The room was humongous but the search for another body didn’t take long. Timothy saw a boy’s body, about his age, on another row. He struck out like a sore thumb amongst the dead caravan of bodies. Despite having a blank face, there’s an aura of happiness surrounding him. Like there’s a smile that was never there. His face was perfect, smooth, and contemplated by blue cornflower eyes. His hair is brown like many others but it glistened beautifully amongst the pilfered right of the room. And not mention, boy that guy has a cute package.
“That one?” Pickle said, “I haven’t used that one for ages but he’ll do you nicely.”
Pickle grabbed Timothy’s hand and led it to the blank body’s head.
“Imagine yourself as a painting in a canvas. You think you are constrained within the boundaries of the frame, but you are not. You are more powerful. There is freedom within reach and all you need to do is grab it.”
Yes, Timothy could feel it. His soul is the paint and the canvas was his body. It’s hard to explain but there was suddenly a flaming hearth blazing inside of him. It’s not static, no. It’s more malleable than he could imagine. He could control its size and where it should be burning.
“Puncture the boundaries of your canvas, and within your freedom, jump into another.”
Timothy’s outline dissolved. For a moment, there was the bliss of nothingness. His senses vanished in an instant and yet, he felt more freedom than anything in his life. All the problems in the world vanished like his senses. Gone was the stress of life and the pain of living. If he could, he’d want to stay like this forever.
“Timothy! Get a hold of yourself. Find the other canvas and jump into it.” Said a voice in the void.
He could stay here for a moment longer but the voice has a commanding voice he can’t disobey. Within the confines of the void, he found another canvas that felt like his previous. He punctured a hole in the canvas and seeped in like an unwarranted visitor. Saying it was like his previous felt wrong right now. It’s not quite the same, but not far from it - like wearing a shoe on the wrong feet. His arms feel longer, heavier. The hair he adored before tickled annoyingly on his forehead. The saliva in his mouth tasted sweet but stale. And lastly, his groin is heavier than before.
When he opened his eyes, Timothy’s world shifted. He was standing there and now he’s on the opposite perspective. The old bod is now a common piece of the puzzle amongst the others in the warehouse. Its eyes are open, dead, and longing for the void. Pickle adjusted its limbs to fit with the others and set it aside with the other bodies in the row for male teenagers. Then he began undressing it. He did not even spare the underwear. Oh god, Timothy thought he could handle it but looking at your old body is so weird. He even noticed a mole on his left butt cheek that he hasn’t seen before.
“How does it feel to be on the other side?” Pickle asked.
“Am-” Timothy gulped, even his voice changed on the lighter end of a baritone. “Amazing!” It would be amazing if he wasn’t buck naked right now. So, he grabbed his old clothes and wore them. Wearing his old underwear, however, is gross and wrong. He’s in another body and wearing this underwear is wearing the undergarment of another. Nevertheless, Timothy swallowed his disgust and got it over with. His clothes fit him but there are tight spots like in his chest and waist.
“You’ll be doing that a lot while you are in my employ. And I have the notion that you won’t be staying here for only three days, isn’t that right?”
After seeing and experiencing this magic firsthand, Timothy wished he could live here forever. He wants to try every husk in the warehouse. He could be a male, a female, an old person, a young one, everyone! The possibilities are many and it’s all possible.
“I know those eyes,” Pickle said, “You want to try other bodies? You’ll have your time but first, help me cook breakfast.”
----
The ate over bread and eggs. Also, more coffee. In his old body, Timothy couldn’t handle coffee. It leaves a bitter aftertaste on his mouth. This body, on the other hand, can handle it pretty well. Coffee still tasted bitter, but not that much anymore. There are sweet and nutty undertones that filled him with an explosion of flavors. He drank two cups within a minute. He’d try for thirds but Pickle stopped him, not because he cares for his wellbeing, but because he wanted the last drop before they ran out of coffee.
“That means I’ll have to go to the grocery. As for your first task, you wash the dishes then guard the caravan. Don’t let anyone inside. Is that clear?”
Timothy nodded.
Pickle went upstairs and returned using an attractive man’s body in his 40s. The body is what Timothy could describe as, a totally hot bod. He’s got a nice cropped hair, biceps twice the size of Timothy’s head and a clear white smile. His chest is nearly bursting out of his plaid buttoned polo because of how huge they are. It’s not clear but Timothy can see strands of hair poking out. Timothy could use that body sometimes.
“This body often receives discounts from old female cashiers. So, be sure to use this one when I send you on errands outside.”
And with that, he’s gone. Timothy ate the rest of the leftovers because his current body seemed to have not eaten in forever. He gobbled the remaining eggs and stuffed them with bread. On the refrigerator, he glugged several glasses of orange juice until he’s nearly crying on how full he is. His stomach was fit before, but now, it grew half a size bigger. He pats it in satisfaction and gave himself time before he did his chores in the kitchen.
With all set and done, it’s still 10 in the morning. Pickle is still probably on his way to the store and there are a few hours left before he returned. What can Timothy do in his spare time?