Life in their skin (Patreon)

He was the client, and I was the builder and owner of a construction company. Towards the end of the build he decided to not pay his bill. His debt was about 50k. I had already paid the lads, and bought all of the materials, the building was finished, with just a small snag list to complete. He had already moved in, his company was operating from the building and he was making money. Just not enough to pay me!

He said he had 20k that he could get right away, which of course I accepted and it left 30k to pay which he said he would pay by instalments. I didn’t really do instalments and I needed the whole 50k in order to start the next job.

I told him I would need some sort of collateral to accept. I thought he would offer me a share in his company until the debt was paid. However, he had other plans. You see he had always wanted to be a builder, but for some reason his parents sent him on business degrees, so he never learnt a trade. He was now a great business man but he wasn’t really happy. It seemed as if he was giving me his life story.

He told me that if I was interested he would use his own body and life as collateral. He estimated it would take him thirty months to pay back the whole 30k at 1k per month. Of course he would pay more when he could. Then he went on to explain technically I would be paying him because I would be him and he would be me. He broached the subject deeper.

So how about it? You become me, use my body as your own, take over my life until the debt is paid? I’ll be you, if you will let me?

I was gob smacked! It was a weird topic of discussion. If this was possible then how? I hardly know this guy, what if he can’t pay, or I can’t pay in 30 months, do I keep him longer? I had so many questions but I didn’t stop to ask any of them. I was kind of hoping it was a dream, some kind of weird dream and my client wasn’t really saying any of this! I knew a body swap was only possible in science fiction. So I said, yes ok I’ll do it!

As the words left my mouth, I immediately regretted my decision. This was insane, impossible, and potentially dangerous. But it was too late to take it back now. The client, now potentially me, smiled and nodded, seemingly relieved that I had agreed.

He explained the process to me, a strange ritual involving ancient words and symbols. I followed his instructions, feeling a mix of excitement and dread as the ritual progressed. And then, suddenly, it was done.

I could feel the process begin deep within my core. Then he reached out and grabbed my hands I could feel my bones shifting, my skin morphing, my hair changing color and texture. I was becoming him, or rather, he was becoming me. It was a strange and surreal experience, almost like being possessed by someone else's essence. My dirty hands now replaced by his smooth clean ones. The dirty cuticles of my nails replaced, his skeleton and flower tattoo replaced my own skull.

As the transformation neared completion, I looked at him and saw my face staring back at me. It was a strange feeling, seeing myself but not really myself. I was him, and he was me. It was a surreal experience.

But there was no time to dwell on it. I had a debt to pay off, a life to live that was not my own. I threw myself into his business, working tirelessly to make the 1k monthly payments, all the while wondering what would happen if I couldn't pay in time.

Months passed, and slowly but surely, I paid off the debt. And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the ritual was reversed. I was back in my own body, my own life, with the debt finally settled.

It was a strange and unforgettable experience, one that I would never forget. And while I was glad to be back in my own skin, I couldn't help but wonder about the client, about the life I had briefly lived as him. But one thing was for sure – I would never take a deal like that again, no matter how tempting it may seem.

I was taken aback by the revelation that the lads had been swapping bodies with me while I was in the client's body. It was a bizarre and unsettling discovery, to say the least. But as they lined up, eager for their turn to trade bodies with me, I couldn't help but feel a strange sense of curiosity and intrigue.

I decided to give a few of the lads a chance, to experience life in their bodies as they had done with mine. The process was strange and disorienting, each time feeling like I was living someone else's life, their thoughts and emotions mixing with my own.

But as the swaps continued, I began to feel a sense of unease and discomfort. It was a strange and unnatural experience, one that I wasn't sure I wanted to continue. The constant shifting of bodies and identities was taking its toll on me, both mentally and physically.

I knew that I had to put an end to the swaps, to reclaim my own identity and live my own life. It was a strange and surreal chapter in my life, one that I would never forget. But I was determined to move forward, to embrace my own skin and live my own life, without the complications and consequences of body swapping.