Leonard's strength faltered for an instant. The alien's mind assaulted him like a tidal wave. As despair threatened to consume him, Leonard rallied his dwindling power in a sudden burst. It caught the alien off guard, allowing Leonard to seize the advantage. Their brutal clash twisted his body into agonizing contortions, but his emerging strength eased his suffering until he lay panting on the desert sand.
The invader's presence vanished from Leonard's mind. No more writhing in his brain, no more whispers in his ear. Only the calm of his own thoughts remained, now wavering under the weight of exhaustion from the battle. With aching muscles and labored breaths, he hauled himself up and climbed out of the crater. He thought the darkness was playing tricks on his eyes, for he swore he pulled himself out not with human hands, but instead it was with green, translucent tentacles. The events that followed were a blur. He sprinted across the desert at incredible speeds, reaching the farmland where his family and extended relatives lived, then slipped into his house.
"Leonard, is that you?" His mother's voice sounded deeper and gargled as if she were underwater.
"Yeah, Mom. It's me. I'm going to skip dinner because I don't feel so good," Leonard replied, his own voice echoing with the same underwater quality. "I'm going upstairs. Don't bother me."
Mustering the last of his strength, Leonard crawled to his bedroom. He lacked the energy to take even one more step to reach his bed. Instead, he collapsed onto the floor, and the world around him faded to black. As the final strange event of the day, the last sound that reached his ears was...
Splash!
Leonard's consciousness gradually returned as he blinked awake. His vision was hazy at first, but as he focused, he found himself lying on the bedroom floor. He tried to push himself up, but his limbs felt heavy and unresponsive. Panic began to set in as he looked down and saw that his arms and legs had vanished, replaced by a shapeless mass of green goo. He lets out a strangled gasp, but no sound emerges. His mouth and nose have disappeared, merging into the rest of his gelatinous form. Leonard's heart pounded as he struggled to comprehend what was happening to him. He recalled the alien creature from the crater, the battle for his body. This must be connected to what transpired last night.
"Did the alien win?" Leonard wondered. "Is it still with me?"
But no, he could still feel his own thoughts, his own identity. The alien presence had vanished, leaving behind only this strange new form. Leonard attempted to take a deep breath, but without lungs, it was more of a mental exercise, focusing on the rhythm of his nonexistent breathing. His gelatinous body expanded and contracted rhythmically. It may have been a facade, but it brought a sense of calm to his mind. Those yoga classes he took seemed to be paying off in unexpected ways.
Slowly, Leonard begins to feel more in control. He visualizes his human form in his mind's eye. The green slime shifts and reshapes itself, limbs emerging from the amorphous mass. Fingers, toes, arms, and legs are all reassembling themselves according to Leonard's will. His skin takes on a more solid consistency, losing its translucence as it becomes opaque and flesh-toned once more. A head forms at the top, complete with eyes, nose, and mouth. Leonard's features solidify into his own familiar visage. However, his eyes still hold a faint glow reminiscent of the alien's eerie light.
Finally, after what feels like an eternity, Leonard is fully human once more. He staggers to his feet, marveling at the sensation of having a body again. He flexes his fingers and runs a hand through his hair, amazed by the texture of his skin. It's all so strange and new, yet somehow comfortingly familiar.
Leonard stares at his reflection, a mix of fascination and unease playing across his face. He's the same person, yet different. He knows he can never return to being the carefree boy he once was, and a part of him doesn't want to.
Curiosity getting the better of him, Leonard focuses his thoughts on his right hand. He watches as the skin melts away, revealing the glistening green slime beneath. With a mere flicker of concentration, the slimy appendage resolidifies into a normal human hand once more, complete with his distinctive mole on the middle finger.
Leonard's mind races with possibilities. If he can transform his entire body, surely he can make smaller alterations too. He tries to change the color of his eyes, willing them to shift from brown to blue, but nothing happens. Frustrated, he attempts to lengthen his hair or close the gap in his teeth, but again, his body remains stubbornly unchanged. While Leonard can completely reshape himself into a gelatinous blob, his ability to make targeted modifications is limited. He's stuck with his original human form.
A knock at the door startles Leonard out of his reverie. "Leonard, honey, are you alright?" his mother's muffled voice calls from outside. "You missed breakfast!"
Leonard tenses, realizing how he missed the clock. It's nearly noon, and he stank with a distinct artificial smell, like a sanitized hospital. He takes a deep breath, centering himself, before responding. "I'm fine, Mom! Just tired. I think I'll rest a bit longer." He waits until he hears her footsteps recede before turning back to the mirror. His reflection stares back at him, equal parts familiar and foreign.
With Leonard's composure restored, he retreated to his bed and gathered his thoughts. He stared up at the ceiling as he replayed the events of last night in his mind. The meteorite, the crater, the alien creature... it all felt like a dream, yet the lingering ache in his body told him it was all too real. Not to mention this ability to turn his fingers into green jello.
He thought back to the movies he'd seen, the ones where aliens invade Earth and take over human bodies as their first step towards global domination. Was that what this creature was trying to do? Was Leonard just lucky enough to fight it off and gain its powers instead?
If the alien could possess bodies, and Leonard now has those same abilities, then it stands to reason that he can do the same. He pictures himself transforming into a puddle of green slime, oozing into someone's mouth or nose, taking control of their mind and body... But how exactly does it work? Does he need to find a way to incapacitate his target first? Or can he simply overwhelm them with his alien essence? And how does he assert his dominance over their consciousness once he's inside?
Leonard sighs, running a hand through his hair in frustration. It's not like he got a user manual along with these powers. He's going to have to figure it out through trial and error.
Luckily, he has a long weekend ahead of him. The journalism club president gave them a few days off before the final push of the student council campaign period. That means Leonard has some free time to experiment with his new abilities. With that thought in mind, Leonard swings his legs over the side of the bed and stands up.