she seems oblivious of the fact that there is another her sitting on her bed. Can’t she see her?
But she continued, “Oh! I forgot to tell you I have telephoned you Mom so you’re staying at my place today. Dad told me there’s some bad, weird activity going in our neighborhood so suggesting us to stay at home.”
With a smile she turned to leave but stopped to ask what I wanted for dinner.
Gauging my reaction she assured me, “Don’t worry, you will be safe here.”
Safe??
“By the way, who were you arguing with? Her?”
I froze.
She finally looked at her other self, with that same crooked smile she closed the door behind her & left.