Chapter 26

Tonya's face went ashen white as she realized that underneath Nancy's face, was HER OWN!! She started shaking, not sure what to do, but wanting to escape! She looked at the face in her hand, her grip disappearing as her hands went limp with fear, dropping it!

Still shaking, she slowly rose, wanting to run as fast as she could, but she remained in place, transfixed by her fear! She gently nudged Nancy's body with her foot, to see if she was conscious...

"BOO!!!" The response sent Tonya sprawling backwards, falling onto the ground! The faux Tonya laughed, then slowly got up, brushed herself off, and walked towards Tonya...

"GET AWAY FROM ME!!!" Tonya went into hysterics as her double approached her! "WHO ARE YOU???"

"Can't you see for yourself?" Nancy/Tonya replied.

"You... You CAN'T be..."

"Like I said, babe, I'm your WORST ENEMY!"

"What..." Tonya's fear started combining with confusion again, "What do you mean???"

"Who do you think your worst enemy is, stupid?"

"Nancy?" Tonya was still fearful, but growing more and more confused by the moment, "Jeff? Who?"

"You STILL don't get it, do you?" Nancy/Tonya replied, "After everything you've been through, are you telling me that it hasn't sunk in what this is REALLY all about, girl?"

"I... I... don't... understand..."

"Tonya, I'M your worst enemy!" she said, pointing to herself.

"B... but... but you're... you're..."

"Yes... ?"

"You're... ME!!!"

"EXACTLY!!!" Nancy/Tonya slapped her hands together to make her point clearer; Tonya was startled by the sudden noise!

"But... How can YOU be... my worst enemy... when you're ME?"

"Tell me, Tonya," Nancy/Tonya asked, "What does that say about YOU?"

"Uhhhhh..." Tonya hesitated, trying to decipher the meaning in her Doppelganger's question, "Are you saying... that I'M my OWN worst enemy?"

"BINGO!!!" Nancy/Tonya jumped up & down, unctuously squealing like a game show contestant!

"But... How can it... how can I... be that way... ?"

"Think about how much you HATE yourself, deep inside," the ersatz Harding pondered, "Think about the way you've been treated all your life; why would you put up with it?"

"Because..." tears started welling up in Tonya's eyes, "I hated myself?"

"That's right, girl," Nancy/Tonya's voice became soft and comforting, "There's been too many people in your life who should have been caring and supportive who weren't; you've never really learned to care about yourself..."

"Do YOU," sobs started to punctuate Tonya's speech, "h... hate me, too? I mean... since you're... you're really... me... ?"

"No, I don't hate you," Nancy/Tonya consoled her, gently embracing her true self, "There's a part of you that loves yourself, and I'm that part, Tonya!"

As Nancy/Tonya tightened her embrace, Tonya's tears started flowing more profusely; she completely broke down in her double's arms, bawling like a baby as she was being comforted.

"There, there," Nancy/Tonya softly cooed, "Just let yourself cry it out, and you'll feel better..."

The two Tonyas gently rocked back and forth as Tonya released all her pent-up emotional anguish; the more she cried, the easier it was for her to cry harder, and her other self simply held her and comforted her as she sobbed heavily on her shoulder.

Time had no meaning as the depth of Tonya's pain was depleted of its lifelong burden of suffering, guilt, and self-loathing. She could have been crying for mere seconds, or years, but paid no mind as her catharsis continued unabated.