Carla's Body Swap

Once upon a time, Perry, an 18-year-old lad had a longstanding crush on his friend Henry's charming older sister, Suzy, who was 23. Perry spent hours envisioning scenarios where he'd confess his love to Suzy at Henry's house. But, he didn't imagine Henry's disdainful reaction upon finally revealing his feelings. His friend Henry didn't see the situation quite as Perry had hoped he would. This delicate moment was interrupted by the door swinging open to reveal Carla, the 45-year-old neighbour. Carla, with a sly smile playing on her lips, must've heard Perry's confession through the partly open door. With her purse still on her shoulder, hair pulled up in a neat bun, flip flops on her feet, sunglasses perched on her nose, and a rose tattoo prominently visible on her ankle, Carla called Perry into her kitchen. Seeing the confused expression on Perry's face, Carla made a bold proposition, "How about a body swap, Perry?" She detailed the proposition appealingly-"Access to my body, my money, my room, my car, my family, my clothes, my shoes. Old enough to buy cigarettes and alcohol. Just a break from being old would be nice." Perry could not comprehend if Carla was jesting or serious, but her stoic expression confirmed her seriousness. Without waiting for Perry's response, she muttered some strange words under her breath. What followed was a strange sensation of nauseating unease. Perry suddenly found himself staring through a pair of sunglasses, feeling a purse on his shoulder, and standing in Carla's outfit. Pulling off the flip flops that felt strange to him, he saw his own delighted reflection in his previous body. "So how long will we be swapped?", asked Perry with Carla's voice, still reeling from the radical change. "I lied about swapping back. I'm erasing your memories. Have a good life Carla", replied Carla, with an impish grin marking her young face. Dread pooled in Perry's heart as his memories began to fade, replaced by fragments of Carla's life. Once the transition was complete, Carla in Perry's body quizzed the new Carla. "What is your name and when is your birthday?" To which, Perry, who was now Carla replied, "My name is Carla and I was born on September 17, 1977." Satisfied with the response, Carla watched the new Carla slip back into her flip-flops and saunter off to her room. Carla, now a youthful 18-year-old, sighed, content with how accurately the body swap spell had worked. Here was a chance to relive her younger years, a commodity she'd thought lost forever. Meanwhile, Perry, now trapped in Carla's body, started a new, older chapter, unknowingly under a new name - Carla.