Doppelgänger

06. They're Coming

Ronald's mother thought that Zack was the mastermind behind the accident. She said it was Zack who deliberately caused her son to have an accident and die because Zack held a deep grudge against her son. Then everyone believed the rumour until finally, the school decided to call Zack's parents.

So far, Zack has always hidden from his parents that he was ostracized at school. He always told them that he had good friends and was treated like other kids, his school years were going well and Zack was good at limiting physical contact so he didn't have to see what he shouldn't see.

But all the lies were finally revealed after the call. Zack's parents learned that everything Zack said to them was a lie. Both are wrong, not even for one point.

But Zack's father still defended Zack as best he could, he still said that Zack was not Ronald's killer and he did everything to make his son free from punishment. Zack's father didn't mind Ronald's mother wanting to bring the police to investigate this. Zack's father was sure that Zack was not the killer.

After an investigation, Zack was finally declared innocent because no evidence could prove that Zack was the mastermind behind his friend's death. He didn't get kicked out of school, either. However, because of that investigation, he had to say he could see other people's doppelgangers. Zack could predict their deaths after seeing what happened to their doppelgangers when their hands touched.

Of course, no one believed the boy's words. However, instead of accepting it, everyone used that fact to label Zack a monster. Then those who had stayed away from the start increasingly avoided every form of conversation or touched with Zack. In the end, Zack was increasingly ostracized by those who gave him a new title as a monster who could see someone's death.

Mother and Father told Zack to be patient, they always strengthened him and never judged him just once. Only they can understand, also with Tamara, who is never absent, Zack tells about his life problems.

Zack himself can not do anything but accept. Even though in the end, the three years of high school had to be filled with sad memories because Zack was always alone. But it's okay, the proof is that the man can get through it all until graduation day. Zack is still the best graduate even though he doesn't have friends. Zack can survive even if he is alone.

So, that's the short story of why Zack avoids everyone who might know him. Zack didn't want to scare them when he saw it because his heart ached every time he saw it. He never intended to harm anyone because of this ability.

This incident also made Zack's family choose to move away from the city and seclude themselves in a house near the forest. Because they said, their son would be calmer so that Zack could control himself more, and his father also didn't want to see his son being called all kinds of things by them anymore.

Zack gasped when he heard his cell phone ringing loudly, an incoming call from Dad that dispelled any nostalgia about his past just now.

"Hello—"

"Zack, where are you?!" Dad interrupted quickly in a worried tone of voice.

Zack frowned, confused, "I'm still at the park, I already sent a message to Dad," Zack told him, intending to reduce worry.

But Dad's voice still sounded the same, so Zack could tell that wasn't what was worrying him.

“Put your hat down deeper, don't let anyone see you. Wait there and don't go anywhere, let Father pick you up."

Zack stared confusedly at the call that had just been cut off. Father's words were full of firmness, meaning he couldn't argue with them. So, he did everything his Father said just now, but Zack kept looking around to see if someone was stalking him right now for Father to be overdoing it like that.

But Zack didn't find anything suspicious.

"Zack!” Father is here, the man quickly pulled his son to his feet and followed him. "Let's go."

Zack was still confused but kept moving according to what he said. His shoulders were tightly clutched as if Father feared someone would take him away. But who? Zack hasn't seen any strange people so far, so what's the reason for Dad to act like this?

"Father, why?"

"Don't ask, we're going home now."

Go home? Even his father's working hours have not finished. They also haven't had time to buy household items that have run out.

What's the matter?

His Father told Zack to get into the car quickly and Zack again complied. As he spun around to get into the driver's seat, Zack looked again for a reason for his father's suddenly strange behaviour.

When the car started to accelerate, Zack still couldn't find anything other than a glimpse of someone in a black robe at the end of the road. Which somehow looks familiar in his memory.

Were they the reason for his father's current worry?

**

"Dareen, they're coming."

Zack noticed all the rush in his house after Father said that one sentence to Mother. The two of them were seen busy closing doors, windows and curtains, so their house looked dark. Now it was evening and soon it would be dark, which only made their home even more invisible, especially since Mother had also just turned off all the lights.

The drive back from downtown to the house took quite a bit, but Father had driven the car fast enough to get them there before nightfall. But unfortunately, now Zack still needs to understand what happened to the point that they both have to act like that.

Who are they referring to? Zack didn't even look at the suspicious people. As far as he could remember, their family had no debts that could result in people coming to collect them. So, what's the problem? Why is it only Zack who doesn't know anything?

"Zack, honey, now you come into the room, will you?"

Zack shook his head quickly, hearing his mother's order just now. "What's going on here? Why do Mom and Dad look scared that someone will come here? Who will come? Why do all the doors and windows have to be closed?”

Try to count how many questions he asked just now.

"Zack, listen carefully, father." The father led Zack to sit on the sofa, asking his son to listen to every word he said. "You told dad this morning that you were twenty years old, even though your twentieth birthday is only tomorrow. But, Zack ... the twenty years you will get tomorrow will also be the beginning of your journey. Journey to survive. Mom and Dad have taken care of you all this time, and now it's your turn to try to take care of yourself."

“Dad… Zack still doesn't get it. Survive? Actually, what happened now? Even though everything has normally been running since earlier, why suddenly did you say something like this to me?”

Zack doesn't understand anything, there's not a single thing he can understand because everything happened suddenly and he has to travel to survive. So what would happen if Zack had to do that? Zack had also moved into this house with them to avoid the crowds, so why did he still have to travel after the move?

"There is a secret about your destiny line that I can't tell you, you will find the answer later when you go on that trip."

"But Dad promised me to tell everything, Dad always said later and later, but in the end, I still didn't know anything. I was always confused, as if I was the only one who didn't understand what was happening. Tell me what happened. What did you mean by what Father said earlier and why should I go?”

After hearing Zack's complaint earlier, Father immediately looked at Mother as if an actual conversation passed through their eyes without Zack knowing what he meant. His parents were like that a lot as if their heads could naturally telepath each other without opening their mouths to speak.

Could it be that they also have unusual abilities like me?

Because if he recall, Zack's parents looked at each other too often without speaking, but they both seemed to be talking about something. Don't tell me that Zack's suspicions are true or this is just a strange thought because too many things have happened today to make his head spin.

Zack had been overthinking and to be honest, he needed a break.