Anybody But You

Present Day...

"So...that's how it all happened?" Turner asked. "A challenge spun out of control, the executives came in..."

"And you were transformed to be an emotional shut-in, pretty much," Phoebe finished.

"Do...do you think this is going to happen on our show?" Abby wondered aloud.

"It's the same show, with the same characters," Phoebe grimaced. "I wouldn't be surprised if this isn't...a vision of the future or something. Why you were given this prophecy is anyone's guess."

"Ooh! I have a guess!" Kathryn piped up.

"Sure you do," Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Tell you what, I think I saw Sara over by the plaza, how about you find her?"

"Should we-" Abby started.

"I wasn't talking to you," Phoebe gave her an icy glare, still treating her as if she was this alternate Abby they'd heard about. "I was talking to this little bundle of energy over here."

"Okay!" Kathryn responded cheerfully, before skipping over to the plaza. She disappeared around the corner humming to herself.

The moment she was out of earshot, Phoebe pinched the bridge of her nose again. "I know I should be used to it by now, but every time I see that...I get angry all over again."

"She looks happy," Abby mused, looking over at where Kathryn had gone. "The Kathryn I know...who I guess is the same as the one you knew...never was able to loosen up like that."

"I don't think she is happy," Phoebe snipped. "She just doesn't know enough to be unhappy anymore. That role's been transferred to yours truly."

Nobody in the party had any response to that. Emma stared at the ground, furtively glancing up at Turner occasionally like she was afraid he would disappear and she'd have to go back to this hell of a world she knew. Abby continued staring wistfully at where Kathryn had gone off to. Even Turner found it difficult to form sentences...he had a billion more questions, but was struggling to put them into coherent thoughts.

"Did Kendra come back?" Abby suddenly asked.

"No," Emma quickly responded, continuing to stare at her sandals.

"What happened to her?" Turner pressed. He didn't care much for the manipulation she had done on the island he was familiar to, but it was at least preferable to this miserable place.

"Depends on who you ask," Phoebe answered darkly.

"Phoebe..." Emma weakly said.

"Officially?" Phoebe continued. "They probably are saying that she got reassigned. But she was at the very least replaced, and at the very worst...dealt with."

“What do you mean, 'dealt with'?” Abby asked.

"What do you think I mean?" Phoebe's eyes narrowed. "Those producers don't have to care about pesky things like 'emotions' or 'morals'. I mean 'dealt with' the same way the CIA dealt with communist rulers in the 20th century."

"That's a hell of an accusation," Turner said.

Phoebe shrugged. "Is it?"

"It is when you're talking about a person," Turner replied.

"And what exactly do you think production is?" Phoebe shot back. "Because I don't know where your mind was during that explanation, but they kinda stopped being people the moment they fucking ruined all of our lives."

Emma flinched.

"Phoebe..." she whispered.

"What?" Phoebe rounded on her. "Am I wrong?"

Emma opened her mouth again to speak, but no sound came out. Eventually, she closed it again and the group of four sat in silence again.

"Can I meet my...myself in this world?" Abby suddenly requested. "Y'know, as long as she's not gonna mow me over for trying to get too close to her man?"

"If you want," Phoebe blinked, unperturbed.

"Doesn't this violate all sorts of time travel rules? That's like rule number one, you're not supposed to meet yourself," Turner piped up. He was trying to bring some levity to the moment, but everyone else simply stared at him like he was stupid.

"Turner," Phoebe said flatly, "we're trapped in a reality television show run by extradimensional psychopaths. You've seen what this future...whatever holds. And you're worried about time travel etiquette?"

Turner opened his mouth and then closed it quickly. "Well, when you put it like that..."

"To be fair," she said, bumping Turner's shoulder, "I kind of agree with him. Every movie ever says meeting your alternate self is a terrible idea."

"Most movies don't involve reality-warping transformation mechanics," Phoebe replied.

Abby didn't exactly know what to say to that, so whe pivoted back to the matter at hand.

"So where is she?" Abby asked.

Phoebe stared at her. "You mean yourself?"

"Yeah."

"Probably with Turner."

"Wait, didn't you just say that I was detached?" Turner countered.

"You are," Phoebe grimaced. "That doesn't stop this emotional wreck from following you around though."

Phoebe let that sit unanswered for a few seconds, crossing her arms and hoping that Turner and Abby would stop asking her questions. In the distance, they heard the sound of Kathryn greeting someone, either Sara or a palm tree.

"Fine," Phoebe relented. "You can meet yourself, but I don't think you're going to like the result."

"Why's that?" Abby asked as Phoebe hopped off of the barstool.

"Because if I know you...or at least have a pretty good idea of what you were a few weeks ago...seeing what you've become is gonna be a slap in the face," Phoebe explained. "It's one thing hearing about yourself. It's another thing to actually see it with your own two eyes."

"Can I join?" Emma meekly asked as Phoebe started walking.

"No," Phoebe flatly responded. "This is gonna be tense enough as is, I don't need anybody else involved. Why don't you go see what Kathryn is up to. Make sure she's actually talking to a person and that her last remaining marble is still somewhere in her brain."

Phoebe watched Emma disappear around the corner before turning back toward Turner and Abby.

“Alright,” she said. “Ground rules.”

Abby raised an eyebrow. “Ground rules?”

“You don't antagonize her.”

“I wasn't planning on it.”

“You don't try to prove you're better than her.”

“I wasn't planning on that either.”

“You don't make jokes about how weird she is.”

Abby frowned. “I wouldn't...she's me, why would I—”

“And,” Phoebe continued, holding up a finger, “if she gets hostile, you let me handle it.”

Turner glanced at Phoebe. “You really think she's going to get hostile?”

Phoebe stared at him.

“...Right,” Turner said. “Stupid question.”

As they continued down the boardwalk, the eerie parallels continued replaying in Turner's head. This was the same island, the paths were all the same, the bungalows were all the same, even the lighting looked the same. The only thing that was missing was the people. Even if there was the same number of people supposedly milling about on the island as in the present, this future seemed emptier.

“Does everyone just stay in their rooms now?” Turner asked, speaking his thoughts aloud.

“Mostly,” Phoebe said, denying to elaborate for a second. "This is actually the most people outside I've probably seen in a while."

"So why are we not going to my house?" Abby asked. "If everybody is usually indoors, wouldn't it make sense to check for me there first?"

"No need," Phoebe shrugged. "I know where you'll be. Somewhere near the entrance to the hotel, in the event that Turner might come down one day and you'll be the first to get to him."

And she was exactly right. As the trio neared the imposing presence of the hotel, Abby could see a short girl leaning on a railing overlooking the water adjacent to the hotel. Someone with familiar posture, familiar brown hair, and the exact same physique that she was transformed into on the first night. When she heard footsteps, the alternate Abby turned around.

The first difference Turner noticed was the lack of life behind her face. The Abby he knew would have her eyes light up when excited, a devilish grin when she had an idea, and a general love for every day. This Abby looked as if she hadn't slept in months.

"What do you want this time?" the alternate Abby said, addressing Phoebe first.

"Easy now," Phoebe's eyes narrowed. "I'm not here to fight."

"Then why are you here?" Alternate Abby crossed her arms defensively. "Far as I know, you've never come to me for just a chat. At least, since...well, whatever."

"Someone else wanted to meet you," Phoebe became a bit aggravated with anger, but deflated a bit as she stepped aside.

Alternate Abby looked past Phoebe, her eyes meeting what seemed to be just a reflection of herself. Her mouth contorted a bit, as if she wasn't sure what to make of the situation.

"Uh...hi?" Abby offered.

"You're...me?" Alternate Abby managed after the longest few seconds ever. "What's going on here? Did the host put you up to this? Is this some sort of..."

"Hey, hey, hey," Turner stepped in between the two Abbys. "No, Kendra...er...the host...didn't put us up to anything. At least, as far as we know. We just got stuck in a..."

"You," Alternate Abby turned her gaze to Turner, momentarily forgetting about her clone standing right there. "What are you doing? You're not him, are you?"

"I'm not...who?" Turner asked.

"Turner," Alternate Abby responded, with a deadpan expression as if Turner had just asked what color the sky was.

"Well, I am, but..." Turner weakly tried.

"Stop, I know you're not. Who are you really?"

"If you'd just let me..."

"I just...I can't with you right now."

"Abby!" the exclamation came from Phoebe, prompting both copies to turn their heads towards her. "Ugh, that's gonna get real annoying if you're here for a while. Anyways, this is Turner, just like this gal with him is, well...you. Just from the past? At least, that's what I've been able to piece together."

"About as good of an explanation that I can give," Abby rolled her eyes.

Alternate Abby pursed her lips for a second, taking this information in.

"Do you love him?" she finally decided on.

"Come again?" Abby shook her head, not ready for such a direct question.

"I said, do you love him?" Alternate Abby repeated.

"Of course I do," Abby answered, without missing a beat.

"And he loves you?"

"Yes," Turner cut in, not letting Abby ruminate on those thoughts. "I do."

"Good," Alternate Abby nodded slowly. Something about the way she said it was weirdly sinister, making Turner's stomach twist.

"Is...that all?" he asked.

"What do you want me to ask?" Alternate Abby dropped her arms in exasperation. "This girl is...me from the past. I already know what happened, I already know who she is, because I was her no more than three or four weeks ago. Apparently I'm just stuck in the bad ending of this show or whatever. I just...I..."

Alternate Abby began to start welling up with tears. Turner reached out to lend a comforting hand to her, but she stared at it like it was attached to a stranger.

"I know what happened to everyone else. I know what happened to Sara, to Emma, everyone knows what happened to that girl that used to be Kathryn. But...I just don't know what happened to me. When I stopped being me. What you are right now."

She looked up at the hotel behind them, sighing wistfully as her gaze reached the penthouse.

"And it's all because of him."

"Him?" Turner asked.

"You," Alternate Abby clarified.

"Me?"

"You," she pointed to the penthouse. "Or, my world's version of you, whatever you want to call it. I'm sure you've heard the story already, so I won't bore you with the details."

Turner swallowed. "I've heard most of it."

"Then you know."

"I've heard what happened to you, and almost everyone else. Not what it felt like."

"Fuck whatever it felt like. Honestly, that's probably for the best."

Abby stepped forwards a little bit, holding onto Turner's arm again.

"That's what makes this even worse," Alternate Abby continued. "You're still you. You still smile. You still talk like that. You still look at him like he's the most important person on the planet. You still have all that spunk."

"And you don't?" Abby looked down at her counterpart, who was now sitting on the dock.

Alternate Abby scoffed, almost a humorless laugh. "No. Not for a lack of trying, either."

"Sorry," the apology from Abby came quick, even though she didn't really know what she was apologizing for. For something happening to her in the future? For something the show forced onto people? Was this destined to happen?

"I just...I don't know what you want me to say," Alternate Abby repeated. "Congrats? You got the good ending, and I'm stuck...here?"

"You don't know that we're in the good ending," Turner rebuffed.

"Well I sure as hell know you're not in this ending," Alternate Abby countered. "Because you wanna know something? I don't remember meeting my future self. So either this meeting was wiped from my memory, or something brought you two here to avoid this...whole mess."

"If this is some kind of future we're looking at..." Turner tried, "then I'm not going to just sit around and assume it's inevitable."

Alternate Abby looked at him for a long time. "You really are him."

Turner smiled weakly. "Hey, thanks. That's the first time anybody on this freak show has said that to me. No offense."

"None taken," Phoebe responded.

Alternate Abby stood up from the deck, looking directly into her counterpart's eyes. It was almost uncanny, like looking into a mirror that didn't copy your moves. Same hair, same height, same eyes, same build. But they looked almost like completely different people.

"I hope you don't become me," Alternate Abby finally said, putting her hand on Abby's shoulder. "Make sure of that. Make sure your boytoy over here knows that too."

"I don't plan on it," Abby responded, her smile fading, but coming back at her touch. "And I'm sure this has scared him pretty straight."

"Good," Alternate Abby nodded, before heading down the boardwalk towards her bungalow.

"Wait!" Abby called out for her, causing Alternate Abby to stop in her tracks and turn around. "Are you going to be okay?"

"No," Alternate Abby replied almost immediately, before turning around and walking again. "But I'm getting through it."

Abby let out a slow breath. "That was..."

"Yeah," Turner and Phoebe both said at the same time. Neither of them seemed capable of finding a better word.

"So what now?" Turner eventually asked.

"Well, I don't know if, when, or how you're getting back to your reality," Phoebe darkly said. "But...there's one more person you should probably meet."

"Who?" Abby asked.

"Becca," Phoebe simply said, before walking off towards the hotel and not bothering to see if Abby and Turner would follow her.