Chapter 5
589 Words
: The Stranger in Her Skin
Nathan took a shaky step back as Janelle—or whoever she was—strode into the room. She looked the same, from the delicate curve of her lips to the way her hair cascaded over her shoulder. But now, standing in the presence of her father, there was something different in her stance—controlled, almost calculated.
She smiled, but it wasn’t the Janelle he had fallen for.
“Nathan,” she said, her voice smooth and unreadable. “You’ve been busy.”
His heart pounded in his chest. “What the hell is going on?”
Janelle glanced at her father, an amused glint in her eyes. “Should I tell him?”
Mr. Madrigal simply gestured toward Nathan. “That’s up to you.”
She turned back to him, her expression softening—too soft, too perfect. “I didn’t want you to find out like this,” she said. “But since you’ve gone this far, you deserve the truth.”
Nathan clenched his fists. “Then tell me.”
She took a slow step forward, closing the distance between them. He should have stepped back, but he was frozen in place. “The Janelle you knew is gone,” she said. “And I took her place.”
The words sent a chill down his spine. “That’s not possible,” he whispered.
She reached out, tracing a finger along his jaw, her touch as familiar as ever. “You don’t believe me?” she asked. “Then let me ask you something. What’s my favorite childhood memory?”
Nathan blinked. “That’s easy,” he said. “It’s when you went to the beach with your mom, and—”
“No,” she interrupted, tilting her head. “That’s what she told you. But that never happened.”
His breath caught in his throat.
Janelle—or whoever she was—grinned. “You see? I have her face, her voice, even her memories. But I’m not her.”
Nathan stumbled back, his mind reeling. “Then who are you?”
She leaned in, whispering so only he could hear. “I’m something else.”
The room felt smaller, suffocating. Mr. Madrigal watched in silence, as if he had seen this play out before.
Nathan’s pulse pounded in his ears. “What did you do to her?” he demanded.
Janelle—the imposter—sighed, almost as if she pitied him. “She made a choice. One she couldn’t take back.”
He clenched his jaw. “Where is she?”
Janelle stepped back, her expression unreadable. “If you really want to know, you’ll have to find out yourself.”
Mr. Madrigal finally spoke. “That is, if you’re willing to risk your life for the truth.”
The door behind Nathan creaked open. Two of the same suited men from earlier stood waiting.
“You can leave now, Nathan,” Mr. Madrigal said. “Forget this ever happened. Live your life.”
Janelle smirked. “Or… you can keep searching for the girl you lost. But if you do, just remember—some things are better left buried.”
Nathan stared at them, his heart hammering. His instincts screamed at him to walk away.
But he had already lost Janelle once.
And he wasn’t about to lose her again.
He turned to the door—and ran.
Janelle’s laughter followed him as he disappeared into the night. “See you soon, Nathan.”
- Writer
