Gather your forces

-Okay here, Miss?-.

Relaxed in the back of yer limo, you sensually cross your legs and fix with a sophisticated touch the large sunglasses on your face, even though the sun has already set. Ye can see ye driver's eyes (a forty-something man who already shows numerous wrinkles) wandering uncertainly over yer voluptuous physique, which you conceal through your coat and the sultry smile you exhibit.

-Yes, thank you Alfred. You've been lovely to bring me here despite the time~- Ye purr sensually. He visibly falters, mumbling some dismissions and replying that this is his just job. Well, this may be true, but ye dinnae see why such devotion shouldn't be properly... rewarded, in a future moment.

-And please, say hello tae yer wife for me.-.

-Aehm, I-I don't have a wife Miss.-.

-Oh...- You pull the lenses forward, making your intrigued eyes peep out.

-Good to know. Have a nice evening, dear.- Without conceding him time to elaborate, ye exit the car and approach the building with an accentuated swaying of yer hips; indeed, ye hear the roar of the engine only after a dozen seconds, meaning that he has allowed himself a few moments of contemplation. However, at this moment your attention is diverted by the numerous puddles of goo that you feel sparsed all around the place: immobile or slowly crawling, as if they are patrolling. Interesting.

There are also three persons waiting for you to open the door; the first of them, a cute brunette girl whom ye know very intimately, crosses her arms and raises one eyebrow flaunting a lack of impression and, on the contrary, a certain impatience.

-You took your time, Sally.-.

-Good evening, Kim sweetheart. Tina, I'm glad tae see ye again... for the first time, uh.- Your former little sister blushes awkwardly at your prurient intonation. Wops, silly you. Now her eyes are really trying to undress you as much as Alfred's before. The last girl is equally flustered, although she seems in anguish for something.

-Oh Cindy, I'm so relieved to see that you're ok! I'm so sorry for not having read Kim's messages before!- Ye embrace her, pushing yer prosperous breasts upon her average-sized, yet pleasantly solid, ones.

-Ehm... Thank you.-.

-...and ye have also a nice butt.- You add, groping those two pretty firm globes.

-T-T-Thank y-you...-.

Kim groans behind your back, while Tina diverts her eyes. Such long faces...

-Well, let me open then.- You insert and rotate the key, allowing the four of you to enter the large open-spaced hall of the soon new headquarters of Henshaw Co&Co. You decide it's time tae strut a little.

-It wasn't an easy request on such short notice, but luckily for you I was... getting acquainted with the company's CEO when I read your messages.-.

-You mean that Larry Henshaw?- Asks Kim; and what was that? Skepticism? Oh, it hurts!

-Uhm... so, that was his name.-.

-...Well, being where you are now, you got your hands busy in a few days.-.

-Not only my hands, 'luv.-.

Kim rolls her eyes and puffs again: -Could you stop with these games?-.

-Well, we could play something different.- You wink: -Anyway, when are the others supposed to arrive?-.

Right then, you distinguish cars parking outside the building, and then a group of people yanks opened the glass door. Wi' yer remnants of Kim's memories, ye recognize some of them as college girls; wearing tight-fitting dresses and purses, they look more dressed up for a night out than for an emergency meeting. Though, the 'emergency' part involves rush, correct?

-Hey, how long will it take?- The apparent leader of the group, an appealing redhead, blurts out. Kim's next glance is pretty explicative.

-It will take as long as it will take. Why? Are you in a hurry?-.

The girl startles and instinctively raises her hands: -Nope, sorry, just asking.-.

Kim sighs, then shakes her head and kneads her mouth. Look look, trying to pull herself together?

"Kim? Absolutely impossible!".

The rest of the party group meanwhile has to step aside, because another pair of lassies has arrived, followed this time by an elderly but still attractive woman whom the others look at with some embarrassment. A professor, no doubt. It goes on like this for the next half an hour, thereby the room comes rapidly filled wi' teeming people; and you're quite surprised not just by the quantity, but also by their variety: caucasian average girls overall, obviously, but there are also MILFs, afrodescendants students, asians, and then some goths, punks, preppies, bookworms, then also an innocent-looking girl with a cross pending from her neck followed by twa women with more tattoos than bare skin, probably lesbians (nope, at meany-redhead questioning they both answer in annoyance that they are just sisters), then it comes an emo thirty-something lass whose hair looks like a brush squashed on her head, a nun(?!), a cosplayer(!!), even a hottie of about twenty-five without one arm. Ye wonder what it might look like to someone who happens to be passing through here by chance. Folk who apparently hae nothing in common, if no' that each of them is emanating the same resonance, an almost sonorous sensation, like in those YouTube videos where some musician rubs a glass creatin' a weird relaxin' vibe. Not that it's music that an external viewer would hear. Oh, if that's a guitar, there's also a musician here.

-Sally!-.

Ye turn around at that familiar voice, and indeed ye immediately recognize the young woman wi' dirty blonde hair and slightly languish eyes, as much as ye recognize her prominent bosom which almost equals yours squashing around as she runs tae you.

-Lacy! How nice tae see you!- You exchange two formal pecks, even if you departed only hours ago. It's more an excuse to brush yer paps together.

-I deduce that it went well with Mr. Henshaw.- She comments, referring to the location.

-Oh aye, the transaction was successful.-.

She looks at you with a devious smirk: -A decent amount of liquid assets?-.

-All stored and safe.- Ye answer significantly rubbin' yer belly.

-Along with those of many others; right, mommy?-.

Ye giddily chuckle and sensually caress her arm. Sharin' the office wi' you and being a total babe, she was the first one ye possessed, and she jokingly called you 'mommy' right after. Weel, ye must have shown great thrill for having a stunnin' woman of your same age addressin' you like that, since she didn't quit after the intense session o' mutual eating out. Speakin' of which, these pleasant memories has warmed your groin enough...

-Ah-ah. No kisses.- She places her index between your nearly joining mouth, much to your displeasure.

-But I've been such a naughty mommy...-.

-And now you have to be focused, or someone may get the wrong... signal.-.

Following her ogles, you notice that everybody around is staring at you. Obviously. They're just waiting for someone - you, in this case - to officially tear the veil and give them the excuse, and you'd really, really, really love to be the one. Sadly, Kim would kill you. Ye retract wi' a groan, arousing a sadistic giggle in Lacy which makes her bubbly bubbles bounce up and down.

"Mgh... She's such a tease...".

-Erm-Erm!-.

Everybody shifts toward Kim. The stiff lass is standing on the desk that will be used by the reception, being the only piece of furniture already present in the room, using it as a stage. Heh, ye can hear her gut thoughts right here: oh my God I'm standing on a desk like a kid this is so stupid; nonetheless, she assumes a demeanor and begins.

-As you ma-

The front door opens and someone walks in. Everybody turns around. The Korean lassie wi' a little too much mascara slows doon as all een are on her, and a heavy blush reddens her cheeks.

-...sorry for the delay?-.

Poor creature! Looking so adorable and helpless right now!

"...so adorable... and helpless... mmm...".

You lick your lips in a predatory foretaste, but an elbow on your hip comes to ruin your pregustation. You stare offended at Lacy, but with a playful wink she beckons you to be quiet. Gosh, that index must feel so good movin' inside yer pussy...

-I was saying.- Kim resumes after some uncertainty: -Thanks for coming here tonight. Word of mouth worked, but if you know of anyone who isn't here I'm counting on you to warn them. As you may already know, something unpredictable has happened that threatens us all.-.

Confusion and alarm spread along the faces of most of the present, who evidently didn't know at all. Ye too only knew that today Cindy was in some kind o' danger, even though ye already figured oot that something else was up at the moment Kim texted you, this late afternoon, requirin' you tae find for this evenin' a place suitable tae collect the total amount o' your bodies. And consider that you had no idea what was that amount. However, your skill in diplomacy and your 32G-sized ladies envelopin' that stud's dick hae worked the miracle.

-Wait, what the fuck?- Commences the same redhead of before. Irritated, Kim opens her mouth to shut her up, but instead she tuts and forcibly relaxes.

-Well...-.

-What's threatening us?- Another one asks. It's a buxom Milf with short blonde hair and, predictably but no' unkindly, an impressive rack that you'd love tae explore attentively.

-Does it have anything to do with Cindy?- A third suggests. The mentioned girl, who with Tina has positioned herself behind the desk, diverts her face in what you recognize as shame.

-Please, calm down!!!- Kim intervenes before the situation escalates. She stutters for some seconds and then resumes: -Look, another person has acquired our powers. Yes, I know this sounds incredible, but her name is Charity Dawson and she's gone completely nuts.-.

-Charity Dawson?-.

-The brainiac?-.

-Impossible!-.

-You're lying?!-.

-How dare y...!- Kim inhales, exhales, and forces a smile fake like the ass of the chick in front of you. Oh, it's Krissy.

-Charity has lost her mind. In only one day she has started to spread around, and we think she's plotting something really, really bad, not only for us but for everyone we care about. We know that she's already controlling Maria Gonzalez's body, not to say a young kid, and that she has kidnapped one of us. Two, if you count the one occupying her body.-.

-And? Who else?-.

Kim hesitates for a second, and then exchanges a significant glance wi' Tina. The reason is manifest as she names Heather Russel.

The reaction in the hall is unanimous dismay. You squeeze the shoulder strap o' your purse in a natural reaction: no way, Tina's best friend? She must be deadly worried! Oh, if you had imagined something like this...! But why also Cindy is upset? Wait, when Kim mentioned that Maria she made an expression that...

"Don't tell me... oh no! Oh poor girl! All within a day?".

-How could this have happened?-.

You rotate your head aside. Tae a certain degree o' your surprise, it has been Lacy herself who made the question, and you can see your same confused fright in her eyes.

-It was me.-.

A global murmur accompanies Cindy's revelation. Kim looks at her with -uh?- apprehension, but she continues the same.

-I... I created many of you, so you already know why... why I was searching for someone like her. When I found her I didn't imagine... I couldn't... but it happened.-.

Her lips are throbbin' wi' emotion.

-If you're in danger now it's because of me. I'm sorry.-.

"Cindy...".

-Listen, as she said, she couldn't predict this turn of events.- Kim starts talking again, as to distract everyone's een from her unfortunate companion: -And I dare any of you to say you wouldn't have done the same. But the reason I called you here tonight is not just to warn you or to scare you. We need to fight. We need to be compact and don't let ourselves be taken on the rebound! Charity Dawson is ready to step over any of us to get what she wants, and she already considers us a threat. She's showing no mercy or regret, and she's a damn fast learner; but we have still the numbers and more experience. I mean, look around! Look where we've come in a week from... well, you know. We can beat her, and we have to. So... please. Let's stay together.-.

Silence falls as she ends her speech. Ye doubt you've ever heard yer sister talkin' like this, you mean, havin' her beggin' you to help her... weel, it's no' an everyday thing. But damn, she dropped a bomb. Ye're literally oot o' words.

-Fuck yeah!-.

The few hundred women in here all turn in unison. This time, however, the slowpoke lass is no' at all affected by embarrassment: on the contrary, she clenches her fist in defiance. Well, if the others are still shocked, this has given you the spring to make your hop.

-We are a family!- You declare out loud: -If she goes against one o' us, she goes against any o' us!-.

Your sight falls on Lacy's expression of bewilderment, and for a second you're afraid of how she will react. But then she turns on with your grit.

-Yes! Any of us!-.

-Any of us!- Someone echoes from the rows behind.

-Any of us!-.

-Any of us!!!-.

The silence explodes in a roar o' incitements, and wi' everyone's hands up ye can barely see Kim anymore. But at a certain point, ye hear again her voice, this time much more scrappy.

-Any of us!-.

Lacy comes close to you and rests her head on your shoulder. You tenderly kiss her forehead, while the uprising motto leaves her lips, this time in a soft whisper.

-Any of us.-.

---

Leaving the echoes behind you, the breezy night air pinches your skin. You localize Cindy leaning with one hand against the wall that surrounds the parking area, and with her face turned to it, sobbing alone in the darkness. While Kim was busy talking you noticed her flee away from the back door, and after a knowing look with your older sister you decided to follow her. You considered for a moment transforming into Kim, but that would have been stupid on more levels.

-Hey.- You delicately put your hand on her shoulder, making her turn and wipe out her eyes.

-I d-don't understand...- She speaks before you can ask her what's wrong: -They, they want to help me... e-even if it's my fault! I don't... I don't deserve it!-.

-Cindy, no...- You hug her and try to console her with gentle circular brushes on her back.

-Cindy, I'm so sorry for what I said before. I've been awful, I shouldn't have said those words. I didn't really mean them, okay?-.

-You were, you were worried f-for your friend! And you, you were right, it's my fault!-.

-No, no, it isn't. I'm not mad with you, in any way. You have to believe me.-.

She keeps sobbing in your arms, rhythmically pressing her chest to yours. And it's your fault too.

When you went back home, still shocked by the fact that they didn't even let you into Heather's house, you were so surprised to find her too that you have not found instead the strength to say those behoove words. You were so **** in the belief that you had lost your best friend forever that you haven't considered that you were the only one who knew exactly what she was feeling: the same pain, the same fear; that you were the only one who could really console her, or at least share a bit of faith with her. Now, even this knowledge is excruciating.

-If I c-could switch with Heather...- She cries: -If I could take her p-place I...-.

-But instead I'm glad that you're here.- You detach yourself just enough to be able to look into her eyes. She seems so frail and hopeless; once again, she reminds you of Heather, of her desperation after she has kissed you.

-I'm glad that you're safe. I'm glad that you're talking with me. And I know for sure that soon Heather and Maria will be there with us, and all this will be just a bad memory.-.

She nods, convinced if not by your words at least by your tone. You wipe a tear from her cheek, and then one from the other. She looks up at you and moves her face almost imperceptibly, rubbing her cheeks on your fingertips, bewitched by that pleasurable sensation. She's very cute.

"...".

Now you're kissing her. With your lips, you suck her cherry gloss which flavors her labia.

It's so sweet.

You stop. You look at her with desire and uncertainty, and she does too. It's, it's strange: you want this, and you don't want too, it feels both right and wrong and you can't even separate the two impressions.

-...This is not the time.-.

-Yeah.-.

-Shall we go back inside?-.

Cindy nods silently and follows you in. Kim has finished her speech and she's now busy talking with Trish, Sally and another attractive woman. Even in your worried state of mind, you can't help but peek at those three alluring bosoms seemingly challenging each other to be the biggest. In the same way, all the other girls have split up into little groups and are chatting excitedly.

"To think that they all are me... wow...".

-Oh, here you are! Are you ok?- Kim asks worried. You dismiss her worry, while the other three women try in vain not to glance at you in too obvious pity.

-I'm so sorry, Tina.- Says ruefully Trish: -It's me who sent Heather to that place.-.

-You couldn't know...- You reply. In truth, however, there's a part of you that can't forgive her, because she's right: she sent Heather alone to walk into a trap. Yes, you know that this is not the time to argue within yourselves, and you also rationally know that you can't really blame her: but if she at least had tried to contact you, instead of just calling Heather!

"...it wouldn't have changed much. I wasn't looking at my cell phone anyhow. I was busy masturbating while Heather was...".

A soft touch on the back of your hand makes you turn to Cindy. Her gaze is as if she has read your thoughts. Well, maybe she did. But, you realize, she also perfectly knows that your mind is trying to rationalize what happened, trying to find a way to blame yourself for it; and so she's telling you: "Don't do this. You won't get out of it. Trust me.".

-Kim- Sally distracts you from your considerations: -you've been really convincing earlier, but what do we do now? How do we move?-.

-As I said, right now we have a numeric advantage.- She replies with a grave intonation that predicts her intentions: -It's something we must not lose. In a week, thanks to Cindy especially, we became about a hundred, maybe a little more if you count the absents; but I'm afraid we have to spread even more.-.

Nobody says a word for a few seconds. Except for Heather, you haven't directly possessed anyone else, and even if it's terribly hypocritical coming from you, you don't like the perspective of stealing other people's life, even less to use them as a weapon. And it would probably be for good too, like you did with your real little sister. No, you definitely don't like it.

-I know that some of you may not like the idea, but it's also the only way to protect our loved ones. Just think about what it would be like to find them controlled by that psycho. At least our hands are safe.-.

-You're right.- The mysterious woman is the first to agree: -But we must also take possession of powerful statuses. Politics, cops...-.

-That seems like a putsch...- You comment nervously. And, judging by their expressions, they agree with you.

-Me and Lacy have contacts.- Sally intervenes: -And we're making new ones. Trish has hers too.-.

-I'll start work on them.- The hijacked lawyer takes out her phone and steps aside.

-We should also learn more about Charity.- Kim turns uncertain to you and Cindy.

-I'm sorry to ask you this, but you're the ones who met her. Every piece of information is vital. What do you know about her life? What do you think she wants?-.

You shake your head disconsolately: -I have no idea. She was really deep in her Millie persona, but I don't know if she was playing with us or if she was serious. And the way she kept her original body at bay... Jesus, you should have seen her.-.

-Maybe we can.- Sally's remark makes you frown.

-Kim, do you remember the mind-merging thing?-.

Kim has a sort of epiphany.

-Yes, of course! But...- She rubs her chin in meditation: -It didn't go well last time.-.

-Time out, mind merging?- You ask: -Like, merging our consciousnesses? Is it possible?-.

-You did it in the shower, or kind of. As I said on the first day, we all are linked somehow. We can read our minds, we can speak telepathically and we can switch our bodies. The reason I wanted Sally and Maria was to... well, everyone else knows now, I wanted to exploit their intelligence for my courses. But when I tried to merge with Sally my head was exploding.-.

...Wait, so everything started because when wanted to cheat on the exam??

You feel again Cindy's eyes on you. "Not now. Later. When it's over.".

-You tried to absorb everything of her.- Cindy points out. Right, probably she still was her when that happened! Gosh, it's so frustrating to be the only one who doesn't know these things!

-Now you'll need only some memories.-.

-But it would mean for you to live them again.- Sally retorts concerned: -Is it ok for you, sweetie?-.

A shiver runs down your spine. Recalling this afternoon? No thanks! You'll have nightmares for weeks!

"But maybe they'll notice something that I didn't. Aw, fuck.".

Cindy looks down and sighs.

-I don't think it can be helped. Let's do this.-.

All three would like to object, but none would know how. So instead, you close your eyes and try to focus. Yes, but on what?

"This afternoon, I guess. The moment I knocked...".

There's a kind of grey flash in your retina, and for a second your mind is like catapulted out of your body and stretched, like an octopus that extends its tentacles; even weirder, your Tina's body becomes not the main mass, but only one of the arms, and your mind is... not just your mind anymore.

Then that second pass and you reopen your eyes, feeling extremely dizzy and disoriented. You're still you, right?

-Urgh! Has it worked?-.

You think to Charity and... you remember, more than before. You remember meeting Maria this afternoon, even though you have never seen her before, but you remember knowing her too. And going to yesterday...

-Oh.- You blush, looking at an embarrassed Cindy. Kim, Sally and Lacy are too. She told you how it happened, but she didn't go that deep into details.

But there is something else, you feel it. By looking at Sally, you suddenly have another flash, and you remember being kneeled in front of her, your face buried in her pussy, looking up at her delighted visage. And you also remember being her, having your pussy devoured by Lacy, comfily sitting at your office chair.

"S-Shit, maybe it has worked too much..." You think as you squeeze your warming tights.

-Anyway!- Kim, showing similar distress, exclaims: -Sally, Lacy, you two begin to share these memories with the others and to refer what we just said.-.

-Yes sir!- With this, they leave you alone.

-What's up, Kim?- Cindy pipes out, arousing the surprise, then tempered, of your sister. But yes, you too know that she has sent them away for a reason.

-I don't want to alarm any of them until I'm sure, but... Tina, have you checked your phone?-.

You frown and take it out of your pocket. Surprisingly, there's a new message.

-It's Tom. He says he'll sleep at William's tonight. Well, that's...-.

You're about to say "a nice coincidence", since having him away makes planning easier. But then you realize it's a too much nice coincidence.

-You're thinking that...-.

-I don't know.- Kim strokes her shoulder in a clear sign of discomfort: -I don't want to think that she has already discovered our real identity, but Mom is still untraceable. One of us has absolutely to check at William's. In the best scenario, we can make him stay there longer, he will be probably safer.-.

-Yeah. But what if we tell him the truth? I mean, the entire truth.-.

Cindy shudders at your proposal, while Kim shakes her head.

-By now you will have noticed it too: he's different from us, somehow. He wouldn't adapt faster enough to the situation. It's better for him to stay out of this.-.

-Then leave Will to me.- A familiar voice intervenes from behind you.

-...Grandma!-.

Your darling mother's mother, Caroline, approaches you with outstretched arms. Contrary to usual, she's wearing a tight black t-shirt that highlights her puppies and a floral skirt, and she put on much more makeup than she has ever worn in your memory. You run to her and throw yourself into her arms, resting your ear there where the diapasonic resonance is so reassuringly vibing.

-Thank God you're here!-.

-My my, did you think your dear grandmother would have left you alone?- She wraps you, making you dangle a bit like in an old dance. You still had to meet her since last Sunday, and after what Mom told you you truthfully had no idea how you would have reacted; for some reason, you feared that you'd had a breakout or something. But right now you're just genuinely happy, and like it always occurs with her, you sincerely feel that everything will be fine; even if she's not anymore the woman you knew, you know she's still your precious grannie, the same one who always watched at you with a loving smile and at whom every visit corresponds a delicious treat or a kind present, since, well, since you can remember.

-Kim, I want you to know that I'm really proud of you.-.

-Uh, thanks... but Emily and Aunt Maddie? Are they fine?-.

Your cousin and your aunt! You straighten up in alarm: indeed, you haven't seen them! But your grandmum is quick to reassure both of you.

-They're fine, they went out of town for tonight and couldn't be there. And don't worry, you'll know of Will in no time.-.

-News on Mom?- Kim asks, hopeful.

Caroline shakes her head. Right after you arrived home, you and Kim received a message from your mum: "Hi kids! Sorry for the short notice, but your father has to go on a work trip, and I've decided to go with him. We will stop there for a while. XOXO". Being a shapeshifter, your mother didn't need any suitcase, and your father is now under her control so he presumably didn't too, therefore it was perfectly plausible; but, of course, you thought the worst. You tried to call her, yet all your calls have gone blank, and since she didn't tell you where she was going you couldn't even hypothesize if she was just on the plane with her phone off or if she was actually in trouble.

-I know my daughter... and my horny grandson who's controlling her!- She chuckles, and she even manages to make you giggle a bit: -I know for sure that she's fine, and that she too would be really proud of her daughters.-.

That said, she detaches and, after a last gentle pat on your head, she hauls off. Even if brief, this encounter has put you back in a bit of a good mood; only now you realize how much you needed this, an intimate moment with your family. Then, another person comes over, but she has the opposite outcome on the third member of your group.

-Cindy! Thank God you're safe!-.

Cindy turns her back, hiding her face from you and, above all, from her parent. The brunette woman grimaces mortified, moaning faintly as the bruise on her temple twitches. You really hope that Cindy didn't hear it.

-Mrs. Hope, perhaps your daughter should sleep with us tonight.- You interfere while Kim tries to talk with her bestie. Amanda Hope is grieved, but ultimately she nods and moves away. From what you have understood about her, you doubt that the original Mrs. Hope would have condescended this easily; instead, now she was so worried that she didn't even think to heal her livid.

"I guess that body jacking people has its advantages.".

-The males.- Cindy mutters, failing to hide a sob in her voice. She's eager to shift the subject, and you really can't blame her. What males?

-Why can Charity transform into them and we don't?-.

That's a good point. You tried, of course, to expel some goo and turn it into some nice hunk. I mean, why settle for a dildo when you can have the real thing? But no way, even your old form is forbidden to you.

-I don't know. Maybe it's a limit we haven't overcome yet?- Kim hazards.

-Something psychological?-.

-But she did it immediately. Trish has even tried to possess her son before becoming, well, Trish, and she failed. I'd bet she was seriously trying.-.

-So what? Do you believe she's simply more powerful than us?-.

-Or, that she's just different.- Cindy turns around, showing a sad face, yes, but also brooding.

-Perhaps we have become a new species with different variations. This doesn't necessarily mean that one is superior to the other. What if we can do things that she can't?-.

-Do not take the extent of her powers for granted.- Kim translates: -It makes sense. She may have weak points that we haven't. That's another thing to investigate.-.

-Damn.- You exclaim: -There's a lot of stuff in the pot. Can we really make it?-.

-We have to, Tina. We're going to war.-.

The gravity of Kim's words falls in its entirety on your shoulders. For a week it was all sex and funny stuff, and now you have to fight a madwoman with your abilities while saving Heather, Maria and who knows who else. Oh, and it would also be desirable not to die in the meanwhile. For the first time since you are Tina, you sincerely envy your original body who, unaware of everything, is probably having a nice evening with his friend.

Fuck, seven days ago, at this hour, you were jerking while playing "GirlFireLove 3". You miss those times.

---

You pull in the smoke and open your throat; it goes straight down your lungs. Duh, "straight" is a big word. It burns, it makes you cry, you're not used to it; but you immediately understand why so many people are addicted to this shit. You exhale and watch the mist dissolve into the air. Of course, with your back against a wall and your gaze towards another wall, the scene is far less poetic than it would be if you were leaning against a fence in an open field, and far more depressing. Normal, in a sense. Ah, normality, so long gone!

-Since when does Kim smoke?-.

Your sister Tina flanks you. Cindy instead is sitting silently on the car hood, waiting for you. It's three in the morning, the others have left, except for some pairs who you perceive are still nearby. Well, despite the situation of emergence, it was meant to happen at least with someone.

-From now. Funny, you know? At first, I wanted to be different from the old Kim, but this is possibly the first authentic thing I do.-.

-And did you choose to destroy your lungs?- She jokes. You titter.

-Seriously, I think what you did tonight comes first.-.

-Does it?-.

She frowns, confused. You have another puff, and then continue: -I think there are still parts of her that I haven't accessed yet. More in-depth, I mean. And I like to think that my sister wasn't that bitchy to let Cindy throw herself off a building.-.

-Well, that's... not what I meant. I was just saying that you have decided to take charge of this whole situation, and you are showing great maturity. I guess it's not easy.-.

No, it's not. Yet...

-Remember when we were little and dad had that car accident? Mom was so devasted that she couldn't even hide it with us.-.

-Yes, I do.- She answers with a little effort: -Without Aunt Maddison she would have collapsed.-.

-Yeah, but they arrived after three days, because they were on vacation.-.

Tina blinks a few times, trying to reconstruct the truth of your statement.

-I... I didn't remember.-.

-The person who looked after us for those three days, when we still didn't know if he would be okay... that was Kim.- You prosecute. Smoke rises to the light of the street lamp above you before disappearing again in the night.

-...you're right. She did.-.

-She was a kid too. I thought about it by chance today, and now I'm remembering other events... by her POV, that is. Heh, it's pretty wild. Anyway, I'm simply doing what a big sister would do.-.

Tina hums, and then she too puts her back on the wall. She crosses her arms, and then she smiles thinking about who-knows-what.

-But it's not just that, isn't it?-.

-What do you mean?-.

-If you think about it, we all come out of you, even Mom. So it makes you our mother, sort of. ...Hey, don't make that face, I'm not saying that you're old! I just mean that, uh, perhaps you feel compelled to act like this.-.

-Well...- You hang your head a little like as if to mentally weigh a perspective: -If you're trying to say that I can boss you around as much as I want...-.

-Yeah, dream it!- She gives you a friendly punch in the shoulder.

-Anyhow, just know that I really appreciate what you're doing for me. And I'm sure Cindy does too.-.

You lower your face, feeling the morse of guilt at the prospect of receiving Cindy's gratitude. But then you stick your chest out and straighten yourself up. Mother or not, they are the ones shattered, not you.

-...But you're not just our elder sister, or our mother, or some goo with our brother's personality.- She soughs, placing her hand on your shoulder.

You turn toward her. She's giving you a friendly and knowing smile.

-You're also a human being. So... how are you, Kim?-.

...

A tear runs down your cheek.

-I'm fucking scared.-.

---

You are awakened by the ringing of the doorbell. You sit up, shrugging your neck and shoulders and opening and closing your hands.

It's getting better. His... your body is ceasing to oppose you. Since this is the only one who's giving you this kind of trouble, you suspect that there's something special in you that makes you more resistant.

Of course, this has to be the case: after all, Charity Dawson has always been in love with Eric Miller, and Charity Dawson does not fall for ordinary people, because she herself is not ordinary. But soon you won't have to think about it anymore, nor you have to pretend anymore to know perfectly the soul of a woman who you are not, since she will be only your devoted girlfriend.

Another ring. You check the clock. 3:30 A.M. Leaving the aforementioned girlfriend sleeping on the mattress, you get up, wear a pair of jeans, and cross the silent house, careful not to awaken anyone. Millie is still resting, and so is Mrs. Dawson.

Before unlocking the door, you skim through the peephole. A scowl contracts your eyebrows. You finally open.

-Hello.- Says the blonde girl whom you never met before, a malicious smirk on her pretty, treacherous smug.

-Sorry for the hour. My name is Krissy. There's something we have to discuss.-.