Learning more about Laura

Walking on the streets as Laura was definitely a different experience. The way my hips moved and my chest bounced with each step was something Laura was used to, but it felt so novel to me. The faint wind blowing at times was still enough to make my hair flow and cover my eyes.

I finally reached the place where I would spend the night: the students' dorms. Laura had a somewhat small but comfortable room in it, with a tiny kitchen and a small bathroom. It was enough for her, she liked being alone from time to time.

Greeting one of Laura's neighbours, I entered the building, my new set of memories guiding me toward my room, small but stylish. There were some rock band posters on the wall, a small desk with a mid-end laptop, a few novels and books scattered here and there, and an open wardrobe with a lot of pretty androgynous clothes. Laura wasn't one to dress overtly feminine, preferring comfort over looks. She only had two skirts and one pair of flats.

I briefly stopped at the entrance, feeling like I was intruding. Laura rarely had anyone in her room, she liked her small peaceful haven. It was a space where she could just relax alone.

I am Laura for tonight, this is my room. I thought, finally getting inside and locking the door behind me.

It felt strange, the room was both foreign and familiar, depending on which set of memories I was looking into. It was something I would need to get used to.

I removed my sneakers, shirt, and jeans, leaving me in my underwear, and then flopped onto the bed, laying there and enjoying its comfort. The sheets had Laura's scent. Or my scent for the time being. It wasn't a bad smell.

I glanced down, observing my current body. It was still strange, but now that it had been a few hours, I was feeling much more comfortable as Laura. My finger traced my stomach, following the faint abs I had. Laura was a sporty girl, she'd always liked playing sports like basketball, soccer, or tennis, even if skateboarding was her favourite by far. Her body developed to be toned and fairly strong despite her appearing so skinny.

“My world was truly thrown upside-down since last night…” I muttered in Laura's voice.

While I was shocked and pissed when I woke up and discovered what Dahlia did to me, I was now more at peace, especially after what the two of us did earlier. Recalling it made me blush, and my lower abdomen was warming up slightly. Being a skinwalker might not be as bad as I first thought, now that I had goals. And well, being someone else, and a woman at that, was really enjoyable so far, I couldn't deny it.

Although, a part of me felt guilty for what happened. Laura truly liked Dahlia as a friend. And even if she was hiding it, I had the feeling Dahlia shared the same guilt. That's what Laura's intuition told me.

If I ever do something like this with Dahlia again, it needs to be as someone I'd feel less sympathy for…

Ideally, as Dahlia said, I would need to find someone rotten to become. If I had to give up my own life and steal another's long-term, the least I could do was take it from someone misusing theirs. Maybe a corrupt and tyrannical boss, a bully at college, or an abusing parent. Unfortunately, but fortunately for me, the world wasn't lacking in terms of assholes.

Spending time with Claire in the police will probably help me find some leads…

I spent a while immersing myself in Laura's memories, exploring her life in more detail. Her parents were living in her hometown about two hours away, as were Dahlia's parents. Her mother was a nurse, and her father worked as an elementary school teacher; it was a typical lower middle-class family. They both were very kind and caring, and I could feel just how much Laura loved them. Feeling her love was strange, I wasn't used to feeling love for my own parents, only resentment and hatred.

Then I looked at her memories of school, especially those regarding Dahlia. The original Dahlia and Laura really didn't get along during high-school. Dahlia was constantly harassing Laura, but Laura wasn't one to be intimidated, and the two butted heads constantly.

Laura wondered whether or not Dahlia hated herself, back then. Maybe bullying others was a way to cope with her self-loathing. When the new Dahlia came out as a lesbian at the beginning of their first year at college, it all made sense to Laura. With her perspective, and recalling Dahlia's comments during our… fun time together, it did make me wonder if the old Dahlia wasn't truly a repressed lesbian, and the new one simply decided to come out in her stead.

Should I ask her about this? I wondered. I was curious to learn more about Dahlia and her past as a skinwalker.

While I was thinking about this, a phone call surprised me. It came from Laura's phone, and the caller was ‘Mom’. I felt warmth spreading through me.

I got up, opening the tiny window-balcony and leaning on the barrier as I answered the call. “Hey mom. What's up?” I said, bringing a cigarette to my lips and lighting it.

“Good evening, honey. Just wanted to check on you. How are you?” Laura's mother asked in a sweet and soothing voice.

Just hearing it made me smile. “I'm good. I hung out with Dahl this afternoon. I met new friends of hers, it was fun.” I replied while taking a puff.

Only then did I realise what I was doing. It was Laura's usual habit when she was in her room and calling her parents. I never smoked before, but Laura smoked about five cigarettes a day, and it just came instinctively. The taste was strange… disgusting but weirdly relaxing.

“Oh, new friends?” Laura's mom asked.

“Yeah. They seemed really nice.” I explained, trying to sound natural. It felt weird to compliment myself like this.

“It's good.” She replied, coughing a little.

I exhaled the smoke. “You okay, Mom?”

She coughed again, but tried to sound reassuring. “I might have caught something at work. But I'm fine, don't worry.”

Taking another satisfying puff, I spoke. “Don't overdo it. Rest if you need to.”

She chuckled softly. “Maybe I should, yeah. Anyway, I won't take more of your time. Have a good evening, honey. Love you.”

“Love you too, Mom. Tell Dad I love him.” I said, smiling again.

I would never have said this to my own parents, but to Laura's, and with her personality to help me, it was a lot easier. Her parents truly seemed like people worth loving.

On that, I hung up and squashed the cigarette in the ashtray Laura left next to the window. I replayed what just happened in my mind. I managed to fool Laura's own mother. She didn't even notice I wasn't really her daughter throughout the conversation. And it was so easy to impersonate her, it came so naturally… Only now did I truly understand just how potent a skinwalker's abilities were. We could be utterly impossible to discover should we want to…

Have I met skinwalkers in the past without even knowing what they were? I wondered, shivering slightly. It was terrifying to imagine…

I shook my head, trying to think of less scary things. Like how I'd experience a day at college tomorrow, thanks to Laura. It was something I was looking forward to. My father crushed my dream of going to college after he kicked me out, but I've always wanted to study there. I would have loved to study law, but Laura's economics degree was also something that seemed interesting, especially with her smarts. She might look like a tomboyish and sporty girl, but she had excellent grades too. She was really studious.

My stomach growled, and I decided to cook something quick for myself, some pot noodles and an egg. Laura wasn't a big eater, so it was enough to satiate me. I noticed how different things tasted. Noodles and eggs were already something I enjoyed with my own palate, but the taste wasn't exactly the same with Laura's tongue. It made me wonder whether I'd be able to enjoy foods I normally hate if I'm someone else.

After this new experience, I undressed and changed into Laura's pajamas, a pair of shorts and a tanktop. Laying on her bed, my mind wandered, imagining what I could experience with these abilities. A part of me was dying to know how it'd feel to have sex with Dahlia as a woman, as she offered earlier… It was shameful and exciting at the same time.

I knew I couldn't let these desires overcome me, though. I had to be responsible, I wouldn't let myself be overwhelmed again like this afternoon… If I were to indulge in these desires, it'd be as a shitty woman, not as an innocent.

Still, just fantasising about it was enough to make me aroused again, my lower abdomen warming up. It was tempting to relieve myself, but I couldn't do that to Laura, so I simply tried to ignore it until I finally managed to fall asleep.