Holiday Shorts; The Job Vacancy

My mobile rang, I glanced at my clock--6am--are you kidding me?

The display showed my work number; the head office. I groaned and sent it to voicemail.

Five minutes later it rang again. "Yeah?" I groaned.

"Hello? Mr. Labat. Brian Labat?"

"Yeah, that's me. Look, it's just gone six, it's my day off--so call me later. OK?"

"I'm sorry, but it's Mr. Pecosky."

Pecosky was my manager at the shop where I worked. "Yeah, and?"

"There's been an accident, he's in hospital. He's stable but we need you to open the shop," the voice was hesitant.

I was suddenly awake. "But he's OK right?"

"Yes, stable for the moment. Would you be able to open up?"

"It's my day off, Jake Hanson's working today."

"Yes, we have the schedule. We tried his number but there was no reply." There was a silence, "We'll pay you double time," they added.

"OK, I'll open up." They thanked me and I got ready for work. I had nothing better to do, my flatmate was away for the week which left me home alone, and bored.

---

The mall was still closed when I arrived, there was only about forty minutes before it opened. It still gave me time to open the shop and get ready for a long day.

This wasn't the first time I'd opened, but it was quite a while ago. I thought about Jake, my co-worker. I wondered where he was, the jerk; I would of liked a lay-in today.

In the back office I sorted out some cash for the till, and logged it onto the computer. My watch told me I had about thirty minutes of peace before the mall opened. The till started to print the morning records, and then it stopped--it had run out of paper.

In the back office I searched the shelves and boxes to find some more rolls; then I spotted something that shook me--a hand partially obscured by some boxes.

It shook me up, with a broom handle I shifted the boxes to one side and peered to the back of the shelves. Reaching out I touched the hand, it felt warm. "Hello? Are you OK?" I called out, but there was no reply.

Grasping the hand gave me a second shock and I dropped it again. Although it looked real, it had collapsed in on itself when I'd taken hold.

I mastered my nerves; taking the hand again, I pulled.

The fake hand, and arm was connected to a fake body as well. Its muscular build looked familiar, when I pulled it clear and saw the face I kinda freaked out. It was Jake.

The whole thing was a duplicate of my co-worker. The carefully shaved beard, the way he fixed his hair. I twisted the arm, it was a perfect copy of him even down to his tattoo on his arm.

I wasn't sure what to do; with frustration I kicked at one of the boxes and it toppled over. Clothes, tipped onto the floor; a uniform. The same as I was wearing. Going through the box I found some shirts, underwear, shorts and other items. What phased me was the keys, ID and wallet--they belonged to Jake.

A cold sweat chilled me, did Jake Hanson really exist? It occurred to me that Jake and Pecosky never worked on the same day. It would explain as to why the office couldn't get in touch with Jake this morning. I rifled through the box and found a mobile; three missed calls from the office. The shiver continued down my spine, the times I'd gone out to the club with Jake; was that really Pecosky in disguise?

"Fuck it!" I shouted. Jake had way more fun then I ever did, the jocks always did, girls hanging of his arms at the club--I fucking wanted that for myself!

I picked up the skin and looked for some kind of opening, a zipper or flap of some kind, but there was nothing. I held the skin out as best I could; it was heavy. Jake's eyes looked back at me; damn I was getting hard at the thought of being inside his body.

His head wobbled from side to side and fell backwards--his mouth gapped unnaturally wide, then I knew how to get inside.

Pulling off my own clothes, I checked the time--ten minutes before opening.

Grasping Jake's mouth I pulled it left and right--his whole face stretched like some kind of cartoon. I grinned like a child, and pushed my foot into mouth.

Inch by inch Jake swallowed my body up, like some kind of alien python. The more he consumed me the stronger I got. Muscular legs, narrow waist, cobbled abs and slabs of meat for pecs--they were all becoming mine. Left arm, then right--pushing all the way down to the hands; those large strong hands. I flexed, just like I'd seen him do at parties; huge biceps popped and Jakes back flared wide.

There was just one last part of me left; my head. I didn't even pause, with one swift motion I pulled Jake's head and face over my own. I'd completed my transformation, and Jake Hanson was reanimated once again.

Grabbing some of Jake's clothes from the box I quickly got dressed, pulling the uniform white polo to complete the ensemble. I grinned fixing the name badge in place: 'Jake Hanson'.

There was a buzzing from the box; it was Jake's mobile. I picked it up and answered it. "Hello?" I paused for a moment, it was Jake's voice that was coming from my mouth. "Hello, this is Jake." It was the office, they were glad they'd gotten hold of me--Jake. They explained the situation with Mr. Pecosky, but sadly there were complications and he'd passed away peacefully. I told them Brian Labat had called me and I was in the shop now. They said they'd be in touch, and acknowledged I'd be the temporary manager until further notice.

I hung up the phone and smiled to myself, and picked flipped open a box grabbing a toll roll--then stopped. Somehow I knew the rolls where in there; Jake's memories where starting to become available to me.

The memory of my old apartment and having to share with my flatmate was becoming less appetising. This new existence as a popular jock who'd just been promoted was certainly much more appealing.

It only took seconds to make my mind up, and choose to become Jake Hanson permanently. I checked the time and opened the shop, Jake had always been the conscientious worker, and I had no reason to change that.