Lara fell asleep on the couch while hugging her teddy bear, waiting for her sister Aster. The next morning, she woke up and heard someone in the kitchen. She immediately ran towards the sound, thinking it was her sister.
When she got to the kitchen, Lara saw her sister cooking breakfast for them both. She lunged towards her sister and hugged her. “Aster, when did you come back? I have waited all night for you,” she pouted.
“Sorry, I was working late again. Don’t worry, today I will not go to work.”
“Really?! Yay! Then what are you going to do today?”
“Today we'll go have fun. Where do you want to go?”
“Hmm. How about we go to a theme park? The last time we went there was when mom and dad were alive,” Lara felt sad at the thought.
“Sure. No problem. Let’s eat breakfast first before we get ready. Okay?”
Lara nodded in excitement as they ate their breakfast. She looked at her sister and couldn't help but feel that something was different with her. She doesn't know what it is so just ignores it. After eating breakfast Lara gets ready and goes to their car that was parked outside their garage. On the way, Lara can’t help but talk about things she wants to do. “I want to try different rides and eat different food! How about you, Aster?” she asked enthusiastically.
“I’d do the same,” again Lara felt there’s something different about her. This confuses her but again ignores her feelings.
At the amusement park, Lara started running around happily. After the accident she and her sister are always mourning but now for Lara this is the start to be happy again. Aster takes pictures of her sister enjoying herself. They eat, they try different rides, then eat again, and try a ride again. Lara for the first time was enjoying life again.
“Aster, Aster. Look there’s a photobooth. Let’s take a picture,” she pointed.
“Sure,” the two of them went inside the booth.
Lara starts to do different poses while Aster just sits there. When all the photos develop, every picture that was printed has glare on them. This confuses Lara. “Why is it so bright?”
“I don’t know. Maybe let’s try again.”
They take a picture again and the result is the same. “I think this booth is broken,” Lara was disappointed.
“We’ll try again next time,” Aster suggested.
“Okay…” Lara felt disappointed on how the pictures turned out. She really wants to have that picture as a sign of a happy start.
Despite that, they both still continued to enjoy the rest of the day, or rather, Lara continued to enjoy the day. Even though Lara can’t help but feel like something is off about her sister, she still chooses to enjoy herself.
“Maybe she was just tired,”
Night came, and the two sisters went back home and Lara fell asleep on the way.
The next morning, Aster prepared breakfast for Lara and helped her get ready for school. Aster dropped her sister off at school and continued to go to work.
At work, people greeted her with a smile on their face. “Good morning ma’am!” Meanwhile, she just nodded and continued walking to her office. This confuses the employees, usually whenever they greeted her she would greet them back smiling.
“Maybe she’s just tired?”
“Or maybe she’s in a bad mood?”
“But she would still greet us back no matter what.”
This made the employees uneasy. They thought there might be something going on with her.
“We should check on her later,” They all looked at each other and nodded in agreement. They are all worried about her.
Lunch time comes and Aster goes out of her office. Everyone came to her.
“Ma’am! Do you want to eat at the cafe just outside the building?
“That sounds good!”
“Let’s go to the cafe!”
Even though they are showing enthusiasm to Aster they can’t help but feel anxious as she was not showing any signs of emotion.
“Sure,” that’s the only answer she gave them.
The people around her felt even more anxious, they don’t know if she really meant it or just going along.
“Then… Let’s go!” They try to be enthusiastic even when they feel anxious.
At the cafe everyone picks a table, three female employees sat at the same table as Aster.
“How’s your day from yesterday ma’am?”
“Yeah, we heard you and your younger sister went to a theme park.”
“Theme park? Ah you must have enjoyed yourself there aren’t you maa’m?” said the male employee at the other table.
“Yes, I enjoy going there,” her words contradicts her expression.
This made the employees feel awkward, they didn't know what to do. Even though Aster was talking to them, her words felt hollow, her emotion seemed to have left her. While everyone was thinking on what topic to talk about, Jena, Aster’s best friend, walked into the cafe. When Jena saw them she flashed a smile to them and went to their table.
“I did not expect you here! I was just about to call you.”
“My employees want to dine in this cafe, that's why we’re here.”
Jena immediately notices Aster’s lack of emotion and gets worried. “Are you alright Aster? Are you not well?”
“I am fine.”
“I don’t believe you. Hey, how about we go to the hospital for a quick check up?”
“Fret not Jena for I am doing just fine.”
This caught Jena off guard. “Did you start smoking something cuz what do you mean fret. You could have just said not to worry. Are you playing a character right now?”
“I apologize. You are right. Worry not, friend, as I am fine.”
“You’re being weird! Anyways, do you want to go out later after you work? It would be good for your health to go out once in a while. You don’t have to work overtime. I know you are grieving but tiring yourself out is not gonna help.”
“You are right. Worry not, I will not do overtime today. Let us find solace in some recreation.”
Jena looked at Aster in disbelief. “Yeah you really need some break,” she leaned closer to one of the female employees and talked to her in a low voice. “Is she pranking me?”
The female employee matches Jena’s tone, “No, I don’t think so? She’s been like this since morning. She acts differently and we don’t know why. That’s also why we’re here to try to cheer her up and have some conversation with her.”
“Oh really?” Jena thought for a moment. “Don’t worry I’ll find out what is going on with her,” she leaned back and smiled. “Anyways, I will buy a coffee now. I’ll send a message later, okay?”
Aster just nodded and the people around her just looked at each other in awkward silence. As Jena leaves the cafe and rides her car, she can’t help but feel something is strange. “I wonder…” she thought for a moment. “Something about her doesn't feel right,” she takes a sip at her coffee. “I’ll find out later what is happening to her. I hope it is not something serious.”
Later that day, Jena was sitting inside her car using her phone while waiting for Aster. Her car was parked inside Aster’s building’s parking area. She looks up to see if Aster is there and she is already walking towards her car and enters. “I thought it would take you a bit longer. I guess you are really looking forward to our little hangout!” She does a little happy dance.
“Indeed I am.”
“There you go again,” Jena let out a sigh. “I hope you will tell me later what’s really going on. I am your best friend! We’ve known each other since we were kids. You can tell me all your problems and I will listen to all of them,” she gave Aster a gentle and worried look.
“I will, when fate and destiny aligns.”
“What do you mean? Seriously, are you doing an impression of someone?”
Aster just kept her silence and looked ahead, Jena just sighed and started driving. Their ride was just quiet and it made Jena uncomfortable. She remembers whenever they drive they always chat with each other even the tiniest thing but now Aster was just silent.
“Something doesn’t feel right. I feel like I was riding with someone else. She doesn’t feel like Aster. It feels like she’s just copying Aster. I hope I’m wrong, I hope you’re really Aster.”
Jena brought Aster to a cinema. “We’re here! I was thinking we start small. Don’t worry next time we’ll go somewhere else.”
“Anywhere is fine.”
The two of them went inside and were deciding on what movie they should watch. “What do you want to watch?” Jena looked at the movie posters plastered on the wall.”
“I don’t have anything in mind, you pick.”
Jena suddenly had an idea. “How about ‘The Well’? I heard it’s a really good horror movie.”
“Sure,” Aster examines the poster.
At that moment Jena’s heart dropped while looking at Aster, her heart started racing and her fear and anxiety went up the roof.
“No. It can’t be. Aster HATES horror movies. She has a very vivid imagination and will get paranoid after watching one. That's why she doesn’t want to watch movies like this. She is not Aster, she’s an impostor!”