The Other Kara

She was born to Noemi and Joseph Rey, a young couple who lived close to Noemi's mother, Roselle. Roselle was a retired high school teacher whose husband died some twenty years ago in a car accident. Kara was beloved to her maternal grandmother, who insisted on naming her after her best friend, who had also passed away.

She was a miracle baby. She and her mother nearly died when she was born, and so her parents decided not to have another child. Her parents were careful not to expose her to anything that could potentially harm her. They kept her indoors, away from other children, and even home-schooled her for a few years. She enrolled in a traditional school in fifth grade, but she found no difficulty making friends. She had a bright smile, and an honest personality. Her awkwardness seemed overshadowed by her outside appearance, which had the fifth grade boys and upper years sprawling at her feet.

This overabundance of affection made her vain. She began to disobey her parents when she hit high school, going to parties, engaging in questionable relationships. Yet, she was on top of her class, and even won the student council presidency this year. She preyed on the weak and unpopular girls who worshipped her and who secretly wanted to remove her from her high horse. Right now, her victim is the transfer student, Mary Rafael, who seemed to be taking the bullying splendidly. Deep down, she would have admired Mary, if she weren't so frumpy. The new girl just kept her head down and threw glares at Kara's way, but never touched her, never attempted to take revenge like other girls did. 

But nobody has a perfect life. Noemi and Joseph's marriage was beginning to fall apart in Kara's sixteenth year, their arguments becoming more and more explosive, until these led to the fatal day of the accident. Kara was in the backseat, minding her own business, her headset jammed in her ears, listening to the latest pop song. Then it began. Something started the argument--Kara could barely remember what it was--and suddenly her parents were shouting at each other. They were crossing a skyway, and there were other cars rushing past. There was a wrong turn somewhere, and they crashed into something, and the car fell from such a height. There was screaming, which hadn't been like the first time Kara died, and then silence again.

---

The next moment she knew, Kara was lying in a hospital bed, a few months after the accident, with another Kara's memories. She would have asked the other Kara what she just experienced, but there was no one to ask. There was only one Kara in the room, but with two different people's lives.

One day, after she was fully able to walk and talk again, they let her go home. The young Kara's house wasn't as large as Kara Beltran's was. It was, in fact, a simple apartment with two bedrooms on the second floor, a small kitchen, and a crowded living room. Suddenly, she remembered the shame she felt as she tried to hide this part of her life from her overly eager "friends"--who were never really her friends, she always felt, but more of were adoring followers who envied her.

Her grandmother moved in with her to help her re-adjust to her new life, and they put the house next door up for rent for extra income. At first, it was awkward. Her grandmother refused to have her lock her doors for fear that something bad would happen to her, and for some reason she was right. She began to have horrible nightmares of both times she died, and woke up in cold sweat every time. The old Kara felt like she deserved this, after all the pain she'd caused the other people in her life. But she was surprised by the annoyed retaliation of her younger self, who rebelliously thought that life was being unfair to her.

As she began to settle into her new identity, the old Kara felt like she would never have gotten along with the person she is now. She was too pretentious, too proud--a teenager, definitely, something that she never truly was, because she was too busy being good. She felt sorry for the people whom she'd hurt, and decided that once school started again, she would give a formal apology. She would relinquish her throne as high school queen, and live the rest of her retirement in peace. This is something the old Kara would have wanted.

And yet...maybe experiencing what she'd missed out on as a teenager wouldn't be so bad. She'd just spend one day, she promised herself, parading around campus with her imaginary crown and sceptre, and enjoy herself.

When the time came to return to school, Kara found herself surrounded by concerned cliques. They treated her differently, extra careful not to break her. Something awakened in the old Kara that she never knew was possible--a sense of greedy delight that she had so many people at her beck and call. So for a while, she played the part, and disappeared in the part again for a few weeks.

Another thing that excited the old Kara was the number of desperate suitors throwing themselves at her feet. As Kara Beltran, she only had Lionel, but Kara Rey had boys confessing to her left and right, some handsome, some unkempt, and she felt like she could go on a power trip and no one could stop her. She was also officially tied to a brainless jock named Will Simon, who had immaculate abs. A stereotype, she thought, but one she was willing to take.

Kara thought her life was settling in nicely. Maybe she could live it all again, and do it right this time. No more pathetic Ralf or annoying gremlin children to take care of, only the revelry of youth. However, nothing comes without a price.

Kara Beltran and Kara Rey's life would turn topsy-turvy soon, and she didn't even know it.

---

The end of her reign began on a Friday. She had just gotten off on a late-night meeting with the student council, and Will, her boyfriend, was waiting to drive her home. When everybody else had left, they began walking to where Will had parked, but he stopped in his tracks and turned to her quickly.

"Will, what is it?" Kara asked, a bit annoyed.

He stood silently staring at her, until she saw that the look in his eyes was not the puppy dog cluelessness that she had always known him for, but a glazed over expression that frightened her. She hesitated to walk another step forward.

"Will...?"

He suddenly lunged towards her, groaning in a zombie-like state. Kara thankfully dodged the attack, but found that Will brought backup. Her schoolmates, the same student council members which she had just seen off, had returned, but this time with the same dead look on their faces. They ran towards Kara, and she didn't wait to find out what would happen if they caught her. 

She immediately bolted, but realized that for some reason the exits had been sealed. She ran up the stairs until she reached the rooftop. She locked the door behind her, and nearly jumped in fright when she saw that she was still not alone where she was. 

"Kara Beltran," a voice said behind her. Kara turned around to see a hooded figure standing on the ledge. "It's a pleasure to finally...meet you," the figure hissed.

"How did you--" Kara began, but she felt the loud pounding of her classmates on the rooftop door flimsily held together by a rusty lock.

"Go on. I have all day," the figure laughed. Argh, Kara heard Will and the others groan on the other side of the door. "But you, I'm afraid, may be on a tight schedule."

"You're dead. Well, literally. You died in a car accident once, and then reincarnated as Kara Rey in this life. Very interesting. Took us a long time to find you. We're so glad you survived...not really, but you know, the more there is of you to use!"

Blag! The door hinges were giving way.

"You can come with me peacefully, or be torn limb from limb by that lot on the other side. Either way, we'll still have use for you."

What was this madman saying? Kara thought. She didn't willingly try to reincarnate into a new person. It was a life that was given to her. Would she die again? Another gruesome death to add to her list?

Blag! The door clattered to the ground, and the mindless puppets attacked Kara immediately, knocking her over.

Kara shut her eyes. This was definitely going to be the worst death yet. She waited for the harsh pain to start, but nothing happened. She slowly opened her eyes, to find that her classmates were lying in a heap beside her, unconscious.

Another person had arrived, now battling the hooded figure. The hooded figure had brought out a giant scythe to counter their assailant's blade. Kara stood where she was, stunned and confused by what was happening. When her savior successfully unmasked the hooded figure, Kara's eyes widened in shock. She knew him! He was a classmate. But before either she or the other could confront him, he pushed the blade back, winked at Kara, and disappeared in a black cloud.

"Are you okay?" Kara's savior asked her. Kara looked at her savior, and realized that she knew who she was too. "Mary...Mary Rafael?" Kara asked in disbelief. She was certainly the same bookish nerd with glasses and unkempt hair, but something about her stance had changed. She was no longer meek and hunched. She stood confidently as she sheathed her blade again, and approached Kara.

"Well?"

"I-I'm sorry. I don't get it...who are you, really? And what just happened?"

"It might seem as impossible to you as someone being reincarnated." Mary snapped back, something she would never have done in school. Kara was taken aback.

"Come on. We've got to get out of here before they catch us."

"Who's they?"

"We don't have much time, Kara!"

"What about Will and the others?"

"They'll be fine. Come on."

Mary pushed her down the staircase.