Thinking big

You saunter through the mall, feeling magnificent. Every so often you pause and dip in to your purse, pulling out Phoebe's compact and staring at your reflection. You smile. You blow kisses. You give a cheeky wink as if you were a 1940s pin-up. You revel in Phoebe's classic style, the pearl necklace bouncing lightly against breasts well concealed in a simple sun dress. Your curls and bow sit perfectly on your head, as you survey the world around you.

It's a shopping mall, but no longer for goods. You're not interested in the clothes, or the games, or even the more high-priced goods. Instead, you're looking at people. Lives you could borrow for a time. You could be anyone, do anything. You could zap that man over there, pepper-grey hair and thin beard, and use his money to eat your dinner at the finest restaurant in town. Or you could shoot the woman in the beauticians getting a pedicure, with oversized breasts and silicone lips. You could seduce and enchant, or simply walk into the life of someone and enjoy it to the full.

But that's what Jimmy would do.

Jimmy, the prankster. The one who just wants to have fun. He doesn't even see the real potential of what this means. The ability to be anyone, to act like anyone, to adopt their identity utterly.

It's the most powerful gift in the world.

You tap your stolen nails against the glass of the automatic door as you exit the mall, heading straight for Phoebe's car. You've got big plans.

As you slip in the small cab, you turn on the radio and close your blushed eyes. You know everything to be Phoebe. You could go home to your girlfriend and your cats, or you could go to your studio and pick up your photography equipment, which would give you access to even more potential options. Or you could just take route one.

Jimmy thought about pranks, you're thinking about riches. You could step into the shoes of a bank employee, and rob it. You could even just walk into a bank and empty an account - Phoebe has several thousand saved away. But why stop there? You could run the town if you want. The mayor, Tina Chan, holds a weekend drop-in. You could always borrow her life for a short while. A taste of power could do you good. Or perhaps you could borrow the life of a celebrity? There's a concert tonight Trish was talking about, or perhaps you could do something even more wild. You had considered going to that sci-fi convention just out of town. What better way to cosplay than to be someone else?

Alternatively, what about ****? You and Jimmy aren't the most popular kids in school. You've had your fair share of rejection and humiliation. Fellow students, and even teachers, have made your life hell. Why not use this to get ****? Principal Collins seems to have had it out for you. What if he suddenly found his wife was sleeping around, or had put laxatives in his evening meal? Or why stop there? The football team seem to think nothing can touch them. Why not become a cop and show them some justice? There's always a police cruiser parked outside the coffee shop in town.

You open your eyes and grin Phoebe's radiant smile. You know exactly what you're going to do.