Standing outside the suburban 'McMansion' I quickly check the odd series of messages on my phone, the large and well-maintained property seeming well beyond what I had expected when I was contacted out of the blue about a certain little offer.
I don't have to wait long however, before I can even load the app itself I jump with a start as of half of the large wooden doors swing open as quickly as their hinges and heft will allow. I watch as a tan brunette in her mid-forties quickly peers around the frame, her pale green eyes wide and magnified by a set of red framed glasses. Her hair is a wiry mess, a scrunched up purple band holding the lion share of the dry and heavy tangle behind her in a ponytail reaching down to the middle of her back.
As she smiles up at me I watch as crow's feet and laugh lines quickly etch themselves into her face, a set of slightly coffee and wine stained teeth flashing up at me from her five foot six frame.
"Are you..." she coos excitedly, her voice a little hoarse as though she had just fought off a cold. "I saw you on the door camera and..." she blurts out, looking down at herself and the 'cozy at home' clothes that adorned her. A baggy white t-shirt hangs from her slender frame, the neck sliding down one of her shoulders as the faintest hint of her perky chest inches into view along with a link of chunky looking beads. A large set of tracksuit pants and a set of comfy wool-lined slippers adorn her lower half, her delicate feet wiggling in the shoes as she seems to try to let the excitement out somewhere.
"Come in! Come in!" she croaks, heaving the door open more as she grabs my arm with a little tug. "I just dropped the kids off at school and I was about to clean before..." she blabbers, her brain barely keeping up with her mouth as she drags me into the tall and narrow foyer.
A mezzanine hangs a few feet ahead, a railed walk looking out over new guests at the end of a stairwell. The foyer itself is a mess, between the many discarded shoes and several children's toys we are forced to step and skip over things to avoid tripping or breaking anything underfoot. At the end of the foyer is a mirror and whiteboard, a detailed chore and hobby schedule filling the reflective white surface in a variety of colors.
With a lurch to the left I'm dragged into a rather spacious living room, the massive home sporting an equally large lounge with expensive looking leather sofas and recliners encircling the largest wall mounted TV I'd seen in person. A separate section further down the lengthy room houses a set of smaller seats around a lovingly made dark hardwood table, the stark monochromatic mix of blindingly white walls and dark furniture pieces screaming of modern design sensibilities.
I'm practically pushed into one of the seats around the coffee table, the older woman quickly looking around frantically as she begins to race off to the far end of the living room.
"Can I get you a coffee?" she chirps, racing around a corner bathed in light thanks to the large panes of glass lining the back end of the house. "Maria usually makes it for me, but I'm sure I can... or maybe some wine?"
"Water is fine Ms..." I begin to call out, shrinking away slightly into my seat as I feel so powerfully out of place in the massive multi-million dollar home.
"It's Mrs..." she chuckles, the sound of a cork popping from the tight neck of bottle soon following. "And you can call me Claire" she continues, quickly racing back around the corner with the clinking of glass.
She quickly places a set of large and positively sparkling crystal glasses on the coffee table, the perfect edges and facets catching the morning light and shimmering with cascades of color. However, the stunning glassware is quickly turned red as the bottle of dusty wine is poured into each glass before ending right before the brim of each.
"I found it..." Claire coos, dropping into the seat across from me as she crosses her legs and grabs one of the glasses.
I look at her with no small amount of trepidation, my eyes narrowing as I catch the sight of the aging beads once again. "Wait... you mean..."
"Of course..." She coos, reaching into her shirt as she quickly pulls a heavy and clattering wooden necklace from inside her top. I stare at the ancient idol in shock, unsure whether I was actually looking at the real thing. Catching me swallowing hard, my heart leaping into my throat, Claire leans forward with a devilish grin.
"So... let's talk terms..."
I had met Claire online months beforehand, the older mother having been a member of various 'online communities' engaged with or related to certain types of fiction. Body swapping, possession, transformation and all the rest seemed to be a mutual interest and after reading one too many of my own comments she had reached out.
The conversations had been tame at first, just a mere discussion of the fetish and interest from a more meta level. Issues with the various communities, secret adoration for known tropes, and confusion about specific 'types' of stories filled the majority of our brief chats for the longest time.
However, as time went on the questions became more point. Less and less were we talking about the interest, and more so were the conversations turning to the real.
"What would you do if you woke up as me after the Great Shift?"
"If asked, would you go to the Swap Clinic with my retired neighbor?"
"Which of my daughters' lives would you steal if they were in the Magic Taxi together?"
"If my two sisters were stuck in an Autocloset, would you want to become either of them? Or maybe the best of both?"
I had answered each question diligently, weaving a little narrative as the older woman would add on twists and turns to her questions. Pictures would often follow, obviously ripped from social media and as such not really something I had much of a care for.
After over a month of answering questions about how I would react in various situations the messages suddenly stopped for a few day, the conversation only restarting as Claire sent a cascade of messages about having me over for tea and a 'special' offer. She promised she would pay for the cab fare and even for my time, the desperate mother seemingly eager to have company at the very least.
Against my better judgment I accepted, both eager to see if the address she had provided was accurate as well as to potentially make a little money from an afternoon tea.
Catching my blank stare the brunette giggles and squeals with joy.
"You don't want to know how much this cost to track down" she laughs, letting out a long sigh as she pats the wooden necklace. "I've been wearing it since it arrived, aside from the first test that is, I mean I didn't want to lose..."
"You tested it?" I blurt out, looking up at her as I begin to wonder if Claire was even the woman she said she was. The older mother chortles a little, smirking at me as she cheeks grow red.
"Once... with one of my husband's shirts..." she continues, looking down in her lap as she blush continues to bloom across her cheeks. "It definitely works... But..." she chimes with a bright and eager chirp, her pale green eyes turning to me as she adjusts her glasses.
"I want you to use it" she states firmly, licking her lips a little as she looks me up and down. I feel like a piece of meat for a moment, shrinking back further into my seat as the older woman smirks with glee at my reaction. "I'll be honest, I've thought quite a bit about this. What would a man such as yourself do if they stole the body of someone I know, or if they stole your body and left you as them. Would you swap? Just become their copy? Maybe even replace them and leave them a... a... worm... or maybe..."Claire babbles, her glee and excitement building as she fiddles with the necklace.
I watch the woman as though she is mad, her constant giggling and grinning making her seem more than unhinged. As she seems to catch my concern she takes a deep breath, pausing as she collects herself before placing the medallion on the coffee table.
"I will pay you of course" she states calmly, biting a little at her bottom lip. "First for the initial usage of the item and then for your further time. I may also want to make some twists in this little narrative, which I promise you will be more than compensated for" she explains, waving her hand at the mention of additional compensation as though it were some trivial matter.
"But... I..." I blurt out, struggling to keep up with the sudden turn the older woman had made.
"In return..." she states, speaking over me as she takes her glass of wine with a little giddy sip. "I get to observe you. I was thinking cameras and regular meetings, I would like to engage regularly as well as watch you in real time should I wish."
Swallowing hard I look across at the confidant and business-like older woman as she sips at her wine. It was like her whole demeanor had changed, the silly and frantic mother shifting before my eyes into a powerful and confidant negotiator.
Reaching out with a shaking hand I take the wine glass, the blood red liquid spilling a little onto the fluffy white carpet.
"Don't worry about it dear, that's what the help is for" she states soothingly, leaning in with a grin as I begin to sip nervously at the wine. It's delicious, perfect even, aged and mature it dances on the palette as I let out a satisfied sigh.
"You could buy your own" Claire chuckles, raising a thin eyebrow with a knowing glance. "Once you've been paid for helping me bring this little dream to life that is."
Inhaling deeply I take another gulp of the wine, the liquor burning slightly at my nostrils as I begin to feel the alcohol's effect on my empty stomach. I quickly finish the glass, placing it on the table as I brace against the hardwood.
"I get paid just to try it?" I ask, watching as Claire moves to pour me another glass.
"Of course..." she coos, her hoarse voice now smooth as butter as she tops up my drink. "And then each day... or maybe week thereafter, I guarantee it works..." she states, clarifying the terms. "So... do we have a deal?" she asks, fidgeting in her seat a little as she tries to restrain her nerves and excitement.
"Sure..." I say uncertainly, taking the glass again as I take another heavy sip.
Claire bounds to her feet with a squeal of excitement, the brunette downing the rest of her glass before she races back into the kitchen and then to the other side of the house. "He agreed!" the older woman cackles, a thudding set of footsteps soon bound upstairs as she goes to retrieve something.
I sit in silence, shivering with anxiety as I drink the wine in an effort to steel myself. Before long I hear the footsteps begin to grow louder again, the sound of Claire's voice soon echoing out from over the mezzanine.
"So I was thinking..." she calls out, excitement dripping from each word. "You could..."
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