She was heavily pregnant, her swollen stomach rising gently under the thin hospital gown covering her body.
My eyes traveled upward to her face, and my entire body went cold immediately.
The woman looked exactly like me in every possible way that mattered.
Her complexion matched mine perfectly, including the small birthmark on the left side of her neck.
Her eyebrows, lips, and even the faint scar near her chin were identical to my own reflection.
I felt my heartbeat pounding violently inside my ears as if someone was striking a drum against my skull.
Before I could pull away, her eyelids fluttered slowly, and her eyes opened directly toward the glass ceiling above her.
She stared straight at me through the barrier separating our two worlds.
Her lips moved weakly, forming two silent words that I understood without hearing sound.
Help me.
I stumbled backward, dropping my phone onto the rug as my vision blurred with fear and disbelief.
My legs felt unstable, but instinct pushed me upright because remaining inside that room suddenly felt dangerous.
Without thinking clearly, I grabbed a small traveling bag from the closet and threw random clothes into it.
My hands trembled so violently that I struggled to zip the bag properly.
I took my passport from the drawer and slipped it inside, unsure where I planned to go.
All I knew was that I could not stay inside that house another minute.
I rushed down the marble staircase, nearly slipping because my feet moved faster than my balance allowed.
The living room appeared normal, silent, and unchanged, which made everything feel even more unreal.
I ran outside into the compound, breathing heavily under the bright afternoon sun.
Our gateman, Musa, sat quietly on his wooden bench near the gate as usual.
He looked up slowly when he saw my shaking body approaching him at full speed.
I screamed at him to open the gate immediately because I needed to leave at once.
He stood up calmly, dusting his uniform trousers without any sign of urgency.
His eyes looked different that afternoon, darker and strangely empty compared to his usual friendly expression.
He asked me where I was going in a voice that sounded deeper than normal.
I told him it was none of his business and ordered him to unlock the heavy iron gate.
