Chapter 1
Beth paces the platform as her mind races, lungs screaming for air with each panicked gasp that tears through her raw throat. Tears stream down her face while she tries to grapple with the slideshow of failures running through her head, sending wave upon wave of anxiety crashing over her. Everything that had happened in the last few months, the case, the therapy, Paul...she had to get away, she had to leave, the pressure was just too much. She couldn’t hold everything together much longer.
The train wasn’t too far off, the massive steel monster sent vibrations through the tracks and into the concrete. The warning whistle that cuts through the air sends a sort of calm over her, she turns toward her things she had left on the platform; a bag with a few days’ worth of clothes and her heels which she had kicked off as soon as she felt a blister forming on the ball of her foot. She looked up from the items to look for the train lights when she saw her. The darker version of herself, the same face framed with a messy mane, eyes rimmed with kohl, body encased in leather.
“Are you fucking kidding me...” She murmurs to herself, all the panic from moments ago comes flooding back, sending her mind into a haze. Their eyes lock for a moment as everything Beth had been fighting for seems to slip down the drain.
Why bother when there was yet another person to hold up, another piece to the seemingly endless puzzle. Beth tore her gaze away from the punk rocker in front of her, her body acting of its own accord as she heads toward the tracks. She had to get out, screw her things, screw her lie of a life. The train comes barreling toward her as her foot hovers over the edge, so ready to leave, only to be yanked away at the last second.
“Are you fucking crazy?!” A voice yells into her ear, a firm grip still latched onto her upper arm. “You trying to get yourself killed, you fucking twat?” The punk continued as Beth stares at the train rumbling to a stop.
Beth blinks a few times, before turning her head to look over at the other woman, her distorted mirror image. “Why do you care, aren’t you more concerned about why we’re identical?” She growls, as though her nearly walking to her own death wasn’t an important issue.
The punk lets out a snort as she shoves the woman away, arms folding over her chest. “Is it trippy? Hell yeah. But I think you trying to kill yourself is a little more important, don’t you?”
Beth grinds her teeth together, nostrils flaring as she glares at the woman in front of her. “Whatever.” She huffs, turning on her heel to grab her things, tugging her heels back on before stomping back, grabbing her clone by the back of her leather jacket. “Come on, before people see us and think you’re a stripper.”
The clone spits out a laugh, following the cop despite the insult to her appearance. “Says the one who looks like they’ve walked out of a Gap catalogue with a shitty ten dollar haircut.” She retorts, pleased with the snort she receives in reply.
Beth ignores the woman as they walk, keeping a firm grip on her clone’s jacket the entire trip back to her house. “What’s your name?” She asks finally, releasing the leather from her grip as she fishes for her keys.
“Sarah, why?” The punk responds, watching Beth unlock the door before dragging her inside. “Woah, woah, take a girl to dinner first.”
Beth rolls her eyes, locking the door behind them before setting her things down. “I’m Beth Childs, you and I are clones.” She says in a bored tone, kicking her shoes off on her way to the kitchen. She grabs a bottle of scotch from the cupboard and two glasses.
“Clones? You’re shittin’ me, right?” Sarah chuckles, leaving her boots on as she tracks who knows what onto Beth’s clean wood flooring.
Beth frowns at her counterpart as she slides a glass over to her. “For fuck’s sake, take your boots off.” She huffs, downing the amber liquid in one smooth swallow. “We’re clones, yes. It’s stupid and impossible but it’s true. I’ll take you to meet two of the others in a few days, but for now you are going to stay put until I can figure shit out.”
Sarah raises a brow at the woman across from her, a challenging look in her eyes. “I’m not doing shit. I have family I need to go and see, who the fuck are you to tell me where I can and can’t go?!” She asks in a dangerous tone, jaw clenching.
The cop lets out a breath, finishing her second drink before slamming the glass onto the counter. “I don’t give two shits about where you have to be right now, we have someone who is hunting us down and unless you want you and your family to get killed, I suggest you shut the hell up and listen to me.”
Sarah is a bit taken aback by the sudden harshness in Beth’s tone, the seriousness of what she was saying. “What do you mean we’re being hunted?” She asks, all annoyance with the other woman forgotten as the thought of putting her family at risk niggled away at her.
“We don’t know who it is, or why they’re doing it, but they’ve been picking us off one by one.” Beth explains, pouring them both another glass. “You weren’t in any of the files that the German sent, so I can only assume they haven’t found out about you yet. I think we would all like to keep it that way.”
Sarah grinds her teeth before nodding, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Alright, fine, can I use your phone, then? I need to get a hold of my brother. He’ll worry if he doesn’t hear from me soon.” She sighs, biting her lip as she looks to her counterpart.
Beth smiles slightly, digging her phone out of her bag, sliding it over to the punk. “Here, just try not to be on for too long.” She says as she pads off toward the bedroom.
She closes the door as Sarah dials, leaning against the cool wood for a moment before shaking her head. “Pull yourself together, Childs.” She murmurs to herself, stripping out of her works clothes and into a soft v-neck and sweats.
Beth stares at her reflection in the bathroom mirror: she looks aged beyond her years, the dark circles under her eyes only making her look paler. She runs the cold water for a moment before splashing some on her face, watching the drops fall from her chin before she opens her medicine cabinet. A wall of orange bottles awaits her shaking hands as she fingers through them until she finds her melatonin. She takes the small pill, ignoring the other bottles completely as she shut the cabinet once more.
She could do this, she could make it without the pills. “I’ll clean it out tomorrow.” She murmurs to herself as she walks out, quietly watching Sarah talk on the phone.
“Yeah, I know, Fe. I’ll come and see you as soon as I can, just make sure you tell Kira I love her and that I’m coming to see her, okay? Mrs. S can suck my cock if she thinks she can keep my daughter from me.” Sarah huffs into the phone, leaning against the counter, head in her free hand.
Beth’s brow furrows at the punk’s back as she moves toward her, leaning next to her clone. “Is your daugher adopted?” She asks once Sarah hangs up, nearly tossing the phone onto the counter.
Sarah downs the rest of her drink before answering, a brow raised at the cop. “No, she’s my biological daughter, why?” She asks, confused by the surprised look on Beth’s face. “What?”
“She’s biological? That’s impossible, all of us clones are infertile.” Beth explains, shaking her head as she stares at the woman in front of her. “I’m going to have to call Cosima in the morning, this is different...you’re different.”
Sarah blinks a few times, a look of confusion plastered across her face. “Slow your roll, what do you mean the clones are infertile? Who the hell is Cosima?” She asks, running a hand through her hair.
“Right, sorry, I keep forgetting that you’re new to this.” Beth offers a small smile and a shrug of her shoulders before continuing. “Cosima is another clone. She also happens to be a PHD student and has been doing a lot of research on our biology at her university. The infertility has just been a common factor in all the clones I’ve met, until you that is, but I’m not sure what it all means, exactly.”
The punk continues to stare for a few moments before shrugging her shoulders. “I suppose we’ll find out, won’t we.” She says finally, looking down to her bag and then back up to Beth. “You got somewhere I can sleep that isn’t your shitty couch?”
Beth rolls her eyes, smiling softly. “I have a guest room, yes.” She says, nodding toward the only other door besides her own bedroom. “I have a question though, where on earth are you from? Because you sound like you’re from somewhere in England, but you also have an almost Scottish lilt when you say certain things and the obvious Canadian accent going on too...”
Sarah snorts softly, smirking slightly. “Have to have some kind of mystery about me, right?” She winks, grabbing her bag. “Besides, I’m sure you’ll be able to figure it out, detective.” She calls over her shoulder before disappearing into the guest room.
Beth chuckles lowly, smiling at the closed door before heading to her own bed. “This should be fun.” She murmured, settling into the mattress. Thoughts of wild hair and smirking lips lulling her to into a dreamless sleep.