The Short Term Loan

The Short Term Loan

Hi, I'm David and for now I'll just use Welton for my last name in this story. Mornings had always been bad for me and this one was lousy. I awoke abruptly and rolled over in the bed, At first I was just a bit disoriented as it wasn't my bed. My GOD... I thought but couldn't remember did I go to a party or clubbing. As I sat up “Oh man,” a headache began throbbing through my head like the proverbial 5th battalion in an old war movie. A little white quiet clock ticked by a window said it was 7 AM. I heard movement below me, and the scent of what smelled like breakfast. Her room was like something out of fancy exotic travel magazine. White walls, matching desk, bed with canopy and end tables. The few wispy white clouds in the bright sky beyond the tall windows moving off slowly as the room brightened began bending my thoughts to the room being more a heavenly space. But, as nature had begun to call I noticed a bathroom across a hall and I needed to go. I must have over done it last night, I thought. But, I couldn’t recall coming here, and who the hell was downstairs. I was still a bit groggy and coddled the conclusion, of course, the women the night was spent with was cooking for me. Another light sea breeze flowed gently through the rooms again. The air was warm as it gently billowed through the light white curtains. Walking across to the toilet, the bowl sat just inside the door, I sat down to take a dump which was fine till the action itself felt a bit strange and even sounded funny. I started to check myself when a voice called up the stairs,

“Hey babe you better hurry the boat will be here soon.”

A, A man! A man? Babe!? Oh man, a chilling realization that something was really wrong. There's a man downstairs, Hopping off the bowl not knowing how to answer. A barrage of questions and revelations began all at once. What?, Where?, a boat? How, the hell? I didn't recall the voice but he knew me? How did he know me? Then I noticed I had on pajamas, I don’t wear... And then my heart sank, What did I do last night? Slept, with a man? A sickening feeling grew in me, then leaning over the bowl, Black hair fell down the sides of my face. What the..? I looked into the mirror to see her dark wide eyed open mouthed she, me, stood staring back at me. I couldn’t catch my breath. Had I gone crazy?, Closing my eyes and whispering to my self, a few times. I’m David, David, David Welton, 723 Jostling Rd. I’m a construction worker, I work a rig in St Louis. I have two brothers John, Bill, Mom’s name is Carroll and Dad is Ben. I’m a guy. I’ve always been a guy, I took a deep breath, closed my eyes then wishfully opened my eyes. She was still there looking back shocked.

“Julie you’re going to be late.”

Footsteps were now on the stairs. He was coming up. No, this was insane I thought. Shuffling about in the cramped bathroom was awkward. My hips kept bumping into things. I was, in a woman’s body. He came in the door. It was the first time I felt afraid. That just wasn’t me. Then calmly he spoke,

“Humm, I see... Don't worry whoever you are, your experience will be over soon.” Then he calmly went back down the stairs inviting me to follow.

There was a long pause on my part as I digested the meaning.
"What did he say?"

Her voice was unfamiliar to me. I followed him into the brightly lit and open kitchen below as he Plainly and UN-apologetically said,

"Relax, you're safe here, Julie, the person who's body you're in, must have needed your body for today." So you can relax. You’ll be back in yours soon.”

"What?"
Questions began flowing through my head, along with a rising tsunami of anger. You know, what's happened to me? You know who did this?
He stood there, smiling and said, "Well, yeah, and if you'd relax I’ll explain." Looking down at my self, then him, I bolted at him. I didn’t want any explanation, I wanted to beat his brains in. But he readily, handled me like pile of twigs. I had lost all my strength. I was stunned, frightened and pissed yelling, “Change me back, Change me back now!”

Leading me over to a couch in the brightly sunlite living room.
“How could you do this to me? And stop calling me Julie”, I started tearing.

Clamping down on my arms, he began to explain.

"First of all, I’m almost a shocked as you, well only in that she didn’t tell me she was doing this again.”
Then, pausing with a questioning look, "You're a man, right?"

Staring hard at him,
“Yeah, inside....”

“I figured as much, Girls, they try to fake it. They get as far as outside then realize they have no idea where they are and come in to figure it out. But, guys... Well look here, Julie does this changing thing, like you and I change underwear. But, she’s never hurt anyone so relax. It just a new experience for you for a day or so.”

Calming a bit I asked, “Where are we anyway?”, I asked.

Letting me go and returning to the kitchen he said, “Cheval Island." He pointed out the window wall behind me to a distant shore line, "That’s Madagascar.”

As he spoke I looked out to the sea through all the windows. "Africa?" No way? I thought, This is a dream. Then returning he poked me as if reading my mind,

“No, its not a dream.”

As I looked around. There was a double toot of a fog horn just off shore. He stopped rambling to raise it on his cell phone telling it's captain he won’t be needed. He then, tried to explain that Julie having been born with this ability uses it to change things and peoples live for the better. I was still angry, I felt worst than violated. I’ve been removed from my life and place in a prison I could never escape if anything went wrong. So, I stopped for a moment settled into my new reality. And asked.

“OK, So what do we do now, till she gets back?”

There was a long pause.

“You play poker?”

And, that was the day. Poker, the beach, fine wines, movies and food. Then as night fell I became quickly and uncontrollably sleepy. I remember only passing out. Next, I was home in bed, bearded, dirty and all. An no one even remembers seeing me or what I did or where I went that whole day. A week later I received notice from my bank that I'd received twenty-seven thousand dollars from an anonymous source An exact amount able to cover all my current debts with interest.






This story was written for competition and had a 1000 word limitation. I'm thinking about expanding the idea to incorporate the original ending.



Word count: 985 by D.S.Ferguson alias: Ironworker156