A… bird… talked…

  In front of me is NOT a parrot, I can tell because parrots usually

  sound annoying when they repeat something they've heard. This one

  just spoke like it is second nature to it. It stood upon the edge of

  the garbage bin.

  I was so surprised that I was stunned for a couple of seconds. I

  didn't even know what to think. The bird stared back at me like a

  normal bird. Was I just hearing things? Maybe controlling a clone can

  make me delusional after a while. That must be it. Or I thought,

  until the bird opened its mouth and started speaking like a normal

  human male, “Bulvik ni vuud paydi.”

  “What the hell!?” I flinched at the

  unexpected event. THE BIRD DID

  TALK! It sounds so formal, is

  it a person who can change into a bird? Is that possible?!

  “How can you speak? Are you a person?” I responded, awaiting a

  reply, which I never received. “Hey! Do you understand me?” I

  said louder.

  “The

  bird squawked a little aggressively before taking off and not turning

  back. What the… what the hell

  was that?! I thought to myself.

  Well, I guess I should add “talking animals” to the list of

  things I should get used to in this new life.

  Shocked as I was, I moved on. I realized I had no way of

  transportation, and I don't like the idea of carrying my new clone

  while I slowly walk home. Even though I don't feel like I have enough

  energy in me, I decide to try to use my powers on my clone and

  attempt to control it.

  With a little zap from the wrist, followed by severe brain aneurysms,

  I slowly awake from the clone's perspective. Watching my former clone

  staring back at me, I rattle my body, swiftly swelling my muscles and

  cause muscle cramps to occur. It must be like that due to the process

  of how it was fabricated.

  My former cloned body had light fading from its eyes and eventually

  gave in and got on to its knees before finally falling asleep and

  collapsing. After my mentality stabilized, I realized I barely had

  any clothes on and decided to switch back to my former clone. I found

  a pair of clogs and ripped blue jeans behind one of the little shops.

  I hastily switched back and forth to put on the new clothes as to not

  let one of them fall on the ground. This made me realize that I

  noticeably got a little better managing my control between switching

  between clones. Before, I would need to focus almost twice as hard.

  Now that we are both ready, I finally got to

  the part that I was avoiding, how

  am I going to walk both of us home? The

  last thing I wanted was to switch back and forth like crazy. Even

  though I could, it definitely makes me use up a lot of energy and

  makes me drowsy.

  It does not appear to me that I have another choice. I started

  switching rapidly every ten seconds, so I had some recovery time to

  contain my brain cells. After only three seconds of switching, the

  empty clone fades out and I start dragging them. And it continues

  like that for a while.

  There was still a lot of distance to cover, and it was getting very

  inefficient after five minutes, so I decided to go a little faster.

  Every time I counted up to seven, I would switch. Another ten minutes

  go by, I decide to go even faster. Every five seconds I was

  switching.

  For the next, I think half an hour, I was getting used to it. I

  wasn't being as dizzy as before, it was more like a tingle I felt

  after switching. I think I even went faster than five seconds,

  unconsciously. I was evolving… I wish I could say it feels good,

  but after this many times of switching and dragging my selves at a

  snails pace, it was tiring.

  Still a mile to go. I don't know why I had to go to a far place in

  the beginning, it definitely proved itself to be a pain.

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  But as we walked, yes, walking. We started to be more in sync. Or it

  could be that I'm switching connections so seamlessly that it feels

  almost natural. Only a while ago, I was switching every three

  seconds. The more energy I put out, and the faster I use it, the

  better results.

  An hour before, switching felt like opening and closing one of my

  eyes and getting dizzy, now it feels like I'm shifting left and right

  smoothly. This is like practice to me, and it's amazing.

  But what if I just keep getting better?

  I decide we should both sit down on a nearby bench on the sidewalk

  and relax for a little while. I look around to see some people

  walking and driving on the streets. It feels so empty now, everyone

  must be inside, even though it has almost been a month.

  As I stare blankly, I start thinking about the actions that have

  occurred. It is quite a lot to process. As I think about my

  improvement of switching rapidly between clones, I came to a

  realization. For some reason, when I initially made a connection to

  my new clone, it wasn't as bad as switching between my former clone.

  Actually, comparing them both is like comparing a minor headache to

  someone throwing your brain in the blender and putting it back in

  place afterward.

  I vaguely remember that when I

  switched bodies before, I could perceive my memories coming back to

  me like a train full of knowledge. However, it wasn't at all like

  that in this new scenario, when I switched I immediately understood

  that I was the clone and my memories felt like they were already

  there.

  Before I finish my thought, I notice someone walking close towards

  me. I look up to see a woman, who is wearing some kind of

  professional attire for business.

  She looks at me with her sunglasses on while holding on to her

  handbag. They reflect the sky in a dark-crimson color tone, so I can

  barely make out the outline of her eyes.

  I'm not sure why, but instead of talking, I just froze up. I never

  noticed her coming at all. She was standing in between my sleeping

  clone and I.

  She looks at the clone, then me, “So…” she speaks. I quickly

  searched around her person to spot any weapons, none I could see.

  “Are you two like twins?” She asked while turning towards me

  again. Her voice was calm and soothing. I think I was too tired

  mentally to respond. I just didn't feel like talking, so I didn't

  respond back.

  After a second of silence, she opens her mouth once more.

  “You're a quiet on, aren't you.”

  “What do you want?” I talked a little, sounding less confident

  than I intended.

  “No need to be shy, I'm just trying to make friends.”

  I sounded shy to her? Either way, the last thing I want right now is

  get my self wrapped up with some shady person with unknown abilities.

  When she appeared out of nowhere, that could be some kind of stealth

  ability.

  “So, what can you do?” She asks, slowly leaning in.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You know… powers” She interrogates.

  I keep shut.

  “Oh, how ill-mannered of me. What's your name? You can call me…

  Marilyn.” She steps back. All I can think of, is that she doesn't

  look like a Marilyn.

  She smiles at me normally, too normally. I'm probably paranoid, but

  I'm tired and just wish she would go away.

  I decided to not answer her once more. After some silence, a black

  sedan drives into the side of the street, the door opens and a man in

  the same professional attire pops out and starts calling.

  “Miss! We need to head out now, the officer won't be happy if we

  are late.” The man shouts.

  “Oh shoot!” She turns to face the man, then turns back to me and

  waves her arm, “Well, I guess it's time to go,” as to signal a

  goodbye. She enters the car and it takes off urgently.

  I

  ask myself.

  Either way, I will go now, I've rested more than enough. And while

  that woman was yammering, something came to mind and I want to test a

  new theory.

  I stood up and started rapid switching between clones as I was doing

  before. This time, I only felt a little dizzy instead of a full

  headache, which is what happens when switching after more than a

  couple of minutes. It definitely felt more natural and easy. But that

  wasn't what I wanted to know. What I really wanted to know is what

  would happen if I was able to switch as fast as possible.

  So I started going faster, from every five second switch to four,

  then three, and I couldn't get any faster, I just couldn't switch

  fast enough. It feels like a muscle, and I just can't flex it fast

  enough, it needs a little time to rest each time I switch. I kept

  trying harder and harder, I got as fast as two seconds, but it drains

  far more energy than waiting an extra second.

  I started to

  slowly notice that my energy felt like it was flowing instead of

  targeting a different body. It motivated me to keep going at

  it. Switch, then take two steps,

  then switch, two steps, take two steps, then... Wait...

  my other clone just took steps without me switching...