Amelia's breath hitched. She gripped the doorframe, her legs frozen in place.
The girl sitting in the dimly lit room was her.
Same face. Same hair. Same piercing blue eyes.
But there was something… wrong.
The girl's smile didn't reach her eyes. It was cold. Hollow. Knowing.
Samuel tensed beside Amelia. "This isn't possible…"
The girl cocked her head. "Oh, but it is." Her voice was smooth, almost playful. "I've been waiting for you, Amelia."
Amelia's stomach twisted. "Who are you?"
The girl's smile widened. "I'm you."
The words sent a chill through Amelia's bones.
"No." She shook her head, stepping back. "That's not possible."
The girl—the other Amelia—stood slowly, her movements unnaturally fluid. She was still smiling.
"You don't remember, do you?" she whispered. "You don't remember what happened that night."
Amelia's pulse pounded. The night she died.
Images flickered in her mind.
Water. A struggle. A voice whispering, "It has to be this way."
Samuel grabbed Amelia's arm. "We need to leave." His voice was tight, urgent.
The other Amelia giggled. "Oh, Samuel. Always trying to keep her safe."
Samuel's grip tightened. "That thing isn't you, Amelia. It's a trick."
But Amelia couldn't move. She couldn't look away.
The other Amelia took a slow step forward.
"You're not supposed to be here," she murmured. "You were never meant to come back."
The walls shook.
The lights flickered.
A sharp, searing pain shot through Amelia's skull. She clutched her head as memories flooded back—
A figure standing over her. Hands pushing her down. The feeling of drowning.
She gasped. "Someone… killed me."
The other Amelia's eyes gleamed. "Yes."
The room lurched. The air grew thick, suffocating.
Samuel pulled Amelia backward. "Run. Now."
The other Amelia's smile vanished.
Her eyes turned black.
"You don't get to leave."
The door slammed shut.
To be continued…