"Mr Dawson," Marcus exclaimed looking both worried and surprised, "I thought you'd left."
"Obviously," I replied. "Where's Sarah? I thought you were meant to be doing some kind of school project together."
He gave me a sheepish look, "She--she," he stuttered. "She's gone to get some snacks."
"She wasn't in the kitchen," I frowned. I could tell something was up, he hadn't stopped looking at the floor. "Where is she Marcus?"
"She's gone to the Mart," he said, "I think."
I snorted dismissively and glanced out the window, there was only my sedan outside. "She's taken your pickup?" He jerked a nod, glanced up and looked down again. "She knows she's not allowed to drive any other vehicle part from mine."
"Sarah didn't say anything."
My patience was running thin, I was very protective, Sarah meant everything to me. "Make it easy for yourself, tell me what's going on," I growled as I stood over him. "Look at me boy!" His eyes slowly lifted to look at mine. "Tell me, and make sure it's the truth!"
"Sarah's gone to the Mart, but she wasn't driving."
My stomach knotted, "So who was?" I demanded.
"Eric Valdez?"
I knew of Eric, and it wasn't good. He was on the football team; a linebacker. He was a jerk, but good with his words, and had a string of girlfriends, many that had their hearts broken.
"What's he doing here? It was just meant to be you and Sarah working on the project. Is he a friend of yours?"
"Yes sir, we've know each other for a few months. He sort of invited himself," he bleated, then added, "--I tried to change his mind."
"Put your beer down son," I muttered. Marcus' eyes widened, but he did what he was told.
I made a grab for him, he barely had time to flinch before my hand reached his chest. I frowned, and push it through. He gasped as I reached deep inside, I grabbed and with a grin, yanked my hand free.
In my grip was Marcus' spirit, pasty white. Strings of plasma licked at his body, flicking from his torso, to his arm and back again. His connection, a pathway back to his physical body. I released him, and he drifted weightlessly, but tethered to his body.
I felt a prickling across the back of my neck. "Shut up dad," I muttered, glancing in the mirror. Behind me I could see, my father, or at least his spirit. It perfectly matched his body, the one I was currently inhabiting. He looked at me and shook his head as he drifted in the air, but attached by the plasma threads back to his body. I'd learned to ignore his ghostly form that always accompanied me, he couldn't leave me and I had to live with it; but I had his body.
"Eric needs to be taught a lesson, taken down... or taken out," I muttered. "Nobody messes around with my sister!"
Rolling my shoulders, I pulled myself free of his body. I turned to see my father's spirit shroud his own body. His ghostly face aligned itself, and he snapped back into his own torso. He gasped like it was his first breath again. A panicked expression washed over his face, quickly replaced by anger.
"Luke, I trusted you!"
"Easy Dad," I replied.
"Just a few days, you said! That's all! But no, you stole my body for seven whole months!"
"Shut-up Dad!" His mouth snapped closed, and his eyes widened. "Don't look so surprised, being in your body for that long gives me some leverage, at least for a while."
He scowled at me.
"You knew they were looking for me, after my escape. I could have stayed in that prison guard, but I wanted to get home--be with my family." I did feel guilty, and tried to explain again. "I learnt a lot while I was inside, I made a friend as well. He taught me this trick, and then helped me escape."
Dad looked at the ground, his heavy breathing began to diminish.
"You know how much family means to me, especially sis, it doesn't matter that she's adopted." I pointed at his mouth. "Ok, lets talk."
He gasped, and worked his jaw. "I'm the same, that's why I agreed to our *partnership*." He paused, then continued, "So what are your plans with Marcus and Eric?"
"Marcus is a good kid, we both know that, but he's easily exploited. Likes to be with the cool kids, that's probably how he got involved with Eric. He's just hanging out with the wrong crowd."
"Like you were," Dad said.
"That was the old me," I replied.
I looked over, Marcus' spirit was still in shock, it was drifting and being jerked back by it's tethers. I'd learnt that these threads kept the soul and living body together. When somebody died, they fractured and broke letting the spirit leave. While he's like this, his body is vulnerable--that's what I'd been taught.
I was big, and I had to thank Dad's gene's for that. On the inside, you had to protect yourself. I trained hard, and gained both strength and respect from the other inmates.
"I'm gonna buddy-up with Marcus, see how this fucker Eric works then I'll figure out a fitting justice."
At the bed, I lifted Marcus' torpid body. I admired his style for a moment, the clothes, hair, he looked good. Turning I began to push my arm inside, his body trembled as I worked my way down to his hand. I held up his arm and clenched his hand. I continued to pull his body on, like a pair of coveralls. The other arm, legs, my larger physique slowly vanished inside the boy. I walked around, feeling the lightness of his frame; his head rolled to the left and right behind mine.
After a few minutes I felt a prickle, something I recognised. Marcus' spirit was waking. At the mirror I watched him, he was in shock. His mouth was moving, but I couldn't hear him--but I guessed what he would be saying. He tried to re-enter his body, and failed.
"Stop trying Marcus, you can't enter an occupied body, and for a while, I'm going to be in residence." I pulled at his jacket admiring its design, I looked at him and winked, "Don't worry though, once I'm inside your head nobody will notice any difference. I'm really good at playing the part, just ask my Dad." The pasty figure looked over at Dad. "Don't bother," I added with a smirk, "I'm the only one that can see you."
Reaching back with both hands, I pulled Marcus' head forward, and forced my own inside.
I blinked a few times, and worked my new eyebrows. "Yeah, this'll work," I said with Marcus' voice, "they've gone for snacks, supposedly. That shit has told Marcus that Sarah is next on his list."
Floating by my shoulder the ghostly Marcus looked horrified, he tried to escape his tethers, pulling away, but he was always yanked back.
"It's you and me buddy, you're along for the ride whether you like it or not. There's no escaping, and you can only get your body back after I leave it."
The noise of slamming doors caught my attention. Outside I could see the pickup had returned, Sarah and Eric were carrying bags; snacks I presumed.
I returned to the bed, and took the beer from the table, taking a gulp. I could feel subtle tugs, I knew it was Marcus, but I kind of enjoyed having him around.
"They're back, give us a few minutes then come in and send us away. I'll be in touch," I said to dad.
"You're going to be OK, right?" He sounded concerned.
I took another mouthful of beer, "I am Marcus now, not even his mom would notice. Jeez, I was you for long enough and nobody figured it out."
He sighed, and left the room.
Looking up I watched as the ghostly Marcus floated above me, his face was fierce. "Relax will you, there's nothing you can do. I'm you now, so just get used to it."
At that moment, the door opened and Eric with Sarah entered.
"Got the snacks," Eric said with a grin.
"Sweet," I replied. "Sarah, you want to work on the project now?"
Eric wrapped an arm around her, and I tensed, desperately trying to keep in character. "You can work on it Marcus," Eric smirked, "we're going to listen to some music, besides it's not due until the end of the week."
"But," I stuttered.
With perfect timing Dad walked in.
"What's going on? Sarah, Marcus, Eric! I thought it was just you two working in here."
"Dad," Sarah squeaked.
"We were just starting," Eric muttered, I could see he was intimidated by Dad's size.
"You've got a reputation Eric, and I don't like what I've heard. I think you should both go." Eric looked at me, and I looked at Sarah. "Now," Dad added with forceful tone.
I put the beer on the table and got to my feet, and walked towards the door. As I passed Eric I whispered, "We should go." He acknowledged, and we left.
"Got the keys?" I asked Eric. He held them up, then snatched them back.
"I like you ride dude, mind if I drive it for a while?"
I could feel tension in Marcus' spirit that was now tagging along. "Do I have a choice?" I asked. There was no reply as he jumped in the cab and started the engine. I barely made it inside before he pulled away.
I looked out of the window. "Jerk!" I muttered as we headed off.
No comments :
Post a Comment