Chapter four

I got up, stumbling back in shock as I gazed at my arms. I could see my arms clearly; they looked the same as always, thin but glowing a bit whiter now. The real shock was the OTHER pair of arms around mine; these ones were thick and transparent. I flexed my fingers and when my own spindly digits moved the thick sausage like ones that totally enveloped mine moved with them; it was like I was wearing another person. I pushed off out the bedroom door; I stumbled, something was wrong. My body felt lighter than usual, maybe it was the concussion still but I felt like I was almost bouncing with each step. I slammed against the wall; that at least felt heavy.
I scrapped myself off the wall “Oh I missed that” a voice muttered, it was mine again.
I was panicking, something was really wrong with me and it had something to do with Francis I knew it. I gripped the wall firmly and used it to help me into the dark bathroom, leaning against the wall as I stared into the full length mirror.

I gulped as I stared at the reflection; shining clearly around my silhouette was Francis’ white form. Slowly I moved closer, more steady on my feet now had a moment to myself, and leaned in to examine my face. It was enveloped by Francis’ thick one; my skinny little face was covered by transparent thick ghost flesh. Gently I probed at my face; Francis’ fingers stopped when they reached his face but mine sank right through and caressed my skin. My skin was freezing cold but I only noticed it when I touched my own slightly damp flesh.
“This is so weird” that was me; at least I had some control over my body.
“Tell me about it” my lips moved when Francis spoke as well.
“Get the hell out of my body!” I yelled; I reached up and wrapped the ghost hands around the thick head.

I yanked hard at Francis with his ghost hands; trying to pull Francis free of my body. As hard as I yanked Francis wouldn’t come free, he just fought back against me as I tried to rip his ghost from my body. I struggled against Francis as I tried to tear him from me but he was a million times stronger than I was. He made me drop my arms by my side; my hands twitched slightly as I tried my best to get some control.
“Look, I don’t know what’s getting on either” my reflection spoke to me; it felt weird to have someone else controlling my mouth “Let’s just calm down alright?”
I didn’t have much choice in the matter so I just stood there as Francis moved my own arms around to examine his newly possessed body. I jerked his hands away as he began to get too personal in his search.
“I don’t know how this happened but I’m enjoying it” Francis admitted as he let me take control of my body again.
I sighed and turned slowly, looking at both mine and Francis’ body in the mirror. He totally enveloped my body; he was huge. I flexed my little arms and his massive muscles bulged with it. I got a weird feeling, something to do with how light I’d felt when I’d rushed from my room. I wanted to test this out but I couldn’t in the home... I didn’t want my parents to learn about this.

I walked unsteadily from the room; I still felt light as a feather from Francis’ mighty legs and had to keep myself from bouncing with each step. Metal tinkled and my foot caught on something solid; I looked down to see the ghost chain leading from my own ankle into my bedroom.
“I’m still not free of that thing?” Francis groaned; my leg shaking as he rattled the chain frantically as if hoping it would fall off “At least I’m further away from it though, I haven’t moved four feet from that bed in sixty years. What the hell are you doing?” I felt my foot freeze in mid-air as I started walking back towards my room, I wanted to sleep on this and try and figure out what was going on in the morning. Francis seemed to have other ideas “Look, you can sleep later. I want to go exploring.”
I spun around on the spot; I couldn’t control my own body as it marched down the stairs two at a time. There was barely a thud as I hit the stairs, I drifted along and landed softly. I barely had time to yank the keys off the table before he forced me to walk out the door.

I still bounced with each step; the sheer force of each step that I somehow produced made me almost glide with each bound. Francis was in complete control now and enjoying every moment of it. I honestly didn’t blame the guy, if I’d been trapped with that batty old woman for ages I’d want to get out.
“Just don’t hurt me ok?” I sighed as he darted among the back passages that led to the factories.
Francis jumped forward straight towards the wall the moment I finished talking; I yelled out in surprise before he twisted in the air and slammed his feet into the wall. He jumped off the moment his feet touched; he didn’t try and run across the wall but he just used his mighty strength to throw himself down among the wrecked factories.
“NO FLIPPING OUT!” I yelled at Francis as he began to run again; sometimes he decided to try and give me a heart attack by jumping up and pushing away from a wall with a steady foot.
He had the footing of a mountain goat and his leaps were powerful compared to my body size so I was propelled further than any normal man could jump. Despite the sheer panic of being possessed and taken for a test drive I was starting to enjoy this. I wasn’t flying exactly but it was still fun to fling yourself across the roads; I was just going with the flow now and trying to enjoy the fact I drifted as Francis jumped. I’d never seen the world from this angle; it lurched up and down as I leapt but the few moments which I spent hovering the world was at peace. The wind was still and the air was clear as I half hovered among the shop ceilings; I cleared troublesome gaps in no time and paths that took ages to circle around were jumped in seconds. I bit my lip as I fought the urge to just yell out in enjoyment of this moment; it was even harder to resist the urge to surprise Francis and start to mess with this new found talent. I was just about to try and take control again when Francis misjudged a mighty jump and my head connected hard with the ceiling. I spun out of control; I felt like a fighter pilot going down as I twisted around and around trying to get some balance. In one slow spin I suddenly realised I was heading belly first towards a surviving window. I couldn’t do anything to save myself so I just curled up in a ball and prayed that I wasn’t going to be picking glass from my back later. The window was old and shattered around me as I barrelled through it like a little white human cannon ball. I thought that was it, I tried to uncurl before I hit the wall but I peeked out just in time to see a second window opposite. I yelled out in shock as this second pain of glass smashed around me. I was spiralling towards floor in a massive belly flop of expectant pain.

It hurt; I knew it would. It hurt less than I thought it would though; somehow having Francis around me acted like a massive cushion to the blow. I still skidded however, rolling and sliding along on my back before slowing to a stop. I was lying there for a second time in so few hours, groaning in pain and staring up at the brewery ceiling.
“Ok, I’m not going to do that again” Francis groaned, using my hand to hold my aching head.
I sat up slowly; being careful because my head felt like it was going to explode. It was all fun and games until someone’s skull was split open like a ripe watermelon.
“Ah well” someone hiccoughed “seen worse happen... to me actually.”
I looked around at once, my mind swirled once I’d stopped and the room danced. I grabbed my head and held it gently, my eyes closed tight as I tried to fight down breakfast; Francis seemed just as out of it as I was.
“Ah poor kid” the voice said again, a half transparent bottle was shoved in my face “the hangover’s always the worst. Here, have a drink.”