The moment I clicked "ACCEPT," I felt like the room was spinning. Panic gripped me. I looked up at Trishala, trying to get up. All I remember is falling from the chair.
I woke up startled, clutching my chest, my heart beating fast. Blinking my eyes open, I noticed my surroundings. For the first time, I realized I wasn't in my house.
"What the hell," I muttered to myself, rubbing my face with my hands. "Oh my god, what the hell is all this," I said out loud, my voice—it wasn't mine. I was different too.
I searched for a mirror in the house. Finally, I found one and stood in front of it. The hairs on the back of my neck stood as I looked at myself. A stunning woman—with hazel eyes, fair skin, and average height, maybe 160 cm—stared back at me. Then I realized—I was in the UK, in Chloe's body.
"Hey, Trishala, where the heck are you?" I shouted, looking around me. Suddenly, a voice echoed in my mind. "Calm down, Anika," it was Trishala's voice. "How the heck can I be calm when I've turned into a ghost possessing someone?" I shouted back, clenching my fists.
"Oh, don't worry. You'll be fine," her voice echoed again, irritating me. I clutched my head with my hands and groaned. "Stop doing that."
"This is the way we'll communicate when you're on missions," she said, her tone controlled.
Ignoring her, I looked into the mirror. It was strange being in someone else's body. I hated this, but at the same time, I had no choice. Shaking my head, I began to look around the place. Then I remembered the letter Chloe mentioned.
"Trishala, where is the letter Chloe received?" The moment I asked, I knew where the letter was. I opened the drawer and found it. Picking it up, my heart also picked up its pace.
I flipped it back and front but found nothing—no address or name. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and ripped it open.
As I read it, a shiver ran through me. This was insane; he was definitely a mentally unstable person.
THE LETTER
My dear Chloe,
You don't know me yet, but you will find out soon. I know you feel it too—our bond. We are born to be together. Every time you see me, I can see the love in your eyes. I am unable to stop thinking about you.
I know you are eager to meet me. We will meet soon. Don't worry about anything or anyone; I will protect you. You know what's funny? I think we've been together in our previous lives. I always get dreams about it.
I know you feel lonely, but don't worry. I am always there for you. Your sketches always speak to me. They are so beautiful, just like you. I promise we will meet soon.
Until then, be safe. I will be watching.
Yours,
Soulmate
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There was another page—a painting of her sleeping.
Then I got an idea. It must be her friend or someone she knows in her circle of artists. At 9 a.m., I went to meet Chloe's friends.
The moment I stepped out of my door, I saw a figure lurking in the shadows. "Fuck," I cursed. Without looking directly at him, just keeping a side eye, I moved.
I met Chloe's friends, casually talking. The stalker was male, so I first met Danny, her only male friend. He had the same build, but I wasn't the type to judge a book by its cover.
Meeting Danny
I called him to a café near my house. He came in a car, and the moment he entered, he smiled cheerfully, waving at me. "Hey, Chloe!" Mirroring him, I said, "Hi."
He came and sat opposite me. "You said you wanted to talk about something?" I froze, thinking about what to say.
"Um... that... I..." I stuttered. Suddenly, I got an idea. "I want you to be my model for a sketch." He beamed at me. "Really? When should we start? How about now?" I lifted my hands and said, "Oh, not now. I'm meeting the girls today."
At that moment, a figure entered the café. My stomach did a flip as he came toward us. He stood there, his eyes lingering a little too long on me, making me uncomfortable, but I didn't move.
"Danny," he called.
"Coming. Okay, Chloe, I also have to go. Bye," Danny said and left.
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Meeting with Emily and Zara
Next, I went to Zara's house and called Emily to meet me there. Zara is Chloe's best friend, so they usually hang out at her house. Her brother opened the door.
"Come in, Chloe. Zara is in her room," he said and left. Zara has two brothers, and I know they have been good with Chloe too.
How do I know all these things? Apparently, I can channel the information I need from Chloe's mind to mine. I don't know how, and my logical mind is still processing this information of me being here and all the crazy things happening.
I went into her room. Emily was already there. "What happened? You said it was urgent," Zara asked, worried. "Yes," I said. They both looked at me, worry clear in their eyes.
"I already said someone is stalking me, didn't I?" They both relaxed, and Emily, smiling, said, "Yes, you said, and we all followed you secretly one day without anyone noticing, and there was no one following you."
I exhaled, looking at them. When a person is in trouble, if her friends don't trust her words, then who will?
I went and sat on the bed, took the letter he sent me, and gave it to Emily. Zara also joined Emily, and they read it. After that, their expressions turned to terror.
"Sorry, we didn't trust you," Zara said, guilt clear in her tone and face. "Yes... wha... what are we going to do now?" Emily stuttered.
"Don't panic. Help me observe all the customers that will visit the café, and don't tell anyone—it should be between us."
"Okay," they both said at the same time, nodding their heads with determination.
Looking at them, I said, "Let's find this bastard."
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The next two days went like that, observing all the customers. There were so many customers coming and going. I carefully observed everyone, or at least tried to, and I got three more letters and paintings.
With all three of us watching for two days, we gathered some of the suspicious customers. At the end of the day, we had almost a dozen suspects. "Ugh, it's all a waste of time. We can't work with this many suspects," I said.
"These past two days, you've been acting differently. Are you okay?" Zara asked.
Shit. "Um, I'm okay. It's just I'm stressed, that's all," I said, smiling at her.
She nodded in understanding.
"Now all I've got are these letters. The only thing left to do is take these letters to the police, but these letters are not enough to take any action," I said. With only the letters, I can't do anything. And the paintings—when I went to my artist friends and talked, not even one raised any suspicion for me.
I didn't have any choice. They both left after that. I also stood to go. Then I saw a book—maybe some customer might have forgotten it. I picked it up to give to the owner.
Out of curiosity and habit, I opened the book. It's some kind of notes. Then I froze for a second. I slumped onto the chair, my hands shaking. I opened the letters I got. "Oh my god," I muttered. It's the same handwriting—the way he writes the "y" in a curve, and other words also match.
Pulling myself together, I looked around and found no one. I rubbed my hands together, stood, placed the book where it had been, and went to the owner.
"There's a book on the table I was sitting at. Please keep an eye on it. If anyone comes to take it, please tell me," I asked her, my voice pleading. "Okay, dear, don't worry," she replied.
With that, I left home. Oh, he's waiting for me at home. Unlocking the door, I muttered, smirking, "How sweet."