Shudder - The College Years Ch. 01

Author's note. The following takes place between Shudder and Mind Hack. You do not have to read Mind Hack to appreciate this new story, but you might appreciate the ending of this arc slightly more if you do.

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Aubrey Johnson felt the fog of sleep lift as brightness surged uninvited into her college dorm room. Her eyes fluttered open and she used a hand to shield the sun's rays that were now streaming through the only window. It was a window that was usually was heavily curtained, allowing no naturally light to penetrate. This was how Aubrey's roommate, Lola, liked their room to be, dark or dimmed with artificial light only, and since Lola was a sophomore and Aubrey a freshman, she had not rocked the boat. But at the moment, Lola had apparently had a change of heart because she had pulled back the curtain and was staring outside at their bustling campus.

Aubrey thought she knew why her roommate's habit had changed, but first she did a mental check on herself. As she became fully awake, she checked for control of her own body. She flexed her fingers while still under her covers, and when that proved successful, she sat up. That was usually enough for her to be sure, but just in case, she did a final mental sweep. She was looking for someone, an interloper in her mind, a stowaway that often took over control of her body completely.

Feeling alone in her thoughts, Aubrey tentatively whispered softly to the other person in the room, "Derek?" She said it more internally, as if asking herself the question, but it was still loud enough for her roommate to hear.

Lola continued to stare out the window for a few more seconds, the brightness bathing her and causing her light skin to seem alabaster. She had told Aubrey that she burned very easily, her excuse for a constant aversion to natural light in their room. Apparently done with the view, the woman turned her pretty face to Aubrey's. Lola's reply erased all further doubt as a low, masculine voice replaced the much higher, sometimes almost squeaky one. "What's up Bri? Oh crap, I woke you, didn't I?"

In response, Aubrey just smiled and shook her head. No matter how many times she saw it, it was still so strange to hear her brother's voice coming out of another person's mouth.

Derek's voice continued as Lola's body approached Aubrey's bed. "I'm sure you're already mad at me anyway because I sort of abandoned you after we got here. First time away from the parents and on our own and I just, I got excited and wanted to get the lay of the land, you know? And I also wanted you to be able to have your own college orientation experience without having it hijacked by your brother."

Aubrey couldn't stop herself from smiling, then shook her head. She stretched out her arms to Lola, beckoning the girl to come to Aubrey's bedside. Lola obliged and when she was within reach, Aubrey tugged at Lola's hands, pulling her into a sitting position next to her on the bed. The young woman's face was downcast and it was clear that Derek was expecting some sort of lecture for abandoning his sister to sight see. Instead, Aubrey hugged her roommate, squeezing the girl tight.

Aubrey had felt alone since she and Derek parted ways minutes after their parents settled Aubrey into her dorm room. She knew this was normal, a part of growing up. It was necessary to leave the nest, cut the cord, pick your euphemism for moving out and finding her way in the world. But she thought she'd at least have Derek with her. When Derek had piggybacked on someone else the second her parents had left, she'd felt a little abandoned. But with Derek out exploring, she figured she had the power to make new and lasting friendships, starting with her roommate.

Lola had come later in the day and barely acknowledged Aubrey's presence. She had wheeled in a large suitcase, put it next to the empty bed, all while looking at her phone. She gave a small giggle at something on the small screen, then glanced up, acknowledging Aubrey for the first time. "Hey," then looked back at the phone.

Aubrey had been lying on her bed with a pillow propped up against the wall, reading a book. She had watched this stranger come in, and grew excited at the expectation that she was watching the person that would most likely become her future best friend. She stood up quickly, then reminded herself not to appear too excited, just to play it cool. When Lola said hey, Aubrey took her cue. "Hi! I'm Aubrey and it's so nice to meet you!" Aubrey moved in to hug the girl, but a hand flew up, blocking her path.

Still without looking up, the girl just said, "Lola."

"Oh, not a hugger, that's fine. Well it's very nice to meet you. I'm sure we'll become good friends and..."

"I'm out," Lola interjected. And Aubrey watched with anxious disappointment as new best friend potential walked briskly out of the room.

The next few days passed with a rush of new experiences that come with college life. She learned how to navigate a communal living space, learned the campus buildings and tried not to be late for lectures, all while trying to put to memory a constant flood of new names and faces. Each day, Lola had said at most, five words to her. Among the new sea of people, Lola was her only constant and should have been an easy relationship, but the girl had been anything but. The only thing Lola had felt like sharing was her current year of college, and the fact that the curtains should be closed at all times. Aubrey had tried in the few minutes she got to see Lola each day to tell her about her life, her hopes, her dreams, but it had been like talking to a wall that was fascinated with a cell phone.

But now, Lola was sitting on her bed, holding her hands, giving her all the attention in the world. In that moment, she didn't care that it was fake, she threw her arms around her roommate and gave her the hug she had wanted to give on day one. She held on for a long time, getting some of the bonding fix she craved, while also assuring her brother that there was no ill will between them.

When Aubrey finally let go, Lola's face looked at her curiously. Derek's voice was tentative as he asked, "So, we good?"

Aubrey's smile had grown. She was surprised at how emotional that was for her as a happy tear rolled down her cheek. She wasn't alone, her brother was here, and even though only temporarily, so was her roommate. "It's okay Bro. I'm glad you let me have those experiences on my own. It would have been nice if you had checked in sooner, especially so I could give Mom a report on if you've made any progress towards your...situation."

These words hung in the air for a moment as both involuntarily reflected on the reason they both found themselves at college for reasons they couldn't have fathomed a year ago. During his last year of high school, Derek had absorbed the abilities of a man named Nevyn, a body hopper who had been alive for a couple of centuries by hopping from person to person. During an erotic encounter, and for reasons that were still unknown, Nevyn's and Derek's souls had swapped. Nevyn had found himself trapped in Derek's body, unable to hop out. At the same time, Derek had been transferred into his mother, Nancy Johnson, who Nevyn had been possessing during the unfortunate incident. It had definitely been labeled unfortunate, not just because of Derek losing his body, but because he had been having sex with his mother when it had happened. Later on, swept up in his mother's emotions and memories and unable to control all the facets of Nevyn's powers, he had let himself be seduced by his father while as his mother. It had led to an inability to look his parents in the eyes for the rest of the summer.

During the summer months, Nevyn had trained Derek to be able to become the person he was possessing at any given time. While inhabiting a person, Derek now had access to their memories, habits, voice, mannerisms, everything needed to completely blend in and fool that person's own mother. It had taken the entire summer for Derek to become proficient at it, but he had learned a lot. At the same time, they had tried various ways to recreate the specifics that had swapped their bodies in the first place, but to no avail. The one thing they hadn't tried was involving Derek's mother again, to which Derek was staunchly opposed. At present, he would rather live the rest of his life hopping bodies than have sex as Nancy Johnson ever again.

The current plan was to try and learn more about why Nevyn had these powers and if they could be duplicated or reversed. Aubrey was smart enough to pursue whatever avenue of science she wanted, and had changed her plans of a veterinary degree to genetic engineering. They weren't yet sure if this would be the correct field, but it was a start. Derek in his own body wouldn't have been able to get into the prestigious university his sister had been accepted to, but as a body hopper, he didn't think he'd have any trouble. Their idea was to divide and conquer. Aubrey would study and learn what she could, and Derek would hop the finest minds available to them, looking for a scientific cure or method that would help get Derek's body back.

The bond between the twins had never been closer. Derek had hopped many different bodies over the past summer, but he had gone to sleep in control of his sister's body almost every night. Aubrey had offered this solution both as a way to keep her brother close, but also knowing he would perhaps behave himself if he was in possession of a body that he cared for. Derek had been extremely grateful for a solution that kept him close to family, but also it seemed to cement the fact that Aubrey had forgiven him for also sleeping with her while she too had been possessed by Nevyn. This was confirmed as something strange happened over their weeks of cohabitation. Usually, when Derek hopped someone, they couldn't remember anything after he left, only what he let them remember. And they certainly had no control over their motor functions or the ability to dialogue with their mental captor. But after a few weeks, Aubrey had found she was able to regain a tiny portion of control. It was during the fleeting moments of unconsciousness, when Derek's mind had almost drifted off to sleep, or when it was just waking up. During those fleeting seconds, she had been able to peer into his thoughts, seeing his memories, examining his feelings. As time had gone on, she had gained the ability to even move parts of her body.

Aubrey had revealed this to her brother the day before they had left for college. Derek had slipped inside her body, and just before he went to sleep that night, she had taken control of her hands and touched her breasts and pussy. Derek had fully awoken at this and she lost control of herself, but this had been a new and exciting development. Aubrey's best friend, Bekka, had awareness whenever Nevyn had hopped her, but only because Nevyn had allowed it. This was different, both because Derek had not opened the door for Aubrey to have awareness while in control of her body, but also because Bekka had never been able to take physical control. They had shared this with Nevyn the next day, and he was just as excited and stumped as them. It was one of the many, many things they aspired to get to the bottom of as they attempted to find a way to transfer Derek back to his own body.

At present, the immediate goal was to keep Derek focused on what needed done. Aubrey watched as Lola's eyes had drifted off and a look of melancholy had set in."Sorry about bringing up Mom. I know it's been hard for you two ever since Nevyn..."

"What? Made me fuck her?" Derek's voice interjected, and a snarl crept up Lola's pretty mouth. "He didn't make me do anything. I was just too weak to reject his incessant..." His voice trailed off, then Lola's eyes fixed on Aubrey with shame. "I mean, it's a wonder you were able to forgive me."

Aubrey's face grew stern as she put a hand on her hip. "Being as you were in my body every night this summer, I think we're way past me holding anything against you. And stop beating yourself up over what happened with Mom. Yeah, you crossed a line, several actually, but you were shoved past them by Nevyn. You didn't ask to have all this happen to you, but it did, and now we're here to find out how. Let's stop wasting time and do what we came here to do, get you back in your body."

Lola's frown disappeared and her face brightened. It was Lola's voice that spoke next. "Thanks roomie! I think we're on the fast track to becoming best friends!"

Aubrey laughed at Lola's sudden change in disposition. "Derek, if you'd spent more time in Lola, you'd know she's a little harder to become friends with than that. She's barely said two words to me since we moved in together."

Lola's eyes took on a vacant, searching expression as Derek explored her recent memories. "Wow, yeah, eight words actually. I'm sorry I've been such a jerk. I'll try to be friendlier roommate in the future."

Aubrey's eyes lit up at this. There were definitely perks to having a body hopper for a brother. "Thanks Derek. We should get a move on though or we'll be late for class."

"We?"

"You should probably give Lola back her body for the time being and stick with me for the day so I can show you our best plan of attack. The university has an amazing science lab and equipment, but I won't be allowed to touch it until year three, unless of course..." Aubrey looked past her roommate's eyes to her brother's body within, hoping he could help with this problem.

Derek's voice was back as Lola's hand touched Aubrey's arm. "I think we'll be able to speed up that timeline for you." Aubrey's arm began to shudder at the point Lola's hand had touched her and began to ripple throughout her body. It lasted only a couple seconds and looked as if she had just caught a brisk chill. When it was over, Derek's voice came out of Aubrey's mouth. "You okay in there, Bri?"

Bri's thoughts reached him from inside the mind that Derek now had full access too. "I'm here Bro. Let's get a move on. Oh, and don't forget Lola."

Lola's eyes were staring ahead vacantly. This was a side effect of Derek leaving a host. It left them pliant and suggestible for a few minutes before wearing off. The longer Derek stayed in a host, the longer he could alter their behavior. He made a note to stay in Lola for at least a week in the future so he could improve his sister's college experience. "Lola," Derek's voice said, "Tell Aubrey how great it is to have her as a roommate, and then go get ready for classes."

Lola's eyes came slowly into focus and she blinked as if seeing Aubrey in front of her for the first time. "Aubrey! Hey girl, I just wanted to say it has been great having you as a roommate. I have to get ready for class now, but let's hang out later." With that she grabbed a towel and a small shower bag, then walked out their door to the communal showers.

Derek couldn't help focus Aubrey's eyes on Lola's tight butt as she left, a fact that didn't go unnoticed by his sister. "Hey pervert. Stop checking out my roommate." Aubrey's thoughts were then filled with laughter at teasing her brother.

Too late for Derek came unbidden thoughts of Lola's light skin, slick and wet from a shower, her arms giving special attention to her small breasts. Aubrey's face flushed as Derek remembered that his sister also had access to his thoughts. It was one of the reasons he had hopped out of her first chance he got when they arrived. Every pretty girl that walked by he had pictured what it would be like to inhabit her skin. Additionally, Aubrey's thoughts of attractive campus men had been shared with him, and her feelings for what she'd like these men to do to her had also turned him on. When Aubrey was his host, there was nothing they could hide from each other.

This recent development had caused him to want more space from his sister. Derek hadn't had sex with Aubrey since Nevyn had possessed her, but since she gained access to his thoughts, he had become aware of her thinking about him in a less than brotherly fashion over the summer as he hopped into her at the end of every day, fresh from some sexual adventure with Nevyn. When he became aware that her memories had returned, that he could no longer keep her from remembering their illicit liaison, he was ashamed and aroused how many times her thoughts escaped to that memory.

Both siblings shared a brief, awkward moment as Derek's thoughts washed over all of them, causing embarrassment, but also the start of a slow fire that would soon become a blazing inferno. It was compounded as Derek tried to stop thinking about Aubrey's memories of Lola, which meant that's all he could think about, images of Lola taking off her bra and exposing a luscious set of perky tits. Lola coming back from a shower and dropping her towel. Derek's embarrassment faded entirely as he sensed the need in his sister's thoughts. "You seem a little pent up Sis. Maybe you should relieve a little stress before we start our day."

"Hey!" Bri's thoughts shouted, but with a lustful quality. She thought she knew what might be coming, wished it had happened sooner, but still struggled against it. "Focus up Bro. We need to get to class and..."

Derek's voice cut her off. "Class isn't for another 45 minutes and you should really shower first, Bri. You haven't since working out last night."

"Derek..." Aubrey thought to him warily. But she was powerless to stop him as he made her hand pick up her own towel.

Derek switched to Aubrey's voice as her body stepped out into the hallway. "We wouldn't want to offend, would we?" Her voice laughed.

"Derek, you forgot my shower bag."

"We'll just borrow one." An image floated to the surface of Derek's imagination.

Inside, Aubrey grew more nervous and a little aroused at the scenario Derek had envisioned. She had thought at first he would just make her masturbate in private. But this, well, it was on another level entirely. "Derek, come on. You've got to be kidding me? There'll be plenty of time for...things like that later."

"Don't put off till tomorrow what you could do today," she heard her voice say perkily. "That's what Dad tried to teach us anyway."

Aubrey pushed open the door that said Ladies. Their dorm was a communal area of guys and girls, but the bathrooms were still separate. The floor was nicely tiled and cold to Aubrey's bare feet. Along one side were several stalls, opposite them, several sinks with soft light bulbs above large mirrors. Down at the end were six shower stalls, each with a towel rack and a shelf to put clothes. Only one of them was in use at the moment. Aubrey walked purposely to that one and stood outside the closed curtain. She hung her towel next to the other that was already there, and then let her hands began to unbutton her soft, felt pajama top, exposing her large breasts underneath. She stepped out of her fuzzy pajama bottoms, then slid out of her pink panties. She placed her clothes neatly on the shelf and stood there for a moment, feeling the hot, wet air from the nearby shower on her skin.

Derek arranged Aubrey's mouth into cheerful smile, and then pulled back the curtain to reveal a very naked, sudsy Lola. The girl's shoulder length blonde hair clung to her neck and the image of water as it chased itself down her slightly tanned, toned body was very alluring to Derek. Since becoming a body hopper, he had experienced more erotic moments in three months than in three lifetimes. He and Nevyn had had sex almost every day in an attempt to reverse their situation, and the only thing to come out of it had been to turn Derek into a sex addict. If he didn't get off at least a few times a day, he could become quite irritable. He almost always got off as a woman. Initially, it had been because of needing to have sex with his former body, but now it was because the multiple orgasms were just too good.