A Monster in the Shape of a Boy
ShortStory 1,665 words Recommended by 4 award/anthology sources
"When Peng opens the door, he finds himself face to face with a boy who looks exactly like himself. The other Peng stands in the doorway, as though surprised to have been caught. Two eyes peering out from the dark. Fluffy black hair, messy enough to stand up in every direction. Ruddy cheeks and scraped elbows. It’s him. But it isn’t."
Content warnings 4
animal-harmchild-abusedeathviolence
Quasar links out; the story lives on Apex, where the author gets the click.