Reflected Souls

Chapter 2

What the hell!!?

For a moment Robert actually thought he was hallucinating and rubbed his eyes to take a look at the person's face again. His lips had gone dry and he was breathing heavily.

Calm down just calm down maybe your dreaming this can't be real, can it?

"My name is Stan and am an alcoholic." Said the person who was now facing the audience and giving a fake half smile: that's my smile. Robert looked at him much closer now as the audience replied with a unified "Hi Stan."

Stan had trimmed hair, a thick beard and dark brown eyes even his voice sounded exactly like Robert's.

It's like looking in the fucking mirror. Am I sane?

"Hey do you see that guy?" Robert asked the person who was seated next to him; a skinny pale skinned man with a terrifyingly thick moustache. He looked at Robert and his eyes widened then relaxed; he smiled and said "Yeah, I see alcoholism runs in the family." There was a menacing tone to his voice and his breathe reeked of alcohol. He looked at Stan then turned again to Robert and asked "Who's older you or him? I hear twins are usually born minutes apart or sometimes even seconds but never at the same time."

Robert said nothing. His hands were shaking and his mind raced with thoughts.

Is he my twin? But why didn't my parents ever tell me about him? Maybe he's a clone...haha don't be stupid Rob... but why not? No no he is just a look alike but why does he have the same hairstyle, beard? I don't know Rob why don't you go and talk to the guy.

The meeting ended and Robert decided to go and talk to his look alike, ask him a few questions. People were standing up, heading to the door and Robert lost sight of Stan he pushed through people and saw Stan just making it to the door, and then disappearing into the hallway.

"Wait!" he pushed through the crowd of people piling at the doorway and finally managed to go through to the hallway where he saw Stan enter an almost full elevator.

"Hold it!" He shouted and that got Stan's attention he looked up and their eyes locked; disbelief, shock, confusion and fear all showed in his eyes but by now the elevator door was closing and Robert was a second too late to reach it. He ran frantically for the stairs and flew seven floors down without even noticing it, as if his legs were moving automatically without being controlled; they had gotten a mind of their own.

He reached the ground floor and was relieved to see that the elevator had arrived just a few seconds before and Stan was just stepping outside. Hands in his pockets and face looking down, chin buried inside the grey scarf he had around his neck.

"Hey, Stan." The words spilled out of Roberts's mouth unconsciously and he immediately regretted it. Stan stood still then jerked his head around looking inquiringly for the person who had called him, then he saw Robert and seemed ready to run but hesitated and stood his ground.

"What the? Who are you? And why are you following me?" Stan asked with shock still showing in his eyes, he was eyeing Robert up and and down the way one does when he is examining a prospective car to buy.

"I... I thought you might tell me what's going on." Robert said as he walked closer to Stan, his hands were still shaking but he managed to keep them steady. The sheer abnormality of this situation took its toll when they stood closer to each other; it was like staring at a mirror (if your reflection had different clothes on) same height, same eyes even their voices were similar.

"What's going on is I have to get home and you are keeping me." Stan replied with a sudden anger in his voice that caused Robert to step back in astonishment.

"Am sorry Stan I didn't know... can I give you a ride? Maybe we can talk on the way an..."

"Am done talking to you man okay? And if you follow me again... am gonna kill you."' Stan said and something about the way he uttered those final words made Robert believe him.

On his way home, Robert thought deeply about the events of that night. Stan's face kept appearing in his mind. The face they both shared. The body they both shared. But there was one thing they did not share and that was the anger, the deep rage that seemed emboweled in Stan's body just waiting to claw out at any moment. The look on Stan's face when he threatened Robert had been so real, with such raw anger that Robert had apologized and promised never to contact him again in any way. Boy, did he have a story for Sarah.