Tom and I were best friends. We grew up together, and after 27 years of friendship, I began to notice changes in him. I thought it was nothing; he was deeply involved in his research. Then one day, I found him unconscious in his office. I panicked and tried to call 911, but I froze. Moments later, I felt someone watching me, a presence so frightening I couldn’t move or look away. The room was dark, and the weather outside had turned terrible with a Texas tornado raging. I realized I couldn’t leave, and something was very wrong.

As I stood there, paralyzed, something moved. Someone was approaching us, and Tom remained unconscious. I felt utterly alone. I wanted to shout that I had nothing to give them, but my voice failed me. Suddenly, a cold hand touched me, even through my coat. I collapsed to the floor, regaining my ability to move. When I looked up, I saw a figure. To my shock, it was Tom. But how? Tom was unconscious. Was this some prank?

I examined the unconscious Tom and saw his birthmark, confirming his identity. I faced the standing Tom, my mind racing. He didn’t respond to my questions, just stared at me. Knowing Tom’s office well, I reached for his shotgun. As I did, the figure spoke, “Don’t try to pull out the gun, Linda.”

“How do you know my name?” I asked.

He smirked and began to speak in Tom’s voice, “I’m not from Earth.”

I scoffed, “So, are you from Kepler-452b? Are you crazy?”

“No,” he replied. “I’m from the Andromeda Galaxy. There’s an Earth there, too.”

I laughed. “I’m an astrophysicist. You expect me to believe there’s another Earth in Andromeda exactly like ours?”

“Yes,” he said. “Your Tom was researching life on other planets and stumbled upon something he shouldn’t have. Your James Webb Telescope might have captured something significant, and we don’t want people on your Earth to see it.”

I was skeptical. “In 2022, the James Webb telescope explored the Andromeda Galaxy, and we didn’t find anything unusual.”

He continued, “We have advanced technology. We erased a lot of data, but your Tom got a hint of something. He repeated the research, and this time we weren’t prepared. I came here to fix it.”

“Why should I believe any of this?” I asked.

“Because I had to come to fix this. But now, I’ve found you. I killed the other Linda on my Earth. She wasn’t very smart. If people here are intelligent, their counterparts on my Earth are often not. I like you, Linda. Maybe you’ll do well on my Earth.”

I demanded him to fix Tom. He touched him, and Tom woke up. The other Tom vanished. I hugged Tom, but he couldn’t remember anything. He didn’t even recognize me. How could this happen after all these years?

I went home, feeling utterly alone. I fell asleep thinking about the day. When I woke up, I got ready for work. It seemed like a normal day until my parents and sister arrived, rushing to hug me. My father said emotionally, “Where were you these four years?”

“Four years? I called you. I was just busy with work,” I replied, confused. “Thanks for coming to Texas. Stay for a while. I have to go to work.”

At work, everyone stood up as I walked in. It felt strange. Tom hugged me and apologized for his behavior the previous day. I told him everything, but he didn’t believe me. When I went to my office, all my stuff was in a box. I thought I was being fired, but Tom said my office was being renovated. It looked so advanced.

I found a picture of myself in a space suit, something I had never worn. As I unpacked, nothing seemed familiar, yet the photos were mine. I began to feel sick. I looked around and realized this wasn’t my office. Panic set in as I saw the other Tom standing there, smirking.

“You know, right?” he said.

“You’re not Tom. How did you bring me to this Earth? Everyone here thought I was missing. Are you covering for yourself?”

“To answer your first question, wormholes are real. It was easy bringing you here; your Earth hasn’t discovered them yet. And yes, I’m covering up my mistakes. No one will believe you. Remember, you can’t leave this Earth. It’s your home now. Better get used to it, sweetheart.”

My heart sank as the reality set in. This was my new life, and there was no escape.