Seanday Switch: Stolen

"Damn! Fuck! Shit!" I cursed, watching from the window. "Why did that bitch have to die and screw everything up?"

For the past twenty minutes I'd watched a man take boxes from my neighbours house to a truck. "This is not good," I muttered to myself. My gut was in knots, I needed to find out what was going on.

I made my way to the truck, the man had disappeared back inside the house. With a little caution I peered inside; chairs, tables and crates. Crates! I craned my neck to see if there was anything that looked familiar--nothing.

"Mind your back," came a gruff voice from behind. I jumped, the man was back--he was huge. I was going to offer to help him, but it was obvious he could handle it by himself.

"Um, what's going on?" I asked nervously, studying his physique.

"Old girl died, her nephew is here clearing the house," he told me as he leaned on the tailgate.

I had to bite my lip, his biceps were thick and pumped with blood. A heavy odour hung around him, dark patches of moisture stained his shirt. I looked over at the house, it was large--at least six bedrooms--I needed to get inside, figure out if the nephew had discovered my prize. My attention returned to the worker.

"Just you, and the guy?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

"Only me, I can handle this type of work by myself," he said with a grin, and removed his shirt. He wasn't kidding, I guessed there was little he couldn't handle. He returned to the house, and I trotted after him.

As he walked through the door, I heard a voice. "Come on, I'm paying you by the hour. Chat on your own time." The worker looked at me and scowled. I stepped inside to find a young man; nineteen maybe. About the same height as me, but lean. "Yes, Can I help you?"

"I'm from next door," I said, "wondered if you needed any help."

"Oh right." The worker passed us with another chest, the nephew stopped him, and looked inside. He was obviously taking his time, hoping to tire the big man, but his strength wasn't tested and he waited patiently. "Ok, put that with the rest." He watched the man leave, then shouted out, "Be careful, they're delicate you oaf. If they get broken I'm deducting it from your money!" He turned and grinned at me, "Have to let them know who's in charge."

"I guess." I'd already taken a disliking to this guy. "I'm Chris," I said holding out my hand.

"Richard," he replied shaking my hand.

"Sorry to hear about your loss, she was a lovely lady."

"Yeah, whatever," he said. "The old girl left me the house, so for that I'm grateful."

"You going to move in?"

"Hell no, going to sell it, buy an apartment in the city; near the university."

"You studying there?"

"I start in a month, so need to get rid of this place quick. Sending her shit to an auction house, should get some good money for it." He went on to tell me his major, and was surprised when I told him I'd done the same, ten years earlier.

I followed him around the house, and we talked about uni--I told him all I knew, but as the conversation continued his arrogance and self importance surfaced. I wondered how he would get on with the others when he started.

Pausing I looked out of the window, from the upper floors I could see the outhouse that had previously been obscured by thick overgrown bushes and low trees.

"Oh," Richard chuckled, "I didn't even know that was there!"

"Really? It looks derelict," I replied and almost kicked myself, this was where I was hiding my gear.

Following him downstairs I turned a corner, and bounced off the removal man. "You Ok?" he asked.

"Sorry, wasn't looking where was I was going."

"Didn't think I was that hard to miss," he said laughing.

By this time Richard had disappeared into the garden. I didn't want to be around if he found the crate so I followed the big guy out, returning to my own house.

From the upper windows, I could see Richard fighting through the brambles and trees. He struggled with the door for a moment, then went inside.

He was in the for a while--too long, he must have found my gear, I thought to myself. Then I could hear him shouting--for the removal guy. The giant pushed his way through the foliage and into the outhouse.

I heard a distant crash, then some shouting--a voice too deep for Richards, then silence. A few minutes later, the big guy emerged. I could see he was tense by the way he was standing. He seemed distracted for a moment, and stroked his muscular torso as the afternoon sun broke through. He flexed, and for a moment I wished I had a body like his.

He relaxed, and after glancing around, pulled at the crotch of his jeans then returned to the outhouse. It was only minutes before he came out again, only this time, he had my crate in his thick arms. My stomach lurched, he was holding all my dreams. I wanted to shout out, tell him it was mine, but I knew I couldn't.

Pushing through the bushes, he returned to the house. I looked over at the small building, I thought it was a perfect hiding place. I spent so much money, it was my new life and now it was being stolen right from under my nose. Moments later a svelte figure appeared at the door; it was Richard. He dusted himself down and followed the man.

I made my way to the front of the house, and I could see Richard directing the guy to put my crate into the back of his BMW. I felt empty, I'd put so much hard work into my new life. My mind was in a fog as I watched the giant get in his truck and leave. Richard locked the house, and left shortly after.

----

It had been a few weeks, and I was beginning to face the fact that I would be stuck in my old life until the end. Flipping through my usual sites on the internet, something caught my eye.

It was Richard for sure; the narrow face, eyebrows and small ears. But it wasn't his body, but then I recognised it--the fucker was wearing my muscle-suit. Its proportions were geared to someone a lot older, I should know, I designed the suit. From the pictures he'd been posting I could see it fit him well, and was performing perfectly looking at the weights he was able to lift.

Even so, it looked unnatural--his face was too young for the body. I found his Instagram. Damn, on the day he found my suit he posted his first picture from the airport--wearing it!

I worked through the pictures. I guessed by the clothes, bikes, house and cars that they'd found something of value from the auction items. What annoyed me even more was the fact he'd become popular, and even had a girlfriend. Although I'm guessing she was only interested in his money, but his followers were into the millions.

He'd stolen my life, and twisted it into some freakish selfie nightmare.

It took me another day before I could return to his Instagram. As I went through his pictures again an idea hit me. I checked the local Real Estate, his house still hadn't been sold.

I called Chad, the friend who'd built the suit for me and invited him over for some beers. He was pretty pissed when I told him what had happened, although looking through Richard's photos did give him a buzz.

I had no money left for him to create a new suit for me, but when I told him my plan he knew it was too good to turn down. So with a pen drive of Richard's pictures Chad left with a grin on his face.

----

Four days later Chad had finished; he'd delivered two boxes. I wanted to open them, but he stopped me. He gave me a pouch, he told me that's all I'd need. Inside were a handful of green crystals. "Break them into a cloth, and hold it over his face. It'll knock him out," he told me, "and he won't remember anything."

I called the Real Estate and demanded that the owner show me around. A meeting was scheduled for the following day.

The next morning Chad allowed me to open a box, I gasped, and took out a perfect replica of Richard's face.

"Try it," Chad said.

I pulled off my shirt, and slowly pushed my head up inside the disguise. I stood, looking at my reflection as Chad pushed Richard's features into place.

"Say something."

"Like wha-," I stopped, it was Richard's voice. "How?"

"Easy, there were enough videos on his Instagram to copy his voice as well."

"Fucking awesome," I growled as I pulled my shirt back on. From the window I saw his BMW pull up. "Ready?"

We made our way to the front door, in a cloth I broke up the crystals Chad had given me. I knocked on the door and waited.

The door swung open, and Richard stood in front of me--drink in hand. He blinked, looked at me, confusion swept across his face. "Hi," I said. Hearing his own voice freaked him out even further.

Not wasting any more time I rushed forward and pushed the cloth to his face. We both toppled backwards, the drink fell, and for a moment we struggled until Richard fell unconscious.

"Leave the cloth on his face, we need him clean," Chad told me.

"Fuck this is so sweet," I muttered as I began to remove his expensive clothes. We both began to strip Richard of the muscle-suit he was wearing, he'd been in it for the period and it was sticky and damp inside. I reeked of teenager.

As Chad pulled Richard's legs free I shucked my own clothes, and with a lot of satisfaction I reclaimed the stolen muscle-suit and pulled it on. The seals were perfect, the joins invisible. I flexed hard.

"How do I look?"

"You look the same as you did this morning--Richard," Chad said with a grin.

I pulled on the pants he'd been wearing, picked up the drink and finished it. "Yeah, look good, feel good," I muttered. "Everybody, where they should be."

"Give me a hand here," Chad asked.

From the other box, Chad pulled a mask. I recognised it as the face of Brett, his son who died in a motorcycle accident. He'd moved here after his loss, they'd been real close and he'd had even set up his room in the new house.

He pulled the mask over Richard's face and pushed it into place, just like mine the seals were perfect and invisible. I helped dress the new Brett, and we propped him up against the wall.

"Damn, I'm good. He looks just like my boy."

"So what are you going to do?"

"His mind will be shot after taking a whiff of those crystals--a blank slate. So I'm going to teach him how to be Brett, be my boy again."

Brett began to stir, he looked up at me, then at Chad.

"Where am I?" he slurred.

"Come on Brett," Chad said helping him to his feet. "You've blacked out again, the Doc's said this would happen." He looked over at me, "I'm going to take Brett home, it was good to meet you Richard. Keep in touch."

"Sure thing," I replied as they left. I made my way to the bathroom, and spent some time re-familiarising myself with my muscle-suit. Richard's teenage scent was potent and had fused with the suit, it would be mine now, along with his face.

Being nineteen again, and going to university wouldn't be so bad. It wasn't quite what I'd planned for the suit, but I knew it was going to be one hell of a ride.

After an hour of self gratification, I cleaned up and finished dressing in what were bow my clothes. Richard had a good eye, the vest, hoody all accentuated--I grinned--my body perfectly.

My phone rang, the display said, "Bae."

"Hey, what's up Angel?"

"Yeah, it was a time waster."

"I'm just leaving, I'll be home in under two. Can't wait to see you again."

"Love you too, bye."

I hung up the phone, left the house and locked it up. I looked at my old house; guess I have two places to sell now.