Oh my god, I haven't felt this tired in years. Am I hung over? Hmm... No no headache, but my back is killing me, and I've got something digging into my shoulders. Last thing I remember was hanging out with the kids at their graduation thing. Did I pass out on them? Damn, talk about being a bad role model.
I opened my eyes, expecting to see the rundown walls and dust particles of that abandoned house. Instead, I found myself staring at an unfamiliar and aged popcorn ceiling. I was sunk deeply in a bed too tall and too comfortable for my own futon.
Sitting up, I felt a weight on my chest slosh from the sides of my body to the front. What the hell? I glanced down to see breasts beneath a frumpy, oversized sweater. I blinked and three whole seconds ticked by before what I was seeing sunk in. An involuntary cry of distress came to my lips, muted and reserved, but a cry of more raw and instinctual than I'd ever uttered. The sound of my own cry shocked me back to my senses.
No, no, this has got to be a dream. I'm high. This is just a really bad trip. That's it. Crap! Was that hash laced with something?
I leapt out of the bed, or at least tried to, by my efforts didn't get my heavy thighs out of those deep cushions. Scrambling and flailing in the soft bed with a softer body I managed to tumble out of bed and onto the linoleum floor below. Looking around, I found myself in a modest and empty, yet neat, bedroom. There were framed pictures on the wall—pictures of a red-haired, middle aged woman with kids. The very same woman I saw in the mirror, and now seemed to inhabit. The kids were young, but there was a certain sorrow, even callousness in the woman's eyes. I shook my head, trying to clear away the shock threatening to overwhelm my mind, but all I achieved was messing up the fiery red bob. I started to rub my eyes and spit and sputter as hair got in my face. I'd had long hair for a while, but this was so light and dry. It was REALLY annoying. Each individual hair seemed to drift about my head without gravity.
As my hands went form clearing away hair, to feeling my face, they met with soft skin and slightly sagging cheeks. A frantic walk—no, more like a run—to the master bathroom confirmed it. The mirror showed not me, but her: the woman from the pictures, the woman in the mirror from last night.
I had to sit down on the toilet seat, trying to process what was going on. What did that mirror do?
Then it clicked. The mirror. The faces. Eli pressing that button. Shit, did we all change? Did everyone else inhabit one of those bodies?
I looked down at my body again, taking in my bulging curves, aging skin, and diminished frame. The pictures showed me this body, but the bathroom mirror showed the details—the bags under the eyes, the small stress lines on the forehead. This wasn't just a body; it was a life full of hardship and challenges. The weight clinging to every part of my body was far greater than in the photos, no doubt the produce of stress eating and convenience meals.
I practically stumbled out of the bathroom, holding my head, then stepped out into the hall. The apartment screamed "single mom working multiple jobs to make ends meet." The furniture was cheap and threadbare, broken toys littered the floor, and school stuff was in disarray.
I felt a sudden pang of responsibility. If I'm in this woman's body, then where is she? Is she in mine? How do we fix this? My thoughts were interrupted as I heard a voice.
"Mom?" Ice flowed through my veins. "Umm..." The little boy stammered. "I heard you scream. Are you ok?" The dark haired kid was clearly this bodies son. I looked up and saw a second crotch goblin, just as young, this one with more of a shaggy brown with curly hair. Both of them couldn't be older than 9.
I blinked, stared, and then clarity came over me. Can't throw things into disarray. Not when kids are around. I'll have a frea kout on my own time. "Of course, kiddo." I replied putting on a tired smile. "I just had a bad dream. I'm ok."
"Oh..." He tottered over and wraps his arms around me. He barely came up to my belly button. "I'll help." He stated with utter confidence.
I couldn't help but smile. "Thanks kiddo. I needed that." Even as I smiled, I began to struggle with the reality of my situation once again. I needed to get more information. "What's the deal, kids? Do you have homework?"
"We did it. We were playing quite, just like you said."
"Oh, well... clean your room or something, I need to..." I paused. What do I need to do? How do I even respond to a situation like this. "I need to reorient."
The kid looked up at me clearly not quite understanding the word. "Can we have dinner?"
I flustered, then nodded. "You know what? Yes we can have dinner. That sounds like a good idea." I turn and start to walk down the hall towards the kitchen. "As good as any other idea." I said quietly to myself, panic still trembling in my chest.
