╔═*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*═╗ Abigail was your typical young girl, with an ordinary life. However, her ‘ordinary life’ began to fall apart as she began noticing odd things around her. At school she would notice her reflection seemed to be staring right back at her, not the normal staring into space stare that she was accustomed to. Abigail shrugged it off, figuring it must’ve been lack of sleep or the ridiculous amounts of caffeine she consumed to pass AP chem. But as time went on, her stomach would lurch everytime she caught a glimpse of her reflection. There was something off about it. That unnatural stare, and the way it wouldn’t seem to move when she would leave a room, as if it was waiting for her. This unease never left Abigail as days passed. Little things began to change around her home, and at school. Her yearbook photo was not her own, and childhood pictures were replaced by someone she didn’t recognize. A face that was hers but with eyes too cold, a smile too sharp, a little too perfect. All of this and that odd feeling that she was being constantly watched. Every shadow seemed to follow her home, everyone’s gaze burning into her skin, following her every step. When Abigail tried to explain this to her parents they brushed it off as paranoia, and her younger sister even called her a “worry wart”. Abigail would wake up drenched in cold sweat, knowing that she was not just worried about this paranoia, she was paralyzed by it. “It’s in your head Abigail, you’re losing it” she’d tell herself. Fear gnawed at her constantly, creating lack of sleep and deep failure in her classes and extracurriculars. It wasn’t like her. She loved school. She was very social. What has changed? Who was watching her? And then one night, the unthinkable happened. Abigail awoke to find herself not in her own bed but in a sterile white room. She could smell the cold antiseptic and it stung her nose, harsh fluorescent lights flickered on and off overhead. Panic quickly insured in her chest and she sat up gasping for air. Where was she? Suddenly a door creaked open to reveal another cat in nurses clothing. She was tall, pale, with not a crinkle in her eye. Abigail blinked. She looked like- She looked just like Abigail. It was actually similar, only some too-perfect details like the eyes and smile hidden behind her face mask. The other cat carefully said “Don’t be afraid, Abigail. You are exactly where you need to be. I simply require some things from you before I can let you go,”. Abigail stayed silent, shock making her paralyzed. Her heart was in her throat. The cat stepped closer, gripping a syringe from out of her pocket. Abigail’s eyes launched to it and she pulled against her restraints. “Who are you?” she finally gasped out. The cat stopped and looked at her. She didn’t answer at first, appearing thoughtful. “I’m you. Or at least I will be. Soon” her smile returned. The room around Abigail seemed to warp, the walls pressing in on her as her breath became shallow. The cat was too close now, so close she could feel her cold breath on her skin. She could almost taste the bitter, metallic tang of the woman’s presence. “Everything you’ve ever known, every moment you’ve lived—it’s mine now,” the woman continued, her voice taking on a sing-song tone. “I’ve learned everything about you. Your memories. Your desires. Your fears. And soon, I will be you. Completely.” Abigail tried to scramble backward, but the woman didn’t move. Her eyes never left Abigail’s face. The door opened again, and two orderlies stepped inside, their faces blank, their eyes dull. They moved toward Abigail with the precision of trained machines. One of them reached out to grab her wrist, pulling her roughly back onto the bed. “What are you doing?!” Abigail screamed, but her voice cracked with the force of her terror. “You aren’t me! Stop” But no one heard. No one listened. The woman smiled wider, her eyes shining with something dark. “Oh, but I will be, Abby. You’re just a visitor in your own life now.” And when Abigail awoke again, it was to a reflection in the mirror. It was her face, but it wasn’t her face anymore. It was a cold, empty mask. She reached out, touching the glass, but the cat inside the reflection only smiled back at her—her eyes unblinking. ✦* Credits: Art: Character / Design: DTA: Meme: ╚═*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*═╝
