The spirit said that all Jon needs to do is think of the face he wants to assume. The first person Jon thought of was Daniel with his strong jaw with a light stubble, brown dirty hair with streaks of gold, and his bright blue eyes that turned dull after the ordeal in the staircase. Jon closed his eyes and as he thought of Daniel's face, he heard a sharp buzz in his ear. Air blasted on his face, and he felt every gust on his naked skin. He knew something changed before he even opened his eyes. Jon was lying down on his bed before, but he found himself sitting down on a hard wooden chair. There were mashed potatoes in his mouth, and boy was it bland. Jon was plucked out of his trance when he heard someone snapping their fingers on his left ear.
"Earth to Daniel, are you there?" Jon opened his eyes to see a younger man with reddish hair that complemented his stocky squarish face. This man is a stranger to Jon and yet, he knew his name. Strange…
"Yes, Rick. I heard you loud and clear." Jon ended his sentence with another spoonful of the mashed potato Rick made, a family recipe from his mother's side of the family. Memories flowing inside Jon's mind are as a stranger and familiar as the guy in front of him. From initial looks alone, he knew these memories belonged to Daniel. He cannot recall every second of his life, but he just knows what Daniel could recall. He can't possibly know the exact scenario from his life, Daniel can't even remember the breakfast he took two days ago. But he could recall the foods he liked, the memories he cherishes, and those that he hated. And from the memories, he knows that the person he's talking to is named Rick - a distant cousin from the father's side of the family. To save up on rent, they share the same apartment while Daniel does his job and Rick finishes his architectural studies in the next city.
"Finally! That job at that old academy knocked the sense out of you."
"What do you mean, knock the sense out of me?"
Rick gave him a puzzled look, "Can't you recall? You look like you were on drugs or something. We're talking together, and while you are answering, it feels like my words are just passing through your head. Like you're physically here but mentally you're not. And don't tell me you forgot that I just slapped you a few minutes ago."
Jon remembers, and it stung - a lot. He also remembers grunting in response.
Sensing an opportunity, Jon replied. "I'm sorry, the academy just blew my mind. That place looked beautiful, architecturally speaking. It was made in the 70s and it's still standing today."
Rick snorted, "and the pyramids are still standing today, and they were made before Christ was born. Your point?"
Jon recalled memories from his own and Daniel's minds and mixed them in one answer that could entice Rick to visit the place, "It's built on top of soft soil waterlogged by a nearby waterfall, and the place barely has any foundations. I don't have any explanations on why it's still standing, and I hope you can give me some of that architectural insight of yours. Maybe the place could even give you ideas with that diorama project you're stuck on."
Rick weighed in his choices and decided that he could hit the place this week. Days have passed since he left the apartment and a stretch of legs can help create some ideas with his project. "I'm expecting to have my mind blown the same as yours," Rick smiled as he grabbed the dishes and cleaned them because it was his turn today.
While Rick is busy cleaning up the place, Jon busied himself in the bathroom where he inspected his new body in privacy. The reflection in the mirror is that of a familiar stranger. When he touched his arms, he knew it was his hands but it felt like someone else was touching him. Jon removed his clothes and regaled himself in his new naked form.
Daniel is a well-built man, as expected from his career. Half the muscles bulging in his body are thanks to a healthy diet and exercise, while the latter half is due to his job as a carpenter. His father grew weaker with age, so in the last years before retirement, Daniel was there to do the heavy-duty task like lifting beams of wood and metal or manning heavy machinery. What resulted is a stocky body, chiseled with the job and refined with the gym. Jon flexed his muscles and felt the strength brimming with every clench. Just as he did, he noticed his rod starting to stand between his legs. It is bigger than his previous length but otherwise average for a guy. It is cut with a thick girth and bountiful veins in the sides of the shaft.