Gold was its color and it shone like a diamond under the light of the afternoon sun. Paul held the zipper closer and got a clear view of its finer details. On the edges of the fabric attached to the metallic teeth are miniature claws. It clung to his skin when touched by an object. In this instance, his skin. Even though the claws buried a millimeter on his finger’s skin, he felt no pain. It takes a bit of elbow grease to remove but it’s nothing Paul couldn’t handle.
The thought of this zipper and its capabilities to turn other people into an empty suit is quite absurd. Ludicrous, even! Paul won’t believe it if not for his prior experiences when he received this zipper.
The memory is a blur, but some figments were clearer than most. Paul didn’t know how he got in that store. Only that he was there pilfering through artifacts that defied mortal compression. In a rack, he remembered seeing a detached hip. It felt warm to the touch, especially the 9-inch throbbing member leaking with pre-cum. Farther to that aisle, he found what was assumed to be the head who owned the detached hip. The man who called himself Silas, cursed at Paul for causing discomfort on his groin. The memory beyond there is a blur. The next thing he could recall is the memory of a teenage boy explaining the instruction surrounding this golden zipper. After that, Paul was back in the world that he knows of. Back in this district where abandoned shops and a forgotten mall stand desolate and devoid of people. The spot where the artifact store once stood is an abandoned electronics shop whose doors are boarded up.
“Are you okay there, sir?” Paul heard a voice behind him. He turned around to see a man dressed in a dark blue uniform. The man tipped his hat and smiled with his white perfect teeth. Paul heard about this police-in-uniform. He’s one of the two officers assigned in this little town. He’s seen him before but never dabbled in a conversation.
“I’m doing fine, I think. Just a little disoriented.” Paul replied. Maybe it’s the delirium the store left him. Or maybe it’s this festering summer heat. Even the police officer had his cheeks turning pink from this heat.
Seeing as there are no other worthwhile things to do, so far, the police officer asked if he could be of assistance and give Paul a ride as to where he needed to be. Paul accepted so he climbed aboard the officer’s car, and had him drive back to Paul’s neighborhood.
While on their way, there is this little space between the driver’s seat and the headrest. This vulnerable space is where Paul slid one end of the zipper and had it in contact with the officer’s nape. The pincers on the zipper’s edge clutched on the skin. The zipper slipped past Paul’s fingers and quickly latched on the officer’s back.
The officer was paralyzed in an instant. Even though his eyes open, there is no life behind those pupils. The officer lost hold of the wheel and his foot slipped past the accelerator. The car zig-zagged and slowed by the side of the road. They were lucky because they curved in a barren area opening into the fields beyond. They sustained no injuries, just minor disorientation.
Paul got out of the car and pulled the officer out as well. The body is still warm and its heart is still beating. But there's no life as evidenced by the lack of stimulus. Even when Paul’s hands slipped past the officer’s groin, the body held no protest. He dragged the officer to the back of the car and laid him with his back against the trunk. In doing so, the hat slipped free.
The officer is named Dale Bright. He has short-cropped blonde hair with a slim pink-nosed face. His eyes are as blue as cornflower with its pupils in perpetual dilation. There is a static smile on his face which made Paul a bit uncomfortable. He pulled the officer’s slightly oily cheeks to turn that smile into a neutral expression.
Finally, the part Paul is waiting for.
Paul removed the officer’s uniform, revealing the toned body that lay underneath. In this incapacitated state, his abs were visible but somewhat soft. It is Paul’s first time touching someone’s abs. Even though he strived to have them, he’s far too lazy to put in the effort. But that will change soon.
Paul flipped the officer on his back, where the golden zipper perfectly lined with the spine. He pulled the top and air whistled out, bringing a hot and humid stench unto the world. The smell hit Paul’s nose. It reminded him of beef in boiling water. The kind of smell you’d find clinging on pot lids when you simmer meat. The smell quickly dissipated but still clung on the suit’s insides.
Paul slipped one arm in and the other. He removed his shoes and wore the legs. The suit is far bigger than his body so it sagged a lot. He hoped that it’d change when he pulled the zipper. Next, he pulled the fleshy headpiece over his own. He made sure that the eye holes matched with his. Lastly, he reached for his back and pulled the tab upwards. As each pair of teeth closed, Paul felt a certain4 tightness coiling on his limbs. The sensation of a second flesh disappeared. He felt the air trickles on every hair that clung to his arms. He could feel the individual pores secreting sweat under this blistering sun. Paul wasn’t peering in the suit's eyeholes anymore. He was looking at the world as if there was no layer of flesh overlaid on his face.
Paul took deep and heavy breaths. Looking from this new set of eyes, the world seemed smaller and the horizon closer. Something heavy clutch on his stomach and chest. Looking down, he realized that the weight came from his pecs and abs. They were soft but a mere thought made them as hard as frozen meat.
Paul came back to the car and looked at the rearview mirror. A man in his mid-20s reflected with a perfect smile. Just as he did, a wave of memories washed over his mind. Memories came and drifted away, too fast for Paul to comprehend. What little he knew came from the important aspects of his life and his memories before Paul turned him into a suit.
His name is Dale Bright if that isn’t obvious by the tag on his uniform. He is one of the two officers assigned to this town, and the only one willing to do an hourly patrol on the town’s streets, much to his superior’s relief. Even though he patrolled here, he doesn’t live here.
Dale is a newbie to the local precinct, but his diligence meant that he is seeking a higher position. He’s a goody-two-shoes who follows all that was ordered from him. With fingers on the handle and Paul on the ride, he decided to change that. This body is now his, and his alone. He is not bound by this body’s duty, even though he could still do it, but because Paul chose it.