Doppelgänger

Right.

Up.

Down.

Flick.

Swish.

Run!

What?

Who?

Left.

Right.

Left.

Right.

Up.

Down.

Smile.

15 words was all Liv needed to prepare herself in the morning.

Her tasks for the day were simple.

1. Find Polly Parker
2. Kill Polly Parker

Liv snapped her briefcase shut and walked out the door, ready to kill Polly Parker.

---

"Yvonne, be a dear and hand me those files, please."

Polly Parker had no idea what was about to hit her.

It was an ordinary day in the office. Fax machines groaned and sticky notes creep on the windows like vines.

"Don't stay too late," Yvonne said, handing the files to Polly.

Polly nodded, and waved Yvonne goodbye.

It was a quiet hour of work.

Liv was outside the building. She saw the only office with lights on. Liv opened her briefcase and pulled out a syringe filled with anesthesia. Then she hid it under her coat, and smiled.

---

"Who could be ringing at this time of night?"

Polly walked to the door and opened it. Liv stood before her, shivering in cold.

The similarities between the two girls shocked Polly.

Liv had the same eyes, same hair, same skin tone. It was like looking at her non-existent identical twin.

"Who are you?" Polly blurted.

Liv shook her head. "My name's Olly. I'm lost."

Polly's jaw dropped. "Take a seat, have some hot drinks. Goodness, you must be freezing."

Liv nodded gratefully, and put her hands around the warm drink Polly handed to her.

"Where do you come from?" Polly asked, in awe.

"Not around these areas," Liv said, adjusting her coat.

"Ah, alright. Are we related? Do I know you?"

Liv shook her head and put a finger around the syringe. "No, but I know you."

The flung the hot drink onto Polly's face, plunged the syringe into her neck, and pushed down the nozzle.

Polly dropped to the floor at once. Liv spoke into her earpiece and said, "hey. It's done."

---

"W-Where am I?"

Polly was in a dark room with another figure. She couldn't figure out who. Was it Olly?

"I see Olivia's done a good job on you," a voice said.

Polly jumped. Who on earth is Olivia?

"What? Let me go!"

"Now now, let's not be so hasty," a man said, emerging from the shadows. "Olivia goes by a lot of names. I call her Liv. She calls herself Liv."

"I don't know who that is," Polly said, struggling to get free.

"She also goes by Vee, Livvie. Still no?"

Polly shrunk against the chair, giving up on trying to escape. "No."

"Hm," the man said, leaning back on his chair. "What about Olly?"

Polly's eyes widened.

"I see," the man said, grinning. "She used Olly. My least favourite one. Oh well, at least she got half her job done."

Polly started trembling. "H-Half her j-j-job?"

A pair of cold hands covered Polly's mouth, threatening to choke her. Polly gasped and squirmed.

The man turned around and smiled, before walking out of the room.

---

"Yvonne, be a dear and hand me those folders, please."

Yvonne handed Polly the papers. "You alright?"

"Oh yes, I fell down, that's all. Slippery roads are my new pet peeve."

"Well be careful, those're some nasty bruises."

"I will, thanks," Polly said, smiling.

She went back to her desk, where a photo of her family sat.

Polly sighed, and went back to work.

The previous night left her in a state of anxiousness and panic. She knew not to tell anyone, like the man said.

"Just go on like it's a normal day," the man said.

"No, I'm going to report you," she hissed.

"Polly, Polly, Polly," the man said, shaking his head. "You don't want your family to get hurt, do you?"

Polly froze. "Don't touch them."

"Keep quiet about this, and I won't."

"How do I know you'd keep the promise?"

"It's not a promise. But mark my words, we don't hurt anyone so innocent."

"I'm innocent! And yet you- you made Olly bring me here!"

"Liv was just doing as I asked her to. She's dedicated. Like you are with your work."

"Why bring me here? What's the point? What do you want from me?"

"So many questions," the man said shaking his head.

"I deserve to know!"

"Do you? Do you really?"

"Yes!"

The man sighed. "It's too much for you to understand. But here's what my company is based on: giving people second chances in life. See, a felon wouldn't be able to live a normal life after the crime, right? But what if they could?"

"They couldn't."

"That's right, they couldn't. I felt pity for all those people trying to fit back into society. Not all felons are bad, you know. Just lost."

"I know."

"Tell me, Polly, have you ever heard of a doppelgänger?"

"Heard, yes. Know? No."

The man leaned forward and smiled. "A doppelgänger is an apparition, or rather, a double of a living person."

"Olly is my doppel- thing, right?"

"Right."

Realization dawned on Polly.

"She's a felon."

"A drug mule, yes. Used by the Carajas drug cartel. She didn't know who she was working for, until it was too late."

"Please, don't hurt me."

"Oh, I won't."

"Thank you," Polly said, tears in her eyes.

The man smiled again.

---

The next day arrived, and groaning, Polly got out of bed.

The bruises were gone. She let out a sigh of relief.

Her husband was away in France and her kids were at a summer camp. They're all coming back tonight. It's good news, as the house felt incredibly quiet.

Polly got ready for another day of work.

Before she left the house, she looked in the mirror, and tied her hair up.

As she did her elaborate hairdo, she mentally prepared herself for the day of chaos the meeting was going to throw her in.

And her family. She prepared for that too.

Right.

Up.

Down.

Flick.

Swish.

Run!

What?

Who?

Left.

Right.

Left.

Right.

Up.

Down.

Smile.