“No, you don’t understand. It’s not like that. I don’t know who I switched with.”
“How could you not know?” Jenkins perked up, intrigued by the sudden dilemma she found herself in.
“Well, after I switched from Darla to Pamela, I felt the tether disappear. I tried to summon it to just see if I could switch with someone, but nothing.”
“Okay, so then how did you switch?”
“I don’t know for sure, but I was lying in bed thinking about how I wished I could have the ability to switch with someone, anyone, and then fell asleep. When I woke up this morning, I was in a completely new body.”
“What do you need my help for? Just lay back down and do the same thing you did last night.”
“I tried that already. That is why I need your help. Can you please go to my house and talk to whoever is in my body and find out if that person did anything to cause this?”
“Oh. You could also ask Darla for help.” Jenkins scoffed and rolled his eyes.
No wait you can’t, because she passed away from cancer. Oh. wait. It wasn’t Darla though. It was Pamela.He shook his head as the confusion around who was who derailed his train of thought.
“You know I can’t do that.” Her voice got low and feral.
“I know. I just wanted to remind you of the very good reason I have to not help you.”
Jenkins looked at his watch. He had a few hours until his next appointment. Part of him wanted to tell her to pound sand, but he was curious about this situation and wanted to find out for himself.
On the one hand, she made this bed, and she needs to sleep in it. On the other hand, this poses a surprising opportunity to prevent her from ever switching with anyone ever again. I can make her think I’m going to help her switch, but really, I can spend my time stopping her from hurting anyone ever again.
“Are you still there?” the stranger’s voice cut through his thoughts.
“Yeah, I’m still here.” Jenkins sighed. “Fine, I will help you this time. But after this, I’m done.”
“Fine.” The line cut out, and he closed his phone before tossing it on his crumpled jacket in the passenger seat. He sat for a moment in his quiet car, the street and sidewalk around him bustled with people. He could leave it alone and just ignore her.
He didn’t owe her anything. He remembered back to the last time he saw Pamela’s body in person. It was at Darla’s funeral, just shortly after she turned nineteen and a whole year after the switch.
She tried to get his attention to talk to him, but he ignored her. His steely gaze remained focused on the coffin that held a young, dearly departed soul.
He drove through the city slowly, deciding if this was something he really wanted to get in the middle of, and despite being lost in thought, he made his way to Pamela’s house. Her residence had changed a few times over the last sixteen years.
As her fame and popularity had grown, so had the need for additional security and privacy. He had never been here before, but thanks to the many Christmas cards she had tortured him with over the years, Jenkins knew he was at the right place.
The property was fully gated and had a small call box. He rolled his window down and pushed the button.
“What do you want?” The gruff voice came through despite the static.
“It’s Jenkins.” He gave no other explanation. If he was denied entry, he would just leave it at that. Soon, the buzz let him know he was given access to the property as the gates swung open, allowing him to drive in.
“I guess she doesn’t fully hate me after all these years,” he said under his breath. The property was more expansive than he had imagined. Gardeners trimmed trees and bushes, while some pulled weeds from the flower beds sprinkled throughout the lawn.
The drive wound its way up to the mansion that sat atop the slanted property. Jenkins’s mouth fell open as he took in the sight of the house. It was a Spanish style two story house with a red roof. The front porch was framed by two circular tower looking structures. By the time he parked a woman dressed in a housekeeper’s uniform was waiting for him on the front porch.
“Hi, I’m Jenkins, I’m here to see Pamela.”
The woman eyed him suspiciously, “Yes, she told me if you ever showed up to let you in right away. Follow me.”
Wow, this place is massive. Darla has done well for herself. It’s quite sad, all this room and no one to share it with.
The back wall was floor to ceiling windows that overlooked an infinity pool with a view of downtown Los Angeles in the background. He had a strange feeling as though he had been here before.
“Sir, this way,” The woman called out. Jenkins, lost in thought, hadn’t realized the woman had gone down a hallway and reappeared again to get him.
