Stanley trudged home with his head lowered to the ground. He noticed the gray clouds forming together in the sky. The man had to get back home, but he took the long way to contemplate his decisions back there and what to do. Stanley knew he had to get there eventually, just to end the already miserable day.

What have I done? What was I thinking back there? He thought to himself, clasping his face with his hands.

Stanley made it back to his room and headed toward the gray balcony. He didn’t even bother checking in other places, not wanting to upset them further, and figured they wouldn’t want him. Why would they?

He looked up at the sky, placing his arms on the railings and resting his head there. What should he do now, and where can he find a new job? What would he tell his nana now? Should Stanley go back to his old home as a failure at this point?

The gray clouds turned to black, as soft thunder roared from above. Small droplets of rain fell on the ground, Goosebumps grew on Stanley’s body, but he didn’t care, not anymore. What was the point now that his life was ruined? He heard a knock on the door in his room, but ignored it. Another, but louder, whack banged at the door.

The door opened by itself as the Landlord excused himself and entered the room. Stanley turned around, about to question how he got in, but recalled Jordan breaking the lock not too long ago. Just thinking about that made his heart sink lower.

“Hey, there you are.” The Landlord said, wiping his forehead.

“What do you want?” Stanley hissed.

“I can see you’re not in the mood, but I need to tell you this.” The Landlord cleared his throat before continuing. “Your rent is due tomorrow, and I’m going to need the money by then.”

“What?” Stanley’s heart dropped as his eyes widened. “But, I—”

“Sorry,” The Landlord interrupted. “You either pay or have to go away.”

“Where will I go if I can’t—?”

“Beats me.” The Landlord turned and walked away, closing the door behind him.

Stanley lowered his head back to the top of the balcony and sighed. Now he had lost everything, back to square one, but worse off. Stanley couldn’t hold back the tears anymore. He shut his eyes and just let them fall down his face. He sobbed quietly to himself throughout the night and buried his face in his arms.

A door creaked from a distance. His ears picked up on that. Stanley stopped crying and looked down to see an entry open, and a person turned heads before walking out. He couldn’t recognize the figure as it blended with the darkness surrounding him, though seeing the red eyes pierce the gloominess, he knew who it was. Stanley wiped his eyes and went down the stairs to follow the figure.

.-.-.-.

Stanley carefully snuck behind the figure to make sure he didn’t get caught. The image walked toward some lamps, glistening and illuminating the dark. He was right; it was Jordan. All that’s left to wonder is, where did Jordan head off to, and why?

Jordan stood in front of two enormous gates and pushed them open, then he stepped inside, as the fog poured out of the area. Stanley brushed off the mist and read the sign up above. The first word was Angelwing, and he couldn’t make out the second word. Stanley stepped forward and followed Jordan.

As Stanley trudged along the wet grass, he could barely see Jordan past all the fog surrounding the area. He rested his hand to use as a hand stool, only to find he touched a tombstone and backed away. It just occurred to him what the second word was as he realized where he was, a cemetery.

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The owls hooted and crickets chirped as the ambiance in the area grew with every step he took. After a while, Jordan came to a complete stop when he got to a specific grave and knelt to read the sign.

Stanley stopped a few feet from him and turned his head to try and get a read on the name of the grave. Stanley squinted his eyes, then shot them wide open upon realizing something.

I recognize that tombstone and name; it can’t be.

Jordan turned around and noticed Stanley standing right behind him. “You again? Why are you here?”

“Why are you near that grave?” Stanley pointed. “How do you know about my nana?”

“Your nana? You mean our nana.”

“What are you talking about? How do you know her? Why is her grave even here?”

“Oh, you didn’t know?” Jordan replied, getting himself up and brushing off his clothes. “She’s been dead for years, sick in bed. Nana fought hard, but it was no match for her inevitable demise. Her family members didn’t want to tell you about it.”

Stanley’s body grew stiff, as a tight knot formed around in his stomach, almost as if he got punched in the gut. He couldn’t believe what he just heard. It couldn’t be, it just couldn’t.

“You mean to tell me that all this time, she...?” Stanley started, his voice growing cold, and his body shook.

“That’s right, died peacefully, in her hometown,” Jordan replied. “No one wanted to have your heart broken and confess to your face, so your family bottled it all up and didn’t say a word.”

Stanely didn’t know how to react. So many things filled his head at once. He tried to hold back his hot tears and fuming head. He heard her voice, he could’ve sworn that, so why is she now revealed to be dead? If it wasn’t Nana, then who was on his side of the phone? How did they get his number, whoever they were?

“That can’t be. How would you know about that?” Stanley inquired, taking a step back.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Jordan asked. He walked closer to Stanley. “I’m you, whether or not you want to believe and accept it. I have all your memories and such inside of me. We even share the same app—”

“No, you’re not me! You’ll never understand or become me!” Stanley snapped. “And besides, I heard my nana on the phone, so I’m not crazy, you hear me?!”

“Okay?” Jordan rolled his eyes. “I can see why your family never told you.”

“Excuse me? After everything you’ve said and done, you now have the gall to mock my family?”

“Did you not even—?” Jordan shook his head and groaned. “Forget it and forget her too.”

“Forget who?” Stanley asked, confused.

“I change my mind, your history, and soon I’ll be the one and only—”

“Will you knock it—?”

Before giving him the time to finish the sentence, Jordan shoved Stanley to the ground, nearly hitting a gravestone. Stanley had gotten scratches from his legs and arms; he rubbed his head and noticed Jordan storm over to him in a fit of rage. Stanley looked around for something to fight back against as a weapon. He discovered a shovel on the ground and grabbed it, clutching it in his hands.

Stanley knocked Jordan out of the way with the shovel by hitting him into the air and causing him to tumble to the ground. Jordan glanced at Stanley in shock as the latter got up and sauntered over to him with the shovel in hand.

“Hey, you, eat this!” Stanley exclaimed.

“What—?” Jordan started.

“Get out of my life!” Stanley interrupted.

He lifted the shovel in the air and swung it at Jordan, knocking him over to hit a tombstone, causing him to black out. Stanley continued to whack him with the shovel to make sure he stayed unconscious. Stanley felt satisfied, but somewhat dizzy. His eyes drifted off as his body fell.

After a while, when he woke up, Stanley rubbed his head and noticed the blood spill from Jordan’s head. Stanley touched his head and also felt blood.

What’s going on? Why do I have this? This doesn’t make sense. Stanley called back to when Jordan said that they were the same. No way, unless, could we share the same pain?

Stanley looked over at Jordan’s unconscious body and thought up an idea. He walked over and dragged the body out of the graveyard.