Split [ONC 2024]

15. Split

He seems to grow in size as he takes another step inside. "So you think I did it?"

"You've insisted that I'm innocent because you think that makes you innocent. It's not the same thing! I didn't--"

"You didn't what? Kill anyone? And why do you think I did?"

"I don't know." I take a step back as he approaches. "Maybe you like it."

He doesn't dignify my affirmation with an answer, but I can see the anger rising inside him. He's not denying it. He just steps closer to me, his large frame blocking any means of escape. I may be many things, but I'm not dumb enough to think I have a chance of escaping him.

"It was you all along, wasn't it?" I ask. "You targeted me and made all of this happen just to get petty revenge on--"

"I thought you'd understand," he says between his teeth. "Since it happened to you too, I thought you'd be able to see beyond all... that." He waves his hand at the papers. "That you would see the truth."

"What truth?" I clench my fists and take a step towards him as well. "You've been talking me in circles, making me feel insane."

He narrows his eyes. "What, so now you think you imagined the shadows?"

What if I did? What if he drugged me? "What did you do to me?"

"Me? What did you do to those people? To your husband, your boss? Your own mother?"

His words are like poisoned darts, sticking into me and sending waves of agony to my heart. Anger to my head.

"At least I didn't kill my children."

This makes him snap. The snarl on his face is terrifying and he heads for me. I would normally cower back, but I don't. It doesn't matter anymore. I'm alone and I'm going to make him pay for what he did to me.

"You monster! You set this all up. It's some sort of sick game to you and--"

He reaches me and clamps his hand over my mouth, holding the back of my head with the other. Shadows swirl behind his pupils, and the room temperature seems to drop.

"Shut your mouth," he hisses. "If I'm a monster, then so are you. That's what you fail to understand."

I don't care. I'm done being scared and confused. So instead, I snake my hands between us and push him away as hard as I can.

It's like an explosion. 

The rage slips out of me in an instant, leaving me exhausted and breathless. He lets out a groan as well and steps back... Except he doesn't.

A scream tears through my throat and I scurry away, except I don't.

The sound of ragged breaths fills the room, but this time it no longer comes from shadows, but from two people left facing each other. Two people who look exactly like us.

I can't see my own face, but Daniel's is sharp and twisted. His eyes are no longer blue, but completely black and the edges of his face are blurred. When he grins, his teeth are sharp.

The other Daniel, the real one, hits his back against the wall and is staring, his face devoid of any of his former anger. "Oh, fuck," he breathes.

I perfectly understand. My avatar probably looks the same as his. As my heart thumps and I fight not to scream and draw attention to myself, I secretly pray that the two monstrous versions of ourselves will engage and kill each other.

Instead, Monster-Daniel's soulless eyes run past my monster version and land on me. The sickening grin on its face widens and I know what's about to happen. I let out the scream I've been holding in and drop to the floor. On all fours, I scurry around the desk.