With the dim glow of the streetlight casting an eerie shadow, Sarah briskly walked towards the small bookstore on the corner for her night shift.

The streets were unusually quiet, and the air hummed with anticipation. As she turned the key in the lock, a peculiar sensation crept down her spine. She held her breath as she opened the door.

Waiting for something to happen.

With the jingle of a bell, she pushed the door open and entered into a familiar fragrance characterized by the musty-paper aroma. The bookstore was empty. Her only companions were the hundreds of novels that sat on the shelves. She smiled faintly, feeling a bit of relief. Sarah loved books: they were her escape from reality. All of her coworkers had gone home early. But Sarah didn’t mind, she preferred it that way. Sighing, she grabbed a cloth and a spray bottle. She knew there was a very long night ahead of her. ​​As much as she loved books, she hated cleaning them.

She started with the very first shelf, where she wiped the thin layer of dirt off one cover of a book. She did her best to avoid looking at the title because if she did, it would only tempt her to read rather than work. For this reason, she hurried on to the next book and the next. The bookshop fell silent apart from the quiet spraying of water.

As she finally finished with the last book, she glanced at the clock. It was already 2 in the morning! She couldn’t believe how fast the time had gone by.

“I wonder if there’s anything in the break room,” Sarah mumbled.

She placed the spray bottle down and walked to the cash register at the back of the store.

Her stomach growled, demanding food. Sarah went into the break room. Looking for anything to eat, she opened the fridge. A ghastly smell hit her sinuses like a speeding train. She stumbled back a few steps, gagging as she peered into the inside to figure out the source of the horrid smell. It was an avocado, covered with black and mushy yellow bits. She could almost see a green cloud emitting from the avocado because it was so expired.

She reluctantly picked it up with two fingers, as if it were a toxic waste, and took a bite.

The taste of the avocado was well… words could not do justice to describe the taste, Sarah thought. It was like eating a mixture of mold, dirt, and vomit. She gagged, feeling her eyes water and her throat burn. But as she kept chewing, the taste slowly resided.

As she walked back to the counter and scooped up her belongings, her head started to spin. Cursing, she steadied herself on the countertop.

Her stomach burned like it was on fire! Sarah ran to the toilet and vomited out the remains of the avocado.

What did you expect? She chided herself as she got up from the toilet. She gazed in the mirror, and two other Sarahs gazed tiredly back.

I must be hallucinating from not sleeping for over 18 hours. She blinked and saw her face scowling back.

Unbeknownst to Sarah, she had just changed the course of her life forever.

Sarah felt a sudden chill as she left the bathroom. She wrapped her arms around herself, shivering. She looked around the bookstore, hoping to find a jacket or a sweater to warm herself up. But all she saw were books, books, and more books. She cursed under her breath. She wished she had brought her coat, but she had left it at home, thinking it was a warm night.

She was wrong.

She decided to go back to the break room and make some tea. That would help her feel better. She walked towards the back of the store, passing by the shelves of books. She felt a strange sensation as if someone was watching her. She turned her head, scanning the rows of books. She saw nothing but shadows and dust. She shrugged it off, thinking it was just her imagination.

She reached the break room and opened the door. She stopped in her tracks, gasping. There, on the couch, was another Sarah. She was wearing the same clothes, had the same hair, and the same face. She was sleeping, snoring softly. Sarah felt a surge of fear and confusion. She rubbed her eyes, hoping it was a dream. But it wasn’t. The other Sarah was still there, oblivious to her presence.

Sarah backed away slowly, trying not to make a sound. She reached for the door handle, hoping to escape. But before she could open it, she heard a voice behind her.

“Hello, Sarah. We’ve been looking for you.”

She turned around, her heart pounding. Standing in front of her was a man in a black suit and sunglasses. He had a cold smile on his face and a gun in his hand. Behind him, two more men in similar outfits were holding another Sarah, who looked terrified and confused. She was squirming and thrashing, but the men were too strong.

Sarah felt a wave of panic. She didn’t know what was going on, who these people were, or why they had another her. She wanted to scream, but she couldn’t. She was too scared.

The man in the suit spoke again, his voice calm and menacing.

“Sarah, you have a very special ability. You can create duplicates of yourself. We call it cloning. And we want you to work for us. We are SHADOW, a secret organization that deals with matters of our interest. We need people like you, people with extraordinary powers. You can be a valuable asset to us, Sarah. Or you can be a liability. The choice is yours.”

He pointed the gun at her, his smile widening.

“What do you say, Sarah? Will you join us? Or will you die?”

Sarah paused, then asked, “What’s in it for me?”