Right before leaving, Kara made me take off my shoe and sock. Then she handed me what looked like a silver ring.

 

“It’s got just enough silver that you should be able to gauge how much control he has, but not enough to make you break character in case he assumes full control. I won’t get into the biology of it, but it has something to do with blood particles and an allergic reaction to the silver. When he imposes control the particles multiply and the reaction becomes more prominent. Hence us holding that knife to you earlier.”

 

I nodded.

 

Kara looked down at a smartphone before slipping it into her purse.

 

“Trevor is in place. He’s on-call on this phone, so he’ll hear everything inside.”

 

I nodded at her again, and we made out way out. We had about ten minutes left on Master’s time limit so we walked out of the hideout and towards the hotel at a brisk walk. The moment of truth was quickly approaching.

 

We walked into the lobby. I didn’t say anything to Kara and she didn’t say anything back, just in case Master had converted some of the staff in the hotel. I tried to get into character. I mean… Master had given us full control, Kara was just the replacement I was bringing back.

 

Every single step that took us closer to Master’s room, my heart increased its rhythm. I felt like I had tunnel vision, only able to see five steps in front of me. I didn’t feel any irritation around the ring on my toe, so I assumed I still had full control. Then we got to the door.

 

I knocked and was greeted by a silent Martin. I walked a little further inside, just passing the bathroom, and Kara followed. I was internally crossing my fingers that this plan worked and was practically praying that Master didn’t compel me to speak about my time away. I surveyed the room and found several peculiar things.

 

Sitting in the lounge chair off in the far right corner of the room was a completely naked Grace. Had she gotten naked after finding a replacement? Had she actually just seduced someone for fun and not as a replacement? Had she even left at all?

 

In my heart, I knew it was most likely the last option.

 

To my left, Master was casually leaning on a desk, close enough to the wall that he wasn’t imminently visible through the window. As he stood, Trevor didn’t have a clear shot. Was Master aware of our plan or was this simply bad luck?

 

The final peculiar thing was the lack of any other replacements. It wasn’t too far off to assume that in Grace’s brainwashed state she had elected to stay and do whatever the hell it Master wanted with her… but Martin left at the same time I did. He should have found a replacement.

 

Then I heard muffled sounds from behind me.

 

A college kid around Martin’s current build had Kara in a wrestling hold. She was attempting to get out, but to no avail. I could see blood pouring out of two wounds on the college kid’s neck, presumably from when the Master converted him to be like the three of us.

 

Suddenly I felt a strong itch from my toe. It only took a half a second for me to realize what that indicated, as I lost all motor functions beyond the control of my eyes.

 

“Your kind always thinks your so clever,” Master said with a very judgmental flair. “Tsk tsk tsk…”

 

 

I felt an all too familiar oddness, and upon blinking realized Master had changed my form. I looked down to see the exact same dress Kara was wearing. In fact, I was the exact same Kara as well. At this point, my toe ring was straight-up burning, but since I wasn’t in control there wasn’t much I could do about it. So much for an early warning system. I walked over to Kara who had several emotions flashing across her face. What wasn’t covered by Martin’s replacement thrall was broadcasting anger, emotional pain, and fear.

 

I felt silent tears run down my face while my expression remained neutral as I picked the phone out of Kara’s purse and pressed the button to switch the call to Trevor into a video call.

 

Before the first ring, I felt my face expressions morph to match the tears. In the selfie part of the screen, I could see my impersonation of Kara. I looked broken, like the plan had gone to shit in half a second and I was doing my best to keep it together. I honestly wondered if perhaps I was a little in control because that perfectly encapsulated how I felt. Martin’s replacement slowly began moving Kara into the bathroom while everyone else in the room stayed where they were. The phone rang seven times before Trevor picked up.

 

“Kara…” was all Trevor said. Without moving my eyes, I could see a tear roll down real Kara’s face.

 

“Take the shot!” I pleaded. I was again unsure who was in control of my actions… Me or Master?

 

“I don’t have a clear line.”

 

“He’s right by the—” I started to point out where Master was so that Trevor could shoot through the wall when I felt Master’s hands on my waist. He pulled me in close and spun me such that I was directly between the wall and him with still no clear shot through the window.

 

“Just take the shot!” I screamed. I couldn’t see much of Trevor as his rifle covered most of the frame and obscured his face. He made eye contact with me and then looked through the sights. I could just tell his finger was over the trigger. “Please pull it,” I pleaded in my head. It was certainly what Kara would have done, and if it stopped Master then I was possibly fine with it.

 

No one said a word. I came to terms with death and pushed through Master’s control enough to let out a small nod telling Trevor to shoot.

 

“I’m sorry…” Trevor said, putting the gun down.

 

Tears poured out of me. I didn’t know if they were from Master or mine, and I didn’t care. Whatever happened next… we’d lost.

 

“Charlotte wouldn’t have wanted you dead,” Trevor said mostly under his breath.

 

I’d never really pieced Kara and Trevor’s motivations together. They were too young to be parents, too aggressive to be lovers, too close to be strangers… They must have both cared about this girl named Charlotte. Too bad I never got to know.

 

“You come down here, I’ll trade your life for hers.”

 

There was another long pause, but Trevor eventually gave a small nod.

 

“But you have to keep her on the line. I have to know she’s unharmed.” I wanted to scream at him and to scold him, but Master was making me play the broken girl so I stayed quiet and avoided eye contact. I was his leverage and he was imposing so much will over me I couldn’t even attempt to break it.

 

“You’ve got a deal,” Master responded.

 

For the next five minutes, everyone stood wordlessly while Trevor walked down the stairs, crossed the street and walked up the stairs of the Holiday Inn.

 

Trevor arrived at the door and Martin once again opened it. Trevor stared right at me. “Show me her neck.”

 

My hair was already in a bun, so I just looked left and right to show him my, technically unbitten in this form, neck.

 

Master slowly released his hold on me at the same time Martin stepped behind Trevor and bound his hands. The door was still open, but I doubted anyone would notice. We weren’t making much noise and the hotel was relatively deserted.

 

I ran over to Trevor and embraced him in a hug.

 

“Leave this life behind,” Trevor whispered in my ear. I wish I could tell him. I wish I could tell him I wasn’t Kara. That Kara was locked in the bathroom and probably dead… or worse.

 

All I said was, “I’m sorry.”

 

“I’m sorry too,” he replied.

 

I hadn’t meant to say I’m sorry. That was Master talking. Maybe he was giving Trevor some last peace before what followed. I felt another shift, but this time localized to my right hand. It was instant. I didn’t even know Master had made me do it until I’d already done it.

 

I felt a few prickles on my stomach, then I looked down. Several small looking points had punctured Trevor’s chest from behind. Then I felt the warmth on my hand.

 

While I’d had my hands wrapped around Trevor in what would be his final embrace, Master had turned my fingers into keratin daggers. The life left Trevor’s face as my hand returned to normal and he dropped to the floor.

 

Unable to handle what I’d just done, I sunk to my knees.

 

“Brianna… next time you conspire with someone, leave the silver ring behind. I could smell it the second you walked in the building.”

 

I didn’t realize I’d reverted to my red-head form until Master was crouching beside me with what was supposed to be a comforting arm around my shoulder.

 

“Your punishment matched the crime. Betrayal for betrayal. Please don’t do it again.” Master stood up and closed the door to the hallway. I remained still out of shock and remorse.

 

I didn’t know Trevor but for a little over an hour. I’d killed him. Yes, I’d dealt the blow, but that wasn’t how I’d killed him. Master was pulling my strings. I killed Trevor the second I met him and let him show me mercy.

 

“Oh, come on, I’m going to enjoy this next part and I don’t want everyone so glum when I do it. Not very often do you get to see something like this.”

 

A switch flipped inside me. Have you ever been around a person, maybe a friend or a loved one or a coworker, and found them tolerable or even enjoyable to be around? Then one day, with next to no justification, everything they do just pisses you off or rubs you the wrong way. As much as I might want things to go back to the way they were, I just can’t help but get annoyed. Well… imagine that, but sort of flipped. I no longer felt sad. I was still a little shocked, but… relieved. A weight had been lifted off my shoulders and now Master was promising something interesting.

 

I didn’t want to be curious about what he was going to do. I wanted to sit there and bawl and shout and lash out, but instead, I just picked myself up and patiently awaited the next thing.

 

After all, Kara was still trapped in the bathroom.