The crumpled brown envelope appeared on Laura's doormat one Tuesday morning. It had no stamp, no sender, no indication of who had left it there. Only her name, written in black ink in an elegant and precise handwriting.
Frowning, she picked it up and carefully opened it. Inside, a sheet folded into four parts contained a brief but unsettling message:
"Do not go to the library today. Do not ask questions. Just trust me."
Her heart skipped a beat. She looked both ways down her apartment hallway, but there was no one. Only the distant echo of a television playing in a nearby apartment.
Laura wasn’t the type to be swayed by anonymous messages, but something about those words unsettled her. The library was part of her daily routine. She worked as a freelance editor, and that place was her sanctuary of focus. Why would someone want her to stay away?
She tried to convince herself it was a prank, but as the morning progressed, doubt settled in her mind. What if there was a real reason not to go? Maybe it was just paranoia, but the possibility of ignoring the warning sent a chill down her spine.
By 1:30 p.m., she couldn’t take it anymore. She put on her coat and left the house with the envelope in hand. She took the bus to the library, and with each stop, her anxiety grew. Upon arrival, the library’s gray stone façade looked as imposing as ever. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. She entered cautiously and glanced around. Students, elderly people reading newspapers, and the usual librarian at the desk.
Everything appeared normal… until she saw the woman sitting in her usual spot by the window.
She was identical to her.
Laura felt the air leave her lungs. The woman had her same build, her same brown hair tied in a loose bun. She even wore a similar sweater. But the most disturbing part was watching her look up and, for a brief second, make eye contact with her.
The woman’s eyes widened in shock, and she stood up abruptly. Laura, frozen, watched as she approached with determined steps. Her instinct screamed at her to run, but her legs wouldn’t respond. The stranger stopped a meter away and, in a voice as familiar as her own, whispered:
—You shouldn’t have come.
Before Laura could respond, a loud bang shook the library. The windows trembled, and a collective scream filled the air. Laura turned toward the entrance and saw a man in a dark jacket running outside. Something fell from his hand: a backpack.
The explosion was deafening.
When Laura woke up, everything was chaos. Smoke, screams, alarms. Her head throbbed with pain, and the high-pitched ringing in her ears disoriented her. She tried to sit up, but her right arm wouldn’t respond.
Then she saw her. A few meters away, her double lay on the ground, eyes open but vacant.
Laura shivered. That woman had tried to warn her. To protect her. But… who was she? How did she know?
The brown envelope, now covered in dust and ash, was still in her pocket. With an almost impossible effort, she pulled it out and looked at it once more.
This time, an additional line was written at the bottom:
"I gave you a chance. Next time, listen to me."
Laura never found out who had sent the letter. But after that day, she never ignored an unsigned warning again.
When Laura woke up, everything was chaos. Smoke, screams, alarms. Her head throbbed with pain, and the high-pitched ringing in her ears disoriented her. She tried to sit up, but her right arm wouldn’t respond.
Then she saw her. A few meters away, her double lay on the ground, eyes open but vacant.
Laura shivered. That woman had tried to warn her. To protect her. But… who was she? How did she know?
The brown envelope, now covered in dust and ash, was still in her pocket. With an almost impossible effort, she pulled it out and looked at it once more.
This time, an additional line was written at the bottom:
"I gave you a chance. Next time, listen to me."
Laura never found out who had sent the letter. But after that day, she never ignored an unsigned warning again.
When Laura woke up, everything was chaos. Smoke, screams, alarms. Her head throbbed with pain, and the high-pitched ringing in her ears disoriented her. She tried to sit up, but her right arm wouldn’t respond.
Then she saw her. A few meters away, her double lay on the ground, eyes open but vacant.
Laura shivered. That woman had tried to warn her. To protect her. But… who was she? How did she know?
The brown envelope, now covered in dust and ash, was still in her pocket. With an almost impossible effort, she pulled it out and looked at it once more.
This time, an additional line was written at the bottom:
"I gave you a chance. Next time, listen to me."
Laura never found out who had sent the letter. But after that day, she never ignored an unsigned warning again.
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