Help! Chapter 7 (Patreon)

Jeremy had his mother drop him off at school, so he could confront Mrs. Manchester.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?” Cynthia had said as she pulled up in front of the school.

“No, Mom, it’ll be okay. She said she’d put me back as I was supposed to be once it was complete.”

“Well, I hope so. I don’t like the thought of you all alone with that woman. She’s already—”

“I’ll be fine, Mom.” Jeremy shut the door and entered the school

It was deserted, with the students gone for the day. He climbed the stairs but before he went to Manchester’s classroom he stopped to see Bethany in the Teachers’ lounge.

She still stood in the corner where he’d left her.

“I swear I’ll get you out of this, Beth!” he said, standing underneath her lampshade. The light was still on, and he could see her heart and mind still functioning when he opened his third eye again.

Anja, he thought. When I open Anja.

He touched the pole softly, stroking it for a few moments, then sighed and walked into the hallway.

Time to get this over with.

Jeremy walked into the classroom to find faux-Bethany wearing a black short skirt and top with her long blonde hair trailing over one shoulder. He immediately felt a pang for what he’d lost and wanted this over with even more.

“Well, hello Mrs. Manchester!” Faux-Beth said.

“Hah, very funny.”

“What’s funny, Mrs. Manchester?” Faux-Beth said, posing. “Like my new outfit?”

“It’s lovely, dear,” Jeremy said. “Now, have you had enough of the games? Turn us both back to ourselves.”

She gave an evil grin and winked before dispelling the illusion. Sylvia stood once again in front of Jeremy.

“So tell me how you feel, darling? Wearing my body?”

“The illusion of your body, you mean?” Jeremy said.

“Indeed.”

Jeremy sighed, “I don’t like it. I want to be back to myself.”

“Not even a little bit?”

Jeremy glanced down. It wasn’t all bad, he had to admit. He kind of liked the feeling of his nylons and looking like his teacher. He felt a bit humiliated still, but that had dissipated.

“It’s not terrible,” Jeremy said. “But what you did to Beth is terrible and I want her back as herself right now.”

“Yes, yes. Of course.” Sylvia inhaled her cigarette and went to erase the chalkboard.

“Well?” Jeremy said, breathing the smoke from her cigarette and craving one now for himself.

“Tell me, Jeremy.” Sylvia stood facing the chalkboard. “Are you able to view this?”

“With my third eye? or Anja you mean?”

She blinked. “Anja...who told you of this word?”

Jeremy shook his head. “A friend.”

“Was that why you were absent today? To see a practitioner?”

Jeremy nodded.

“Then yes, with Anja, can you see this?”

Jeremy sighed, and concentrated, opening his third eye. It was becoming easier and easier to do this.

“Yes, I can see it.” Jeremy squinted. “It’s very faint.”

She manipulated it, adding several lines and Jeremy felt something inside him shift like it nudged him from somewhere.

“And what did this practitioner tell you to do about this?” Sylvia said.

“He said to erase it.”

Sylvia chuckled, “Is that right? He told you to erase it completely?”

Jeremy nodded.

“Well, then, by all means, erase it, darling.”

Jeremy snatched up the eraser and went to the drawing. This didn’t feel right, he felt like Manchester was leading him into a trap.

“Well?” she said. “You trust this practitioner more than me, yes, darling?”

Jeremy nodded. “You turned Beth into a lamp! And you’ve cast an illusion on my body to look like you!”

“Then erase the sigil.” She smiled.

Jeremy took the eraser and quickly ran it over the sigil. As he did it, he felt a rushing like something was pulling him somewhere. A wind raked through his body...the rushing sensation stopped, and he blinked, a bit dizzy as his perspective changed.

“Oh, this is wonderful!” A masculine voice said in front of Jeremy. She looked up to see—

His own face. Glancing down she saw she still wore Sylvia’s dress and hose. But—

They heard an ear-splitting scream from nearby. “You bitch!”

From out of the hallway, Bethany came rushing at Jeremy with her fingernails extended. “Beth, oh my God, you’re—”

But Beth slapped her hard across the face. “You turned me into a Light Fixture!” Do you have any idea how awful that was, I couldn’t move and—”

“Leave her alone, honey, it’s all over now.” Sylvia grabbed Beth from behind, hugging her tightly to him.

“Wait, no!” Jeremy said. “Beth, that’s not me, it’s—”

“Everything’s back to normal, babe.” Sylvia kissed Beth softly on the mouth and the girl hugged Sylvia fiercely. “Jesus, babe, you have no idea how horrible that was!”

“I know, I know, let’s get you home, baby.” Sylvia started moving them toward the door.

Staggering, Jeremy felt her jaw where Beth had slapped her. “But that’s not me!”

“Oh come on, Lady!” Beth said. “I’m going to tell my Father about what a bitch you are and he’ll have your job!”

Hyperventilating, Jeremy sat down on Sylvia’s desk chair. How could this be happening?

“We’ll see you tomorrow, Mrs. Manchester,” Sylvia said, grinning widely with Jeremy’s mouth.

Jeremy felt the bite of tears in his eyes. “B.b.b.ut!”

But they were gone. He was alone in the room.

And trapped in his teacher’s body!