“Handing me a mug with hearts on it doesn’t make up for what you did. You should have told me about that three-hour thing.”
“Would you have changed your mind?”
“No.”
“Then why have you worry for three hours?”
She had a point, but I still felt uneasy about it. “What if I had died right there in the street? Would you have just walked away?”
“Your bloodshot eyes would have given me enough warning to get you home.”
“Then what?”
“My heart would have been broken.”
I choked up a little with that answer and soften my tone. She was winning the battle of minds, but I wasn’t finished. “You said new students usually die within the first three hours. Does that mean some die afterward?”
“I’m afraid so, but only if you do something foolish, like not listen to me. I know we’re lovers, but I’m also your teacher for another 364 days.”
“And after that?”
“After that, your body will have fully adapted, and your risk of dying will be no different for you than any other human.”
“Are shapeshifters human?”
“We are.”
“Please don’t hide anything from me again.”
“Even if it saves your life. I told my first two students, and they died.”
This is the first draft of my manuscript Shift –Don’t judge a book by its cover. I am writing it online in sections as I go. So feel free to comment, good or bad. If you see mistakes, point them out.
Reaching over, her hand touched mine, “What does your mind’s eye see?”
“A woman, but not you. Shouldn’t I see you?”
“You are.”
“Wait, what?”
“Whenever shifters touch one another, they only see the original.”
“But you’re beautiful. Why hide this from me? I’m in love with you, not your skin.”
She raised an eyebrow. “I wasn’t worried about my looks, bonehead.”
“Sorry, I was just–“
“Stop thinking for a moment and listen. Being a shapeshifter is complicated. Avista security cameras are everywhere; entering and exiting in different bodies might bring unwanted attention.”
“You mean the way I did, earlier?”
“No one saw you leave. The security cameras on our floor were damaged last night by a frustrated drunk looking for her room. Turns out she was in the wrong resort. Security chased her onto the beach and lost her there.”
“How do you know all this?”
“She raised her eyebrow again.”
“Oh, so that’s why you went for a run on the beach last night.”
“You’re so cute when your eyes light up.”
“But wait, why go through all that trouble? We could have stayed home until I was able to shift.”
“And miss an opportunity to teach you a valuable lesson. Now, wait here while I get the car.”
“For what?”
“Wait here. And I better not see you talking to another girl when I pull up.”
It seemed like an eternity sitting there in that chair. And it wasn’t long before a redhead approached in a strapless bikini. I tried to look the other way but failed; my stare fixated on her breast.
“Is this seat taken?”
“Well,” I said, looking up at her face.
“Don’t tell me it is; I watched your girlfriend walk away fifteen minutes ago.”
“Don’t I know you?”
“Do you?”
“You were sitting beside Karen the night we met.”
Moving in closer, she placed her hand on my cheek and asked, “Was I?”
“Who are you?” I said, pushing her away.
“Adam Baker.”
“A Shifter.”
“That’s right, Karen told me she had a new student. Said she needed someone to keep an eye on you while she went for the car. Seems a little odd coming from a woman you’re going to marry next year, don’t you think? Maybe she’s having some trust issues. And with your new body, I can see why.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? You don’t think she would worry if I was sitting here in my own body?”
“I’m not saying anything, sweetie. Anyway, here she comes.”
Leaning into the car window, Adam whispered into Karen’s ear while winking an eye. “A perfect gentleman.”
“So you don’t trust me?” I asked as we pulled out into traffic, narrowly missing a golf cart.”
“I trust you.”
“Then why have Adam keep an eye on me?”
You’re not ready to be alone, was the only response I got as we made our way to 2nd avenue into the empty parking lot where Crazy Zacks Beach Club used to stand.
“Why are we stopping?”
“You need to shift before we go home, so get in the back; your clothes are in my gym bag.”
“Somebody might see me.”
“The windows are tented; you’ll be fine.”
The rear seat was a little tight for a bodybuilder. I managed to squeeze in but could not stretch out.
“I seem to be having a little problem.”
“Relax, it’s just a little stage fright. I was nervous the first time I did it in public too. And you don’t have to lie down. Sitting is fine, but don’t try it standing for a few more weeks.”
Later that night, we made love, and I’ll have to admit, it felt like I was cheating as images of her original flashed in my mind. Before we went to sleep, I kissed her and asked, “Why did you wait until seven to show me how beautiful you are.”
“If a new student dies, it’s usually within the first three hours of their virgin shift,” was her reply.
This is the first draft of my manuscript Shift –Don’t judge a book by its cover. I am writing it online in sections as I go. So feel free to comment, good or bad. If you see mistakes, point them out.
As we entered the hallway, I reached for Karen’s hand, but she quickly pulled back.
“Don’t touch me until I give you permission. And walk behind, not beside. Understand?”
“No, I don’t. Did I do something wrong?”
She shook her head no, and we continued on to Georgio’s Pizza without another word, where we took a table by the window. Outside, the streets of North Myrtle Beach were beginning to fill with vacationers eager to spend their money.
“Why are you so standoffish?”
“I’ll tell you at seven o’clock, and not a minute sooner. Now let’s order before it gets crowded.”
We got an all-veggie with onions, green peppers, black olives, mushrooms, sliced tomatoes, and broccoli; my favorite, or at least, it used to be. Karen looked at me with a grin and ordered another. A meat-lovers, extra-large.
“Have you talked to Scottie lately?”
“No, he’s still pissed, thinks I made a mistake giving up my job to move in with you.”
“Well, you are an out-of-work freeloader living in my condo.”
“Ha Ha.”
Her comment, said jokingly, did hit home for a moment. After all, it was true. But being a shapeshifter gives me the ability to get any job I want. With just one touch I can have the skills of anybody I meet, making me a real Jack of all trades.
“Christian, let’s walk up to Duck’s for a few drinks after we eat.”
“Sounds good to me. I need to pound a few after a day like this.”
“Pound a few—really?”
Duck’s had a row of bright yellow outdoor seating where we sat to people watch. A few girls even looked at me until Karen’s burning eyes met theirs.
This is the first draft of my manuscript Shift –Don’t judge a book by its cover. I am writing it online in sections as I go. So feel free to comment, good or bad. If you see mistakes, point them out.
“I think you’ve been flexing in front of the mirror long enough. Now get over here and put on the clothes I bought for you yesterday.”
Shapeshifters needed to have big clothing budgets or pick similar size bodies. Which also eliminated the need to strip every time they wanted to shift.
“I’ve already told you I’m not staying in this body.”
“And I don’t want to see you walking around here naked for the next three hours. So get dressed, and let’s go get a bite to eat.”
“I am getting hungry and It takes a lot to feed these guns.”
“I’m sure it does; now hurry up before with both starve to death.”
“I can’t believe it. I’ve shifted. We should celebrate, but it feels so natural. Like I’ve always been this way.”
“It doesn’t take long to assimilate, but remember what I said. Never let your new identity take over, or your true self will become lost forever. Nothing more than a voice in the back of your head, unable to escape.”
This is the first draft of my manuscript Shift –Don’t judge a book by its cover. I am writing it online in sections as I go. So feel free to comment, good or bad. If you see mistakes, point them out.
I met her at a bar called Fat Harold’s in North Myrtle Beach, SC. A friend and I decided to go down for the weekend and wandered in by chance one night.
Karen was seated at the bar when I went up for a drink and asked if I knew how to shag. Before I could say no, she had my hand, leading me onto the dance floor, where I quickly made a fool of myself. But we laughed it off, and she pulled me in close for the next song, which was slow. Later that night, we made love in her beachfront condo as the sound of waves crashed onshore. She was amazing, and now I know why. The experiences of everyone she had ever touched were stored inside her database, included their sexual encounters.
I’m still unsure how all this happens, but I’ll never forget what she whispered into my ear as my body collapsed on top of her. “Atoms, all of us, everything, dots in space. Large and small, the same, each touching the other through binding energy. We are one.”
This is the first draft of my manuscript Shift –Don’t judge a book by its cover. I am writing it online in sections as I go. So feel free to comment, good or bad. If you see mistakes, point them out.
Light flashed beneath my closed eyes as molecules reshaped—a trembling sensation that was most pleasurable, lasting longer than expected.
“Your first time is always the best,” said Karen Davis.
Looking up through virgin eyes, I smiled.
“It’s going to take a little while to get your balance, so get up slowly. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to my new student.”
Grinning, I moved off the table, feeling the weight of my body pressing down on my feet. The bodybuilder’s DNA was one of many sets stored within, alongside my own. And I have the ability to get more. Skin contact with any person will instantly transfer their DNA into a biological database. Along with their experiences, skills, and knowledge.
“Why don’t you flex your chest muscles and move around a bit.”
Realizing I was naked caused me to blush. Shapeshifters could not replicate clothing like they do in the movies. So it was best to strip down before a transition.
“Looks like the old saying about bodybuilders is true.”
“Oh hell no, I want to shift again.”
“Not so fast, lover boy; you can’t shift for a few more hours.”
Karen was my teacher, handler, and mentor; my everything at this point. She giveth and could taketh away, should I fail her class.
This is the first draft of my manuscript Shift –Don’t judge a book by its cover. I am writing it online in sections as I go. So feel free to comment, good or bad. If you see mistakes, point them out.
Timothy French 