Corporate Contract
Jake tried to open his eyes, shaking his head to try and clear the fog out of his mind with little success. His eyelids felt heavy, and his limbs felt like lead; completely unresponsive. He jerked at his arm, which flopped against a nearby desk. It was as if his body could only be controlled by puppet strings. Finally, his eyes were open enough to make out the form of Lucas, standing in front of him with a smug grin on his face.
"Oh, good, you're both finally awake," he said. "I didn't want to alarm anyone, so I took the liberty of moving you both into one of the smaller conference rooms. Work ended about ten minutes ago, so I also went ahead and logged you both out. You're welcome."
Jake frowned. Lucas was far too happy, and it was making him nervous. Even before Jake knew that Lucas was some sort of demon, he had learned that Lucas was only ever truly happy if someone else was in utter misery.
As his limbs gained sensation, Jake felt an uncomfortable tightness around his neck. He instinctively unfastened the button at his collar, and then paused; today was casual Friday. He had worn a company t-shirt, like always. He looked down and saw a pair of pressed khaki slacks, and the textured weave of a collared polo shirt. His arms were no longer covered in hair, and his hands were all wrong. He jerked his head sideways, instintively knowing what he would see. There was his body, his own body of thirty years, sitting there next to him.
"It's that moment of dawning comprehension that I love the most," Lucas said, with a wide smile. "Connor offered his soul to you, Jake. Not a soul, not your soul, but his soul. Of course, that meant you two had to switch bodies, but... well, I'm sure you'll both work it out. Call me if you need anything," he said, cackling to himself as he left the room.
"So... this is really happening, isn't it," Connor said, wringing his hands nervously.
"Yes. Yes it is," Jake replied, taking deep breaths. "Lucas is some sort of demon. He tried to take my soul, failed, and now we've ended up in each other's bodies," Jake explained, omitting the part where this whole mess was his fault for trying make a deal. "I vote we head back to my apartment to try and sort this whole mess out."
"Wait, no, we can't," Connor said, standing upright in a panic. "My parents would freak! I mean, this is their date night, so Zoe, Tyler and I are on our own anyway, but... they at least need to know where I am!"
Jake rolled his eyes. "We are not splitting up. I don't want you alone in my apartment, and you sure as hell aren't going to leave me alone with your family."
"Okay..." Connor said, biting his lip in thought. "What if we say that your apartment... some pipes broke so, you have no water and I offered the couch to you since you have nowhere else to go?"
Jake groaned. "Did I just step in a steaming pile of sit-com plot cliches? We may as well just pretend you're coming with me on a business conference as a last minute replacement. At least that way I don't have to try and act like you around your family."
"Oh, good, you're both finally awake," he said. "I didn't want to alarm anyone, so I took the liberty of moving you both into one of the smaller conference rooms. Work ended about ten minutes ago, so I also went ahead and logged you both out. You're welcome."
Jake frowned. Lucas was far too happy, and it was making him nervous. Even before Jake knew that Lucas was some sort of demon, he had learned that Lucas was only ever truly happy if someone else was in utter misery.
As his limbs gained sensation, Jake felt an uncomfortable tightness around his neck. He instinctively unfastened the button at his collar, and then paused; today was casual Friday. He had worn a company t-shirt, like always. He looked down and saw a pair of pressed khaki slacks, and the textured weave of a collared polo shirt. His arms were no longer covered in hair, and his hands were all wrong. He jerked his head sideways, instintively knowing what he would see. There was his body, his own body of thirty years, sitting there next to him.
"It's that moment of dawning comprehension that I love the most," Lucas said, with a wide smile. "Connor offered his soul to you, Jake. Not a soul, not your soul, but his soul. Of course, that meant you two had to switch bodies, but... well, I'm sure you'll both work it out. Call me if you need anything," he said, cackling to himself as he left the room.
"So... this is really happening, isn't it," Connor said, wringing his hands nervously.
"Yes. Yes it is," Jake replied, taking deep breaths. "Lucas is some sort of demon. He tried to take my soul, failed, and now we've ended up in each other's bodies," Jake explained, omitting the part where this whole mess was his fault for trying make a deal. "I vote we head back to my apartment to try and sort this whole mess out."
"Wait, no, we can't," Connor said, standing upright in a panic. "My parents would freak! I mean, this is their date night, so Zoe, Tyler and I are on our own anyway, but... they at least need to know where I am!"
Jake rolled his eyes. "We are not splitting up. I don't want you alone in my apartment, and you sure as hell aren't going to leave me alone with your family."
"Okay..." Connor said, biting his lip in thought. "What if we say that your apartment... some pipes broke so, you have no water and I offered the couch to you since you have nowhere else to go?"
Jake groaned. "Did I just step in a steaming pile of sit-com plot cliches? We may as well just pretend you're coming with me on a business conference as a last minute replacement. At least that way I don't have to try and act like you around your family."