Eidolon

Chapter 9: Picking Up the Pieces

Alex sighed, closing her laptop. It had been a long shot anyway, trying to conduct paranormal research over the internet. No, she realized, she would have to figure this out on her own. She wasn't exactly sure when she had decided that it was her responsibility to do so, but she couldn't just ignore it, not after what had happened to Lucas. She might be the only person who knew or could do anything about it.

She retrieved an unused notebook from her desk drawer, and opened it to the first page. She wrote the word Doppelganger across the top, then drew a simple sketch of her other self, making notes on its appearance in the margins. On the following pages, she drew pictures and made notes about the woman on the roof of the Weisman's, which she labeled the Fallen Angel, and the creature from Ellison Park, which she decided to call the Glutton. It wasn't much, but it helped to organize what little she knew.

She decided it was time to take a break, as she became aware of a rumbling in her stomach. Of course, she had slept through dinner last night, and the last meal she had eaten was lunch the previous day. She didn't have much of an appetite, but decided she should probably get something to settle her stomach, at least. Still wrapped in her blanket, she walked down to the kitchen to make herself her favorite comfort food, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

As she finished preparing her snack, her cell phone buzzed in her pocket. There was a text from Cynthia.

what u up to?

Alex sent a response.

Home sick :-(

Another message, moments later.

oh rly???

Alex stared at the message for a moment, bemused. It was hard to gauge her tone from a text, but it seemed like Cynthia was implying something. Then another message came.

u and lucas just happen 2 be sick on the same day huh?

The reality of what had happened suddenly came flooding back on her, and Alex felt like she was about to cry again. Of course, it had been less than twenty-four hours. Lucas's body had surely been found by now, but word of it wouldn't have gotten to the school yet. Still, the thought that he might still be lying there on the ground in the middle of the park, his body crumpled, blood congealing in a pool around him, with that horrible expression on his face... the thought made Alex sicker than she already felt.

After a moment, she texted Cynthia back.

CALL ME.

By the time the phone rang, she had finished her snack, which had failed to make her feel any better at all, and was sitting on the couch with her arms wrapped around her knees, rocking back and forth.

"What's up?" Cynthia asked. Alex could hear the sound of lockers closing and voices speaking in the background. She had called between classes. Had she been texting during class?

"Cynthia, I really need to talk to you," Alex said. She tried to sound casual about it, but her voice came out strangled and high-pitched.

Cynthia noticed, and took a serious tone. "What's going on?"

"Not over the phone," Alex whispered. "Can you get out of class?"

"Yeah, okay," Cynthia replied. There was no hesitation in her voice. Alex felt a pang of guilt for asking her friend to cut class, but she really needed someone to talk to right now.

"I'll be there in about thirty minutes."

Alex sat on her living room couch, still wrapped up in her blanket, with Cynthia seated in the recliner on the other side of the coffee table. She told Cynthia everything.