I Am the Spirit

The book had flown off the shelf at the library...literally. Neil couldn’t help but notice the oddity floating in midair with a sort of magical dust surrounding it. He thought about calling over a librarian, but what, exactly, would they possible help with? And if it fell to the ground before someone else arrived, they’d just think he was nuts. Instead, he began to wonder what was inside of the book, as he reached out to pick it up and read it.

This turned out to be a mistake.

The instant he set one finger on the book, his body lurched. His bones cracked in horrible ways as they reshaped. A moment later, he had changed forms. He realized he should probably be thankful he had simply turned into a woman instead of some sort of monster.

He was now able to flip the pages of the still floating book without further change. Though the books was mostly filled with strange symbols and other nonsense. There was a single page in the back he could read that said, “I am the spirit; you have taken my form.”

He wasn’t quite sure what it meant, but it seemed obviously related to the change to his body.

15 Minute Break

“So you’re suggesting we just go back up to work and act like nothing is wrong?” Sean asked as he sat down on a bench outside their office.

“I mean, obviously something’s wrong,” Rita replied, “We swapped bodies! But our 15 minute break is almost up, and they’re fire both of us if we’re not back up there in time for the daily stand-up. It’s not like we aren’t able to do each other’s jobs; we’re both product owners. I think we can manage until we can find a way to swap back.”

“But what if we can’t find a way to swap back? I don’t want to live my life as you! The last thing I would ever want to be is a woman! These heels are already annoying me.”

“And you think I’m crazy about being a guy? But if we’re stuck like this forever, then you’re going to have to get used to it. And it’s like anyone would believe that we randomly switched bodies in the middle of our break. But if the shoes are bothering you, I have some flats at my desk. But I’ve got to warn you that you’ll feel REALLY short when you talk to people.”

“I already feel short! And I hate that you’re right about this. Let’s go back. But after work, we need to make a plan about researching ways to swap back and another set of plans for if we don’t.”

“Making plans like that is EXACTLY why we’re both such great product owners.”

Coma (Part 1)

As I was being wheeled into the hospital after the accident, I apparently signed the paperwork for the experimental procedure. At least, I think I did. I barely remember it. I felt like there were so many people around me doing all they could to save my life that if one person threw a paper in front of me to sign, I probably managed to do it despite my injuries. They told me I fell into a months long coma after that night. That made it easier to transplant my brain into the new body. I remained in a comatose state for a few more months after that. To some extent, they expected that, but I was apparently out for longer than the doctors anticipated.

When my eyes fluttered (and I do mean fluttered) open that day, the nurse was actually surprised. They had chalked up the operation as a failure by that point. The ones who had their brains transplanted before me still hadn’t woken up.

I remember being thirsty. I remember wondering where I was with only fragments of the accident still in my mind. It wasn’t until the doctors began to ask me questions that I even noticed my new body -- and my new gender. My movements were more like a toddler as I tried to move my fingers. I surely could grasp anything and lifting myself up with the aid of the adjustable bed was impossible. My speech was slurred as I answered their questions. I wasn’t sure how much of this was due to the coma, but the doctors seemed to indicate much of it was due to the brain transplant -- that my mind was learning many motor controls like a baby might. They told me it would be a while before I could feed myself or stand up on my own. I’d be in the hospital for quite a while longer.

Down Stream

After hours of searching, Wyatt pulled a chain from the muddy river. Emi was excited at first, but expected Wyatt to be happier about finding the medallion again. Her joy quickly turned to concern.

“That’s it; isn’t it?” She asked him.

“It’s the chain it was attached to, but the medallion must’ve come off,” Wyatt said without looking up from the chain he held.

“Well, then it can’t be far. Maybe just a little further down stream...”

“You don’t get it. It’s all part of the legend. I didn’t believe any of it. Not the body swapping; not the stories about how it always got lost leaving people stuck. And then we tried it...and it worked! I still didn’t want to believe it could get lost so easily. And now...”

“...And now you’re going to have to go back to Japan in my body.”

Wyatt nodded. He couldn’t believe he had gotten himself into this mess, and now it seemed like he was going to stuck in Emi’s body forever, scheduled to go back to her home in Japan later tonight...

Interned (Part 2)

View Part 1 of Interned.

Attending college parties for the first time in decades was a wild experience for James. The basic premise hadn’t changed much -- grab a beer in a cheap plastic cup from a keg kept in the bathtub that was filled with ice hadn’t changed.

He certainly had no problem turning the heads of many men with his current body. However, he did find conversation with many of them difficult. They wanted to talk about Marvel movies or videos games while James was more interested in striking up a discussion on the stability of the current options market. He was never quite sure if they found the subject matter boring, or if they were just intimidated by the fact that he was a knowledgeable woman.

He had considered trying to dump the way he talked down, but he just couldn’t bring himself to be so vapid.