Spectrophobia

15: A Doppelgänger's Story

"Doppelgängers are much different to what people would initiate them to be like. They aren't exactly a complete evil twin of yourself. They have their own skin - but they gain their energy to skin shift from a living person. In this case: you."

Ray sat on the couch, a hot mug of tea clasped in his palms. Warming up his freezing hands. Obviously, the investigator was kind enough to know which type was his favourite.

The investigator now sat on the floor in front of him - cross legged.

"The severity of their aggression depends. Sometimes Doppelgängers will only shift on a person just for the sake of sucking their energy. Doppelgängers only live a very short time. Some of them want to live longer. So they will only live as a reflection - constantly mirroring the action of a person and living off of them until they pass of natural causes. Evidently - those are the better ones."

"However, there are worse ones. The one you have is a pretty damn bad one. This one lives on you for the sake of becoming a person. Being free to do what they like anywhere. Sometimes it could be more than one person too. This bastard will do nothing to stop that."

The investigator paused to think. His thoughts always wandered somewhere far - somewhere Ray could not see.

He swallowed.

"So.. is it like.. a ghost?"

The investigator looked at him.

 "There are no such thing as 'ghosts'."

Ray frowned.

"But.. aren't you a paranormal investigator?"

"Yes, but not ghosts. People that rise from the dead made of ectoplasm? Nah, no such things."

"Then, what are these things?"

The investigator bit his bottom lip.

"Honestly, I can't really tell you much about that. Only that they're bitches that need to be terminated," - he shrugged at his final words.

Ray nodded slowly.

"Can you get rid of this one?"

"Yeah, they can be gotten rid of," - the investigator took a deep breath and let it all out - "but it is incredibly difficult. It will take time - and your patience."

The two then sat in silence briefly - letting their thoughts overtake them. For Ray, letting his thoughts catch up to him. There was a lot of things he still did not understand, but he didn't want to overburden the investigator.

"Y'know, you can ask me anything, I don't mind."

The investigator spoke quietly - looking back at him.

"Sometimes you just might not get an answer you like or hoped for."

Ray nodded his understanding and gulped down a mouthful of tea.

"Why did this.. 'Doppelgänger' latch onto me?"

"Well, Doppelgängers easily hook onto people who have a broken mind. People with broken minds usually had a bad life."

The investigator looked away, so did Ray.

Ray felt weak. Felt as if he had let the Doppelgänger grab hold of him and suck the life from him. He felt like it was his fault.

"It's no-ones fault, Ray. Things like this only happen to a certain number of people. You just happened to be one of them. You're not alone in this. Don't push yourself around like that - it only makes you feel worse."

Ray gave a shaky sigh.

"I thought I told you to stop doing that."

The investigator chuckled - Ray smirked softly.

"Well, we'll give you time to relax before we start initiate the 'Séance'."

Ray looked up.

"A Séance?"

"It's a different kind of séance that you know of. I just call it that to make it easier for people to understand what I mean. This Doppelgänger is a lot worse than I originally thought, it will take a lot of my own energy to break this motherfucker."

The investigator stood up and walked over to the kitchen - disappearing behind the doorway.

Ray sat for a while, his mind blank.

It wasn't long before he returned with an object.

"There is only one way to get rid of a Doppelgänger this severe, and you won't like it."

The investigator held up the object. A spoon. Much to Ray's bemusement.

"We can't use the mirror because it's Split too far and I don't want to risk it Splitting anymore or; worse case scenario; something else may come out of it, so this," - he grasped the spoon tighter - "this is the safest way to perform our Séance."

Ray frowned.

"What do you... mean?"

"I mean, we need to call back that reflection of yours."

Ray shook his head, a laugh bubbling from his lips.

"No, I can't do that. I can't bring it back, not here, not now."

The investigator crept closer to Ray.

"Ray, you need to listen to me now. I know this isn't the way you wanted it and I understand that. But there is no other way. We need to bring it back out of the Other Side so I can finish it off. There is no other way."

Ray continued to shake his head, nervous laughter mixed with incoherent protests; refusing to accept that this could possibly be the only way.

The investigator stood and grasps Ray's shoulder - a soft touch.

"Raymond. You have to listen to me. I can help you out of this but you have to be brave. You have to be brave and help me perform this. I can't do it without you. It will only come when you are there."

He stood back.

"I will make sure the bastard doesn't do anything to hurt anyone anymore. I swear."

Ray looked deep into the investigators sharp eyes. Pleading with him. Yet this time, no sympathy showed up. Only a stern look to show the investigator was not being moved.

He sighed in defeat.

"Will it work? For real?"

The investigator sat down and nodded.

"Hopefully it will. If you listen to everything I say and do not hesitate. Even if it sounds absurd or crazy."

Ray nodded a final time. He downed the last of his tea and now held the memory of it in his palms. Completely at a loss.

The investigator stood up and took the mug from his hands.

"In your own time, Ray. I'm not doing this to upset you. I'm doing this for you."

He left the room with the mug.

Ray was terrified to face that Doppelgänger. Knowing what it was possible of doing; he was scared of dying in its hands. Nevertheless he decided he would force himself to brave it, because him and the investigator only wanted one thing.

To end this son of a bitch, once and for all.