The Clone Mansion

Processing

The haze around me disintegrates and the fog in my mind clears. The tanned color of my skin tells me that I'm not in my body anymore. My muscles ache from the transition and it's hard for me to get up. I've never felt so sore.

Grant returns my gaze, panic in his eyes. My own reflection is staring back at me, but the eyes don't look the same. Have my eyes always been so dark and sinister or is it just because Grant's looking through them? If my eyes look like this all the time then I'm disappointed because it's the one thing that gives away my true intentions. I never considered that my eyes could be my downfall.

"This is too creepy, I can't be here." He jumps up as if he doesn't feel his muscles aching the way I do. Is this what his body normally feels like, heavy? Is his pain tolerance high? It drives me crazy I can't truly know the answer to those questions. For some reason I really want to know what he deals with on a daily basis. I keep my eyes steady on the cause of these thoughts. It's so weird watching myself move and hearing myself talk, except it's not quite my voice; it's my voice with his inflection. It's his version of me.

"How do you feel?" I try testing out his emotions and his accent. He talks a little like a college man that never left the fraternity. I'm used to talking more like a derailed gangster. This is going to be a challenge, but I have not and will not back down from a challenge.

He stares at me with an expression I can't decipher. "Let me see...I'm in some gross uncomfortable body against my will, I'd say I'm doing just as good as all the other victims you see on the poorly made horror movies." He death glares me.

"I see you're handling the transition well." I adjust my shirt while staring at the brown curly hair and darker skin tone that used to be me. "You need to get yourself together and quickly. Remember what's at stake."

His expression hardens. "You know, killing you would be a whole lot easier."

I give him no reaction. I know for a fact he's not capable of murder. "We should go."

"Whatever." He stays despite my encouragement for us to leave. "How long does this last?"

"Not long." I say as I walk out the door. The truth is I have no idea. I can't tell him that though, he'll freak out and mess up our whole plan.

As I leave the room I'm planning my next move out in my head. I already know Grant is going to mostly isolate as his form of protest, which sort of disappoints me because I want more of a challenge. I need to know that I can win Wishes's heart despite Grant. I want her to know that she had the choice of either of us and choose me when it came down to nothing but our souls. I know our souls connect in a way theirs can't. All she needs is some encouragement to see it.

I focus in on what I need to figure out. I have to be Grant, I have to think like he does if I'm going to pull this off. I ask myself, what would Grant do? It only takes a few seconds for me to know the answer. He would try to avoid Wishes at all cost. He'd be set on looking for his missing date. I instantly start to play the role. "Dillion? You have ten seconds to tell me where she is before I start a riot!" I try to sound as angry as possible.

To my surprise, Wishes doesn't waste time coming up to me. "Grantheis?! I'm right here." She looks at me eagerly, a large smile plastered on her face. It was amazing to have her look at me like this, with love and admiration. This is what I've been craving all this time. I keep my breathing as relaxed as possible with my racing heart.

"Your name isn't Dillion and you're not my date." I say in a typical irritated Grant voice. I want to wrap my arms around her and kiss her but he wouldn't do that and I can't blow my cover just yet.

She looks unfazed by my rude comment, she continues talking. "I can't even believe you told me you loved me when you were in bed last night."

I feign shock. "You were in my room?! You have to stop stalking me." I throw my hands up in the air angrily just like he would do. "What do I have to do to get you to leave me alone?"

Wishes shrugs. "Marry me probably."

I sigh loudly to emphasize 'my' frustration. "Where's Dillion?"

"Must be banging Chanrelle again." She makes a disgusted face.

It takes everything in me not to break character. I want to correct her and tell her I've never slept with Chanrelle and I'm not with her everytime I'm MIA, but I can't. I taste a little trickle of blood in mouth from biting my tongue.

"Eww. Just tell him I'm looking for him, okay? Tell my date the same thing." I turn to quickly walk away the way he would but secretly hope she stops me or at least follows me home. She doesn't stop me and I'm on my way. I feel the pain of the switch deep in my bones but I use my best pokerface the whole way to Grant's house. I don't know who's watching and I won't loose on a technicality. I examine the outside of shack and wonder if it's even safe to live in. It decrepit and broken down in every possible way. I am used to staying in the clone mansion where everything is spotless and elegant. As I walk through the front door I realize the clone mansion is a lot more roomy too. The shack is so small it makes me claustrophobic. I don't how Chanrelle and Elijah stay here all the time. No wonder Grant is so adamant on getting them out of here, he barely has enough room for just himself to live in this place. I take my coat off and throw it on the floor carelessly to mimic Grant. I storm into the living room and turn on racing, the way I know he would. He loved racing and all things related.

It's not long before I hear the door creak open. "I'm here Granthies, you can stop begging me to come over now." Wishes stands before me in all of her eccentric glory.

"Go away!" I yell towards her beautiful face. I am so beyond happy she's here even though I can't show it.

Wishes shakes her shoulders. "Baby, stop being so needy, Wishey is an independent woman."

I cover my face with a pillow. "What do you want now? Didn't I just get away from you?"

She yanks me off the couch angrily, earning a whimper from me. I was so caught off guard that I couldn't hide my pain. "You and I have something real big to do."