At first, I was sure I was dreaming. I was in a whirlwind and my body wouldn’t stop spinning. I was lightheaded but not dizzy enough to want to puke. Bright lights eluded my vision and I couldn’t see anything else. I felt like I was traveling somewhere, perhaps a beach or a desert. Wherever I was going, I had the feeling it was very far from where I lived.
Within seconds, I was somewhere else. I also knew that I was in my natural body. The first clue was that I couldn’t move or open my eyes. But I was expecting that. What I wasn’t expecting was to be able to open them after the first try.
I peered around but everything was bleary. I felt like I was at the bottom of a swimming pool. I blinked but I still couldn’t focus. Wherever I was, I could tell that it was close to noon. I could feel the sun on my arms and made out a yellowy brightness in the background.
I blinked a few more times and my vision sharpened. In the background I could hear the woman’s voice. That’s how I knew I was in the right place. Although I couldn’t decipher her words, she seemed at peace. I could also tell that she wasn’t speaking to me directly. I lay there until my vision sharpened completely.
It appeared that I was in a cabin. The curtains on the nearby window were drawn but the window was open. I could hear birds chirping in the distance and leaves from nearby trees being rustled by the wind.
I looked around but no one else was in the room. A television set sat on a dresser in front of the bed and it appeared to be the source of the voice. A home video was playing on the screen.
The woman in the video held an infant in her arms. She appeared to be in her early thirties and her voice was filled with emotion as she hummed a lullaby to the baby. She looked familiar although I couldn’t pinpoint where I’d seen her.
Her honey colored hair billowed from her shoulders like freshly spun cotton. Her blue eyes sparkled as she stared down at her child. Where had I seen her before?
I looked around and the cabin was bare. I was lying on a bed with an oak frame. The walls had the same pattern as the bed frame. Other than the bed and the bureau, the room had no other furniture in it.
I tried to get up but my body didn’t respond. It was stiff from lack of use and looked flabbier than my astral body. Thick layers of flesh hung from my arms like bread dough. I made a mental note to start exercising once I began my new life.
Often times I would hear Jaycee complain that she was “too fat.” It used to annoy me because she was in no way, shape, or form overweight. No matter how many times I tried to convince her that she wasn’t fat, she wouldn’t listen. Whenever she talked about going to the gym to tone down, I tuned her out. Now I understood what she meant. I wasn’t what you would call fat but I wasn’t skinny either.
I slowly emerged from the bed. The cabin was quiet. The only sound that could be heard was the clock ticking on the far wall. The silence made me unnerved. I couldn’t stand it when a room was quiet for too long. That was one of the reasons why I became a musician.
I reached into my shirt and retrieved the ring. I wanted to leave before whoever lived there came home. Even though I was curious to know who my kidnapper was, I wasn’t quite ready to meet him yet.
A couple of days ago I’d told Jaycee the whole story. She was surprised. “I knew there was something weird about that ring,” she said.
“I still say it tried to bite you,” I joked.
She rolled her eyes. “At least you don’t have to worry about social services anymore.”
“I have a feeling I’ll have much more to worry about in my new life.”
“Why is that?” she asked.
“Because I was kidnapped. Whoever has my body is probably a lunatic.”
“Yeah, but they’ll probably catch him when you go back to your body.”
“And if they don’t?” I said. “I don’t want to have to join the witness protection program because of some psycho.”
“You’ve put a lot of thought into this haven’t you?”
I shrugged. “Kind of. I guess I’m a bit apprehensive about having to start a new life. I mean, I like it here. Plus, who knows what the future really is like. What if we’re close to having a zombie apocalypse?” I joked. I didn’t like having to admit that I was afraid.
I blinked, snapping myself back to the present. I jumped after I heard a shuffling sound in the distance. Then I sighed with relief when I saw that it was a tree branch brushing against the window. That was when I realized that I had no time to waste. Even though I was curious to know who had my body, I had to act fast.
I rubbed the ring between my thumb and forefinger and concentrated on Martin and the house he lived in. Since I’d only been there once, it took a few tries before I could get a vivid picture of the house. Then the static electricity coursed through my body.
After everything stopped spinning I found myself standing in Martin’s front yard. Feeling slightly lightheaded, I stumbled across the grass making my way to the porch. Boy, I sure hoped Martin would be home right now.
I knocked at the door hoping no one else was home. But there was no such luck. A woman who appeared to be in her late forties was the one who’d answered. She had strawberry blonde hair that was graying at the temples. She also had dark circles under her eyes from what appeared to be lack of sleep. Despite all that, she was a beautiful woman. I gawked at her for another moment before I said, “Mom?”
Within seconds, I was somewhere else. I also knew that I was in my natural body. The first clue was that I couldn’t move or open my eyes. But I was expecting that. What I wasn’t expecting was to be able to open them after the first try.
I peered around but everything was bleary. I felt like I was at the bottom of a swimming pool. I blinked but I still couldn’t focus. Wherever I was, I could tell that it was close to noon. I could feel the sun on my arms and made out a yellowy brightness in the background.
I blinked a few more times and my vision sharpened. In the background I could hear the woman’s voice. That’s how I knew I was in the right place. Although I couldn’t decipher her words, she seemed at peace. I could also tell that she wasn’t speaking to me directly. I lay there until my vision sharpened completely.
It appeared that I was in a cabin. The curtains on the nearby window were drawn but the window was open. I could hear birds chirping in the distance and leaves from nearby trees being rustled by the wind.
I looked around but no one else was in the room. A television set sat on a dresser in front of the bed and it appeared to be the source of the voice. A home video was playing on the screen.
The woman in the video held an infant in her arms. She appeared to be in her early thirties and her voice was filled with emotion as she hummed a lullaby to the baby. She looked familiar although I couldn’t pinpoint where I’d seen her.
Her honey colored hair billowed from her shoulders like freshly spun cotton. Her blue eyes sparkled as she stared down at her child. Where had I seen her before?
I looked around and the cabin was bare. I was lying on a bed with an oak frame. The walls had the same pattern as the bed frame. Other than the bed and the bureau, the room had no other furniture in it.
I tried to get up but my body didn’t respond. It was stiff from lack of use and looked flabbier than my astral body. Thick layers of flesh hung from my arms like bread dough. I made a mental note to start exercising once I began my new life.
Often times I would hear Jaycee complain that she was “too fat.” It used to annoy me because she was in no way, shape, or form overweight. No matter how many times I tried to convince her that she wasn’t fat, she wouldn’t listen. Whenever she talked about going to the gym to tone down, I tuned her out. Now I understood what she meant. I wasn’t what you would call fat but I wasn’t skinny either.
I slowly emerged from the bed. The cabin was quiet. The only sound that could be heard was the clock ticking on the far wall. The silence made me unnerved. I couldn’t stand it when a room was quiet for too long. That was one of the reasons why I became a musician.
I reached into my shirt and retrieved the ring. I wanted to leave before whoever lived there came home. Even though I was curious to know who my kidnapper was, I wasn’t quite ready to meet him yet.
A couple of days ago I’d told Jaycee the whole story. She was surprised. “I knew there was something weird about that ring,” she said.
“I still say it tried to bite you,” I joked.
She rolled her eyes. “At least you don’t have to worry about social services anymore.”
“I have a feeling I’ll have much more to worry about in my new life.”
“Why is that?” she asked.
“Because I was kidnapped. Whoever has my body is probably a lunatic.”
“Yeah, but they’ll probably catch him when you go back to your body.”
“And if they don’t?” I said. “I don’t want to have to join the witness protection program because of some psycho.”
“You’ve put a lot of thought into this haven’t you?”
I shrugged. “Kind of. I guess I’m a bit apprehensive about having to start a new life. I mean, I like it here. Plus, who knows what the future really is like. What if we’re close to having a zombie apocalypse?” I joked. I didn’t like having to admit that I was afraid.
I blinked, snapping myself back to the present. I jumped after I heard a shuffling sound in the distance. Then I sighed with relief when I saw that it was a tree branch brushing against the window. That was when I realized that I had no time to waste. Even though I was curious to know who had my body, I had to act fast.
I rubbed the ring between my thumb and forefinger and concentrated on Martin and the house he lived in. Since I’d only been there once, it took a few tries before I could get a vivid picture of the house. Then the static electricity coursed through my body.
After everything stopped spinning I found myself standing in Martin’s front yard. Feeling slightly lightheaded, I stumbled across the grass making my way to the porch. Boy, I sure hoped Martin would be home right now.
I knocked at the door hoping no one else was home. But there was no such luck. A woman who appeared to be in her late forties was the one who’d answered. She had strawberry blonde hair that was graying at the temples. She also had dark circles under her eyes from what appeared to be lack of sleep. Despite all that, she was a beautiful woman. I gawked at her for another moment before I said, “Mom?”