I was sat on the bus from London to Oxford, checking out the latest Wattpad comments on my book. Suddenly, I glanced across the aisle and saw a very strange sight. I had thought there was nobody in the seat opposite, but I now saw a moving black line which twisted and became something like a cardboard cut out of myself, it was flat but wore the exact same clothes I was. Had I been drinking too much? I'd been quite sleep deprived lately, that could be why.
A more sinister thought filled my head. Was I being stalked somehow? My Wattpad stories were always quite controversial. Maybe someone was trying to freak me out somehow - possibly the guy I'd based the villain in my latest story on. Just like my villain, this guy was rich and had a lot of power. But wasn't this a strange way to do it, if so?
I turned back and tried to ignore the two dimensional me. But then it started speaking - in my voice.
'Is your name Kirsty?' it said. I turned around, shaking.
'No,' I gulped. 'It's Rachael.'
'So you're not Kirsty?' it said, sounding gutted. I shook my head.
'My name's Kirsty and you look just like me. So I thought you were another version of me. I thought maybe you could help.' This was getting stranger by the second. I could sense Kirsty's distress but this situation was totally implausible. I looked around at the other passengers who ignored us both.
'My name's not Kirsty,' I said. 'I really don't think I can help you.'
'Is your mum's name Petal?' Kirsty said. I shook my head.
'Don't you have a sister called Geraldine?' I shook my head, not knowing how to respond.
'What about your dad? Your dad must be called Cucumber? Right?' I laughed, thinking of what my dad would say to this question, and immediately felt guilty.
'No,' I said.
'They aren't called any of those names?' Kirsty said in desperation. I shook my head, with no idea what to do. I'd helped drunk or lost people find their way home on public transport but I'd never been in this situation before. Then she - I guessed it was a she and not an it - started full on sobbing, tears rolling down her completely flat cheeks. 'Oh. Oh. I really am lost. I somehow got to your dimension and I don't know how to get back.'
'What do you mean, my dimension?'
She handed me her phone, which was the exact same as mine except it felt like a completely flat, very thin and stiff piece of metal. 'Can you look the second dimension up on Google Maps?'
'I don't think it will show other dimensions there, maybe you need to ask, like, a physicist,' I said doubtfully.
I entered 'How to get to the second dimension' into Google but it just came up with some clubs and an art studio.
'Maybe you could go to this club, they're open until 2am, and see if they can help?' I said, and Kirsty looked terrified. Then, she said the words that I had been dreading.
'Can you come with me? I don't want to turn up at a random club on my own.'
'It's late and I've got to go home,' I said. 'Maybe I can get your number?'
We exchanged numbers but Kirsty's number was the same as mine. This was getting even stranger. The bus stopped at my stop. Some of the other passengers were giving me very weird looks as we walked to the exit.
'This looks kind of like where I live. I'll get out here as well.' I wished Kirsty hadn't said that, but I would have worried about her all night so it was just as well.
I sent my mum a text. 'Hi, Mum, are you still up? I need your help with a weird situation.'
I had a text back from her number, but it wasn't her.
