Walking in My Shoes

Saitou

I think we got home around 1:30 AM. However, I had lost track of the time and I was far too exhausted to care.

The talisman was taped to Minato’s forehead and she was told to sleep on a bare mattress in the corner of my room. If I hadn’t been so tired, I probably would’ve been kept up by all the paranoid thoughts running through my head. According to the stack of instructions given to us by Kadomatsu, we were supposed to not only provide a roof over the girl’s head, but also take her to school at Moriyama Senior High. Apparently, somebody from Tsukinode was making late-night phone calls to the Board of Education and arrangements would be made for Minato to start school on the following Monday. Because she was not to go anywhere without either my mom, dad, or myself—and my mom was too scared to be alone in the apartment with her, which Tsukinode had anticipated—I was going to be excused from school for the next two days.

My whole life was being turned upside-down by this girl.

Once again, the thought that she was pretty crossed my mind. But I still hated her.

There was only one thing I could say to the skittish vampire before I hit the hay:

“You have no idea how pissed off I am. Sicko. If you so much as lay a finger on me or my parents, I will make sure you regret it.”

Minato simply nodded.

***

I woke up around 8:00 AM. I definitely felt refreshed, but something felt off-kilter. I rubbed my eyes and yawned.

Why is my forehead so itchy? I thought.

Seriously. It was like the scratchy tag on a new T-shirt. But more abrasive.

I scratched it and sure enough, something was stuck there. I sat up in bed.

Bandage? But when did I—

At that moment, I realized what else was wrong.

“What the…”

I was on the mattress in the corner! There was a big human-sized lump under the covers where I was supposed to be, rising and falling gently.

Minato? Did you seriously grab me out of my bed, put me in your bed, and then get all cozy under MY blankets? What else did you do to me while I was sleeping?!?

I stood up and stomped toward my bed.

“Get out of my bed, you deranged creep!” I yelled, tearing off the covers in a furious frenzy.

But it wasn’t the vampire sleeping in my bed.

Nope.

I nearly fainted when I saw my own body sleeping comfortably. “I” stirred, then opened “my” eyes and stared back at myself. We both screamed.

I screamed again when I realized how high-pitched my own voice sounded.

There was a small mirror on my desk. I really did faint when I saw a talisman on my forehead and reddish-brown eyes!

***

When I came to again, I was lying back in my own bed, under the covers. To my chagrin, I hadn’t woken up from some strange fever dream, because the teenage body snatcher was sitting there next to me with a concerned look on his face. I recoiled in horror.

“You’re awake,” he said with a relieved sigh. “Thank goodness.”

“Who even are you!? And what are you doing in my body? What am I doing in the sicko vampire’s body?”

“Saitou, right?” he asked with an embarrassed look on his face. “Saitou Arashi? It’s me… it’s Minato.”

I sat up.

“Did you do something to me last night?”

“No…?”

“You’re lying!”

“I’m just as confused as you, bro. Wait… ‘bro’ sounds weird if you're in a girl's body. Even more so if it's my own body! Good grief. Umm. Sis?”

My death glare didn't faze her.

“I’m not cursed or something, am I? Did you cast a spell on me and switch our bodies?”

“I actually can use magic, but nothing like that!”

“I don’t believe you!”

“I wouldn’t lie to you!”

“But you’d suck my blood! Is that what did it? I bet you thought you scored an easy meal!”

Minato's face had the same vexed expression Sakamoto-sensei's would when somebody hadn't done an assignment.

“For your information, the only time I’ve ever touched you since we left the Kanshoku-Mart was to put you back in your own bed five minutes ago! I wasn’t just gonna leave you on the floor!”

All I could do was sigh and stare blankly. It felt too weird to be true. Like something out of a movie.

“Saitou, please don’t pass out again. Seeing that happen only scared me more. I’m sorry. I don’t like any of this, either, but with the talisman on I really wasn’t going to hurt you. Even right now, I have absolutely no desire to hurt you! And I never asked to be a vampire! But I don’t blame you for hating me. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

Why do you seem honest? Why do you look so... kind?

I said nothing.

Do you really care? How are we supposed to switch back? I mean, yeah… my mom and dad would probably think Minato was up to some magical shenanigans if they find out about this.

I scratched at the talisman again. The sensation on my forehead was starting to become aggravating. I finally got a good grip on the corner, ripped the thing off, and set it on my pillow.

“NO!” Minato cried out.

My heart began pounding. Not like the sensation one might feel after going for a run, or after being startled by a jumpscare in a horror movie. No, it was more like there was something punching me from the inside of my chest. I felt a chill so intense it made half my body go numb. The room seemed to be turning red. I looked over at Minato, who was staring back at me with existential fear as if I was about to kill her.

“Cut the crap and spare the crocodile tears!” I heard myself sneering. “Heh! Go to hell, witch! You really are just out to ruin my life! I’m gonna put an end to this while I still can and get a nice, refreshing drink while I'm at it! Yep!”

What am I doing?!? I can't stop myself!

Like they had a mind of their own, my hands began reaching for Minato's neck, but she snatched the talisman and got up just in time. My head was engulfed by an intense pain I had never felt before in my life. I felt myself baring my teeth.

“SAITOU! SNAP OUT OF IT!”

Minato slapped the piece of paper so hard against my forehead that I fell back down in bed. All the feeling returned to my body.

And then, as quickly as my irrational bloodlust had begun, it disappeared without a trace.