Saturday, October 30 at 8:10 A.M., Alex was showering. Trudy was in her dorm room preparing to put on makeup, but before she was able to do so, she heard a knock at the door.
Trudy left her bedroom and when she opened the door to the dorm room, she saw Michelle Larson standing at the door. Trudy gave Michelle a curious look before asking, “May I help you?”
“Yeah, I was told that this dorm room is where Alex Larson is living.”
“I’m Alex’s roommate, Trudy, and Alex is down the hall in the shower. Now who are you?”
“I’m her sister, Michelle. My friend and I came here for a surprise visit.”
An amused grinned came across Trudy’s face before she said, “Alex is gong to be surprised all right.” She then gestured for Michelle to enter. “Well, you might as well come in and wait for her.” Michelle walked into the dorm room and closed the door behind her. “You said that you had a friend with you?”
“Yeah, Heather saw the women’s restroom on this floor and stopped to use it.”
“Does Alex know Heather?”
Michelle gave Trudy a curious look before saying, “Of course Alex knows Heather. Heather and I have been friends since kindergarten.”
Michelle saw a worried expression on Trudy’s face as Trudy said, “I was just wondering.”
In the women’s restroom and shower, Alex was drying off. After she got dressed she walked to where the sinks and mirrors were. Women were at the sinks either brushing their teeth or blow-drying and combing their hair. Alex stepped up to one of the empty sinks and pulled out her hairbrush from her bag.
Alex was about done brushing her hair when Heather stepped up behind Alex and said with a sizable grin on her face, “Hi, Alex.”
Alex looked at Heather through the mirror and said as she continued to brush her hair, “Hi. How’s it going?”
While looking at Alex’s reflection in the mirror, Heather gave her a curious look before saying, “You don’t look shocked to see me.”
“Should I be shocked?”
“Your mom told you that Michelle and I were coming to visit you and Doug this weekend, didn’t she?”
With a surprise expression on her face, Alex jerked around and faced Heather before uttering, “Michelle? My sister Michelle? She’s here?”
Heather gave Alex a confused look while saying, “Yes… to all of the above. Are you okay?”
“Of course I’m okay. Why wouldn’t I be okay?”
“Because at the moment you’re acting kind of strange.”
“I’m fine. Where’s Michelle now?”
“Well, since you are here, most likely she’s outside your dorm room and knocking on the door to get in.”
Alex put her brush back into the bag while saying, “I have to talk to her.”
As Heather was following Alex out of the restroom, Heather said, “I’m confused as to why you didn’t act surprised when you saw me, but you are surprised to hear that Michelle is here.”
Alex quickly searched her thoughts for a believable response before saying, “There’s actually a woman on campus who favors you, and I thought you were her.”
Heather gave Alex a skeptical look before asking, “What is this woman’s name?”
Heather noticed a hesitation before Alex said, “Natalie. Her name is Natalie.”
“I would like to meet Natalie.”
“I don’t know where she’s at right now, and we aren’t really friends so I don’t know where her dorm room is either.”
Heather continued to give Alex a skeptical look before saying, “I hope we run into Natalie.”
“Sometimes Natalie leaves on the weekend, so there’s a good chance that we won’t.”
Heather said under her breath, “Something tells me that you are making Natalie up.” She then shrugged it off.
In Alex and Trudy’s dorm room, Michelle was telling Trudy about how Alex’s dress was ripped off of Alex by accident while she was performing in a high school play. Michelle had laughter in her voice as she told the story and just as Michelle was finishing the story, Alex and Heather walked in.
Alex saw Trudy grinning and Michelle slightly laughing. As Alex gave them a curious look she asked, “What’s so funny?”
“Oh, I was just telling Trudy about the high school play that you were in,” Michelle said.
With laughter in her voice Heather questioned, “Oh, you mean the one where Alex got naked?”
Alex gave Heather a curious look while asking without thinking, “I got naked during a high school play?”
Heather gave Alex a confused look, as Michelle said, “You were practically naked when Kevin ripped off your dress. I mean you were standing on stage with only your bra and panties. Half of your dress was down at your ankles. The other half was shredded and hanging off of your shoulders. I’ve never seen you so embarrassed before.”
Heather noticed that Alex’s facial expression was as if Alex was hearing about the event for the first time. Heather was focusing even more on Alex’s facial expression and body movement as Alex said, “Well, that was an embarrassing moment.”
“Yeah, and how many days was it that you skipped school over that?” Heather asked.
Michelle gave Heather a confused look while Trudy gave Alex a worried look, just before Alex replied, “It’s been a few years ago. I don’t remember how many days it was.”
Michelle suddenly shot Alex a confused look as Heather asked, “You can’t remember the number zero?”
“Alex, you never missed any days,” Michelle said.
“Back in the bathroom, you didn’t know who I was,” Heather said. “That’s why you weren’t surprised to see me. A person wouldn’t be surprised to see someone she doesn’t know.”
“What are you talking about?” Alex asked. “Of course I know you.”
“Then what’s my name?”
When Alex didn’t answer, Michelle asked, “Alex, what’s going on? Why can’t you remember things?”
When Alex looked at Trudy, Trudy just gave Alex a look with a gesture as if to say, “It’s your call.”
When Alex didn’t answer, Michelle repeated, “Alex, what’s going on?”
Alex sighed before saying, “Okay, Randy Miller, the person in that picture you got for us…”
“I know that part,” Michelle said. “I’m not the one who can’t remember things.”
“Well, the Randy Miller I know was an upcoming and inspiring scientist.” Michelle and Heather gave Alex a curious look as Alex continued to say, “Randy’s scientific focus was on alternate reality theory. He had even created a device that he thought would open up a wormhole so people could cross into another reality.”
Michelle realized what was going on and blurted out, “Oh my God. You are from another reality, aren’t you?”
Heather gave Michelle a confused look before asking, “What are you talking about, Michelle?”
Michelle looked at Heather, but instead of answering Heather’s question she faced Alex again before saying, “Two Thursdays ago, when you were in St. Louis you told me that you dreamt that I was never born and that Dad wasn’t dad and that your bedroom wasn’t the same as it is now. That wasn’t a dream, was it? That was your reality.”
“Yes, but in my reality, I never lived on Wild Deer Road. I didn’t even know where the road was until two Thursdays ago.”
“What’s going on?” Heather demanded to know.
“What’s going on is that this woman isn’t my sister.”
“You can’t be serious,” Heather said.
“It’s true,” Alex said. “I’m not from this reality. I don’t know your name because you and I never met before.”
“My name is Heather.”
“Well, hi, Heather.”
“Where’s my sister?” Michelle demanded to know.
“Randy was wrong about a wormhole opening up when he activated the device, but what did happen was that the Alex from this reality and I changed places. The same thing happened to Doug. The Doug from my reality changed places with the Doug from this reality.”
“So my sister and brother are in your reality.”
“They are, and the only way to correct this crossed reality is to find Randy.”
“So the Randy from your reality had also switched places with the Randy from my reality?” Michelle asked.
“I haven’t seen Randy since the switch, but I’m thinking that Randy was switched along with me, Doug and four others. Doug and I are in contact with the other four.”
“If you can’t find Randy, you and the others are stuck here, aren’t you?” Michelle asked.
“We are, but there is a chance that I know where Randy is. In fact, in about two hours from now, the six of us who have switched realities will be on our way to search for him.”
“Where do you think he’s at?” Michelle asked.
“In my reality, I talked Randy out of going to Mexico City to look for his long lost dad. I believe he went to Mexico in this reality.”
“You and the others are going to Mexico in two hours?” Heather asked.
“We are,” Alex said.
“How are you getting there?” Michelle asked.
“We will be going by a private jet,” Alex said.
“Can I go with you?” Michelle asked.
“No-no; you can’t go,” Alex said.
“Alex… or whoever you are; I can help. I have been taking Spanish lessons for three years, so I can speak to the people there.”
“I am Alex, but from a different reality, and your Spanish would come in handy; however, if Mom finds out I took you to Mexico, she will kill me.”
“Alex, Mom is going to kill you if she finds out that you went to Mexico and if you don’t let me go, I’ll tell her every-thing.”
As Alex was giving Michelle an uncertain look, Trudy said, “Blackmailed by your own sister.”
Michelle looked at Trudy before gesturing towards Alex and saying, “I don’t know about her, but with my sister, Alex, I had to resort to blackmail from time to time for self preservation.”
“All right, Michelle. You can come, but you must keep everything to yourself. Heather, you need to keep this to yourself also.”
“Who would believe me even if I did tell someone?” Heather asked.
“Heather, I will need you to tell your parents that I will be staying here with Alex,” Michelle said.
“Okay, but I sure hope you… actually I hope everyone knows what they are doing.”
“So do I,” Alex agreed.
“Alex, how is it possible for you and Doug to have a different father in your reality?” Michelle asked. “I mean since you are Alex and Doug is Doug wouldn’t you two have the same parents still?”
“Michelle, you are a half sister to me and Doug or to Alex and Doug of this reality.”
“What are you talking about?”
“My biological dad is named Nicholas Christopher O’Brien. In my reality and in this one too, my dad… Nicholas was injured on the job and had to go to the hospital. This happened before mom knew she was even pregnant with Doug and me. In this reality Nicholas was given an injection that he was severely allergic to and he died from his allergy. In my reality I don’t know if my dad Nicholas was given the injection or not, but he never died.”
“Two Thursdays ago, I heard Dad yelling, ‘I’m your father.’ So was Nicholas the topic that you, Doug, Mom and Dad were discussing?”
“It was. Doug and I went to St. Louis to look for Randy, but when Mom and Dad caught us in town we used the knowledge of Nicholas for the reason why we were there. That was also when Mom told Doug and me about what happened to our biological dad.”
“Trudy, are you from Alex’s reality too?” Heather asked.
“No, but like you, I saw Alex acting as if she had amnesia,” Trudy said. “My brother Miles and I were ready to drag her to the hospital when she told us about her being from another reality.”
“Well, I’m going to finish getting dressed and then we can go find Doug and the others,” Alex said. She then turned and walked into her bedroom.
Alex had stepped into her bedroom and shut the door when Doug knocked on the dorm door.
When Trudy opened the door, Doug said, “Hey, Trudy, I was going to the pancake house for some breakfast and I was wondering if you and Alex want to go.”
“Well, Alex is in her bedroom getting dressed.” Trudy then amusingly grinned as she continued to say, “You should come in and wait though.”
Doug gave Trudy a curious look while asking, “Okay, what’s up? Why are you grinning?”
Trudy backed up to allow Doug to enter while saying, “Come in and find out.”
Doug walked in and when he saw Michelle, he demanded, “Michelle?! Why are you here?!”
“Heather’s grandma lives only fifteen minutes from here. Heather and her parents had plans to visit her this weekend and I was invited to come to Boston too. While I’m here I thought I find out from you and Alex why you wanted Randy’s picture, and what I found out is unbelievable.”
“What all did Alex tell you?” Doug asked.
“I know you and a few others are going to Mexico City to look for Randy, and I’m going with you.”
Without saying another word Doug stepped up to Alex’s bedroom door and knocked hard on it. When Alex opened the door, Doug asked, “Did you tell Michelle that she can come with us?”
Instead of answering Doug’s question, Alex said, “Good morning to you too.”
“Alex, did you tell Michelle that she can come with us?”
“I did. I also told her everything about us, and I believe Michelle can be a big help to us in Mexico.”
Michelle gave Alex a look as if she was pleasantly surprised by Alex’s statement. Michelle grinned as Doug asked, “How is Michelle going to be a help to us?”
“When the two realities get straightened out, the Alex and Doug of this reality are going to need Michelle to understand what had happened to them.”
“I figured that Trudy was going to help Alex and Doug to understand what had happened.”
“Trudy will,” Alex agreed. “Trudy is a friend, but Alex and Doug might need a relative to share things with. Besides Michelle knows Spanish, so that alone will be a major help to us.”
Doug sighed before saying, “Okay, fine, but I don’t want anymore people involved in this.”
“Neither do I,” Alex said. “Now I’m going to finish putting on my makeup.”
“Alex, before you do that, I came to say that I’m going to the pancake house for breakfast. I was wondering if you wanted to join me.”
“Sure, give me about fifteen minutes,” Alex said. She then walked back into her bedroom.
When Alex shut her door again, Trudy said, “I need to put on my makeup as well. Oh and Doug, I also want to go with you for breakfast.”
“Okay.” As Trudy was walking towards her bedroom Doug continued with, “Michelle, do you and your friend, want to join us for breakfast?”
“I’m in,” Michelle said. She then gestured towards Alex’s bedroom. “I’m going to talk to Alex.”
As Michelle was walking towards the door, Heather said, “Doug, my name is Heather and I’m also in for breakfast.”
“Okay,” Doug said.
Michelle knocked on the door before asking, “Alex, can I come in?”
“Come in,” Michelle heard Alex calling out.
Alex was at her desk and looking into a makeup mirror while putting on her makeup.
Michelle stepped up to where she could see Alex’s face in the mirror before saying, “You took the blame by making Doug think that it was your idea for me to go.”
As Alex continued to put on her makeup, she said, “I don’t think Doug has to know that I told you that you can go because you had threatened to blackmail me. Besides, after I thought about it, I think you can help us.”
“Well, thanks for being on my side.”
“You’re welcome.”
Michelle thought for a moment before asking, “Alex, what is your reality like?”
“My reality is pretty much like this one, but in my reality, Randy and I were good friends, and Randy also attended Harvard.”
“Were you and Randy a couple?”
“No, absolutely not.”
“Besides me not being born and your biological dad being alive, what are the differences between my reality and yours?”
Without mentioning that she was a man in the other reality, Alex went through a list of what she knew that was different between the two realities.
12:23 P.M. local time in Mexico City, at the airport, Alex, Doug, Michelle, Trudy, Miles, Brandy, Cindy, Kenny, Ben and a pilot named Leo stepped off the plane. Alex, Doug, Kenny and Ben had a copy of Randy’s picture. On the back of each picture were Spanish phrases to what they were to say or ask as they searched for Randy. They broke into four groups and then left the airport in four cabs. Alex, Miles and Trudy were in one group. Doug and Michelle were in the second group. Kenny and Brandy were in the third group. Ben and Cindy were in the last group. Leo went to a restaurant that was near the airport.
As the minutes slowly passed each group entered several facilities all around the city and showed Randy’s picture to the locals. Michelle roughly communicated with the locals who couldn’t speak English.
Each group searched for three hours without finding a clue. As Doug and Michelle were leaving their latest facility, Michelle asked, “Is there any reason that we aren’t talking to the Mexican police?”
Doug thought for a second before commenting, “Why not? Let’s go and show them Randy’s picture.”
Doug and Michelle walked up to a cab and got in.
Ten minutes later, Doug and Michelle stepped out of the cab in front of the police station. As they were walking towards the door, Michelle asked, “What are we going to tell the police as to why we are searching for Randy?”
“I have been giving that some thought and we… or since you are the one who can speak Spanish, it will most likely be you who tells them that Randy has an identical twin, and that his twin brother is dying and to save his life, he needs a bone marrow.”
“Okay. I can do that.”
Doug held out Randy’s picture for Michelle to take and said, “Here’s the picture.”
Doug and Michelle walked into the police station and up to an officer behind a desk. In Spanish the officer asked, “May I help you?”
Michelle held out the picture for the officer to take and roughly said in Spanish, “I’m looking for the man in the picture and I was hoping that you can help me find him.”
Without taking the picture the officer said in English, “This is not a private investigator’s office, so you two have to leave.”
“How did you know I spoke English?” Michelle asked.
“Young lady, your espanol is okay, but it needs some work.”
“How did you know I spoke English though?”
“Your accent gave it away. Now as I said, you and your friend have to leave.”
“He’s my brother.”
Doug stepped up while saying, “Sir… officer, it’s very important that we find this man as soon as we can. It’s a medical emergency.”
“I hate repeating myself, but I’m going to say this one more time,” the officer said. “You and your sister didn’t walk into a private investigator’s office.”
Before Doug was able to say anything else Michelle blurted out, “The man who we are looking for doesn’t know this, but he is walking around your city with a contagious and deadly disease.”
Doug gave Michelle a surprised look as the officer said, “Young lady, if you and your brother are coming in here crying wolf, you and him both will be in serious trouble.”
“Officer, please excuse my sister, she doesn’t know better. However, it is very important that we do find this man. His twin brother is dying and the only thing that will save his life is this man’s bone marrow.”
The officer gave Doug an uncertain look before saying, “Young lady, let me see the picture you have.” Michelle handed him the picture. The officer looked at the picture for a couple of seconds before handing it back. “The man who you are looking for is locked up in a cell in back.”
“Randy is here?” Doug asked.
“He’s been here for a while, waiting for his trial,” the officer said.
“What did he do?” Michelle asked.
“He broke into a home of a respected person,” the officer said.
“What will it take to get him released?” Doug asked.
“You will have to talk to the judge for that,” the officer said.
“What is the possibility that I can talk to Randy?” Doug asked.
The officer moved a visitor’s registry towards Doug and said, “Write your and your sister’s names and you two can follow me.”
“Where are you taking us?” Michelle asked.
Doug was about to say something when the officer said, “I’m taking you to a room to where you can visit, Senor Miller. Your brother did ask to see him, and I’m going to allow it.”
“Cool,” Michelle said.
After Doug wrote his and Michelle’s names they were led to a small room with a table and four chairs. After stepping in the officer said, “You two have a seat, and I will have Senor Miller brought here.”
“Thank you,” Doug said.
After the officer left, Doug and Michelle took their seats. Doug took his phone off of his belt and dialed a number.
Michelle gave Doug a curious look before asking, “Who are you calling?”
“I’m calling Alex to let her know that we found Randy so everyone can stop looking.” When Alex answered the phone, Doug told Alex where he found Randy.
Minutes later, Doug and Michelle were sitting quietly when another officer escorted Randy into the room. Randy was twenty pounds lighter and had a full beard and mustache.
When Randy saw Doug, he said, “Doug, I’m glad to see you. But how did you find me?”
The officer stood at the door on the inside of the room. As Randy was taking a seat, Doug said, “Alex remembered a discussion about you coming here to look for your dad.”
“I forgot about that. Where is he anyway?”
“He? What do you mean where’s he?” Michelle asked.
Randy looked at Michelle before asking, “Who are you?”
“She’s my and Alex’s sister. Her name is Michelle and she knows everything.”
“So you and Alex have a sister. Where is he anyway?”
“Are you calling Alex a he?” Michelle asked.
Randy gave Michelle a curious look before asking, “Alex isn’t a he?”
Before Doug was able to say anything, Michelle said, “She’s our sister.” Michelle then had a thought. “Wait! Was Alex a guy in the other reality?”
Randy whispered, “Michelle, the man at the door doesn’t need to hear about other realities, and yes, Alex was a guy.”
“Okay, now Michelle knows everything,” Doug said.
“Doug, does Alex still favor you?” Randy asked.
“She definitely doesn’t favor me any more, oh and to answer your question of where she is, she’s actually on her way here along with Kenny, Ben, Brandy and Cindy.”
“So everyone at the table crossed?” Randy asked. Doug just nodded. “Do you know of anyone else who might’ve crossed?”
“It was just the seven of us,” Doug said. “There are two more people who know about us. Their names are Trudy and Miles and they are also in Mexico with Alex and the others.”
“Heather knows,” Michelle said.
“Who’s Heather?” Randy asked.
“She’s my best friend,” Michelle said.
“That’s not important,” Doug said. “We need to talk about how to get you out of here, so you can remake your device.”
“Well, I was actually able to make diagrams of how to make the device, so if you guys can’t get me released, you guys will have to create it,” Randy said.
“You have the diagrams with you?” Doug asked.
“I do.” Randy pulled out eight pages from his back pocket and held them out for Doug to take. Doug saw the officer staring at him as he took the papers. Randy noticed the officer staring too before telling him, “The papers are just those drawings I was doing. My friend here is actually who I wanted to mail them to, but you and your buddies wouldn’t let me.”
The officer didn’t respond to Randy’s comment and looked forward again.
When Randy faced Doug again, Doug said, “Well, I hope we will be able to get you out of here, so you can create the device. In any case Michelle and I should go and talk to the judge about getting you released.”
“Okay, well now you know where to find me.”
After everyone stood up, Doug and Michelle left the room first. As the two were walking back to the front of the police station, the officer escorted Randy back to his cell.
The officer from the front desk saw Doug and Michelle walking up and asked, “Did you talk to Senor Miller?”
“We did,” Doug said. “Where do we go to find a judge?”
“Judge Carlos Torres will be the one who you want to talk to, and most likely he will be at his house. He also lives about thirty minutes from here. So do you want his address?”
“Yes, please.”
“Oh and Judge Torres also speaks English,” The officer said before giving Doug Judge Torres’ address. Once Doug had the information, he and Michelle left the police station and waited for everyone to arrive.