someone else's life

They avoided talking about the coin for several days, instead simply enjoying Sarah's improved and younger body. The next Saturday afternoon they sat in the den to finally discuss their next wishes.

Tom started off. "I feel like I've been the one really benefitting from the coin so far, so why don't you go first - what do you want?"

Sarah laughed. "Well, I wouldn't say you're the ONLY one getting something out of this. I'm very happy with the changes you made." She got a thoughtful expression. "But I do have some ideas..."

"Yes... so what are you thinking?" Tom prodded.

She tilted her head as her eyes met his. "Let's see just what the coin can do - how big a change? Can it actually turn me into someone else? Replace them I mean, so that I have their life?"

Tom hadn't even considered something so ****. Could the coin do that? He looked out the large windows in the den while he pondered. He say his neighbor Marcia Sigmon, walking past their house with her daughter delivering cookies. He smiled. "Okay, let's test it!" he announced, then silently wished "I wish that for the next 5 minutes Sarah was Marcia Sigmon, replacing her completely."

He blinked. Sarah was gone and standing in the den was the attractive, thirtiesh woman - Marcia! She was speaking. "Thanks Tom for your order. I told Tina today we shouldn't bother you today but...."

She looked confused. "Wh..what did you do?" She looked at herself and back at him.

Tom chuckled. "I just wanted to test your idea. And she was walking by..."

Sarah glared at him for a few seconds then shared his smile. "I guess this is as good a test as any. It ... it's not quite what I expected.

She sat down on an ottoman. "I...I think I actually am Marcia now. I mean, I know I'm Sarah and remember everything about the coin. But I'm also Marcia. I know everything she does - it's like all her stuff is in the front of my mind. Her memories, thoughts, feelings. Unless I try, I just feel like her. It's hard to explain."

Tom found this fascinating. He noted that her voice and cadence definitely sounded like Marcia more than Sarah. It seemed like Sarah had to focus a bit to speak more like herself. I

Tom looked around the room. "What happened to you, I wonder? Everything looks the same." He pointed to the wall. "There are our anniversary photos."

Sarah said "Let me see ... it's on the edge of my mind." Her eyes seemed to lose focus and she starting speaking "Anyway Tom, take the cookies. I'll cover them. I know it's nothing really but..." she paused with a catch in her voice. "You know we all miss Sarah. But Jim and I haven't seen you since the funeral. It's only been a week, Tom. You shouldn't shut yourself off." She touched Tom's shoulder, then pulled him into an awkward hug. "Please, let us help! At least come over for dinner tonight. You need to get out of the house."

Utterly confused by this point, Tom just nodded and said "Sure, Marcia. That sounds great."

She looked at his face, then nodded. "Okay then. We'll see you at 6. I should go on - Tina's waiting outside." She took a step toward the door, then stopped. "Whoah!" she said. "I lost myself for minute." She started to elaborate when the time ran out and there was a brief shimmer. Tom found himself back in the den seated with Sarah, who was once more in her own body.

"Wow!" she said. She punched him playfully on the arm. "Next time warn me. But that was amazing. I was actually someone else."

Tom gave her a look. "But 'Sarah' was dead?" he questioned.

She had a satisfied expression. "I guess that's the coin's way of making as few changes as possible to grant the wish. I become another person, taking their life - but nothing else changes, so 'I' as Sarah just died. So there's not two versions of me."

"Okay..." Tom said, still wrapping his mind around it.

She thought for a few minutes. "So there's someone I want to try being. You know I regret not being able to be pregnant. So I want to see what it's like without risking creating a new child or messing up our lives. With the coin I can easily try someone else's life for awhile. You know our Tasha, our neighbor. She's expecting."