(Scars do not appear to be cause of death –shock ... - Bad Request

for a few more tufts of hair on his head, he was identical to me - even his
arms had most of the tattoos mine did.
"Did you put those tattoos on?"
"No!" He looked distraught. "That one incarnation, that 'PRACTICAL' one,
did. I've tried to burn them off, but the skin REGENERATES with the tattoos
still on them! I have tried to TEAR them off, stain them with ACID... I HATE
them..."
"But... why?"
His eyes flickered uncomfortably. "It is maddening to feel the EYES upon
you, reading your BODY like a BOOK..."
"How did you make this trap?"
"Can't tell you that... it'll never be REPLICATED, the magicks used in its
creation were LOST, even to me. CLEVER it is, though... one experience
HIDDEN under the other, so that no FLESH but my OWN would set it off..."
"But... if your flesh sets it off, wouldn't that mean I'm you? You've trapped
yourself. I've trapped myself. Don't you see?"
"But... that's not... you're one of the... I thought I put in SAFEGUARDS! How
could I be so FOOLISH!" He wrung his hands together, biting his lower lip.
"How to get OUT? HOW? I've forgotten... wait: 'I am the only one who can
release you, and that I will not do.' If you are I, then you CAN release
yourself..."
I willed the trap open.
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