A strange sensation moves across my face. Then, multiple ones follow after it, a cold feeling drawing circles on the surface of my skin. I lean into the gentleness of it all, ghost-like comfort soothing the hallows of my mind. I expect to be violently woken up by my maids and deep-seated anxiety. But it never comes.
Soft giggles pull me out of the dark, light entering my eyes as I'm welcomed by my first seconds of being awake. My troubles are strangely light as I groan groggily, shoulders oddly not as stiff as they usually are despite the uncharacteristic hardness of the bed beneath me.
Multiple, unfamiliar faces greet me, an identical grin on all of them. They radiate mischief from the first look. What's even more unusual is that the girls surrounding me look to be my age, nothing like the wearied maids that usually assist me in my morning routine.
I jolt up in realization, head almost knocking against someone else's. "Excuse me!" I yell involuntarily, panic setting into my bones. This is not my house. I do not sleep on the floor, especially not in such a cramped and messy bedroom.
"What do you think you're doing? Who are you?" I accuse the girls, attempting to present myself as a threat, just to make sure they don't identify me as helpless and easy. My frantic words seem to be comedic as they all burst into laughter. One points towards a mirror and strangely enough, I run towards it.
Colorful doodles of erm, male genitals greet me in my reflection. It's rather vulgar, surreal in the sense that there is a giant hot pink phallus on my forehead, but what really sets me off is that that isn't my reflection— Whoever I am staring at does not resemble me in the slightest. Brown eyes look back at me, wondering where my previous gray pupils had wandered.
Almost desperately, I start pulling at the skin of my face, tugging at the black strands of hair resting where blonde strands are supposed to be. Pain follows every pinch, only then do I sincerely start believing the heaviness of the situation. I, or whoever imposter whose body I've taken, looks frantic, pale even.
"Calm down. It's not permanent, you can wash it off." One of the calmer ones inform me, the others too occupied with wheezing on the floor to assist me in my endeavors. Funnily enough, I don't think I'll be able to just wash off an entire person's face off of mine.
"Wha— What?" I ask, head snapping towards the laughing girl then back at the mirror, reflection still of the unusual girl's.
I'm not one to easily buy into supernatural scenarios, but there's simply no other explanation. It could be a silly prank, but I have no friends to pull off something so big in the first place and father detests everything that resembles childish innocence.
I gulp down my confusion. It's best to be calm and act smart in new and unfamiliar situations, I remind myself. Otherwise, I'd just be setting myself up for danger.
"Have you been shocked into being braindead? Poor baby." A girl with beautiful ginger hair stands from her seat and takes hold of my hand, I flinch before melting into the touch. She leads me towards a bathroom, much smaller than the bedroom space and beckons towards the tiny sink.
I turn on the water and attempt to wash my face, even more dread entering my veins once I realize that nothing is washing off.