Short stories

I Swear I'm innocent

This story contains: horror elements and  mentions of physical violence. 

This story was published on Reedsy as practice for writing Thriller/Horror stories. 

     I vividly remember the day when this nightmare started. It was an average day; my friends had dragged me to the mall for a jumpstart into the horror show that is Christmas shopping.

I was hanging out behind them when I started looking at the surrounding area. Everything was normal until I saw it. I froze in place as I stared at the group in front of me. I saw myself talking with another group of girls.

Thoughts and questions fought in my head as I continued to stare. 'How is this possible?' My nails dug into the palms of my hands. 'Is this some kind of joke?' My legs trembled as I turned to my friends. "Hey, do you guys see this?"

One of them, Chloe, frowned as she turned to me. "See what?"

I chewed on my lip as I pointed at the clone.

Chloe's eyes widened as she dropped her bag. Her voice was barely a whisper. "What...This isn't.."

She didn't finish her sentence before she took off screaming. People panicked, looking everywhere to find out what was happening. Children's crying and shouts from others filled my ears as I gripped my other two friends' hands.

My teeth gritted when I looked at them. "We need to go now."

They were confused and frightened. But they knew my words were true. I held onto their arms as we sprinted to the front doors. I didn't know where that thing was, and that scared me.

I didn't see that thing for a while. It didn't bother me at first. Then I questioned what it was. There had to be an answer for what was happening. Right? I sat down at my desk and searched online for any possible answer. I didn't care what the answer was; I just needed something to explain what the heck was going on.

The word seemed to glow as my eyes stopped on it. "Doppelganger." I faintly remember hearing the word as a kid through one of my brother's endless rants. The link ended up taking me to some website about urban legends. As I read through it, chills went up my spine. This is the answer I was looking for! Right here in front of me. But the question now was, What now? I had the answers, but what do I do with them?

A dark thought crossed my mind. 'I've got to kill it.' I don't know why my mind went there so fast. I also don't know why I went with it. But here I am, planning to kill that thing. My hands trembled as I took a deep breath. 'Next time I see that thing...' I paused, chewing on my lip to steady my nerves. 'Next time I see that thing... I'm going to kill it.'

I didn't hear or see anything about it for weeks. That was until I saw Olivia, my best friend.

I wasn't paying all too much attention to her; I was just nodding and going along with whatever she said

Olivia beamed as she turned to me. "Oh yeah! You'll never guess who I met!"

I looked up from my phone, looking at her in a way that asked, 'What?'

"I met a girl who looks exactly like you! She..." Her words fell on deaf ears as I took in what she said. She had met my doppelganger?

"Oh! And she wants to meet you too!" Olivia innocently beamed.

I grinned. This was my chance! This was my chance to finally put this nightmare mystery horror show to rest. I found out what was going on, and now I'm going to end it.

I put on an innocent smile. "Sure!" I said. "I'd love to meet her. What's a good time for her?"

We had agreed on a Friday afternoon. Something casual but fun, Olivia said. I pulled my shoes and jacket on as I got ready to leave. I carefully grabbed a pocket knife and placed it in the jacket's pocket. I was finally going to end this. I was so happy.

The anxiety I felt during this entire thing was unlike anything else I've felt before. It was almost like a bear and its prey. But this time, it will be different. Instead of being the prey, I was going to be the bear.

I waved over at Olivia and that thing. Putting on a polite smile, I walked over to them and sat down. I was finally here; I just need to end it. End all of this and go back to a normal, peaceful life.

Till the very end, I put on a facade. Like I didn't know what this thing was. Even when Olivia had to leave for an emergency, I planned. Even when I offered the thing a ride home, even when the thing voiced its concern about where we were going, even when I ended its life, I still had the facade up. I don't know why. I don't know why they arrested me either. I was only getting rid of this monster from our world. Surely I did a good thing!

"Elaine Jones, twenty years old, died on November 20th, 2023. Killed by her own sister after an outing just hours before, here we are with the victim's family..."

They painted me as a monster. Some lunatic that killed her twin sister. Heh. Sister? I didn't have one. It's all fake. Don't believe it. I swear, I did a good thing. Ask Chloe! She knows! She was horrified when she saw it! I did nothing wrong. I swear.

I guess I didn't notice that Chloe's scream was one of joy instead of the fear that I thought it was. But its fine! I'm still innocent. This thing just had them all fooled! Yeah. That's it. I'm not crazy. This thing just had them all fooled! I swear, I'm innocent.

"I don't know where I went wrong..." My mother's voice cried out on the TV. "I thought everything was fine between them! Never did I think she would kill Elaine." Why are you lying... I don't have a sister. How could that thing deceive you? Don't you know I'm innocent mother? Why don't you believe me? I'm your only daughter! I'm innocent, I swear. I'll prove it just you watch.