Everybody Change

Originally posted on November 8, 2022.

William had just graduated law school and got a job as a junior lawyer at a law firm. He was finally able to move out of his parents’ house and get an apartment down by the court house. The other people in the building explained that the community was very close, and William looked forward to getting to know people. His job left him with very little time to do so however. In fact, his first time to breathe had to spent going to the local laundromat.

Shortly after he put his clothes into the dryer, a weird homeless man came in shouting, “Everybody change clothes! Everybody change!”

William looked a little scared, but a neighbor told him that he would get used to it. The man left shortly after with no incident, and William finished drying his clothes. But as he pulled it out, his clothes were gone! Instead, a woman’s set of clothing was inside.

The same neighbor came over again and explained, “It happens everytime that man comes in. You’ll switch bodies with someone in the neighborhood. Looks like you’re Maria de la Cruz right now. Like I said, you get used to it.”

“New body?” William hadn’t even noticed but when he looked down it was clear, “But...how?”

“No one knows how he does it. Someone probably mentioned when you moved in that we are a close community.Now you know why.”