The Last Shapeshifter Ch. 11

Sabrina's grip tightened again, but for an entirely different reason. She drew the woman close and their mouths met. It felt like her tongue had grown new nerve endings, and she wondered if it was possible to climax from just frenching. And then she became completely disarmed as Stacey's hand dove down the front of her pants, pushed aside her panties, and a finger parted her. Sabrina's knees weakened at the pleasurable assault, and she came faster than she ever thought possible.

The only sound that escaped her mouth was a loud gasp, and then she crumpled to the floor. Stacey's eyes danced as her lips curled into an evil grin, and then she was Trevor again. He spun back around, determination on his face. No one was in his way now. Everything could be made whole. He could finally be reunited. But as his hand went to close around the mirror's handle, it slid a foot away from him, as if by magic.

Trevor's eyes tracked it, and saw Derek had grabbed the edge of the tablecloth from his prone position in the corner, and yanked it, pulling the mirror towards him. Trevor lunged for the mirror, but wasn't quick enough. With another yank, the mirror fell into Derek's hand.

For Derek, the moment the otherworldly object touched his skin, time seemed to stretch, bend, and fold upon itself. For everyone else in the room, a mere second passed. But for Derek, this brief contact became the longest moment of his life. The mirror poured knowledge into him. Derek saw its entire history from the moment it came to exist in this world. It was all laid out before him, in a rich, horrific tapestry. He understood it all, that it was ultimately responsible for all of it, and what it would stop at nothing to get.

A scream pulled Derek back to the present, but it was one only he could hear. Inside of his mind, Bekka sounded as if she were going mad. What he did not know, but would surmise later, was that she had become a buffer for him. The bulk of the power and control that exuded from the mirror flooded to her soul, leaving Derek's will mostly intact. But his host body was another matter, as he found it a struggle to control Max. He found he could only watch as the hand that held the mirror shot straight out. The reflective surface pointed straight at Trevor. But Trevor did not duck, or run, but merely smiled at his friend, as if Derek were about to do him a kindness.

The mirror began to glow even brighter, and a word appeared in Derek's mind. He tried to push it out, because he knew what it wanted, and knew what the result would be. Bekka suddenly stopped screaming, and began to whisper the word frantically in his mind. Her volume crescendoed quickly, as she began to yell it over and over again until it was a high pitched screech.

He felt Max's mouth trying to say the words. Derek could only stare at Trevor, who just stood there, as if grounded to the spot. With an effort, Derek pleaded with his friend, "Get away! This thing will end you!"

Trevor remained rooted to the spot. His smile grew, and then he began to shapeshift faster than he ever had before. He became a blur of people that tempted Derek, ones from his past and present, all flashing before him with desire etched on their faces. "Say the words, Derek. Make me yours! We can be anyone you want and please you forever!"

Derek hated himself for being tempted by this. Each person he saw, he wanted, they could be his. But it couldn't happen, not like this. He fought against his desire, but he was not sure if he was strong enough. "Damn it Trevor! I can't...I can't control this thing. It wants me to...to..." But he was unable to finish. All he could think of was the word. All he knew was the word. He had to say it. Nothing else mattered. As all of Derek's mental defenses shattered, Max's mouth began to move.

But before any sound could come out, Sabrina was suddenly there in his field of vision. She threw her weight against Trevor with all her might, which sent him flying over the table, out of the path of the mirror's reflection. Sabrina was the only one in its path, as Derek said the word, "Copy."

As soon as it was out of his mouth, his borrowed body began to glow. A light flowed through him and channeled itself into the mirror, bursting forth and enveloping Sabrina's body. Derek watched helplessly, as Sabrina's face contorted. She knew that something was very wrong. And then her body began to rapidly transform. Her black hair shrank to a pixie cut and turned blonde. Her curvy features slimmed, and her breasts shrank by two cup sizes.

What could not be seen was the soul that was erased in an instant. The fabric of Sabrina, everything that made her who she was, gone, replaced by that of another. As the light faded, a wide eyes, and completely naked Bekka stood in Sabrina's place.

A bit of willpower flooded back into Derek, and he let the mirror drop to the floor. A second later, Derek had full control of Max's body again. He looked at Bekka, and tears came to his eyes. It was truly good to see her, but the circumstance was bittersweet. He knew how and why she was here. He had not needed to capture a soul, because he already had one intertwined with his. He had only to say the second word to replace Sabrina's. But he could not let Bekka stay. It was too high a price. As Bekka's mouth broke into a jubilant smile, he cursed himself for what he would have to do.

"It's...it's my body!" Bekka exclaimed as she ran hands down her arms and face. "We did it! I'm back in my body! This is amazing!"

"It is, Bekka. It is. But, it's only temporary. We have to fix it." His eyes darted to the floor. He'd have to pick up the damned thing. He didn't want to. He never wanted to touch it again, but if he didn't...

Bekka's smile evaporated. "Fix it? What do you mean? It is fixed. I'm back in my body."

"I know, Bekka, but this body isn't actually yours."

"It is now!" Bekka said defiantly.

Trevor noticed Bekka's eyes flicker towards the doorway, as if looking to escape. "Bekka, that body belongs to Sabrina. She's our friend. We can't do this to her."

"We can get her a new body!" Bekka challenged. "Let someone else be stuck for a while."

Derek sadly shook Max's head. "That's not how it works."

"Oh really, so what, you know so much now? Tell me! How does it work?"

Movement in the room caused them both to glance over. A bewildered looking Trevor got to his feet and stared at them. "What the hell happened guys?"

Derek's eyes went back and forth rapidly between the two. "You really don't remember?"

Trevor felt a sore spot on his arm from where he had landed badly. "We came here, we talked to... to Brian, and then...Where's Brian?"

"He split," Derek replied. "As soon as we walked into this room and showed us the mirror, he got out of here. He couldn't risk being in this room when one of us touched it. He's probably long gone with his family by now. We need to leave too, because we don't have a lot of time. We need to get to my sister. She might have a way to contain it. But first-" Derek didn't finish as he stooped down and grabbed the mirror. As he brought it up to focus on Bekka, she was already making a break for it.

Derek wanted to yell for Trevor to stop her, but it was too risky. He couldn't get Trevor involved. Even as his hand swung to capture her in the mirror's reflective surface, a new word invaded his thoughts. He knew what it wanted him to do, but it was easier to resist this time. Trevor knew why.

Right before Bekka disappeared into the next room, Derek said another word. "Cancel!"

And then it all happened in reverse. The light shot out from Bekka and retreated into the mirror. The blonde hair grew and became black. The curves filled out, and her breasts grew, and the soul that had been erased, reappeared. Sabrina stood there with the same strict face she had worn before Bekka took her place.

A second later, Derek heard Bekka's voice rage inside his mind. "Damn you Derek! Let me out! Give my body back to me!"

Even as Bekka ranted, Derek felt a presence try to rest control from Max's body again. Before he could be overwhelmed, he tossed the mirror under the table. He wanted to slump into a chair, to catch his breath, to beg Bekka's forgiveness, but also tell her to shut up. But instead, he looked at Trevor, and with as much force as he could muster, ordered, "Help me get Sabrina out of here! We can't stay! We have to get as far away from here as we can."

Trevor didn't move, but stared at the table, as if trying to see through it, to the mirror that lay just beneath it.

"Trevor!" Derek snapped, as he gingerly took Sabrina's arm. "Come on! Or one of us is going to die here!"

Trevor shook his head to clear the cobwebs, then dashed around to take Sabrina's other arm. They made it out of the house and piled into the car with Trevor behind the wheel.

Less than a block away, Brian Patterson watched them flee from the safety of his own vehicle. As he surveyed their panic, he knew one of them had touched it. It was as if a huge burden had been lifted from his shoulders. He wouldn't have to inflict the mirror onto anyone. These people had done it to themselves. It would follow them now. He was free.

Even though there was no one chasing them, Trevor still felt as if something was bearing down on them. This led to some erratic driving until Derek told him to calm down.

No one was calm though, especially Derek. Bekka was still reading him the riot act in his mind, begging for them to go back.

And Sabrina was in the back seat in a state of shock. It didn't last long, because they had only traveled a mile when she started beating Derek about the head. "Fucking bitch! I can't believe you did that to me!"

"Ow! Stop it!" Derek leaned forward as far as Max's frame would allow to avoid any more blows. It wasn't me! It was the mirror!"

"I'm not talking to you, Derek! I'm talking to that fucking bitch inside your head!" Sabrina yelled back. She stopped hitting him, but she glared at the back of Max's head with white hot fury. "Your friend Bekka tried to take my body. It wasn't like when you or Aubrey possess us, Derek. I was aware as she...as she erased me. And I knew it's what she wanted. She wanted to take over and make my body hers!"

"I know, and I'm sorry!" Derek protested. "She's sorry! But we have to-"

"Are you fucking kidding me!" Sabrina kept on. "I felt like I was her for a second. She's not sorry at all!"

"She's fucking right!" Bekka shouted in agreement to Derek.

"Stay out of this Bekka, please!" Derek said aloud.

"What?" Sabrina asked as she gripped the seat in front of her. "What'd she say? Bring it on you small tittied skank!"

Trevor pulled to a curb and slammed on the brakes. "Everyone shut up! We're okay. We're all okay."

"I am pretty far from okay," Bekka moaned to Derek. "I had a body and then you took it away from me."

"I'm so sorry about...how I acted back there," Trevor continued. "It was like what happened when I was forced to shapeshift. I tried to fight it, but something just took over, and I felt like I had to get that mirror no matter what. Thank you for... for doing what I couldn't." When the car remained silent, he added, "So, what do we do next?"

"We stay the hell away from that house for starters," Sabrina snapped.

Derek sighed. "That won't work. The mirror will follow us. Well, it will follow me."

They both looked at him like Max had grown a third head. Trevor asked, "What are you talking about? It's a mirror, a thing. It doesn't have legs."

Derek shook Max's head. "It's a very long, very messed up story. And maybe I'll tell you someday, but right now, time is against us. We have until tomorrow morning before that mirror appears in the same room as me. We have to figure out how to control it, or contain it."

Sabrina persisted. "But...it's an inanimate object."

"It's a lot more than that. And it won't stop until...well, until it gets what it wants."

Trevor gulped. "What's it want?"

"That's...that's a long story too. But the short answer is, you, Trevor. You and that thing are connected. The entity in your core and the force that resides in that mirror, they're like two halves of a whole."

"So, is there a way to..." Trevor began, trying to find the right words.

"Join them without hurting you?" Derek finished. "I don't know for sure, but I don't see it going well. I think if it gets what it wants, it will most likely unmake you in the process. That's what it has been doing throughout the centuries."

"How do you know this again?" Sabrina asked.

"It showed me. It showed me its entire existence since it's been on earth."

Trevor cocked his head. "When?"

"The second I touched it. It felt like I lived a thousand lifetimes. I'll tell you all about it sometime, but right now, we have to get to my sister as quickly as possible and come up with a solution."

Sabrina's phone was out in a flash. "Are we flying to your headquarters?"

"No. We can't afford to have this thing show up around other body hoppers. You felt the sexual intensity in that room. It was stronger than I've ever felt it, and that's saying something. No one else can be around this thing, or know about it except for my sister. We need to meet up with her in a random city. Sabrina, book us a flight and we'll send her the details. Do it now. We need to meet up with her today. It cannot wait."

As Trevor drove towards the airport, Sabrina planned their trip. When she had booked the flight, she called Aubrey and connected it to their car's bluetooth.

It rang only once before Aubrey's frantic voice filled the small car. "Did you make contact with the thread in that house? Is that the reason Nevyn's disappeared? Is it just my instruments, or can Trevor not pick it up either?"

Derek heard fear and frustration in her voice. He needed her to focus, so he decided he'd give her the real bad news in person. "Bri, Sabrina is sending you a plane ticket. You need to drop whatever you're doing and get on that flight."

"What's going on?" Aubrey asked worriedly.

"Just the usual world bending chaos, but maybe a little worse this time around. I'll fill you in when I see you, and be ready to brainstorm how to contain an ancient reality bending thing from another dimension."

Aubrey was silent for a moment. "I can't tell if you're being serious right now..."

"Actually quite serious."

"And by ancient thing, do you mean Nevyn?"

"I don't actually. This thing is...actually a lot older than him, by like, a lot. But...it is very closely connected to him, to all of us really." As the people in the car seemed to fix him with an intense stare, he realized he hadn't said anything about that last part until just now. "The thing we investigated today, it's beyond description. Just know that right now, it wants us to do terrible things."

"Well get away from it!"

"We can't, or...I can't. That's the problem. But I think, maybe... maybe it could be an answer of sorts, if we can just find Nevyn and-"

Aubrey cut him off. "But that's what I was telling you about. We can't find him! His energy signal began to fade in and out on the scanner. Then it disappeared entirely."

The car was silent for a few seconds as this new development sunk in. Trevor asked, "Where was his last known whereabouts?"

"He had been traveling across the Atlantic, and arrived somewhere on the east coast last night."

Trevor said what they were all thinking. "So, he's stateside again. That is way too close for comfort."

Aubrey agreed. "I'm leaving for the airport now. Try to connect to his thread, Trevor. You're way more reliable than my tech."

"See you soon, sis," Derek said, and Sabrina terminated the call.

As they dropped off the rental car, exhaustion washed over them. Even though the events that had transpired thus far had only taken up half the day, the trio felt physically and emotionally drained as they entered the airport. And Derek's warning that the mirror was somehow following them imbued them with a sense of hopeless dread.

They moved past the airport's baggage check in, as they had traveled light, each only bringing a carry on bag. They waited in line for the security check, occasionally looking over their shoulder for a phantom that wasn't there. When it was their turn, they dropped their bags one by one onto the conveyor belt to be x-rayed. As that was happening, they emptied their pockets and took turns stepping through a body scanner. They all passed with no issue, and began collecting their personal items.

Derek noticed that his bag had been pulled aside, he assumed for a routine inspection. A flash of paranoia made him wonder if there was another reason. The mirror usually behaved a certain way, but what if...what if it deviated from its usual methods when the thing it wanted the most was within reach? He watched carefully as his bag was unzipped and searched. His imagination raced, and he wondered what he'd do if the worst happened, especially in security at a crowded airport.

But then he didn't have to wonder anymore, as the TSA officer lifted a reflective surface from the bag. He knew they'd have to wing it as he yelled at Sabrina and Trevor, "It's here! Run!"

Many things happened at once. Sabrina and Trevor did not ask questions, but simply ran at a full sprint into the crowd that was milling about just past the security checkpoint. Several TSA agents were suddenly on high alert, and many pulled out stun guns to combat an unknown potential threat. Derek wasted no time, and ran for the officer with his bag.

Derek's haste was seen as a perceived threat, and one of the newer TSA agents aimed and squeezed their trigger, sending several thousands worth of volts through Max's body. Derek's host went down hard. The agent uttered an expletive, then went over to make sure his target was more or less okay.

While this was happening, the officer that had been inspecting Derek's bag ignored the excitement around him. His eyes were entirely fixated on an old mirror. He kept furrowing his brow, and his lips began to move as if he was having a conversation with himself. He turned the reflective surface away from him, and into the amassing crowd of security and an incapacitated Derek/Max.

The trigger happy TSA agent that shot Derek, gently prodded Max's shoulder with a finger, and as soon as he did, his finger began to shudder. He looked at it strangely, wondering if he was hallucinating, then stopped thinking altogether as Derek took control of his body.

Derek's new body stood up straight and scanned his surroundings. He saw that the mirror was out and was looking for a target. Derek jumped someone to shield himself, then began quickly and carefully hopping person to person, working his way closer to the mirror.

The agent with the mirror suddenly changed targets, pointing it at an attractive woman who had been watching the chaos unfold in morbid fascination. He loudly and firmly said, "Capture!"

The woman seemed to freeze for a moment as a soft glow appeared around her. Then she screamed, and ran towards the gates.

Derek was almost to the man, but saw the mirror swing in his direction. He ducked behind a slow moving elderly man, who became caught in the crossfire. Trevor watched as the wrinkled man's visage vanished as it became an exact duplicate of the attractive woman.

Derek ran towards the agent, who seemed stunned, confused, happy, and scared at what he had just witnessed all at the same time. Before the agent could say anything else, Derek snatched the mirror from the agent's hand. He felt a presence sweep over him as soon as his fingers made contact. He could feel it, but he still had control of his host. He turned and pointed the mirror towards the duplicate of the woman and yelled "Cancel." Her form vanished, and in her place stood a very confused elderly man.