iam Carly
"Happy birthday, Nora!" yelled out the teenage girl's parents, and a boy from school.
"Thanks, everyone," said Nora, her excitement bubbling in her voice.
"Now make a wish and blow out the candles," said her father, his voice loving for once.
Nora smiled at her father, nodded, gathered her thoughts, and blew out the candles on her chocolate cake.
That night, Nora tossed and turned in her bed, her wish burning in her weary mind: I want to be Carly Shay. The night's cool breeze blew the pink, silk shades over the open door to the balcony.
The next morning, Nora came downstairs to an empty house, just like any other day of her life. The teen picked up the photograph her mother took of her the previous day, and looked at the image on the other side.
The girl gasped at the girl staring back at her: Carly Shay. Nora ran over to a mirror, and saw Carly's fresh face looking back at her. The teenager looked at her hands, which seemed to be her own, then put her palm on the mirror.
"What's going on?" she asked herself, her voice still her own. In a flash, she remembered the wish she had made the night before: It had come true. She was Carly Shay.
A smile crept onto Nora's face. Things were about to change forever: friends, fame, and happiness was about to enter her life. The teen ran out the door.
That night, Nora logged onto Carly's account on . The user name, "nicegirl27" and password, "schneidermoon" appeared in her mind as she typed.
Meanwhile, in Seattle, Freddie discovered something startling on his computer. "Carly, Sam," he called. "Look at this."
The blond and the brunett ran over to the platform Freddie's computer rested on, and stared at the screen.
"It's me," exclaimed Carly, confused.
"That's impossible," replied Sam. "It's a live feed."
The teens watched as "Carly" told jokes, and inacted bizzare stunts on . Their confusion grew by the second.
Suddenly, the phone rang. Freddie picked up the purple device on the wall. "Shay residence," he greeted. "...Okay...Okay...I understand...Bye." The boy hung up the phone.
"Who was that?" asked Sam.
"The bank," replied Freddie, his voice showing his shock. "They said you made a large withdrawl, and wanted to tell you some forms are in the mail."
"Oh, gosh," Carly whispered. "...What's going on?"
"Sounds like someone stole your identity," replied Freddie, trying to remain calm.
"And your look and voice," added Sam. "And your account on iCarly."
"I have to do something," said Carly. "Can you find where this video came from?"
"I can try," answered Freddie, logging on to . The teen vigorously typed for a minute, then spotted the address. "It came from Graybrook, a small town afew miles from here. The address is right here."
Carly viewed the address on the computer. "I'm gonna find this girl tonight," declared Carly, her fear and confusion getting the better of her.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" asked Freddie. "She could be a psychopath with a gun."
"Then... I'll come armed," replied Carly, searching the room for a weapon. "Hopefully, I won't have to do anything I'll regret." Finally, she found an ax in the fire kit on the wall, and pulled it off its hanger.
"Carly, this is nuts," said Sam.
"I don't have a choice," replied Carly. "What if she frames me for murder? O-or robs a bank or something? I can't risk something like that. Tell Spencer I'm staying at your place tonight, Sam."
"...Alright," replied the blond, unable to think of something to say to Carly.
"I'll go with you," said Freddie.
"No!" Carly shot back. "It's too dangerous. I have to do this alone."
"At least take a phone with you in case you need help," replied Freddie.
"Alright," said Carly, putting a Pear Phone in her pocket. "If I don't come back... I love you two."
"We love you, too," replied Sam and Freddie.
The brunette walked out the door, hiding the ax in her jacket.
After a half hour train ride, Carly got off at a depot in Graybrook, and headed for her imposter's house. Finally, she came to a familiar-looking home. "Nora," she whispered. The teen knocked on the door. "Nora," she called. "It's Carly. Open up."
No one answered. The girl knocked again. "Nora!" she called. "Nora, open up! I know you're in there."
The door slid open, and revealed a dark living room. Green lights led to the stairway to the basement: the same basement Nora trapped the iCarly gang in a year ago. Carly gulped, and headed for the basement. The teen krept down the stairs. Step by step, her heart pounding as she approached the most dangerous girl she had ever encounted. Several of the steps creeked, causing Carly's heart to skip beats.
After what felt like a thousand years, Carly reached the basement floor. The room was shrouded in darkness. Carly looked right and left, sensing her demise around every corner. "Nora," she called, trying to keep her voice straight, even as fear crawled up her throat like a venomous spider. Carly walked forward, her heart pounding, her breath heavy with terror, and sweat trickling down her face.
Suddenly, the room lit up red, illuminating the equipment and the recording studio that served as a prison for the iCarly crew for days. Carly froze dead in her tracks, and gasped in pure horror. Just then, the teen spotted a figure behind the glass in the recording studio. Carly knew it had to be Nora.
The teen pulled her jacket off of the ax, and raised the weapon above her head, preparing to chop open the barrier between her and her imposter. Carly took a breath, and swung the ax into the door. The girl pulled the weapon back, and struck again. Finally, the door was shattered into jagged blocks of wood. Carly walked into the room, holding the ax in front of her.
White strobe lights began to flash from above the two, like lightning in a hall of mirrors. During this time, Carly discovered that it was not Nora sitting in the studio, but a wooden doll propped up on a chair.
Carly's heart raced like a drum being beat by rain from a hurricane.
"Hello, Carly," said Nora, her voice sending terror down Carly's spine. The brunette turned around, her ax outstretched in front of her.
"Nora," replied Carly, her voice trembling. "I don't want to hurt you...Just give my identity back."
"Oh, Carly, I can't do that," Nora coldly replied. "Your life is perfect. You have friends, family that cares. Everything I've ever wanted. And I can't let that go."
Carly lifted the ax above her head, and prepared to strike. The strobe lights engulfed the room in white light as lightning flashed outside.
"Alright, Carly," said Sam on the other end of the line. "Glad you and Nora worked everything out."
"Me too," replied Carly. "I'll be home in a couple of days. Until then."
"Bye," said Sam, who then hung up the phone.
The girl speaking to Sam set down the phone, and looked at Carly, who was laying motionlessly on the floor.
"Oh, Carly," said the girl. "I'm so sorry things didn't work out. But we can still be friends. After all, we are like one person." Nora smiled at the lifeless body on the floor, and walked away.
To find the continuation of this story, read the sequel to Wizards of Waverly Place: Emerald Twilight, Forever Crisis...