THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN

"You are also one of them"

Both Five and Forty-four looked back to see what Sixty-Nine was looking at behind Five specifically, but no one was there.

"Are you tripping ?" Forty-four asked jokingly, while Five tried to pull him up.

"Stay away from me, he's following you," Sixty shouted, which immediately attracted the attention of everyone, including the guards, strangely which was rare unless when someone displayed an ability two guards came to their location. " All of you please stay back don't come close they are following you all, please don't come close." Sixty Nine continued shouting but this time he was also referring to the guards.

The two guards with their faces hidden behind the mask they were wearing didn't bother with what he said but just dragged him away as he kicked and shouted hysterically.

It seemed this was their new life now, with everyday something strange happening, but this time around this strange thing affected him as well cause Sixty-Nine looked scared when he saw him, and what did he mean by his following me and I am one of them

Seeking some time alone Five left Forty-Four behind and went out of the Cafeteria, Forty Four understood that what happened just now was on his mind and didn't bother him but decided to give him some space.

Returning to their room in the evening, he saw that Forty-four was already asleep, he just went to the bathroom to freshen up and wore the sleeping clothes given to them which were the only clothes they had without their numbers on them. He located his bed which was opposite Forty-four's and laid down, he once again did what he always does before sleeping which was swearing at the bright lights embedded on the room's roof which never went off cause there was no light switch in the room to switch them off.

After swearing at the lights he turned himself around and started thinking about how he got here. He wondered if things would have been different if he hadn't met that lady that night.

He sighed and gave up on thinking about what could have been, but focus on the present and take one day at a time.

After concluding on that he finally willed himself to sleep. No sooner had he dozed off when he felt someone shaking him. He turned around groggily and was met with a pair of brown eyes looking at him. The eyes belonged to a young cute face with an almost faded scar on the temple.

Five was very familiar with the eyes, face, and the scar, it was no other than his own.

He wiped his eyes to be sure he wasn't dreaming, but his own self was still staring at him, but now it had a mischievous smile on its face. He quickly backed off, but there wasn't much space to begin so he soon hit his back on the wall. He felt confused about what was going on. There was someone who looked and dressed just like him standing close to his bed

With a stammer in his voice, he asked"Who are you?"

"I am you." The other person replied, with a smile on his face growing. " You conjured me, I'm your alter ego in the flesh."

"How is this possible? You even have my voice."

"That's because I'm you."

Maybe he was going crazy, he decided to have some confirmation from another person to see if he was seeing the same thing that he was seeing and know he wasn't just imagining the whole thing. He looked across Forty-Four's bed, but he wasn't there.

"Forty-Four." He called out thinking he was probably in the bathroom but there was no answer. But on second thought, he started realizing that everything seemed strange. First, he wasn't a deep sleeper and would immediately wake up when he heard any sound and Forty-four would have rushed out from the bathroom when he heard his panicked voice.

Finally what ticked him off was when his lookalike suddenly started stifling his laugh and rubbing his hair after he called for forty-four. The person he was looking at right now may look like him, but had all the mannerisms of Forty-four "Forty Four?", He called, but it was more like a question this time around.

"Mi Amigo." And that was a confirmation that the person standing in front of him now was Forty-four and not his alter ego as he claimed.

"Holy shit, how are you doing this?" He asked in disbelief.

"I don't know man, it seems I can shapeshift into anybody." Immediately he said that, a wave of exhaustion washed over him and he fell. Once he hit the floor he turned back to his real self.

Five immediately jumped over the bed to make sure he was ok.

"I'm fine, it happens when I hold the person's shape for a little too long". Forty-four assured him.

"Since when did you develop this ability."

"Since the day One thirty was taken."

"Why didn't you show it since, you may have been taken as well? I'm sure those who awoke an ability are regarded high and taken somewhere better." Five asked.

"Cause I was waiting for you, you are my friend. No matter what happens I want us to face it together." Forty-four answered with a serious voice.

After hearing what Forty-four said a warm feeling started growing in Five's heart. For the first time, he felt wanted and considered as someone important and this came from someone he met a month ago. He didn't know when he hugged Forty-four. Taken unaware by the hug, he slowly returned it.

With a quiet voice, "My name's Jordan, friend". Five said breaking the one rule they were asked to keep, which was never to answer their real names but only their numbers.

"My name's Chike, friend," Forty-four replied.