Lies of the Prophet

by Ike Hamill

  “That’s okay,” said Carol. “I think I’ll go to the police." She looked out her window at the woods. Although she didn’t sense any particular threat from the man, the idea of going along with him seemed like such an obvious bad idea that she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

  “I only paid the driver for the trip out,” said Jenko. “You’re going to have to pay him for a ride back to town.”

  Carol thought about the meager stash of money she’d lifted from her sister and couldn’t bring herself to part with it.

  “Excuse me, sir?” she asked driver. He looked at her in the rearview mirror. “If I turn up dead could you tell them that a man named Jenks did it?”

  The driver raised his eyebrows, but didn’t turn around.

  Carol got out of the car. The cab drove away as soon as she closed the door.

  “This way,” said Jenko. He pointed away from the cracked pavement, off into the woods.

  “Which way?” asked Carol.

  “Just follow me,” said Jenko. He looked around and then stepped off the soft shoulder into the high grass. He jumped across the small gully that ran parallel to the road and then scaled the bank up to an old rock wall. With one step he was over that and he started into the woods. He carried his bag away from his hip. Carol wondered again just how drunk he was. Jenko’s grace suggested that he was in complete control.

  “Can you tell me where we’re going?” asked Carol. She followed behind Jenko as they trooped through the woods. Carol felt like she was crashing through, but Jenko made no more noise than a squirrel, putting his feet down with hardly a sound. Carol continually tripped and ducked under limbs, but Jenko moved smoothly.

  “We’re going to see a guy I know. He’s really good with this kind of thing,” said Jenko.

  “What kind of thing?”

  “Information about spirits, hauntings, visions, all that stuff. He’s going to know exactly what to do.”

  “About me? About my problem with that thing that stole my real daughter?” asked Carol.

  “Well, probably. I don’t know. One problem at a time,” said Jenko.

  “Wait, what’s the other problem?” asked Carol. She had to rush to catch up with Jenko—he was moving faster and leaving her behind.

  Jenko paused for Carol to catch up.

  “We’ve got to figure out where Lynne is, she’s the key to this,” said Jenko.

  “Oh, good. So we’re probably miles away from the spot she was last seen. That’s the best place to figure out where to find her?”

  “We’ll see,” said Jenko. “There’s his place up there.”

  Carol was surprised to see a perfectly normal looking two-story cape sitting in a sunny clearing. A driveway led up to the house and the garage door was open. She’d expected they would find a cabin or a tent, or maybe even just a shallow grave.

  “Billy!” Jenko called. He stopped at the edge of the clearing.

  Carol started to move past Jenko. She was anxious to get out of the woods, but Jenko put out an arm and blocked her from stepping onto the grass.

  “Billy doesn’t like unannounced company,” said Jenko.

  “Then why didn’t we call?” asked Carol.

  “He doesn’t take incoming calls.”

  “Hello? Who is that?” a voice called from the direction of the house.

  “It’s Bud,” called Jenko. “And a friend. Can we come in?”

  “Hey Bud, of course,” the voice called back.

  Jenko moved his arm and let Carol step out onto the lawn. He followed. They walked side-by-side towards the front door. A man stepped out of the shadow of the garage and startled Carol. He was wiping his hands with a red rag. She exhaled with relief when she saw how friendly he looked.

  “Hey, so what’s up?” asked Billy.

  “We’ve got strange goings on,” said Jenko. “Can we talk?" Jenko held out his hand towards Billy.

  “Yeah sure,” said Billy. “Sorry. Hands are all oily,” he said, glancing at his rag. “You mind getting the door?”

  Jenko held open the screen door and waved Carol in. Billy followed.

  “I’m just going to wash up,” he said. “Come back to the kitchen.”

  Carol followed their host and Jenko paused at the door to kick off his shoes. In the kitchen, Billy offered Carol a seat at the little table while he stepped into the laundry room to wash his hands in a big sink.

  “So, strange stuff, huh?” asked Billy.

  Jenko took a seat next to Carol.

  “Yeah,” said Jenko. “I lost a partner a couple weeks ago. Goons broke her arm and hauled her off.”

  “Ouch,” said Billy. He came in with a different rag, drying his hands. This time he shook Jenko’s hand and then Carol’s before sitting down across from Jenko.

  “Yeah, exactly,” said Jenko. “Anyway, I thought the whole thing was a lost cause, but then earlier today Carol saw her. Followed her until we ran into each other.”

  “Ahhh,” said Billy. He nodded and grabbed the salt shaker from the center of the table. He spun it around as Jenko talked.

  “Oh, and she was on a bus,” said Jenko.

  “Yup,” said Billy.

  “So what do you think?” asked Jenko.

  “Welp… Classic doppleganger behavior,” said Billy.

  “That’s what I figured,” said Jenko.

  Billy turned to Carol, seeing her lack of comprehension—“It’s a copy of a person. Some people think that they’re evil twins, but they’re not. It’s more like a mirror image that comes out only in certain circumstances. It can be a sign of big stress, or a medical emergency, or even a warning that something really terrible is about to happen to the person. Think of it like a projection of that other person that splits off because something big is coming down the road. If you see one, usually your next stop should be your doctor. You’d be surprised at how many diseases could be detected early if the person would just heed the warning of their doppleganger.”

  “Huh,” said Carol.

  “Buses are big, but I’m not really sure why. You almost always see them on a bus or some other type of public transportation. When you don’t see them on a bus or waiting for a bus, that’s when they’re really trying to give you a direct clue. So you saw her on a bus?”

  “Yes,” said Carol.

  “And you followed her to Jenks?” asked Billy.

  “Yes,” said Carol.

  “How do you two know each other?” Billy asked, looking between Jenko and Carol.

  Carol looked at Jenko and raised her eyebrows.

  “Oh. She was a case,” said Jenko. “Me and Lynne went to check out her kid. Turned out to be a Changeling. Pretty strong too.”

  “Hmmm,” said Billy. “Nothing else?”

  “Not really,” said Jenko.

  “Who’d you say took the girl? Your partner, I mean,” asked Billy.

  “Gregory’s men,” said Jenko.

  “Huh,” said Billy. “Nothing else there maybe?”

  “Not that I know of,” said Jenko.

  “I’m sorry, what do you mean nothing else? What does that mean?” asked Carol.

  “I’m just wondering if there’s any other strange details, or if that’s it,” said Billy. “So far everything seems a little ordinary, so not much to go on for me.”

  “Ordinary? Really?” asked Carol. “I’m dealing with the strangest two weeks of my life after ramping up for the last two years, and it’s all just ordinary for you.”

  “Guess we walk different paths,” said Billy.

  Carol looked around the spacious kitchen. It was cozy despite its size, and well decorated. She loved the light-green walls with the hardwood floors and the way the floors transitioned to beautiful big tiles in around the sink and appliances. The counters weren’t marble, but they were a more expensive synthetic material that would probably hold up longer. She wondered how different Billy’s path could possibly be, living in such ordinary surroundings.

  “Okay, so we need
to figure out this doppleganger then,” he said to Jenko.

  Jenko nodded.

  “And the key to the doppleganger is you,” Billy pointed at Carol.

  “Yup,” said Jenko.

  “Wait, what?” asked Carol. “How am I the key to anything? I’m just trying to figure out how to stay away from my fake daughter.”

  “Yeah, but the doppleganger appeared to you,” said Billy. “That means something. Do you remember what you were thinking about just before you saw it?”

  “I was thinking—hey, there’s the woman who came out to my house and chased after Donna just before I blacked out for two weeks,” said Carol.

  “You blacked out?” asked Billy. “You should tell us the whole story.”

  Carol related what she could remember after Jenko and Lynne had been to her house. The details were very sparse until she recounted her flight from the warehouse. She told them of Jeremy getting injured, but left out the part about him dying in the cab. She fudged and said that she refused the cab because she didn’t have any money and thought her odds of getting away were better alone than being strapped with an injured Jeremy.

  When Carol was finished, Jenko filled in the details from his perspective.

  “And you can’t remember what you were thinking just before you saw the doppleganger?” asked Billy.

  “Uh, well maybe,” said Carol. “I guess I was thinking about work; wondering if I should call in or something. I just couldn’t though, I mean look at me. Half my hair is pulled out, my nails are all split and broken off. I’m a total mess. Plus, I think that Donna or her minions would look for me there. They know where I work. I took Donna there a few times and she didn’t miss any details, trust me.”

  “Yeah, that’s true,” said Billy. “Changelings are very crafty. Tell me—what do you do?”

  “Human resources for a television station,” said Carol. “I manage the department.”

  “Can you call them right now?” asked Billy.

  “Oh, I don’t know, why?”

  “It might be important,” said Billy. He got up and pulled a cordless phone down from its charger on the side of a cabinet.

  “I thought he didn’t have a phone,” Carol said in Jenko’s direction.

  “Outgoing only,” Billy said. “So you’ll call your office?”

  “To tell the truth I’ve been dreading calling them. I don’t know what they’ll say. I probably got fired a week ago, I mean, I pretty much wrote that policy. You can’t just disappear with no notice. I’ve never taken more than two weeks off before, even when I had my baby.”

  “Okay, I’ll call then, what’s the number?” asked Billy.

  “Fine, give me that,” said Carol. She took the phone from Billy and started dialing. Jenko and Billy watched her as she waited for someone to pick up. Carol turned away from their eyes while she spoke. Her conversation was brief.

  “Well that was odd,” said Carol.

  “What’d they say?” asked Billy.

  “I talked to the executive assistant. She’s sort of the VP group’s admin, you know? Anyway, she wanted to know if I’d gotten the fax from this morning. Said she knew I was waiting for it, but I didn’t reply.”

  “Did she indicate that they’ve been in communication with you recently?” asked Billy.

  “Yeah, that’s what’s so weird. She seemed to think it was perfectly normal that I wasn’t there. I didn’t want to ask where I was supposed to be because I didn’t want to tip my hand. But when I asked for my next appointment, she said they’d call me in for the meeting tomorrow. Isn’t that strange?”

  “Not really,” said Billy. “Your Changeling has taken over your job. She must need something.”

  “I can’t imagine what,” said Carol. “I don’t have very much power there. I can only hire or fire within my department, and I’ve only got three people reporting to me. It’s a miracle that I even made VP.”

  “So that’s what’s going on with her, what about my partner?” asked Jenko. “I’m failing to see the connection here.”

  “I’m not sure yet either,” said Billy. “But my sources feel strongly that Carol is the key.”

  “What sources?” asked Carol. “What’s he talking about?” she asked Jenko.

  “I’m a medium,” said Billy. “I figured Jenks would have explained that. I channel spirits from various planes and they help me gain insight into the movements of mortals and others.”

  “But all you’ve done is just ask questions,” said Carol.

  “Yes, but my spirit-guides have led me to the right questions,” said Billy.

  “Is he serious?” Carol asked Jenko.

  “Oh, most definitely,” said Jenko.

  “That’s crazy,” said Carol.

  “It’s not so important that you believe,” said Billy. “They’ll tell me either way. Some of them really care about you.”

  “So what’s our next step?” asked Jenko.

  “I think you’ve got to figure out what the Changeling wants with Carol’s job. That might not be easy. She’s clearly got some real power going on, to orchestrate all these things at once. Your best bet is to fly under the radar as long as you possibly can. Don’t let the Changeling know what you’re up to. I suspect that if you can track down Donna’s objective, you’ll also stumble on why Gregory wanted to take your partner. Once you know that, you’ll be able to figure out where she’s being held. And you’ll know what to do to rid yourself of Donna,” said Billy.

  “So Lynne is still alive?” asked Jenko.

  “Oh, certainly. I definitely see that she’s still with us,” said Billy.

  “Why don’t you just ask where she is? Then we could skip all the rest of the steps,” said Carol.

  “I’m afraid even the spirits can’t access every piece of information. Somewhere out there is a spirit who must know that, but I’m not in contact with them at the moment,” said Billy.

  “Crazy,” said Carol.

  “I know, right?” said Billy.

  “No, I mean… Nevermind,” said Carol.

  “I know what you mean. Don’t worry about it,” said Billy. “I’ve been called crazy by people a lot more sane than you.”

  “I’m going to get a cab,” said Jenko. He stood up and pulled his phone from a pocket.

  “You mind using that outside?” asked Billy. “I don’t like the frequencies from those things.”

  “Sure thing,” said Jenko. He slid open the back door and stepped out on to the deck. Lynne watched him go and then realized that Billy was staring at her. She glanced up at him and saw his too-intense gaze and then looked over at the wall. A nice landscape of an ocean marsh at sunset matched the walls perfectly. Carol stole a glance back at Billy and realized that he was still staring.

  “Yes?” she asked.

  “I don’t mean to freak you out,” said Billy.

  “Oh, uh, no problem. You’re not really freaking me out, I just thought maybe you needed something,” she said.

  “No, I mean by this,” he said. “I’ve got a message for you. They think it’s pretty important.”

  “I’m sorry?” she asked. Carol pushed back from the table a little, wondering if she should call after Jenko or just run. Billy was getting really weird.

  She wasn’t fast enough. Billy surprised her and then she was no longer able to run. His face changed, slowly at first, until he looked just like her dead husband—Don. His cheeks puffed and his eyes became more round. His ears pulled back and lowered, and his hairline evened out. The mouth was perfect—exactly how she remembered Don.

  When Billy spoke, the illusion was complete. “I’m sorry, honey, but you’re going to have to sacrifice even more to finish this thing,” said Billy-Don.

  “What? What are you doing?” Carol asked.

  Billy-Don looked sad. “I never got a chance to apologize,” said Billy-Don. “You were right about our daughter. When you said the picture was flipped, I didn’t really believe you, but you were right all along.
I found that out the hard way.”

  “Stop it, just stop,” said Carol. Tears welled up in her eyes and threatened to escape.

  “Our real daughter is still alive,” said Billy-Don. “She’s beautiful. They took her a woman in New Hampshire. She’s deep in a trance, but she takes care of our daughter. I look over her from time to time.”

  “You’re tricking me,” said Carol. “Why are you doing this?” she asked, but she didn’t get up or try to run. She knew the truth—this was definitely her dead husband talking to her, as impossible as that was.

  “Honey, I can’t inhabit this guy’s body much longer. I’m not that strong. But I need you to do something for me; Donna is working with some really powerful creatures, and they’re gong to put a lot of people in danger. Do you remember where I asked you to marry me?” asked Billy-Don.

  “Of course,” Carol said, in spite of herself.

  “Can you go there and wait for a signal from me?” asked Billy-Don.

  “Signal?” asked Carol. She’d forgotten how much she missed his eyes until she was able to look into them once more.

  “I’ll get you a sign,” said Billy-Don. “You go to that place. I’ve got more power there. Then I can really show you.”

  “I don’t understand any of this,” said Carol quietly. Tears busted free from her eyes and traced down her cheeks. “I don’t know what to think. I’m so afraid.”

  “Promise me you’ll go,” said Billy-Don.

  “I don’t know,” said Carol. “I don’t know what to believe.”

  “Come closer to me,” said Billy-Don. His upper lip twitched.

  Jenko slid open the door and stepped back into the weird scene. When Billy-Don turned to look at him, the Don features on Billy’s face puffed up and then melted away. Carol watched her dead husband’s features disappear. She lowered her head and cried harder.

  “Did he give his body over to something?” Jenko asked Carol.

  “I guess so,” she said. “I mean I think so. I think it was my dead…”

  “Forget that, let’s get going,” said Jekno. “When he gives his body over, he’s not always capable of keeping it out of the wrong hands.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Carol. When she looked back to Billy, she saw what Jenko meant.