Winning it All

When Tyler picked up that chintzy necklace from a tourist shop on the Venice boardwalk, he also took on a curse. During the next lunar eclipse, the necklace would steal Tyler's consciousness, his very essence, his soul, and seal it within itself; at the same moment, my own soul would be thrust into Tyler's vacant body and become its sole inhabitant.

Two months after Tyler's vacation in California. By then, he had flown back home to Idaho, and resumed classes. It was Friday night, and Tyler's football team was playing the homecoming game. The team won. It had been an awesome game, the crowds in the bleachers were going wild, and he was feeling pumped. It was then that the eclipse happened.

For him, it was painless. A sensation so sudden and so incomprehensible that Tyler didn't even have a chance to realize he was in danger. For me, however, it was exhilarating. Like falling from an airplane, traveling outside of my body was a terrible and awesome rush. But that was just an instant, what was more impactful was suddenly finding myself someplace else, and as someone else.

I was panting, and my muscles burned. There were lights and sounds all around me, and for more than a second I couldn't make out the world around me. But gradually I began to see, I saw goal posts, and people around me. My heart was racing, and looking down I saw the beautiful landscape of an athlete. I was tall, and strong. Resting in the valley of my muscular chest, was the small, silver palm tree pendant Tyler bought at my gift shop two months ago. I craned my head back and looked up at the sky. The moon was a deep, scarlet red. I cheered and jumped around, filled with energy like I've never felt before. I eventually followed the rest of my teammates to the locker room. The coach gave a speech, but I wasn't paying attention. I couldn't stop staring at my hands and my forearms, and marveling at how they were mine. The showers were great, it was almost overwhelming: having so much to see and look at, all at once. I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to guess my locker combination. It's very strange dressing in a stranger's clothes, and it's even stranger when they fit so well. I'm absolutely beside myself, and I can't help walking with a giddy swagger. Now someone's driving us to an after party, and I can't wait to break in my new body.