THE DOPPELGANGER

I was sound asleep when I felt a nudge on my shoulder. I opened my eyes and saw my elder brother, Uche, standing over me. He looked nervous and scared.

"Desmond, wake up. There's something outside," he whispered.

I rubbed my eyes and looked at the clock. It was past midnight. "What do you mean? What's outside?" I asked.

"I don't know. I heard some weird noises. Like scratching and growling. It sounded like it was coming from our compound."

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I felt a chill run down my spine. We lived in a small house in a remote village. There was no electricity or security. Our only protection was a wooden fence and a rusty gate.

"Maybe it's just a dog or a cat," I suggested.

"No, it's not. It's something else. Something bigger and meaner. I have to go check it out. Maybe it's trying to break in."

He reached for his torchlight on the nightstand. He always kept it there, in case of emergencies.

"Are you crazy? You can't go out there alone. It could be dangerous. Let me come with you," I said.

He shook his head. "No, you stay here. Lock the door behind me. If it's robbers, they won't harm both of us. Just me."

He gave me a weak smile and headed for the door.

"Uche, wait. Don't go. Please," I begged.

But he didn't listen. He opened the door and stepped outside. I heard him close the gate and walk away.

I got up and locked the door. I was terrified. I didn't know what was out there. I didn't know what would happen to my brother.

I sat on the bed, clutching the blanket. I prayed that he would come back soon. That he would be okay.

I waited and waited. The minutes felt like hours. The silence was deafening.

Then, I heard it. A loud scream. A scream of pain and fear. A scream that pierced the night.

It was my brother's scream.

I jumped out of bed and ran to the window. I looked outside, hoping to see him. Hoping to see that he was alive.

But I saw nothing. Only darkness.

I felt a surge of panic. I had to help him. I had to find him.

I grabbed the spare key from the drawer and unlocked the door. I was about to open it when I heard another noise.

A tapping. A gentle tapping on the window.

I turned around and saw a shadowy figure behind the glass. It was my brother. Or at least, it looked like him.

He was pale and bloody. His eyes were wide and wild. His mouth was twisted in a grimace.

He spoke in a hoarse and raspy voice.

"Desmond, can you open the door for me? I don't know why you locked it after I went out."

I froze. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. What I was seeing.

It couldn't be him. It couldn't be my brother.

He was out there. He was screaming.

He was dead.

Then, who was this?

What was this?

The End.

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