Hey, you look a lot like this guy I used to work with and by like, I mean almost identical. I know he doesnât have a brother so how is that even possible? That was what Piers wanted to ask, but knew that if he did, heâd probably sound borderline crazy. It was a delicate thing, approaching a stranger with bizarre questions, even at the best of times. Piers wasnât one to pre-judge, but you heard stories about people who lived on the streets. Alcoholism and drug abuse were rife; you couldnât tell what you were going to encounter. Had the guy noticed Piers jogging past five days out of seven. Until now, that hadnât occurred to the soldier. What if the guy thought Piers was trying to pick him up or something? This was a bad idea. No, it was a terrible idea. Burning curiosity or not, it was a weird thing to do to just go up to a stranger and start demanding questions about their origins. He had to be subtle about it. Somehow⊠âThis is going to sound a bit odd,â Piers began, venturing a very small smile. âBut I get the feeling Iâve seen you before. Have we met, maybe sometime in the past?â
Thomas grew from weary of the jogger to downright suspicious. Almost never had he encountered anyone who would know the man he was a clone of, but the fear of being recognised for what he was was a constant source of agitation and paranoia. He did not want to be discovered.
If he was an ordinary human, he would have begun to sweat profusely. Instead he merely fought with the fight or flight instinct, quickly realising that he would attract more attention by running away from a man who didnât pose a threat.
âI donât think so.â
Maybe if he played it cool, he could brush off the suspicion.
âI wager youâd remember someone with hair like me better.â
Maybe if he played his cards right, he could even get the jogger to pay for a meal? Thomas knew he looked pretty young, and young tended to get more sympathy than the older with beards. People tended to avoid them as much as they could. or was it because of the smell?
