Elena's phone rings

Driving as Lucy is a disconcerting experience. Your legs, though chubby, are short and you have to adjust the seat to reach the pedals. It's also a weird sensation to occassionally glimpse yourself in the mirror, and see a blonde college girl with a new haircut. You're going to have to get used to it, you suppose. Although you don't intend to remain Lucy Binder for the rest of your - her? - life, it's the situation you now find yourself in. Your home, your family, your friends. They're all gone now. Once you return Jessica and Denise to the living, you'll have to leave town. There's no other...

Bzzzzzzt. Buzzzzzzzt.

You slam on the brakes and pull to the side of the road. Shit: Elena's phone is ringing. This is the last thing you need. You stare at it for a moment in blind panic, wondering what to do. Fail to answer it, and the net you're trying to slip from will become a noose; a manhunt will close in on you, and you've already seen enough to know this shadowy collective could track you down. Worse, they could destroy your old life from within, slowly and deliberately. They can be anyone.

And so, you realize, can you. The phone has gone to voicemail, but given the impatience of the caller previously, you expect it to ring again. The car is parked on a long, empty stretch of road, with no sign of life in any direction. That gives you an opportunity to try a delaying tactic.

With some hesitation, you climb out of the car and walk to the boot, grappling with Lucy's short locks as you do so. Finding the nub, you begin to slide her face away from yours, the mask hollowing and crumpling into a collapsed bib that hangs loose around your neck.

Next, you grab the Elena skin, dragging it from the boot until it hangs out, a grotesque suit that dangles limp and sinister. You begin to guide your hand through its flowing black hair, trying to find the entrance.

On cue, the phone begins to ring again. You find the entrance and, holding your breath, pull Elena's head over your own. Once more your flesh contorts to a strange new shape, bringing on strange and unusual sensations as you take on high cheekbones and a new set of teeth.

Here goes nothing, you shrug.

"Yeah?" Elena's voice, so mysterious and feminine, sounds odd making such a casual greeting, but you're trying to channel the impostor.

"Are you on Anderson?" The voice is a bark, like nails against a chalkboard. Distinctly male, and distinctly vicious.

"I got him," you say, trying to mimic the casual style you heard earlier. "Kid's still in his little costume for the night, heading to her house. She's got a lover, so we'll see what he does. I doubt he's going anywhere."

"Good." The voice is terse, speaking only when necessary. "That gives you some time."

"For what?"

"We've set up a little operation on Hallend Drive; it's right in the middle of town. Number 24."

"I know it," you answer. The real stranger spoke of 'borrowing' Elena before. It would make sense he knew his way around town."

"Of course you do. Swing by. Bring the Hunts." The line clicks dead.

You pause and marshal your thoughts. They are clearly expecting 'Elena'. You could always run, as you had planned initially. Or you could take the Stranger's place. After all, he or she has been wearing your friends, a little payback is in order. And if you can pull this off, you'll know far more about who you are dealing with...

(Author: Collider)