Borrowed Youth

“Oh, for God’s sake, stop crying, Lexi. It’s just temporary — you’ll have your body back by the end of the week,” said Kelly (64) as she floated in the pool, now inside Lexi’s (24) body. She had tricked her young neighbour into swapping bodies — it was true — but she wasn’t completely evil. She fully intended to return this lovely body… eventually.

Lexi watched helplessly as her own body drifted across the water. She hated Kelly for what she’d done — and she hated being trapped in Kelly’s body even more. Her joints ached, her skin felt unfamiliar, and every movement reminded her she wasn’t herself anymore.

Kelly adjusted her bikini, and Lexi’s stomach turned as she saw her own body — her own reflection — stretch and pose under the sun. Kelly admired the long, smooth legs and couldn’t resist smiling.

Bursting into tears again, Lexi turned away, storming off as quickly as Kelly’s older body would let her — leaving Kelly floating happily in the pool, basking in her young, borrowed body.

After a while, Kelly climbed out of the pool and went looking for Lexi. She found her lying on the sofa, a vacant look on her face and her eyes bright red from crying.

Kelly had only borrowed this body — as she liked to call it — because she had an amazing house left to her by her late husband, but she’d never felt she could truly enjoy it in her old body. So far, she’d used the pool more times in one week than she had in years, and the ability to go out running again had been incredible.

Still, she sometimes wondered whether she’d really be able to swap back into her old body. Lexi didn’t deserve to stay stuck in a body as worn down as hers, Kelly admitted to herself — though she couldn’t deny how much she loved this one.

When the end of the week came and they finally swapped back, Lexi bolted from the house, terrified that Kelly might try to take her body again.

Kelly sat beside her pool, gazing at her reflection in the still water, thinking about how much fun she’d had while living in Lexi’s young skin.