Chapter 11: Shadows Within

Sprinting through the alley-way, Alex pounded against the ground as the darkness seemed to move and reach out with ghostly hands, tugging at their determination. Their name caught air in the form of an echo, twisted and haunting.

"You can't escape yourself, Alex," the voice bellowed, uncannily calm, yet everywhere.

A cold sweat ran down Alex's back as they turned a corner, only to find themselves in a dead end. Brick walls towered on either side, trapping them like a caged animal.

"Think, Alex, think!" they muttered, frantically scanning their surroundings. Their eyes landed on a metal ladder leading to the rooftop of a nearby building. Without hesitation, they grabbed it, the cold metal biting into their palms as they climbed. 

The whispers grew louder, closer, as if the shadows themselves were speaking. "You'll see the truth soon enough."

Alex collapsed onto the rooftop, gasping for air. The city lay stretched out before them, a glittering tapestry against the suffocating darkness which they had only managed to escape. But they didn't feel relief for long enough, though.

From their periphery, they spotted it. The doppelgänger stood at the side of the rooftop. Its hollow eyes reflected the lights of the city, and its twisted smile remained constant.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Alex screamed, their voice cracking.

The figure tilted its head as if trying to answer the question. "I am not doing anything. You are."

That's when it moved forward, gliding in ways that were far too smooth for Alex. The girl scrambled back as fast as she could, her heart beating fast, moving ever closer to the edge of the roof.

"Stop!" Alex screamed out, her voice ringing through the night.

The doppelgänger paused, its smile fading. For the first time, its voice softened. "You can't run forever. The truth is waiting, Alex. Will you face it?"

Before Alex even had time to respond, the figure disappeared into the shadows, and silence remained.

Alex sat there, shuddering, gazing at the space where it once was. The city seemed not to care for the madness raging in their brain. Distantly, a siren screamed; another reminder that, though Alex's felt as though it were breaking down, the rest of the world did move forward.