Put on Anna

You look down at Anna's empty form on the floor.

"I'm sorry," you whisper.

With trembling hands, you lift her skin. There's no seam, no obvious way in, so you improvise. You pull her mouth open, and it stretches with an unnatural elasticity. The sight is unnerving.

First, you slide your leg inside. The interior is wet and warm, a bizarre sensation. You pull her leg over yours, and it settles into place with surprising ease. You repeat the process with your other leg, pushing your pelvis inside as well.

This is where it gets strange. You wiggle your toes, and it feels like they're your toes. Even though you climbed in fully clothed, it feels as if you're standing there completely bare. A wave of panic hits you, but you **** it down and continue.

You grab Anna by the stretched opening of her mouth and pull the skin up over your torso and head. She "swallows" you, enveloping your body in a fleshy, wet darkness. You fumble in the dark, finding the "sleeves" and sliding your arms in. The same strange sensation spreads through them, a feeling of ownership that isn't yours.

Finally, you guide your head into hers. You pull her face over yours, adjusting it until you can see again.

Wait... did I get taller?

You turn toward the wall mirror. Anna stares back at you. You raise a hand to your cheek; her reflection does the same.

"No way—" you say, but the voice that comes out is Anna's.

A sudden thought hits you: someone's home. You scramble to pull on Anna's clothes, slipping into them just as the door opens. It's Josef.

"Oh, honey, what are you doing in Peter's room?" he asks.

"Ummm... cleaning. And you?" you try to sound convincing.

"Fair enough. Speaking of which, where is he?"

"He went for a... stroll around the street."

"Ah, makes sense," he sighs.

"How was the interview?" you ask, trying to steer the conversation.

"Ah, again nothing..." he says gloomily.

"Don't give up," you reassure him.

"Yes, dear, anything for you." He leans in and kisses you on the forehead before leaving and closing the door.

You sit there, stunned. What the hell just happened? You turn back to the mirror. It's still Anna's face looking back at you. You step closer, squishing and pinching your new cheeks. Everything feels as if it was yours from the start.

It's right there in front of you, but it's still impossible to believe.

"Okay... I need to figure this thing out before I do anything else," you mutter to yourself in Anna's voice.

You step toward your bed, the change in height, weight, and center of gravity making you wobble slightly.

Damn, those are heavy! you think, glancing down at the two pillowy mounds on your chest, now wrapped in a cozy yellow sweater.

The manual is lying on the bed beside the box. You pick it up and begin to read through the significant sections.