I was supposed to have a twin brother. It was a mystery to the doctors how the second fetus disappeared. But the day came when I was born, and my parents were just glad to have me. It was an odd feeling not knowing my brother, or whatever happened to him. Sometimes I would play by myself and make believe he was with me. Despite all of this, I grew up to be a relatively well-adjusted adult.

Lately I’ve been suffering some health problems. I’ve been dealing with stomach cramps, and an almost biting-like pain in my sides, like something was gnawing at my organs. It’s been hard to eat anything since it’ll just come back out in a spew of vomit. I’ve also been coughing really bad. What concerns me most is that I’ll hack out strands of hair mixed with blood and mucus.

Having these health issues have severely affected my life. I’m not able to keep a relationship due to my ailments. My last date ended when she saw me hacking up that wet hair and blood mixture. She freaked out and never gave me a second look. My loud coughing has also put a hamper on my professional life. Those hacking fits have been off putting to any customer I have. I had to be put on a leave of absence until my ailments are resolved.

I had finally decided to seek medical help so I could some semblance of normal life again. I went to sleep later, groaning from my stomach pain, praying to whoever was listening that it would be over. I have a lot of sleepless nights because of the pain.

The morning of my appointment, I stumbled to the bathroom in a daze. I was almost shocked at the sight of my reflection. I had gone paler. I looked almost emaciated with taught skin exposing my ribcage. My eyes had sunken in, akin to two pools of murky glass.

The pain continued, and another round of coughing fits began as I stood over the sink. A few powerful hacks had released a clump of wet black hair from my throat. I pulled at the wet sticky strands while whatever was at the other end was fighting to lodge itself into my gullet.

I pulled harder, feeling the carving pain of something sharp resisting my pull. I started choking as the lump fought to keep itself in my windpipe, almost trying to take me down with it. One final pull and the lump had escaped from my mouth in a mess of blood and vomiting. I felt dizziness from the pain and lack of oxygen, followed by relief as I could finally stand.

I looked into the sink and what stared back at me was a flesh ball of nightmares. Covered in hair. Teeth. Skin. The rhythmic pump of what may be a heart. Then the flutter of its one eye in the center, as it looked back at me.