My last summer as Mallory - Part 1 (Patreon)

Staying at Mallory’s house had been fun for the most part. The soft fabric of her bedsheets beckoned to Kayden as she crawled into bed, the weight of exhaustion from the night pressing heavily on her eyelids. Every joint ached, every muscle complained, and she felt a peculiar, swirling sensation in her stomach. It wasn't just the fatigue from dancing, nor was it the couple of drinks she'd consumed. This was different. The entire evening was a blur of flashing lights, laughter, and the pulsating beats of electronic dance music. Perhaps, she pondered, she had pushed herself too hard, having interacted with far too many unfamiliar faces at the party.

Kayden pressed a hand to her temple, feeling the dull throb of a headache starting to manifest. She remembered how she'd been the center of attention for a brief moment when she had managed a particularly intricate dance move, but that was all a haze now. The room seemed to spin ever so slightly as she closed her eyes, yearning for the refuge of sleep.

As the silence of the night surrounded her, Kayden's thoughts ventured towards her intrinsic nature. Introverted, shy, always the observer rather than the participant—she often felt out of place at such boisterous gatherings. It was Mallory, her vibrant and vivacious best friend, who pulled her into these wild escapades. Mallory, with her boundless energy, lavish lifestyle, and the natural ability to make everyone in the room gravitate towards her.

Kayden, on the other hand, was content with a quiet evening at home, lost in the pages of a book or immersed in a soulful melody. These parties, these relentless nights of indulgence, were Mallory's world, not hers. Yet, there she was, constantly trying to keep up, constantly trying to fit into a world that seemed so alien.

Another sigh escaped her lips. It wasn't just the post-party fatigue. For five consecutive nights, she'd been grappling with this strange sensation, this mysterious malaise that clouded her mind and drained her energy. She desperately hoped for a reprieve, a night where she could sleep without the oppressive weight of this unknown ailment. Mallory said she was probably feeling homesick, but Kayden couldn’t shake off the feeling that somebody was watching her. Little did she know that this was merely the beginning of a journey into the uncharted territories of her very soul.

The moment Kayden's eyes closed, she felt a cold breeze. Even though she was in her warm room, it felt like a winter day. She shivered and pulled the blanket tighter. It felt like she was in a dream, but it wasn't like any dream she had before. In this dream, she felt like she was falling. It was dark all around her. She tried to scream, but no sound came out. She tried to move her arms and legs, but they didn't listen to her. The feeling of falling was scary, and she wanted it to stop.

Suddenly, she landed on something soft. When she looked around, everything was green. It was like she was in a big field with tall grass. But this wasn't a normal field. The sky was purple, and there were big trees with blue leaves. As she stood up, she felt strange. It was like someone else was telling her body what to do. She wanted to run, but her legs walked slowly. She wanted to shout, but her voice whispered.

Then she saw a figure. It was like a shadow but had bright eyes. The figure moved closer, and Kayden felt scared. But she couldn't move away. The shadowy figure looked at her and whispered, “it’s about damn time.”

“Time for what?”

The shadowy figure reached down and touched Kayden’s arm. “Time to take my new body,” the shadow said. “Hold still...” A chill ran down her spine, and Kayden felt like she was waking up from a long nap. She was back in her room, and everything felt normal again until she sat up in bed and took a deep breath.  Except it wasn’t her making her body do this – something else was controlling her.