A few days passed. I was in Ray’s body during the day, Igris’s during the night. My relationship with Marie did not change much, but our sleeping pattern did.
We did not speak about what was happening between us, just went with the flow of things.
What else did you want to do with these strange circumstances?
Scary how even in the weirdest of times, the universe tends to make everything normal again.
That’s what happened, some things changed, but those things became what was normal.
Still, there was one conversation we could not escape from, and it was coming from our third roommate, who was having enough of the crazy happenings in his flat without him knowing about it.
It was Friday night, our ‘we eat together’ night.
We could feel Stan boiling around the dinner table.
After some time eating my fried rice in silence, Marie couldn’t handle the tension anymore.
“Out with it Stan! Why are you glaring at me!?”
He reacted almost immediately.
“You! He!” He was pointing at both of us now, searching for his words.
Marie’s face whitened slightly. “Wait are you aware that…”
Stan couldn’t hold it in anymore. “I’m sorry Gray, but Marie’s fucking your girlfriend.”
Marie sighed in relief. That pissed me off slightly.
“Would it be that bad if he knew?” I asked her.
“Well sorry, but I’ve got a street cred to uphold.”
“WHAT’S WITH YOU TWO IGNORING ME!”
I looked back at Stan, feeling bad. “Sorry Stan.”
“I waited for you to talk to me about your girlfriend, she didn’t tell you I met her? Then I realize she and Marie are fucking. And none of you are talking to me! You’re even more in your own bubble than ever!”
I scratched my head.
“It’s a mess to explain.”
Marie looked pensive too. “It had to happen one day or another, but I can’t begin to explain either.”
“How do you think I feel, then! You two always have been like old lovers, and you keep some things to yourself, I know, I respect that. But not to tell me you had a girlfriend? And you, fucking your best friend’s girl?” Stan had good reasons to be angry, but I did not want to lie to him, and I felt telling him the truth would be a bad call too.
Why Marie and not Stan? I did not know.
“I…” I tried “She’s not my girlfriend.”
Stan looked puzzled. “But she was wearing your clothes?”
“No…well yes.” I sighed, even with Igris’s maturity and my knowledge, I had no clue what to do.
Marie intervened.
“You’re going to see her more often. You can ask her who she is then. But she probably won’t answer. But I promise you’ll understand, after a while.”
Stan looked at her with eyes widened. “Wow, seriously? Can’t tell me?” He began saying something else, but then stopped in his tracks, and seemed pensive. After a while he said: “I guess if both of you know what’s going on, and you’re both fine with it, it’s not really a problem for me either.” He stared at Marie. “You promise I’ll understand?”
She nodded.
“I’ve never seen you with someone for more than two days, it’s been five now. Is this serious?” He then asked.
That was an unexpected question, one, I realized, I also wanted to know the answer to.
Was I…?
Marie glanced at me, rolled her eyes up in the air, sighed, then answered by a simple: “Yes.”
I did not understand what I felt then.
“You look really happy.” Stan had seen my reaction. “I guess she really isn’t your girlfriend then. Well then, we need to celebrate, two of us have found love.”
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“How can you say that already?” I asked Marie seriously. “She’s so…complicated. Dangerous even.”
I was scared now. I did not know why, but I had to ask.
She looked me in the eyes.
“Because when I woke up, it felt right.”
There was a long silence, where I could not look away.
Stan interposed himself.
“Come on Gray, don’t go all protective on her now, be happy for her. How can such a beauty be dangerous?”
“She eats freshly hunted moose raw.” I said.
“That’s unsanitary, not dangerous.” Marie countered.
Stan only reacted by a rather unsophisticated: “Cool.”
I began saying something else, but Marie cut me off: “We’ll talk later, Boy.”
I couldn’t stop a smirk. “I don’t understand your video-game references.”
Stan clapped his hand, “Well seems you two are back to normal, who wants to watch TV with poor lonely me?”
Marie had a malicious smile before saying: “I’ll join, so will Igris. It’s her name by the way. Gray is going out.”
“Really where to?”
Marie stopped me from intervening. “Can’t say, but I promised you’d understand, and for that, Igris needs to come, and he, needs to go.”
She moved closer to me and whispered in my ear. “Tenfold.”
“I have no boobs right now, it’s too easy for you.”
Stan, who had claimed the couch in its entirety, looked at us funny.
“What’s happening between the two of you, seriously? One second you laugh, the other you look as if you’re going to murder each other.”
“You’ll understand soon enough.” Said Marie.
Seeing as that side was a lost cause, Stan talked to me.
“You okay? Where are you going?”
“Nowhere, I’m just going to sleep.”
“At 9?”
“Yup.”
The clothes that I had as Igris were not ideal, I had been internet shopping as an old Mesopotamian Oracle after all. The t-shirt was too large, and the skirt too short. Still, it fit, so I could not complain much.
I had tested that transforming from Ray’s to Igris’s body was as easy as it was painless, but Marie had to distract Stan to prepare my entrance. I was supposed to come from the outside of the flat, not the inside.
I got out in the railway to the entrance through Marie’s room window and pressed the bell of my own door. I could hear shuffling.
“Already? Was she waiting for us to finish?”
“Hmm.”
“Why are you not getting up.”
“You go.”
“She’s your girlfriend.”
“I’m doing you a favor, make your little jock brain work.”
I heard grumbles, and footsteps. Stan opened the door.
“Hey, I’m Stan, nice to meet you. Again.” He said.
I shook his hand. “G..Igris, same here.”
He looked at me quizzically. “You seem…different than last time.”
“Last time was special. I was under the weather.” I smiled.
He had left the couch to come and greet me, and now going back, he found Marie had stolen his spot.
“Hey!”
“I’ve got company, you don’t. I’ll share, you won’t. Mine.”
“Why are you not trying to look good in front of her?”
“Guess.” She smiled.
“Come on, really? Fuck!”
I frowned. Stan saw me react.
“Sorry Gray.” He tried, then immediately apologized again. “Igris, sorry. You’ve just got the same face he does. He doesn’t like swearing either.”
“No worries.” I finally understood Marie’s plan. He wanted him to slowly realize by himself. It was good. Probably annoying for my friend, but definitely less brutal than a surprise reveal in dark woods.
“Sit next to me.” She asked me.
I raised an eyebrow. “You haven’t been the most pleasant tonight. Why should I?
“Please?”
“Fine.”
“What are you guys watching?” I asked.
“News, movie is coming after.” Stan took the remote control and unmuted the sound.
“…killings and disappearances are on the rise in the city.” Said the news anchor.
I felt Marie’s warmth on me. She was almost hugging me now that I was sitting on the couch. Far from our usual distancing when we shared it before.
“Sorry about my behavior. It’s just. Going so fast.” She explained, softly enough so that Stan couldn’t hear. He was focusing on the screen anyway.
“Want to take it slow?”
“I don’t mean…I mean me. I’m feeling too much, all my masks are crumbling. You’ve always had that effect, but it’s even worse now.”
“It’s good though?”
“Good? I don’t know. Scary. It’s easier when you’re Ray, but I well, I‘d rather see you as…”
“I understand. Both are Gray though.”
Stan cut us short. His voice was terrified.
“Marie? Isn’t that the one…?”
We both looked at what caused him such anguish.
I gasped.
On the television was the picture of something that looked human but wasn’t. The appearance of a beautiful woman, eyes that showed the absence of any soul inside.
“…serial killer on a rampage, law enforcements are currently investigating but if you have seen this person, please…”
“No…” Marie hugged me tighter.
“She’s been killing people from the Cranium, and art students.” Stan said. “That’s her, right? We need to tell Gray. He could be…”
I didn’t say anything, the picture was one of a security camera, she was smiling at it.
Smile filled with anger.
“I will find you.” Marie understood.
“What?” Stan and I looked at her.
She grasped my hand.
“She doesn’t know where you are, your information has been protected. She’s asking who she thinks could know.”
“What are you talking about?” Asked Stan.
I closed my eyes. It was coming. Again. I had fled before, should I flee again?
Would Marie or my parents be safe. Stan?
No.
“I’m sorry, I need so time alone.” I got up and went back to my room.
“Wait…”
“Hey, that’s Gray’s…”
As I closed my door, I knew two things.
We would not flee, and we would do something stupid.
I would ask the Beast for help.
Are you there?
HAD YOUR FUN?
How did you know that she was looking for revenge, that she was hunting us?
Because it knew, I had no doubts. Why it didn’t warn me was obvious though.
The monster laughed, clearly enjoying my panic.
I HAD NO WAY OF KNOWING, DID I?
He was lying. Still, how could he know? He only saw what I saw, heard what I heard.
YOU CAN SPOT MY LIES? BORING.
I could feel the Beast’s emotions, very much different than my own.
I asked the dangerous question.
How do we get rid of her?
It smiled. An image of rows and rows of teeth flashed in front of my eyes.
DO YOU DESIRE TO USE ME?
I could only guess what that meant.
I do not want anyone to be hurt.
I CANNOT PROMISE THAT. BUT NOTHING WILL HAPPEN TO THOSE CLOSE TO YOU.
I knew I could not trust him, but at least, he wasn’t lying about that.
I ask for your help.
GOOD.
And he left, I felt him go back inside the depths of my mind and soul, unreachable.
Hey!
But he wasn’t there anymore.
“What am I supposed to do now…” I said out loud.