THE JAGUAR II

11:40

Emma stood frozen, her mind a chaotic whirlpool of emotions as the jaguar slinked further into the sitting room. Her heart pounded against her ribcage, each beat reverberating in her ears like a drum. She had always known there was something different about her sister. But this? This was beyond comprehension. She didn't see this coming.

If she thought that Amelia was hiding something, it was maybe her practice center, her diary, her fetishes or something else. Something human. But not this.

The sleek, powerful form of the jaguar, with its piercing, familiar eyes, filled her with a mixture of awe and terror. Those eyes—so unmistakably Amelia's—sent a cold shiver down her spine.

Were their parents aware of this? Was Amelia adopted? Or did something happen to the real Amelia back in college, and this was an imposter? No, if this was an imposter, she would have noticed. This was Amelia, in the flesh and blood.