She was way too giving (Patreon)

Zara blinked groggily, struggling to rise from the hard, unfamiliar bed. She groaned, feeling an odd stiffness in her body. Her mouth was parched, her throat dry, and her joints ached as if she'd aged decades overnight. She had come to the small African village as a volunteer to help build houses for the community. She spent countless hours working under the scorching sun, carrying bricks and mixing cement. But the physical labor was a small price to pay for the satisfaction she felt in helping those less fortunate.

In the evenings, Zara enjoyed sitting with the village elders, listening to their stories and learning about their traditions. They welcomed her with open arms, touched by her generosity and willingness to help. One evening, she met Malia, a wise and kind elderly woman who had lived in the village her entire life. Malia's eyes twinkled with wisdom, her voice soft and comforting. Malia had been having difficulty sleeping, and Zara, ever the empathetic helper, had offered to spend the night with her. As they lay in the darkness, Zara's gentle presence seemed to work wonders, and Malia's breathing soon became slow and steady.

But when Zara awoke the next morning, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong. As she tried to rise from the bed, her body protested with pain and stiffness. She glanced down at her hands and gasped, her heart pounding in her chest. The skin was wrinkled and spotted, the veins prominent and the joints swollen. She had somehow awakened in Malia's elderly body.

Her confusion and fear mounted as she stumbled to the small mirror on the wall, her reflection confirming her worst fears. The face that stared back at her was not her own, but Malia's. Suddenly, a figure emerged from the shadows, graceful and agile. It was Malia, but in Zara's youthful body. Zara's heart raced as she tried to comprehend the situation. “Good morning, sleepy head,” the body thief said with a slight African accent.

“M-Malia, what did you do to us?”

“Well, I couldn’t help but see how charitable you were,” the body thief said. “Such a kind, generous girl. You even stayed the entire night with me, willing to do anything I asked while I used magic on you. You inadvertently let me switch bodies with you! You shouldn’t have been such a naïve young American.”

“Switch us back!”

Malia laughed. “I don’t think so. You’re the only person stupid enough to agree to spend time with me. And now, your body’s mine forever. You know what the best part is? Nobody will ever believe you.”

“They’ll see right through your accent.”

Suddenly, the body thief’s accent disappeared. “See this? Yeah, it’s called acting. With time, it will be second nature. I’ll easily slip into your life once I finally get used to your memories too. Enjoy what time you have left as an old lady…”