Georgina stared at her phone screen, her heart hammering so loud she thought it might burst out of her chest.
ETHAN: You've got a lot of explaining to do.
Her thumbs trembled above the keys, unsure if she should reply or throw the phone across the room. She blinked hard, hoping it was a prank. But another message came through.
ETHAN: Yes, it's me. And yes, I'm still alive. Well… sort of. You've been borrowing my life, so I figured I'd check in.
She inhaled sharply, typing before she could think too hard.
GEORGINA: You're still alive? How? Where are you? How are you texting me?!
A three-dot bubble pulsed on the screen.
ETHAN: Long story. But first — how the hell do you live in such a low-budget house? No offense, but the wallpaper in the kitchen looks like someone vomited 1973.
Georgina gaped, then burst into a half-hysterical laugh. It was him. No one else could be so sarcastically flippant in the middle of a supernatural crisis.
GEORGINA: This is not the time to criticize interior design!
ETHAN: You try waking up in someone else's body with a pink toothbrush and a Hello Kitty calendar judging you every morning. I earned the right to complain
She sank onto her bed, knees wobbling.
GEORGINA: When did this start?
ETHAN: The night of when you grabbed my hand and BOOM — I'm looking at my reflection and it's NOT me. It's you. And the screaming? That was all me. But no one could hear it.
Georgina bit her lip, the memory coming back. The blackout. The weird fog in her brain that lasted for days afterward.
GEORGINA: Why didn't you say anything sooner?
ETHAN: Do you know how hard it is to type when someone else is using your thumbs? I've been stuck in here like a ghost behind glass. Watching you mess up my handwriting, talk to my friends like you're reading a script, and eat cereal with water when we have milk. Monster.
She chuckled despite herself.
GEORGINA: I panicked, okay?! And it wasn't water, it was almond milk.
ETHAN: Same crime. Different carton.
She softened a little, typing slower now.
GEORGINA: What was it like… being me?
ETHAN: Confusing. Too much lip gloss. Too many secrets. And your stepsisters are straight-up evil.
GEORGINA: Don't I know it.
ETHAN: They tried to humiliate "you" in class the second day. I had to handle it.
GEORGINA: What did you do?
ETHAN: I saw a picture of them at home wearing bad makeup and showed it to their friends. You're welcome.
GEORGINA: That was YOU?!
ETHAN: They deserved it. And by the way — I passed your midterms. You're not failing chemistry anymore. Take that, Stepmomzilla.
GEORGINA: Oh my God.
ETHAN: Best moment of my week.
There was a pause. They stared at the message thread in mutual silence. For a second, Georgina didn't know how to feel. This wasn't just a mistake. It was real. He'd lived as her. And she'd been walking around in his life, wearing his face, pretending to belong.
ETHAN: You know what's even weirder?
GEORGINA: What?
ETHAN: Talking to myself like this. I'm literally texting my own face.
She smiled. For a second, the absurdity of it all felt almost… manageable.
GEORGINA: So what do we do now? How do we fix this?
No response.
She waited. The typing dots returned… then vanished again.
GEORGINA: Ethan?
Nothing.
She frowned, glancing around her bedroom. The air felt… heavier somehow. Ethan stood up slowly. his spine tingled like something was about to happen.
And then — KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.
ethan froze.
Three knocks. Loud. Sharp. Measured. Coming from the front door.
It was almost ten at night. Her stepmother was out of town. Her stepsisters were sleeping over at a friend's. No one was supposed to be here.
The knocking came again. Louder this time.
KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.
Her phone buzzed in her hand.
GEORGINA: Don't open it.
ETHAN: What?
GEORGINA: I felt it too. Something's wrong. Whoever — or whatever — is out there… it's not just a late-night visitor.
The doorknob rattled.
he backed away slowly, trying not to make a sound. Her bare feet barely touched the floor as she crept toward the hallway.
KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.
Harder now. Desperate.
Her phone buzzed again.
GEORGINA: Go to the mirror. The full-length one. Now.
he hesitated for half a second, then turned and ran. Down the hall, past the kitchen, and into her stepmother's room where the mirror stood. She hadn't been in here since the last fight. The room smelled like perfume and cruelty.
The knocking stopped.
Silence.
Her phone buzzed again.
GEORGINA: Stand in front of it. Don't blink.
ETHAN obeyed, heart thundering. The reflection showed him — but it wasn't quite right. Her face looked pale. Her eyes seemed deeper. Sharper.
he leaned closer.So did her reflection.Only… it didn't move at the same time.
ETHAN knew something was off, the reflection said its me Georgina then ethan put his hand on the mirror and he was pulled inside when he opened his eyes he was back to his own body.