Reverse Hopper, Reversed Fortunes - Part One

Huffing loudly in the echo-filled parking lot I strain to force the last box into the backseat of my car. The cardboard flexes, buckling in of itself as I press my hands against it and cram it up against another equally flimsy and flexible box. Sweating slightly I give the box one more shove, stepping back quickly as I slam the door shut.

I wince as I think I here something break, either inside the door of my aging dark green sedan or the boxes stacking inside it, a depressed sigh rumbling out of me and through the underground lot as I bite at my lip.

"God damn it..." I mutter quietly, wiping my nose a little as I sniffle and fight back tears. "Stupid fucking..." I continue, pausing as I inhale deeply to try and calm myself back down.

The months without work had slowly drained me of whatever resources I had left. Too proud to ask my family for help and too focused on academia and teaching to look for a job that could at least pay the bills, I soon found myself being served with an eviction notice from my elderly landlady.

She didn't seem to take pleasure in the act, nor did she seem all to upset, the order for me to pack my things and to vacate by the end of the month merely being business.

I had largely handled the burden in silence, packing my stuff each day, my job hunt grinding to a pause as I sold off what I couldn't fit in the back of my car and packed the rest. By the end of the month I was left with not a lot, merely a wad of cash and a car full of boxes with no place to go.

My car radio blares from dashboard, the crackling speakers weakly playing the end of yet another pop song that I had used for at least a little bit of background noise in the otherwise depressingly quiet. The bubbly radio host quickly begins to chirp.

"Hell-ooooooo and welcome back everyone, that was YOUR number four. Before we go to the bronze, lucky number three, this is just a reminder to all our Reverse Hopper listeners to take your In-Guarder today if you haven't yet"

Lights, Camera, Change! - Part Seven

"Can you... walk me to class?" I ask, my eyes darting to the backpack as I quickly realize I had no idea where or what I was meant to do once I made it into the school. Bridgette suddenly perks up, her hangdog expression shifting rapidly to an excited grin as I ask for help.

"Sure!" she blurts out excitedly, the towering woman quickly leading me away from the car and towards the side entrance to the first large brick building. "I'll take you there and... and I can carry your bag for you. Why is it so heavy? You shouldn't be carrying something like..."

"Thanks honey" I coo, raising her hand up with my own as I plant a little kiss on it.

I watch as Bridgette's cheeks begin to burn bright red, the tiny sliver of affection seemingly doing more than our brief make out session in the parking lot. Her sentence falls short, a pathetic mewling blabber consuming her words before she manages to shut herself up.

"I... I think you have English first right?" Bridgette chokes out, her breath shuddering as we pass over the lane way to the parking lot and begin up the short set of steps. "Lots of books for that I... I guess..."

The trip to the classroom itself is rather uneventful, if a little disconcerting. The sheer domineering size of everything around me set my teeth on edge, from the teenagers who were easily over a head taller than me now to the top lockers being simply out of reach. Thankfully Bridgette seems more than happy to carve us a path to my first class, the towering young woman getting a soft and lingering kiss as a reward before she passes me my bag and races off to follow her own timetable.

Strangely enough the desk and seat feel almost roomy as I slide into it, my shrunken stature doing wonders as I wriggle into place. The aging CRT screen in the corner suddenly grows pale and misty as the audience sets up to watch my class, a shiver running down my spine as I stare directly into it.

To get my mind off of things I quickly begin to search my backpack, a small black leather diary thankfully resting atop the pile of text books and literature as I snatch it out. Inside I find a timetable on the front page, each day of the week followed by a series of classes and room numbers.

"I can work with this..." I squeak, quickly finding that each day started differently. "I just need to work out what... day it is..."

Re:The Body Shop - Part Five

It takes a bit of coordination for Bunny to let me sip at the bland and unpleasant instant coffee, the lack of milk really just leaving it bitter caffeine water more than anything else. Sitting on the sofa by the fire I slowly begin to get comfortable, Bunny seemingly knowing exactly when I want another sip as the mug is quickly brought up to my lips.

"So... park ranger... apparently..." I mutter, unsure about how any of this made sense. "Did you ever do like Girl Scouts or..." I ask, watching as Bunny gives me a thumbs down and a shrug. "Guess we can work that out as we..." I muse, my eyes darting to the whiteboard as I sigh.

"We have a job don't we..." I groan, my body sagging as Bunny seems equally dismayed. With a heave of our mighty frame Bunny begins to drag us over to the whiteboard, the helpful body letting me drink the last of the coffee before I begin to inspect the whiteboard.

"Huh..." I mutter, reading the listing under Jordan on the whiteboard. As I ponder just what 'Clearing Kindling and Debris' could actually entail I feel Bunny begin to tap our foot impatiently. After a moment of pondering the text, and lingering on the little love heart scrawled on the board, I feel Bunny reach up to poke and prod at my face.

Personal Ad-option - Part One

Walking through the park, basking in the midday sun, I also follow the winding path between flowers in mid-bloom. Bees buzz past me as they dart from flower to flower, each drone seeking pollen for the hive while the sound of bird chirp in distant trees.

It was a perfect day, warm and relaxing with not a care in the world. Or at least the cares that I had were pushed to the back of my mind, thoughts like 'How am I going to pay rent this month?' or 'Will I ever find another teaching job?' were simply left on the doorstep on days like this. My headphone lightly jingle with soothing classical music, the soft piano doing much to calm be down from my woes in conjunction with the brilliant scenery around me.

After over an hour of my strolling a heavy buzz erupts from my pocket, my hand moving towards it as I pause. Glancing down the trail I spot a small little outdoor lakeside cafe, a tiny dirt path leading off the track towards it invitingly.

"May as well..." I mutter to myself, plodding off to fetch myself a coffee before checking my notification.

After a few minutes I find myself seated by the end of a large deck, the shimmering water glistening with sparkles of caught sunlight. As I wait for my coffee to cool I pull my phone from my pocket, my heart skipping a beat and catching in my throat as I read the short line of text.

"You have new a message in your inbox - Personal Ad-option"

Mr Marigold's Magician's Box - Part Two

After a short pause he flicks his wrist, producing the purple ticket I had place in the door before repeating the motion as it vanishes again.

"...You however, have been gifted one free session" he explains, gesturing to the many racks and shelves. "Most outside of the community don't get such an opportunity, do you perhaps have a family member who is a part of the pro..." he begins to ask, pausing and cutting himself off as he waves his hand.

"Never mind that..." he states, not letting me get a word in edge wise. "Simply pick out what you would like from the shelves and bring them to the boxes, once you're ready simply climb inside the empty set and I will start the show!"

I stare blankly at him for a moment, blinking in disbelief as he looks down at me with a delighted grin. Slowly but surely his smile begins to fade, his joy being replaced with a look of confusion.

"Well dear fellow?" he mutters, gesturing towards the shelves and racks with a flick of his wrist and a wave of his hand. "Explore, indulge, cavort, and enjoy the..." he begins to state, only to finally get get off by me.

"What do you mean by..." I huff, my eyes going wide as I look to the various neatly packed or stacked body parts. "Are you telling me these are people and.. and I'm meant to be?... Wear?... I mean..." I blabber, the older gentlemen looking at me in a mixture of frustration and confusion.

"Why yes my good fellow" he states, cocking a thick black eyebrow. "Theses did in fact belong to others, and you may in fact take them for yourself should you so..." he explains shortly, his words tense and tightly packed. "Did the one who granted you this boon not explain this to..." he begins to huff, revealing the ticket once more as he holds it between his hands.

"I got that at a bar from some guy who..." I blurt back, my heart hammering in my chest as the reality of the strange situation begins to set in.

The Swap-Cation - Part Three

I quiver slightly as I feel myself get placed down on something cold and hard, the chilly sheet of metal beneath me waking me slightly as I realize just what I am sitting on. However, after a few moments of sitting on the metal plate nothing seems to happen.

"Carl?" calls the young woman, her shout coming through loud and clear as she stand over me. "Yeah... Yeah I've got the list... But I... Yeah...Is this blonde real or dyed?... No, I need to know otherwise the prom queen is going to be up there with exposed roots”

The woman quickly begins to pace away, the sound of her stomping boots piercing the obstructing flesh over my ears before vanishing entirely in an instant. Murmured voices rumble in the distance, a back and forth completely lost to me as some low voice chatters with the young woman.

As the voices die down I hear the boots begin to approach, a series of keystrokes soon following as I feel my pathetic squishy form become constrained by some invisible force. My mind swims and my blood boils as I feel the last of the slime over my skin dry up in an instant, the last vestiges of oxygen vanishing in an instant.

"Al...ght..." the woman coos, her voice distant and hard to make out. "Le... thi...the...ro..." she calls out, a sudden shock rippling through my terrible diminished form. With a gasping breath I feel two holes form in what I could loosely describe as my face, the small gaps quickly winding through my jiggling flesh into what feel like a pathetic and deflated set of lungs. The two little holes begin to shift as cartilage forms between them, my skin stretching out as a small and dainty nose is formed.

Lights, Camera, Change! - Part Six

Opening the car door I brace for the cold, a whimpering shudder wracking me as I leap out of the sedan. "Cold... cold cold cold..." I pant, rubbing at my stick-like arms in an effort to warm up while inadvertently and disconcertingly squishing my bust with my forearms. I turn to get my bag, leaning in as my plump rear stick out while I snatch at one of the straps.

Suddenly, I feel a hand snake around my flat stomach before pulling me back. I squeal in shock, my feather light body being slightly lifted off the ground as I'm embraced from behind. My heart hammers in my chest, my breath going ragged in terror, though the heat from the person behind me threatens to leave me melting.

"Hey Jordy" coos a voice in my ear, their warm breath on my neck leaving my knees shaking a little. "I got your bag" the state, wrapping an arm around my waist they guide me to the side. As I stagger back, still held firmly by the stranger, I watch as they lower down to grab my overly heavy bag. 

I bite the inside of my lip as my eyes lock to the towering and extremely fit young brunette with a gym bag in one hand, her muscular frame being painted by a tight set of yoga shorts and a sports bra. My mouth falls open, my eyes locked to the practical amazon's thick toned thighs and plush taut rear as she leans across the seat, a shuddering breath escaping my plush lips as I find a warmth flashing through me.

As she stand back up she slings the heavy backpack effortlessly over her shoulder, the massive seeming young woman flashing me a grin as she gets the strap in place.