My Duplicate Husband

The Story

Esther wakes to a nightmare that refuses to end. For five years, her marriage to Carl has been a prison of abuse, betrayal, and the tragic loss of their daughter. On their anniversary, a violent confrontation leaves Carl dead. In a state of shock, Esther buries his body in the backyard and collapses into sleep. When dawn breaks, Carl stands before her, alive and breathing. He speaks with the tenderness of the man she once loved, completely devoid of the cruelty she endured for half a decade. Esther stares at this version of her husband, unable to reconcile the gentle stranger in her home with the violent man she interred the night before. She searches for a logical explanation, wondering if death has released Carl or if an imposter has stolen his identity to inhabit his life.