Shapeshifter
(Published: 2018/04/12)
We were asked to write a story in English class the other day ending with the lines:
“But you said…You told me…”
The old man smiled and shrugged his shoulders.
“I lied,” he said, and disappeared.
(from The Boy Who Wouldn’t get Out of the Pool, by Paul Jennings)
This is what I wrote…
I slipped through the crowd, a fugitive and a fraud. They framed me and left me to die. Now I’m left picking up the pieces of my broken life. I know I will never escape from my past because no matter how hard you run, and no matter how long you run for, your past will only multiply, every second you live. But I don’t want to die.
I hear sirens and begin sprinting towards the Embassy. It’s not official…just a dirty deal between the Government and the Morphs, but it’s the only place no human can touch me. I cross the chalk into our territory and breathe deeply. I hate running for food everyday. I am part of the new generation with their life value in their eyes. A month ago my reflection told me my life value was zero and no amount of shape-shifting can ever change that. I wear hacked contact lenses to protect myself now, but once reward points start looming above my head, the Morphs will know. They’ll kill me before anyone can find me and prove me to be a Morph. It’s taken me until now to accept it.
I grab my decrepit second-hand sneakers, then I turn the knob and run into the third-class shack. I prop up my mattress with a broken picture frame and feel for my hacked iPhone 8+ which is multiple generations old and miraculously, still working. The lock screen appears and a face smiles up at me. I feel a needle pierce my heart. I quickly hold down the off button. Then I slip the phone into my jean pocket and head for the kitchen. I sweep the contents of the shelves and cupboards into a grey canvas bag, with the addition of some clothes and bottles of drinking water. I snatch the keys off the counter and scramble towards the door. I lock the door behind me, spin around and find myself inches from Isla. She steps back in embarrassment and I notice her cheeks flush. I don’t need this. My eyes find the dark rings beneath her eyes and I know she’s been up hacking again.
“Isla…”
“I know,” she interrupts. “But how else, Phoenix? Morphs don’t get jobs and I can’t live like this.”
“How do you possibly think that will help? It’s illegal. But then, do what you like. If you get arrested, don’t say I didn’t warn you,” I reply coldly. A flash of pain appears in her eyes before they glaze over. A needle jabs at my heart again and I stare at her for a moment.
“Isla,” I croak. I grab her hand. Don’t do this. Stop*. Leave now, Phoenix.*
“Isla, my life value…” My breath catches and I drop her hand. I grab my bag and run towards the car. I force the key into the ignition. Isla starts shouting but I turn a dial and music drowns her out. I drive across the chalk and into a stream of traffic. My phone vibrates and the car swerves as I read her text, prompting a series of aggravated car horns. My heart stops at the sight of her words. I love you. I hit the brakes and tap at the alphabet with my left hand. Isla, you will never see this same guy again. Then **I drive into the middle of an intersection on a red light and brake halfway through. Cars brake but it’s unavoidable. The windscreen smashes and the backseat is devastated by the impact.
Two years later…
A policeman stood just before the chalk line. He had white hair and his skin was wrinkled similarly to paper that had been scrunched up and thrown in the paper bin, minutes before being hastily retrieved and unravelled. A young woman, maybe 21 at most, met him at the chalk line.
“You’re back again,” the young woman said, her voice cracking a bit. “Come to tell me he’s back from the dead?” The policeman grinned.
“Well, you see, that’s the thing. He came back to get you, today. But he stuck to his word. You’re never going to see the same guy again,” he whispered. A moment of silence passed before the woman stumbled in shock.
“Pack your things if you want a trip to New York. I’ll be back for you in an hour.”
“But you said…You told me…”
The old man smiled and shrugged his shoulders.
“I lied,” he said, and disappeared.