Last Seandays: In Deeper, part 4

Read part 1, part 2 and part 3 here

Almost naturally I carved a route through the oncoming traffic. I was on the wrong side of the street!

Dropping my foot, I skidded sideways, pulled the bike back and skipped it onto the sidewalk. I looked around at the faces staring at me as I panted hard, what happened?

Quickly getting my bearings, I headed off again; down a side street at stopped. My hands were shaking, they were Connor's, but how did I get here? I checked my mobile: 11:27am, what the hell?

I was definitely still Connor, still in the same clothes although I now had a messengers bag and radio over my shoulder. I grasped my head, shaking it. Trying to remember the past few hours, then the memories bloomed. Getting up, cycling to work, picking up some jobs. It was all there.

While I overslept, Connor's consciousness took over for me, carrying me as a passenger.

Could I call upon this transition anytime? I relaxed, sinking into Connor's mind, still looking through his eyes. Within moments he'd called the office for another job and we were back on the streets heading towards Washington Market Park.

This was enjoyable, a voyeuristic view with Connor completely unaware of who was inside him. I could take control at anytime, but I quickly found out I could influence his choices when I wanted.

Conner finished another two jobs, I shared his excitement and pump from navigating the streets of New York. He had some spare time, so I made him head over to where Justin worked. I wanted to see if I could slip back Justin at his office.

I locked up my bike and waited, sitting on a wall. I knew Justin would show up, he had a routine--it was lunchtime.

He turned the corner, I smiled he was wearing that suit again.

Hopping off the wall I hitched the backpack over my shoulder and walked up to him.

He looked confused. "Yes, can I help you?" he asked.

"Justin, right?" I said with a smile, "I've got something for you."

He looked at his watch. "So give it to me," he demanded.

I bit my lip and leaned in closer. "It's the guy from your apartment at the weekend."

It took a couple of seconds to register with him, but then he started to smile. "What is it?"

"Not something I can give you out in the open," I explained.

"Fine, follow me."

He led me through the buildings reception and into a lift. He hit the button for the twelfth floor. As the elevator assented he looked at me and I grinned back. Just past the eighth he hit the stop button.

"So what is it you have for me?"

"You remember the guy then?"

"Yes, I remember the whole of the day--everything."

That shook me, he wasn't meant to remember anything. Robbie certainly didn't when shrugged free of him yesterday. "What sort of stuff?" I asked.

"Weird shit, out of body stuff," he paused for a moment, "like I wasn't in control."

This was confusing, had we got some kind of link for him to remember everything? Then it occurred to me, with Robbie and Connor I'd only jumped them the once. But with Justin I'd jumped him over ten times, maybe that was the cause.

"Well, that was me," I told him. I wasn't afraid of revealing myself if he remembered everything, including what I could do. "I'm inside this kid, just like I was inside you."

His lip twitched. "I want you back," he murmured. "I've felt empty since--since you were inside me--controlling me," he stammered.

"I'm here to take you back," I whispered and shrugged myself free of Connor's body.

Justin gasped and stepped back as I expanded from Connor's shorter body. There was a thud as young messenger slid to the floor.

"Do it!" Justin growled turning his back to me.

I obliged and pushed quickly and smoothly into him. His memories from the past days came to me quickly as I looked down and reacquainted myself with his body.

I felt how lost and empty he'd felt since I'd left him--a strange feeling from my perspective, but I knew I could depend on Justin as a willing partner from now on.

Connor was still asleep, crouching I gently shook him. "Hey! Are you OK?"

He groaned and opened his eyes. "Where am I?"

I told him, he looked confused and I took him back to reception watching him leave. I knew our paths would cross again.

Returning to the office, I met the colleague that Justin jumped. He looked at me with a wry grin as he passed.

The afternoon passed slowly, Justin's time was taken up with meeting upon meeting. It was boring, at the earliest opportunity I made an excuse and left the building wandering around to its rear. Being Justin was great, but his job was mundane.

Glancing around, I shrugged myself out of Justin's body, catching before he crumpled to the ground.

There was a shout, I looked around and two cops had spotted me holding Justin. They ran towards me, I dropped Justin and sprinted along the tight alley.

Turning a corner, I spotted a teenager, no more than seventeen, but I didn't care, more importantly he was alone--no witnesses. Before he knew what had happened I was inside and looking out from his smug, arrogant face.

The two cops ran past and I grinned catching the eye of one. A few minutes later they returned.

"Go back see if that guy is OK, get a statement as well," one of them said, "I'll talk with this kid see if I can get an ID."

I knew Justin wouldn't press any charges.

He looked me up and down, evaluating me I suspect. "Did you see the guy that ran through here a few minutes ago?"

I grinned again, keeping up the kids arrogant facade. The cop was probably in his early thirties. "Yeah, saw this big guy run through here," I lied. "Then you came through."

He made some notes, "Can you describe him?"

"Not really, was minding my own business."

He starred at me, cold stoney eyes. He knew I was lying. He asked me for my ID. I pulled it from my back pocket and gave it to him. He added the details to his notes.

"Stay out of trouble," he told me and turned to walk back to the other cop.

He was big. Broad upper body, with thick arms. I'd left Justin to look for someone different, was this OK? I mean he was a cop; an authority figure. He'd be an excellent addition to my collection, especially if I had the same control over him as I did with Justin.

Indecision gnawed at me, my Marine training told me to respect authority, but my sense of adventure and the ability to control that authority was strong.

He took a few steps and made a call on his radio...

The End?