1 New body

In an empty alley, the noise of gunfire was heard. A tall man lay in the middle of the ground, soaking in his blood. The man was calm despite the horrific injuries he had sustained. He lost count of the number of times that he died. After watching his loved ones get murdered in front of him over and over, he was mentally exhausted. All he wanted to do was get away from this vicious circle. The sound of refilling shattered his line of thought. It was a hint that he would go back in time.

****

"Hey, I'm talking to you; why are you so dazed?"

Desmond said disdainfully.

He had sat in front of his childhood friend in a crowded cafe one hour ago and spoken nonstop about his failure to pick up girls without receiving any response from his friend, a famous hunk in their school. Whenever they went to, the girls were all over him. It was such a frustration every time he came along with him. Sometimes, even boys come to pursue him. It was a constant blow to his self-esteem. When they were children, his friend had a joyful and sunny personality that drew everyone towards him like a magnet. But after a summer break, he had changed into a distant and indifferent person. Before, you could see large crowds around him laughing and joking, but after that summer, he was so cold everyone kept a safe distance from him as a precaution against becoming ice blocks if they were too close. So now, a handful of people could talk to him without fear, and one of them was himself.

Desmond looked at his friend's pretty face and deplored how wasteful this was for him. He had never been in a relationship before.

"Dude, why don't you come to Amy's party this weekend. If you're there, Sydney will be there for sure. You know I've had a thing for her since junior high. Help the pitiful friend for a change".

Desmond pleaded helplessly.

The boy in front of him looked at him, confused.' Who is this guy? What the hell is he talking about? Where am I ?' Dena thought to herself.

She had a piercing headache and went to sleep early last night, 'Don't tell me it wasn't just a headache? Did I die due to an aneurysm? It was pathetic to die without ever knowing it.

Dena was lost in her head until she was patted on the shoulder. She saw a pretty girl with glittering eyes and a playful smile. Before she could say anything, the boy screamed at her.

" Are you kidding me? Even college students make a move on you? This is so unfair ".

He stood up angrily and stormed out of the cafe.

Dena was bewildered.

"Excuse me, do you mind if I get your number?"

The beautiful girl asked her coyly.

Dena could shake her head as a no.

'Why was I being flirted with? I better go hiding somewhere to figure out where and who I am before I see someone else who knows this body.'

Dena rose in haste and left the café. She found a shopping centre nearby and walked directly to the lady's bathroom. As she opened the door, everybody looked at her strangely.

"Kid, are you looking for somebody?"

Some older woman talked to her.

Dena was rooted to the spot. Before her, a large mirror reflected a handsome boy wearing a black shirt and grey jeans. He had short dark hair, green eyes and smooth olive skin without blemishes; he was so dreamy it was surreal.

"Are you all right?"

Dena was frightened by what she saw. She ran off into some deserted alley. She found it difficult to breathe. Her shirt was drenched in a cold sweat. She looked at her hands, which were large with long fingers opposite to her tiny hands. She touched her breast. It was as flat as a crepe.

'Who on earth am I? Why have I become a boy? '

She slid on the floor dejectedly and put her head between her knees. She was terrified. She missed her parents and sisters. Tears started to fall. Suddenly she was startled by a buzzer. She found a cell phone inside her pocket. On the screen was the word Mother. With shaking hands, Dena slid to reject the call, but the constant ringing started to raise doubt in her.

' Did something happen to his family?'

Dena picked up the phone in fear.

"Edwin, where have you gone? You promised you'd come with me and see your brother in the hospital. Have you forgotten? Do you have any idea how many times you put it off? How long are you trying to get away from reality? Tell me where you are, and I'll come and fetch you."

'So the name of this body is Edwin. Ah, I loved the name. What the hell am I thinking right now? Do I need to see the original's mom or not? '

" Hello? Edwin Lohrasb, are you listening? Tell me where you are now, or I will never speak to you again for the rest of my life."

"Well... my head hurts; I don't know where I'm sitting."

Dena said with a hoarse and nasal voice.

There was a minute of silence at the other end of the phone.

"All right, open up your GPS, I'll trace you. Stay put; I'll be right there."

The phone call ended suddenly.

Dena opened her phone with Face ID and became dizzy. A photo of five people was on display. Two adults with, two boys and a girl, cheerfully stared into the camera. They were all strangers. She turned on her GPS, shut her eyes, and tried not to think of anything. The sinking feeling she used to feel started to grow inside her. She could not cope with her distress, resulting in hyperventilation. She was suffocating in the alleyway. She disliked being weak. Her ears started ringing until she could neither see nor hear. It was complete darkness.

****

Four hours earlier, in a small room, a teenage boy was brushing his hair as he looked at his face in a mirror. He had platinum blond hair with golden eyes, and the structure of his face was feminine, but the brutality in his eyes alienated that thought. He held a bottle of hairspray and painted his hair brown. Then, he put on blue eye contact lenses and glasses with a big black frame. After ensuring he looked like an ordinary boy, he left his room. Today was the last day he was in this town. He gathered appropriate information about two problematic families and had fun playing the role of a shy boy. He smiled smugly and went to his boyfriend's apartment.

He bought food in a restaurant and switched the ugly plastic container to make it look homemade. He slowly went to a luxurious community and saw two people kissing lovingly. He was eager for his part. Firstly, he knocked down the container loudly to attract their attention. Then he put his hand on his mouth, his eyes teared and shook his shoulders. When he was sure they had seen his shaky and desolate face, he turned around and ran away from them.

A young boy looked at the disappearing figure and laughed. Jack had white, lush skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes. He enjoyed playing with timid and weak people. Liam, with the bulky figure, was his childhood friend. He always attracted this kind of people. For this reason, there was always someone to chase Liam romantically. Initially, Jack ignored them, but those flies were persistent, flirting, so he devised a plan to crush them mentally. But it was so amusing; he couldn't stop it. He even found prey himself. This was the fourth of them.

" you should contact him before he spills it on someone."

Jack said with a grin on his face.

Liam was smitten with him. His smile and brilliant eyes always captivated him.

He was a slave of the boy from his childhood. He would do anything for his sake.

"What reward will I receive today?"

Liam asked in a thought-provoking manner.

Jack chuckled and whispered in his ears. He knew Liam's obsession with himself.

Liam was not interested in these weak women and boys. Jack would never have played a game to the extent that there was a chance of losing. He wouldn't give away his favourite toy with no warranty.