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The winds had calmed, the sandstorm subsided. Cecil was safely back home, but still shaken by the gruesome sights he had seen beyond the vortex. He fervently hoped that nothing so terrible had happened to anyone else. He drove home weaving between squads of ambulances, police cars, and black vans from a vague yet menacing government agency. Emergency services were backed up all over town tending to those who had been injured fighting their double, and removing the bodies of the dead. Cecil shook his head and kept his eye averted from the carnage. Hadn't he told them not to fight? Then again, if their twins were anything like his, could he blame them?
He was halfway home when he realized the implication. Everyone had a double. Did that only apply to native Night Valeans, or did anyone within city borders get one too? If the latter, then... Carlos.
Cecil was embarrassed to admit that his first reaction to the idea of a Carlos doppelganger was thrilling. Twice the silky hair! Twice the chiseled jawline! Another pair of those sienna eyes as deep as oceans! But no, such infatuation was rather shallow against the potential consequences of the doubling. What if the other Carlos was a twisted, demonic thing? Such a being would be all the more hideous for warping his perfect features. And what if – elder gods, no – what if that monster attacked his dear Carlos? Cecil couldn't even finish that thought. He turned away from his route, looking for a quiet spot, away from the blaring sirens and shouting officers. In a shady back alley he pulled over and pulled out his phone.
It was five rings before Carlos picked up, five agonizing rings during which countless bloody scenarios played out in Cecil's mind. When Carlos finally answered, at first all he heard was a huge gasp from the other end.
“Hello? Is anyone there?”
Cecil tried to compose himself. “Oh, Carlos. It's me. It's Cecil.”
“I know. Are you alright?”
“Uh, yeah. I was actually calling to see if you were alright. You know the sandstorm we just had?”
“Well I have been studying it all day,” Carlos said with a quiet chuckle. “Fascinating stuff, really. The atmospheric pressure wasn't nearly low enough to account for the wind speed-”
“Carlos, you know that's not what I'm talking about.” Cecil had trouble getting the words out. “Was there- I mean, did you-”
“Yes, okay, the doppelganger thing. Your guess is as good as mine as to what that was. But I stayed safe.”
“You didn't meet your double?”
“No.”
“Ohhhh but how do I know you're not the double and just telling me that to lull me into a false sense of security? What if you killed the real Carlos? Or you left him dying in a gulch and I should be running out to rescue-”
“Cecil. Listen to yourself. You're getting hysterical. Do you trust me?”
He had let his head fall to the steering wheel, but now Cecil bolted upright. What kind of a question was that? He would feel insulted if it were anyone other than dear, sweet Carlos asking. He wiped the tears out of his eyes, which he hadn't even noticed were there. “Of course I trust you. More than anything.”
“Well then you will be able to take my word for it. I did not go out into the sandstorm. I did not see my double. Neither did any of my lab team. We think it didn't affect us because we're... outsiders to the town. And if you don't believe that then you can come down to the lab if you want to poke me in person.”
“What, to see if your face comes off to reveal a Scooby-Doo villain underneath?” Now Cecil could barely hold back a giggle. “No, no, I believe you. Thank you. I just needed to hear it from you.”
“No problem. You want to come to the lab anyway? I've got some anomalous findings you might be interested in. You know, for the show.”
“Yes. I would like that very much. I'll be there in ten.” Cecil hung up and started up the car. His fear had evaporated like ice in the desert sun. He had been such a fool. Carlos was unique in all the universe. How could Cecil ever have believed there could be more than one?