Author's note. The following takes place between Shudder and Mind Hack. You do not have to read Mind Hack to appreciate this new story, but you might appreciate the ending of this arc slightly more if you do.
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Aubrey Johnson felt the fog of sleep lift as brightness surged uninvited into her college dorm room. Her eyes fluttered open and she used a hand to shield the sun's rays that were now streaming through the only window. It was a window that was usually was heavily curtained, allowing no naturally light to penetrate. This was how Aubrey's roommate, Lola, liked their room to be, dark or dimmed with artificial light only, and since Lola was a sophomore and Aubrey a freshman, she had not rocked the boat. But at the moment, Lola had apparently had a change of heart because she had pulled back the curtain and was staring outside at their bustling campus.
Aubrey thought she knew why her roommate's habit had changed, but first she did a mental check on herself. As she became fully awake, she checked for control of her own body. She flexed her fingers while still under her covers, and when that proved successful, she sat up. That was usually enough for her to be sure, but just in case, she did a final mental sweep. She was looking for someone, an interloper in her mind, a stowaway that often took over control of her body completely.
Feeling alone in her thoughts, Aubrey tentatively whispered softly to the other person in the room, "Derek?" She said it more internally, as if asking herself the question, but it was still loud enough for her roommate to hear.
Lola continued to stare out the window for a few more seconds, the brightness bathing her and causing her light skin to seem alabaster. She had told Aubrey that she burned very easily, her excuse for a constant aversion to natural light in their room. Apparently done with the view, the woman turned her pretty face to Aubrey's. Lola's reply erased all further doubt as a low, masculine voice replaced the much higher, sometimes almost squeaky one. "What's up Bri? Oh crap, I woke you, didn't I?"
In response, Aubrey just smiled and shook her head. No matter how many times she saw it, it was still so strange to hear her brother's voice coming out of another person's mouth.
Derek's voice continued as Lola's body approached Aubrey's bed. "I'm sure you're already mad at me anyway because I sort of abandoned you after we got here. First time away from the parents and on our own and I just, I got excited and wanted to get the lay of the land, you know? And I also wanted you to be able to have your own college orientation experience without having it hijacked by your brother."
Aubrey couldn't stop herself from smiling, then shook her head. She stretched out her arms to Lola, beckoning the girl to come to Aubrey's bedside. Lola obliged and when she was within reach, Aubrey tugged at Lola's hands, pulling her into a sitting position next to her on the bed. The young woman's face was downcast and it was clear that Derek was expecting some sort of lecture for abandoning his sister to sight see. Instead, Aubrey hugged her roommate, squeezing the girl tight.
Aubrey had felt alone since she and Derek parted ways minutes after their parents settled Aubrey into her dorm room. She knew this was normal, a part of growing up. It was necessary to leave the nest, cut the cord, pick your euphemism for moving out and finding her way in the world. But she thought she'd at least have Derek with her. When Derek had piggybacked on someone else the second her parents had left, she'd felt a little abandoned. But with Derek out exploring, she figured she had the power to make new and lasting friendships, starting with her roommate.
Lola had come later in the day and barely acknowledged Aubrey's presence. She had wheeled in a large suitcase, put it next to the empty bed, all while looking at her phone. She gave a small giggle at something on the small screen, then glanced up, acknowledging Aubrey for the first time. "Hey," then looked back at the phone.
Aubrey had been lying on her bed with a pillow propped up against the wall, reading a book. She had watched this stranger come in, and grew excited at the expectation that she was watching the person that would most likely become her future best friend. She stood up quickly, then reminded herself not to appear too excited, just to play it cool. When Lola said hey, Aubrey took her cue. "Hi! I'm Aubrey and it's so nice to meet you!" Aubrey moved in to hug the girl, but a hand flew up, blocking her path.
Still without looking up, the girl just said, "Lola."
"Oh, not a hugger, that's fine. Well it's very nice to meet you. I'm sure we'll become good friends and..."
"I'm out," Lola interjected. And Aubrey watched with anxious disappointment as new best friend potential walked briskly out of the room.
The next few days passed with a rush of new experiences that come with college life. She learned how to navigate a communal living space, learned the campus buildings and tried not to be late for lectures, all while trying to put to memory a constant flood of new names and faces. Each day, Lola had said at most, five words to her. Among the new sea of people, Lola was her only constant and should have been an easy relationship, but the girl had been anything but. The only thing Lola had felt like sharing was her current year of college, and the fact that the curtains should be closed at all times. Aubrey had tried in the few minutes she got to see Lola each day to tell her about her life, her hopes, her dreams, but it had been like talking to a wall that was fascinated with a cell phone.
But now, Lola was sitting on her bed, holding her hands, giving her all the attention in the world. In that moment, she didn't care that it was fake, she threw her arms around her roommate and gave her the hug she had wanted to give on day one. She held on for a long time, getting some of the bonding fix she craved, while also assuring her brother that there was no ill will between them.
When Aubrey finally let go, Lola's face looked at her curiously. Derek's voice was tentative as he asked, "So, we good?"
Aubrey's smile had grown. She was surprised at how emotional that was for her as a happy tear rolled down her cheek. She wasn't alone, her brother was here, and even though only temporarily, so was her roommate. "It's okay Bro. I'm glad you let me have those experiences on my own. It would have been nice if you had checked in sooner, especially so I could give Mom a report on if you've made any progress towards your...situation."
These words hung in the air for a moment as both involuntarily reflected on the reason they both found themselves at college for reasons they couldn't have fathomed a year ago. During his last year of high school, Derek had absorbed the abilities of a man named Nevyn, a body hopper who had been alive for a couple of centuries by hopping from person to person. During an erotic encounter, and for reasons that were still unknown, Nevyn's and Derek's souls had swapped. Nevyn had found himself trapped in Derek's body, unable to hop out. At the same time, Derek had been transferred into his mother, Nancy Johnson, who Nevyn had been possessing during the unfortunate incident. It had definitely been labeled unfortunate, not just because of Derek losing his body, but because he had been having sex with his mother when it had happened. Later on, swept up in his mother's emotions and memories and unable to control all the facets of Nevyn's powers, he had let himself be seduced by his father while as his mother. It had led to an inability to look his parents in the eyes for the rest of the summer.
During the summer months, Nevyn had trained Derek to be able to become the person he was possessing at any given time. While inhabiting a person, Derek now had access to their memories, habits, voice, mannerisms, everything needed to completely blend in and fool that person's own mother. It had taken the entire summer for Derek to become proficient at it, but he had learned a lot. At the same time, they had tried various ways to recreate the specifics that had swapped their bodies in the first place, but to no avail. The one thing they hadn't tried was involving Derek's mother again, to which Derek was staunchly opposed. At present, he would rather live the rest of his life hopping bodies than have sex as Nancy Johnson ever again.
The current plan was to try and learn more about why Nevyn had these powers and if they could be duplicated or reversed. Aubrey was smart enough to pursue whatever avenue of science she wanted, and had changed her plans of a veterinary degree to genetic engineering. They weren't yet sure if this would be the correct field, but it was a start. Derek in his own body wouldn't have been able to get into the prestigious university his sister had been accepted to, but as a body hopper, he didn't think he'd have any trouble. Their idea was to divide and conquer. Aubrey would study and learn what she could, and Derek would hop the finest minds available to them, looking for a scientific cure or method that would help get Derek's body back.
The bond between the twins had never been closer. Derek had hopped many different bodies over the past summer, but he had gone to sleep in control of his sister's body almost every night. Aubrey had offered this solution both as a way to keep her brother close, but also knowing he would perhaps behave himself if he was in possession of a body that he cared for. Derek had been extremely grateful for a solution that kept him close to family, but also it seemed to cement the fact that Aubrey had forgiven him for also sleeping with her while she too had been possessed by Nevyn. This was confirmed as something strange happened over their weeks of cohabitation. Usually, when Derek hopped someone, they couldn't remember anything after he left, only what he let them remember. And they certainly had no control over their motor functions or the ability to dialogue with their mental captor. But after a few weeks, Aubrey had found she was able to regain a tiny portion of control. It was during the fleeting moments of unconsciousness, when Derek's mind had almost drifted off to sleep, or when it was just waking up. During those fleeting seconds, she had been able to peer into his thoughts, seeing his memories, examining his feelings. As time had gone on, she had gained the ability to even move parts of her body.
Aubrey had revealed this to her brother the day before they had left for college. Derek had slipped inside her body, and just before he went to sleep that night, she had taken control of her hands and touched her breasts and pussy. Derek had fully awoken at this and she lost control of herself, but this had been a new and exciting development. Aubrey's best friend, Bekka, had awareness whenever Nevyn had hopped her, but only because Nevyn had allowed it. This was different, both because Derek had not opened the door for Aubrey to have awareness while in control of her body, but also because Bekka had never been able to take physical control. They had shared this with Nevyn the next day, and he was just as excited and stumped as them. It was one of the many, many things they aspired to get to the bottom of as they attempted to find a way to transfer Derek back to his own body.
At present, the immediate goal was to keep Derek focused on what needed done. Aubrey watched as Lola's eyes had drifted off and a look of melancholy had set in."Sorry about bringing up Mom. I know it's been hard for you two ever since Nevyn..."
