There really is not much to say when waking up in the morning to find yourself in a location you have never been to before. Franklin did just that. See he suffered from blackouts that would bring him from one place to another. He never really knew who the other guy was when he took over, but it was never like this before. He usually woke up in a park bench or random office building. Today though was something unthinkable. He stared out at the water on a makeshift raft made of wood planks and buoy balls and netting and rope tying it all together. Where the hell was, he? Franklin cautiously looked around hoping to see some kind of landmark that would tell him what his destination was. Nothing though. "HELLO." Franklin yelled, only to be answered by the ocean beating softly against his raft. At least the raft seemed sturdy enough. He huddled his knees close to his chest centering himself on the raft as much as possible.
Franklin had an immense fear of drowning, so he had never learned to swim before. His father almost drowned him at the age of 5 thinking it was time for him to learn to swim like a big boy. So, he threw him in the middle of the pool. He sunk to the bottom while he looked at his father's blurry figure probably shouting at him to stop being a pussy. He kicked and squirmed his little arms and legs as hard as he could, but it was like he was being weighted down. Everything was turning black when his mother jumped in after him. That was it after that. His mother left his father for fear of his life, and he never went into water over waist deepagain. Hell, he could not even get a bath over the overflow drain without having a small panic attack.
He waited silently on his raft of solitude hoping somebody would come by. The sun high in the sky was beating down on him, but a cool breeze kept it from becoming unbearable. He had hoped at this point maybe the other guy would just take over. He was never diagnosed with a mental disorder, so he was not even sure anyone else knew of his affliction. Franklin figured the other guy was close in personality or knew everything that he did. Childishly, he thought to himself how unfair that was. He never knew what happened to him when he would blackout.
An hour had past for what Franklin thought was an eternity. That's when he noticed a figure swimming off in the distance. All he could think was it was a shark, and he was doomed, but it was moving to slow. As it grew near, he started to make out the figure and it was definitely human. It was swimming against the current too, which made this whole thing even weirder to him. He slowly backed to the edge of the raft as the figure made it to the edge of the raft. All Franklin could see was two hands grabbing the side. With a sudden burst the figure launched itself out of the water and onto the raft. Franklin shook with extreme anxiety throwing up his hands and begging the figure not to hurt him. After a moment the raft quieted down, and Franklin lowered his hands. To his surprise it was not some hideous monster, or creature of the deep, but him. The figure stood there wearing nothing but his birthday suite. Everything was the same downto the mole on his right hip. The man that was him sat cross legged and just stared at him. Franklin did not know if he was supposed to say or do anything. He thought this must all be a dream and tried pinching his side. To no avail, and all he managed to do was hurt himself. So, he did what any sane person would do in this time; he had a conversation with himself. "Hello. Who are you?" Franklin asked his all too real doppelganger. Nothing the naked figure just stared at him. He did mimic his mouth movements, like he was learning. "I...am...Franklin." He shouted slow like it made a difference. Nothing. Still the same mimicking, but not word or sound. Franklin reached out to see if he could touch the figure, but it had slapped away his hand with really quick reflexes. "Ouch!" Franklin said as he rubbed the back of his hand. Well, it is really here was all he could think to himself.
For the next few moments, it just stared at him just sitting there cross legged. Franklin stood up and started to speak to his actual self. Probably not the greatest look talking to yourself in front of yourself. "Okay? were going to figure this out one way or another. Hell, I don't even know what to figure out. All I know is I am out in the middle of the ocean literally talking to myself. Or, I have finally had that psychotic break that I always wondering when it would happen." Franklin kept pacing and looking down at the strange figure of himself. All it kept doing was mimicking his words. "Now, either you're a figment of my imagination, or you're the one in my head. So, does that make thisa real place, or am I somewhere else? Like another dimension. Maybe, I am dead, and this is some kind of purgatory?" Franklin glanced at the doppelganger hoping it had a little more to offer, but it just kept staring. Franklin took everything in him not to just slap the face that was his and try to get some kind of reaction out of it. Franklin went on and on trying to figure out his situation out loud. Everything he said though brought him to the sole conclusion that he had finally gone insane. Finally, out of shear exhaustion he just sat down. He stared at himself hoping maybe the dull figure would have something to bring to the conversation.
Franklin with heavy eyes, head began to droop as the sun made its way across the sun. Hours were passing. Franklin did note that he never felt hungry or thirsty during this whole ordeal. He was beginning to fade when he saw the figure open its mouth. Franklin perked up in anticipation in hopes he would get some answers. Nothing. Just more silence, as the figure just stood up and turned his back to Franklin. The man stood there for the next hour not moving, but just staring out into the ocean. Franklin tired of looking at his own butt turned to look out the other way. Was his ass really that flat he thought to himself? During the late hour of the day Franklin was startled awake from his sitting position. The figure poked him with a bat. Where the hell did he get that? Franklin thought to himself. Much to his surprise the figure was clothed now too. Franklin looked around to see if another ship or boat was out here, but it was empty as far asthe eye could see.
"Live or die?" The man said to Franklin.
"What?" Franklin asked the man in a shaky voice.
"I said live or die? It really is a simple option. For 33 years we have been trapped together in the same body, and now it is time for you to choose. Live or die?" Said the doppelganger in a voice that was familiar but sounded not like his own at the same time. It was like hearing your voice on a recording.
"That's all you have to say to me after all this time? How about what the fuck are we doing here, and where exactly is here anyway?" Franklin annoyingly said as he was trying to stand up. That's when the doppelganger took his knee out with the bat. "OW, YOU FUCKING BASTARD." Yelled Franklin as the blow forced him back on the seat of his pants.
"Don't try to get up again." The doppelganger warned him. "It really is quite simple Franklin. This world was meant for both of us, but you did not give me an option. For some strange reason I remember everything. Everything from being in Mother's womb, to the moments I spent rattling in your head. The only escape were the times when your mind shut down long enough for me to take control. Do you know what it is like to be trapped your whole life? To feel like you have a body, but cannot move it, so everything is just numb all the time?"
"I don't get it." Franklin said while looking around for a way out.
"What's not to get you dolt. I am tired, and I want it to end. I was your twin Franklin. Natural selection chose you to live, but in the process of absorbing myphysical body, my consciousness remained. Only it remained in you. So, like a parasite I have needed you to live on. I can't do it anymore though. 33 years is enough, and I want out. The only way to do that is for you to make a choice. Either you are going to let me take the wheel and see what is like to be pulled around, or we end our life now? The choice is yours." Franklin just stared for several moments not sure what to say. All he could think was things were starting to make sense though. Strangely, it did still nag him that this asshole got to be around all the time, but he couldn't remember anything when he blacked out. That's when his twin poked him. "Earth to Franklin, come in Franklin. What is your decision?"
"So, it was you the whole time? Franklin asked. "Then what is this place?" Part of him was trying to buy time so he could figure a way out, and the other part was just curiosity that he could not help but know the answer to.
"Yes. I have been the one taking over when you blackout. Why you can't remember anything I have no idea. Probably because like I said I was able to remember everything. You are normal in every sense of the way besides the blackout. The twin said getting angrier as the time passed.
"Then what is this place?" Franklin asked.
"Your head stupid. Well, our head. Welcome to my world. This is where I am when you are in control. I used to just float in the water endlessly, but the pieces of the raft started to appear. I then realized I was the one making them appear. I had the power to create withinthis place. Here I am God, and here is where you will sacrifice to me, or pay the death toll.
"So, you are making this happen? Franklin asked.
"What don't you get? Yes, this is me making this happen." The twin was physically starting to look drained as the time went on.
Franklin started to realize that the twin was losing grip on his reality. He may be God here, but he was not the God. Franklin stood up before the twin realized and managed to wrestle the bat out of his hands. Not before he took a shot from a knee to his nose. His nose started to bleed, but with water tearing up his eyes he took the bat away and threw it in the ocean. The twin took two jab shots with his left fist that hit home on Franklin's head. Each shot managed to bounce his head back, but he kept his footing. Franklin flung his left leg at the side of the twin only to have it caught. He threw his elbow against the knee of Franklin buckling him to the floor of the raft again.
"You have no choice, Franklin. I have been prepping for years for this. It is my time, and you will make me suffer no more." The twin threw his right foot into the face of Franklin making him rolled near the edge. Then he took a shot into the side nearly pushing him off the edge. His side was in pain he felt as though he had at least three cracked ribs. The twin bent down over his aching body and gave him the option one last time. "Now Franklin...live or die?"
Franklin yelled, "YOU DIE." He grabbed the shirt of the twin and rolled him off the edge.Franklin grabbed the edge of the raft and wrapped his legs around the twin, so he was unable to breach the surface to breath. Franklin frantically grasped the edge of the raft as the twin pounded him from below. Franklin held on though. He felt as his twins' shots became less and less painful, and eventually stopped altogether. After a few moments and the struggling has ceased Franklin released the body to the depths and rolled back onto the raft. With exhaustion setting in Franklin closed his eyes and fell asleep.
Franklin awoke the next day in his apartment in his own bed. He felt as if everything was a dream besides the fact that he was soaking wet, his nose was bleeding, and his left eye was black. He stood in front of his vanity mirror glad it was over, but was it real or is he just that crazy? As he looked himself in the mirror all he could hear was the sound of the ocean beating against the empty raft. He thought if he closed his eyes and looked deeper within his mind something would give him better answers, but nothing but the blackness persisted. He opened them to see the mirror fogged up and written in the fog was the words IT IS NOT OVER YET.
Franklin had an immense fear of drowning, so he had never learned to swim before. His father almost drowned him at the age of 5 thinking it was time for him to learn to swim like a big boy. So, he threw him in the middle of the pool. He sunk to the bottom while he looked at his father's blurry figure probably shouting at him to stop being a pussy. He kicked and squirmed his little arms and legs as hard as he could, but it was like he was being weighted down. Everything was turning black when his mother jumped in after him. That was it after that. His mother left his father for fear of his life, and he never went into water over waist deepagain. Hell, he could not even get a bath over the overflow drain without having a small panic attack.
He waited silently on his raft of solitude hoping somebody would come by. The sun high in the sky was beating down on him, but a cool breeze kept it from becoming unbearable. He had hoped at this point maybe the other guy would just take over. He was never diagnosed with a mental disorder, so he was not even sure anyone else knew of his affliction. Franklin figured the other guy was close in personality or knew everything that he did. Childishly, he thought to himself how unfair that was. He never knew what happened to him when he would blackout.
An hour had past for what Franklin thought was an eternity. That's when he noticed a figure swimming off in the distance. All he could think was it was a shark, and he was doomed, but it was moving to slow. As it grew near, he started to make out the figure and it was definitely human. It was swimming against the current too, which made this whole thing even weirder to him. He slowly backed to the edge of the raft as the figure made it to the edge of the raft. All Franklin could see was two hands grabbing the side. With a sudden burst the figure launched itself out of the water and onto the raft. Franklin shook with extreme anxiety throwing up his hands and begging the figure not to hurt him. After a moment the raft quieted down, and Franklin lowered his hands. To his surprise it was not some hideous monster, or creature of the deep, but him. The figure stood there wearing nothing but his birthday suite. Everything was the same downto the mole on his right hip. The man that was him sat cross legged and just stared at him. Franklin did not know if he was supposed to say or do anything. He thought this must all be a dream and tried pinching his side. To no avail, and all he managed to do was hurt himself. So, he did what any sane person would do in this time; he had a conversation with himself. "Hello. Who are you?" Franklin asked his all too real doppelganger. Nothing the naked figure just stared at him. He did mimic his mouth movements, like he was learning. "I...am...Franklin." He shouted slow like it made a difference. Nothing. Still the same mimicking, but not word or sound. Franklin reached out to see if he could touch the figure, but it had slapped away his hand with really quick reflexes. "Ouch!" Franklin said as he rubbed the back of his hand. Well, it is really here was all he could think to himself.
For the next few moments, it just stared at him just sitting there cross legged. Franklin stood up and started to speak to his actual self. Probably not the greatest look talking to yourself in front of yourself. "Okay? were going to figure this out one way or another. Hell, I don't even know what to figure out. All I know is I am out in the middle of the ocean literally talking to myself. Or, I have finally had that psychotic break that I always wondering when it would happen." Franklin kept pacing and looking down at the strange figure of himself. All it kept doing was mimicking his words. "Now, either you're a figment of my imagination, or you're the one in my head. So, does that make thisa real place, or am I somewhere else? Like another dimension. Maybe, I am dead, and this is some kind of purgatory?" Franklin glanced at the doppelganger hoping it had a little more to offer, but it just kept staring. Franklin took everything in him not to just slap the face that was his and try to get some kind of reaction out of it. Franklin went on and on trying to figure out his situation out loud. Everything he said though brought him to the sole conclusion that he had finally gone insane. Finally, out of shear exhaustion he just sat down. He stared at himself hoping maybe the dull figure would have something to bring to the conversation.
Franklin with heavy eyes, head began to droop as the sun made its way across the sun. Hours were passing. Franklin did note that he never felt hungry or thirsty during this whole ordeal. He was beginning to fade when he saw the figure open its mouth. Franklin perked up in anticipation in hopes he would get some answers. Nothing. Just more silence, as the figure just stood up and turned his back to Franklin. The man stood there for the next hour not moving, but just staring out into the ocean. Franklin tired of looking at his own butt turned to look out the other way. Was his ass really that flat he thought to himself? During the late hour of the day Franklin was startled awake from his sitting position. The figure poked him with a bat. Where the hell did he get that? Franklin thought to himself. Much to his surprise the figure was clothed now too. Franklin looked around to see if another ship or boat was out here, but it was empty as far asthe eye could see.
"Live or die?" The man said to Franklin.
"What?" Franklin asked the man in a shaky voice.
"I said live or die? It really is a simple option. For 33 years we have been trapped together in the same body, and now it is time for you to choose. Live or die?" Said the doppelganger in a voice that was familiar but sounded not like his own at the same time. It was like hearing your voice on a recording.
"That's all you have to say to me after all this time? How about what the fuck are we doing here, and where exactly is here anyway?" Franklin annoyingly said as he was trying to stand up. That's when the doppelganger took his knee out with the bat. "OW, YOU FUCKING BASTARD." Yelled Franklin as the blow forced him back on the seat of his pants.
"Don't try to get up again." The doppelganger warned him. "It really is quite simple Franklin. This world was meant for both of us, but you did not give me an option. For some strange reason I remember everything. Everything from being in Mother's womb, to the moments I spent rattling in your head. The only escape were the times when your mind shut down long enough for me to take control. Do you know what it is like to be trapped your whole life? To feel like you have a body, but cannot move it, so everything is just numb all the time?"
"I don't get it." Franklin said while looking around for a way out.
"What's not to get you dolt. I am tired, and I want it to end. I was your twin Franklin. Natural selection chose you to live, but in the process of absorbing myphysical body, my consciousness remained. Only it remained in you. So, like a parasite I have needed you to live on. I can't do it anymore though. 33 years is enough, and I want out. The only way to do that is for you to make a choice. Either you are going to let me take the wheel and see what is like to be pulled around, or we end our life now? The choice is yours." Franklin just stared for several moments not sure what to say. All he could think was things were starting to make sense though. Strangely, it did still nag him that this asshole got to be around all the time, but he couldn't remember anything when he blacked out. That's when his twin poked him. "Earth to Franklin, come in Franklin. What is your decision?"
"So, it was you the whole time? Franklin asked. "Then what is this place?" Part of him was trying to buy time so he could figure a way out, and the other part was just curiosity that he could not help but know the answer to.
"Yes. I have been the one taking over when you blackout. Why you can't remember anything I have no idea. Probably because like I said I was able to remember everything. You are normal in every sense of the way besides the blackout. The twin said getting angrier as the time passed.
"Then what is this place?" Franklin asked.
"Your head stupid. Well, our head. Welcome to my world. This is where I am when you are in control. I used to just float in the water endlessly, but the pieces of the raft started to appear. I then realized I was the one making them appear. I had the power to create withinthis place. Here I am God, and here is where you will sacrifice to me, or pay the death toll.
"So, you are making this happen? Franklin asked.
"What don't you get? Yes, this is me making this happen." The twin was physically starting to look drained as the time went on.
Franklin started to realize that the twin was losing grip on his reality. He may be God here, but he was not the God. Franklin stood up before the twin realized and managed to wrestle the bat out of his hands. Not before he took a shot from a knee to his nose. His nose started to bleed, but with water tearing up his eyes he took the bat away and threw it in the ocean. The twin took two jab shots with his left fist that hit home on Franklin's head. Each shot managed to bounce his head back, but he kept his footing. Franklin flung his left leg at the side of the twin only to have it caught. He threw his elbow against the knee of Franklin buckling him to the floor of the raft again.
"You have no choice, Franklin. I have been prepping for years for this. It is my time, and you will make me suffer no more." The twin threw his right foot into the face of Franklin making him rolled near the edge. Then he took a shot into the side nearly pushing him off the edge. His side was in pain he felt as though he had at least three cracked ribs. The twin bent down over his aching body and gave him the option one last time. "Now Franklin...live or die?"
Franklin yelled, "YOU DIE." He grabbed the shirt of the twin and rolled him off the edge.Franklin grabbed the edge of the raft and wrapped his legs around the twin, so he was unable to breach the surface to breath. Franklin frantically grasped the edge of the raft as the twin pounded him from below. Franklin held on though. He felt as his twins' shots became less and less painful, and eventually stopped altogether. After a few moments and the struggling has ceased Franklin released the body to the depths and rolled back onto the raft. With exhaustion setting in Franklin closed his eyes and fell asleep.
Franklin awoke the next day in his apartment in his own bed. He felt as if everything was a dream besides the fact that he was soaking wet, his nose was bleeding, and his left eye was black. He stood in front of his vanity mirror glad it was over, but was it real or is he just that crazy? As he looked himself in the mirror all he could hear was the sound of the ocean beating against the empty raft. He thought if he closed his eyes and looked deeper within his mind something would give him better answers, but nothing but the blackness persisted. He opened them to see the mirror fogged up and written in the fog was the words IT IS NOT OVER YET.
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