The Shadow That Walks Twice

When I was a teenager, I lived with my parents like most kids do. One night, I came home after spending time with my friends. I went to my parents’ room and told them, “I’m back.” My father sat up in bed, confused. He asked why I was telling them again. He said I had already come home and told them the same thing almost half an hour ago. But that wasn’t possible—I had just walked in.

Years later, I was a soldier, living in a different town with my wife and newborn child. My parents came to visit and help out. One morning, I put on my uniform, stepped outside, got into my car, and drove off to work. My parents stood by the window, watching me leave.

A moment later, they saw me again. I was outside, walking, but this time I was dressed in a white uniform—something I never owned, something soldiers like me were never issued. There was no one else in the building who looked like me. And yet, there I was, appearing twice.

My father has always had a deep connection to the spiritual world. He has fought unseen battles, but even he couldn’t explain what he saw. He didn’t feel afraid—only puzzled.

When I was a child, I used to travel beyond this world, seeing things through mirrors, moving where the body could not. I stopped long ago, shutting those doors. But now I wonder… did something follow me back?