Klones

[WP] You can create temporary clones of people based on a photo, permanent if the person is already dead. After summoning a clone of your mom to sign a permission slip for school, you stand in shock and horror as you realize you can't make the clone disappear.

*****

I first noticed my power when I was five. My mum had left me alone with an old photo album with pictures of our family. I remember stroking the picture of my dog Nala, a big old fluffy german shepherd. She had run away from home a few weeks before, and my mum comforted me with the pictures. As I looked longingly at her picture, I felt a panting breath on my neck.

Spinning around, there she was. I was beyond ecstatic. I gave her all the hugs and scratches I could manage. Hearing the commotion, my mother came back to find her with me. We were all so happy. We never questioned where she appeared from. Who would?

It was a week later when my mum got a concerning call. A dog catcher called to let us know they had found our dog. Sadly she had been hurt, and they had to put her down. The only thing was, she was sitting with me. It was then we started to realise that it was something more.

At first, we thought maybe a similar looking dog had wandered in through the doggy door. But nope, she had a chip that linked her to us. Even the name tag on her collar was identical.

Confusion was the only thing we experienced back then. We were trying to find any logical explanation for what had happened. How could there be two of our dogs? Our answer came when I was playing around with the photo album again. This time I touched the picture of my uncle, who was serving overseas.

He suddenly appeared in our living room, confused. He explained he had no idea why he was here as he was about to blow out his birthday candles. That's when I looked back at the picture. It was now just an empty seat with relatives around it watching a cake with lit candles.

Me and my mother realised it was me somehow bringing people in the picture into our world. When I touched the picture again, my uncle vanished and reappeared in the picture. Right, where he was in the beginning.

This only furthered our curiosity. Wondering why he returned while Nala was still here happily wagging her tail. Our answer came when I touched an old picture of my mum’s cat. Touching it, I brought the cat into existence. Touching the picture again, the cat didn’t return.

We now realised I could bring people and animals out of pictures and return them so long as they were alive. We were stumped with what to do with this power. Bring people we loved back? But in the end, we decided to keep it a secret. My mum was saying things about government labs and scary agencies.

I was really young, so I obediently obeyed. Hell, even if I blabbed about it, I was five. No one would believe it to be anything but an overactive imagination.

So my life continued like normal. With only the odd foray into using my power to get help with my homework. That is till the day I came home from school with a permission slip for a school trip.

Mum often worked late, and it wasn’t unusual for her not to be home when I got in from school. Knowing she’d be drained from her shift and I needed this to be signed, I had two options.

Fake the signature, which I had done a few times. But the teachers were catching onto my game as my handwriting was really bad. The other option was to get out a pic of mum and have her doppelganger sign.

Flipping through an album that had a title on the cover saying ‘Don't Panic’ in large friendly letters. I tapped a pic, and a copy of my mum appeared.

“Hi, honey,” she said with a smile.

“Considering I was about to bake a cake, I’m guessing I’m a copy?” she asked. I just nodded.

“So what is this time? Got in trouble and need a fake me to bail you out?” she asked, crossing her arms.

“No, nothing like that, just need your chicken scratch on this,” I explained, offering her the permission form. She read it and raised an eyebrow at me.

“Why can’t real me do this?” she asked.

“You are doing a lot of overtime, and it’s due tomorrow. The last thing I want to do is bother you when you need sleep,” I explained. My copy mum paused to think then nodded.

“Very well, give us a pen,” she said, holding out her hand. Scribbling her signature down, she handed it back to me.

“Ok, well, give my best to me,” she said with a smile as I opened the album and readied to send her back.

Tap.

Huh? She’s still here.

Tap.Tap.

Why isn’t she returning to the picture??!!

Tap!Tap!Tap!Tap!Tap!Tap!Tap!Tap!Tap!Tap!Tap!Tap!Tap!Tap!Tap!Tap!

“COME ONE GO BACK!!!” I cried out as I frantically tapped the picture. My copy mum looked at me with worry then approached me.

“Honeybun,” she began wrapping her arm around my shoulder.

“We both know what this means,” she said softly.

“NO!!!” I protested, not willing to accept the truth.

“She isn’t gone!!” I shout, shaking my head in denial.

“Of course, I’m not. I’m right here. But other me Is gone for whatever reason,” she said softly, embracing my crying form.

“I know me, and I would’ve prepared for this eventuality. What we really need to do is get ahead of this,” she explained, rising to her feet.

“H-how are you s-so calm?” I asked.

“I’ve been worried something like this may happen someday. Why do you think the album has ‘Don't Panic’ on the cover?” she replied.

“Now can you call work and find out where ‘your aunty’ is,” she said as she made for the door.

“Aunty?” I repeat.

“Oh yes, I and a few family members have set up paperwork for ‘identical siblings’ Cant well have multiple me’s to bury without paperwork,” she replied with a blase smile.

It was here where I began to wonder if my mum’s ability to take everything in stride was her own superpower.

*****

THE END.