Darla looked toward Richard’s town car, hoping to get his attention to assist with their rescue. Richard had a different plan. He closed his eyes and pushed the tether out towards the man. He knew that Doug and Darla were packing up to make an escape.
I need to act fast.
In a moment, he was standing in the crowd, a black gun in his hand. He peered down at the faces all flushed with fear and tears streaming down their faces.
He glanced over where he was just sitting and could see his former old body in a full panic as he made eye contact with him. He walked in their direction.
A movement to his left pulled his focus; his driver was now out of the car and running towards the group.
He sprinted, made it in time to raise the gun at the old man, and pulled the trigger. Richard’s body slumped forward, his eyes wide and mouth open, forever immortalized in a panic state, a final punishment.
Darla screamed, and Doug threw up as blood splattered across his face. Police sirens blasted through the air as tires screeched around the corner, coming toward the park. The driver dropped down to hold the old man’s body. It touched him that, even in death, his staff cared for him.
He turned his gun to Doug. Maybe putting him out of his misery now would be a kindness. Police officers poured out of their vehicles, their weapons pointing at him, while he still held the gun. He kept the gun held towards Doug but looked down at Darla.
“I am sorry about this.” He prepared the tether, readied himself to switch, and then pulled the trigger.
Immediately he was Darla. She looked down at her own body; Doug’s blood splattered across her dress. His lifeless body lay crumpled next to her.
Her vision was impeccable. It had been many years since she could see individual blades of grass or leaves on the trees. She looked up, face tilted into the sunlight. She felt no pain in her back, no pain in her legs.
The gunman dropped the gun and began screaming. He lunged at her and grabbed her by the arms.
“What have you done?” he yelled in her face, and she smiled at him just as the police officers arrived at the scene to subdue him. As the officers closed in, Darla dropped the smile and screamed, thrashing her body.
“Help me! Please help, someone!” Darla cried and continued bucking against his grip. “You’re hurting me!” The officers finally grabbed the gunman. Darla wrapped her arms around herself and curled up away from the commotion.
“He took my body!” the gunman screamed out as he was handcuffed and dragged away. “No, you don’t understand. I didn’t do this! Please listen to me!”
Darla’s perfect hearing could still hear the man’s rants after he was shoved into the back of a police car. The remaining officers assisted her to her feet, and she wiped the fresh tears from her face.
Darla shuffled to the side and stood, shocked that she was now here, in a new body, with no plan. She had limited information, and panic coursed through her as she now had to navigate a crime scene and learn everything she could about who she suddenly was.
What have I done?
It was the first time she felt truly out of control and the last thing she needed was to lose control of her life.
Police swarmed the area and began pushing back the crowd of people starting to form. Darla’s heart raced as she tried to quickly adjust to her new body.
She watched as the driver clung to his boss’s bloody and broken body. He shook as sobs escaped through the chaos around him. Police officers pulled him off and covered the two bodies with black plastic drapes.
They were herded away from the scene and walked together in silence. She knew him very well and was moved that the man was so affected by Richard’s death.
“He was a kind man.” She offered solace, not sure what else to say since technically he was still alive, just in the female walking beside him.
“No, he wasn’t. He had no heirs and no friends. We thought he would give his fortune to us, his staff.” The man sniffed. “And now we do not know who is to inherit his estate.”
She realized the man was grieving the loss of a chance to inherit his fortune. Richard was an incredibly wealthy man, soit isn’t shocking to see actions or emotions driven completely by greed.
However, itwassurprising to learn that the staff had been operating purely out of hopes they would inherit rather than work for him out of loyalty.
“Well, he did leave it to someone,” Darla finally said. She squared her shoulders and walked taller.
She paused to look around as police moved toward their direction.
“Hello, ma’am; sir.” The police officer tipped his hat to them both in greeting. “If you would please clear this area we need to handle the deceased properly.”
“Am I able to collect my belongings?” Darla asked.
