The Split (10 page)

              The group of guys watching us cheers loudly. 

              I immediately start to collect my clothing, pulling it back on as I stumble out of the restroom in a fucked-silly daze.  I’m filled with a swirling cocktail of emotions that pulls me this way and that but, most of all, what I want is to get away from all this.

              I’m satisfied, but in my satisfaction I see an escape from Alison, a moment to keep my compulsion repressed just enough to reclaim my sanity.

              Quickly, I duck into an empty row of slot machines, and then desperately will myself to transform back into Mandi.  As I do, I watch a crew of five security guards run into the men’s room, but by the time they come out looking for Ms. Alison Hyde, she’s nowhere to be found.

              There’s no time to celebrate, however.

              As I walk through the casino looking for Derek, I multitask, quickly searching for the nearest electronics store on my phone and, although there’s nothing near the main drag of the Las Vegas strip that can provide me with the equipment I need, I find a store out in the desert a few miles that looks as though it will have me covered.  I need to get these nanobots out of me before I become too horny to control them yet again.

              Derek is nowhere to be found, and for a moment I’m ready to give up, thinking that he’s left the casino completely, but as I’m about to head out onto the strip looking for him I suddenly catch a glimpse of the man’s familiar face over at the blackjack table.  He doesn’t look happy.

              I step up to the table and Derek sees me, but immediately averts his eyes, looking down at the green felt as I watch.  I have no idea how many chips he might have started with, but from the looks of it he’s not doing so hot.

              The dealer shows a ten of hearts, and then motions to Derek.  Derek’s cards total thirteen, which is not a terribly good position to be in.  Derek hits, and he receives another card, which pushes his total up above twenty-one.  A loss.

              The dealer takes Derek’s bet away, leaving him with an even smaller stack of chips as he shakes his head in disgust.

              “Hey, can I talk to you?”  I ask Derek.

              He looks at me for a moment, but ignores my concern, immediately turning his attention back to the game.  There’s something horribly vacant about Derek’s movements, as if he’s just going through the motions in an effort to simply give his money away.

              Derek pushes his entire stack out onto the table, betting it all.

              “How much is that?”  I ask.

              Derek ignores me, but when he’s not looking an older woman at the table turns to me and whispers, “Twelve grand.”

              “Oh my god.”  I gasp, trying to cover my mouth and hide my reaction.  If that’s all he’s got left, then I’m terrified to find out how much Derek started with.

              A new set of cards is dealt, with Derek once again ending up on a total of thirteen.  My heart is thundering in my chest now, and I want desperately to pull him away from the table but I know that the hand has already started and, at this point, there’s nothing I can do about it.

              “Hit.”  Derek tells the dealer.

              Another card comes down and I breathe a sigh of relief.  It’s a six of hearts, totaling nineteen, a perfectly respectable place to stand in blackjack.

              Derek however, has other plans.  “Hit.”  He says again.

              Even the dealer gives him a strange look, knowing full well that the chances of this turning out well are slim to none.  I’m not much for statistics, but I’m knowledgeable enough to know that this is a bad play.   There are only eight cards in the entire desk that can keep Derek from going over twenty-one and losing everything.  Reluctantly, the dealer lays down yet another card for Derek.

              It’s a two.

              The entire table bursts into a cheer, completely blown away by this bold, yet incredibly stupid, play that has somehow worked out in Derek’s favor.  I clap my hands together loudly, relieved.

              Derek, however, doesn’t move, hardly noticing that another card has even been given to him.  His eyes lowered, Derek simply waits for the cheering and excitement to die down and then finally says, one final time.  “Hit me.”

              The dealer looks confused.  “Sir, you have twenty one.”

              Derek nods.  “I understand.”

              I shake my head in utter confusion, helpless to do anything as the self-destruction unfolds before me.  The entire table is utterly dumbfounded, exchanging glances with one another as the dealer slowly lays down another card, a card whose value is completely inconsequential.  Regardless, Derek will lose.

              “Thirty one.”  The dealer says, a sadness in his voice, then pulls the rest of Derek’s chips towards him.

              Immediately, Derek stands up and leaves the table.

              “Hey!”  I shout, chasing after him.  “What the fuck was that?”

              Derek ignores me, simply stepping around as I attempt to post myself in front of him.  He soon arrives at an ATM and inserts his card.

              “Jesus, what are you doing?”  I ask.

              “Getting more cash.”  Derek tells me, flatly.

              I try desperately to grab his card out of his hands, which finally gets Derek to at least stop and spin towards me in frustration.  I can see now that his eyes are brimming with tears, the anxiety and darkness of his addiction finally catching up with him.

              “Oh god.”  I sigh, and then open my arms for a hug.

              Derek pushes me away.  “No.”

              “Derek, I’m sorry.”  I say.  “I have no idea who those people were up in the room, I swear.”

              He laughs to himself.  “Oh great.”  Derek scoffs, rolling his eyes sarcastically.  “That makes everything so much better.”

              “I’m so sorry.”  I repeat.

              Suddenly, his entire demeanor shifts from a deep self-loathing to sharp anger.  “Are you kidding me?  We came here together, to help each other get better.  It was stupid of me to think that we could have connected this quickly with you, it was stupid of me to believe in love.”

              I shake my head.  “It’s not what you think.”

              “Then what is it?”  Derek shouts.  “We’re both addicts, I get it, we’re sick people, but I’m not sick enough to do that kind of shit to you.”

              “I’m not either!”  I protest.

              “What does that even mean?”  Derek asks.  “What are you saying?”

              I pause for a moment, trying my best to figure out how to reveal my secret.

              “I think I need to show you, not tell you.”  I explain.  “Otherwise, you’re not going to believe me.”

              Derek throws his hands up.  “Then show me!”

              Suddenly, right then and there, I transform.

              Derek’s visceral mood immediately shifts into a state of fear and wonder, his mouth hanging open as he stares at a mirror image of himself, or at least, my best attempt at one.

              “How?” Is all that he can say, reaching out and touching me lightly on the face.

              “It’s a long story.”  I tell him, in my closest approximation of his own voice.

              Derek glances around to see if anyone else has noticed this miracle unfolding before his very eyes, but everyone else is completely preoccupied by the flashing lights that hum and dance across the screens before them.

              “I don’t understand.”  Derek stammers.  “Please, try to explain.”

              “There was an accident at work.”  I tell him.

              “What kind of accident?”

              I let out a long sigh, unsure of how to lay all of this out, and then finally flip into computer scientist mode.  “I was exposed to a highly advanced nanobot swarm. It’s programmed to lock onto my entire molecular structure and, within reason, give me the ability to transform my appearance.”

              “Within reason.”  Derek repeats back to me, with a laugh.

              “Do you understand what I’m telling you?”  I ask.

              Derek shakes his head.  “I have no idea, but it’s blowing my mind.”

              We stand for a moment like this, Derek still reeling from my admission while I prepare myself for the inevitable fallout from the next one.  I feel an anxious tingling across my entire body, scared to unveil anything more but knowing deep down that I have to.

              “I need to tell you something else.”  I say.

              Derek immediately recognizes the look of deep concern in my eyes.  “What is it?”

              Slowly but surely I begin to shift my face and hair, letting it grow out in dark waves that roll down my shoulders in lush swoops.  My lips plump up and my eye’s get narrower.

              As Derek watches his expression goes from fascination to absolute horror.

              I finally become Alison Hyde entirely.  “I really am sorry.  I didn’t mean for things to get this far out of control and I never ever meant to hurt you.  It’s like she’s taken on a life of her own.  Last night, in the bedroom, I can’t even remember having sex with those people.  Alison’s taking over and I don’t know how to stop her.”

              I notice now that Derek is practically shaking with rage.  “How could you do this to me?”  He stammers.  “You’re the reason that I relapsed.  You tricked me.”

              “I know.”  I say.  “It was…”

              I let the words trail off, unable to entirely sum up the horror that I’ve inflicted on this man who’s been nothing but incredible to me.

              “I’m sorry.”  I repeat.  “I should’ve never let her get so out of control.”

              Realizing that even standing in the skin of Alison is dangerous, I immediately transform back into my normal self.

              Derek just shakes his head, still reeling from surreal bomb that I’ve dropped.  “I think you should go back to Los Angeles.”  He finally says.

              “What?”  I stammer.

              “You’re not safe for me to be around.”  Derek says.  “I don’t understand any of this stuff about Alison taking over, I don’t know what it’s like to have some other person inside me trying to get out, either.  I can’t help you anymore.  I tried that already and look what happened.”

              “But you do know what it’s like to have another person inside of you!”  I protest.  “You’re an addict.”

              Frustrated, Derek simply throws his hands up in the air and turns to walk away.  “I’ll have the front desk order you a rental car.”  He calls back over his shoulder.  “I don’t ever want to see you again.”

              And then suddenly, just like that, he’s gone, disappearing into the milling crowd of gamblers on the casino floor.

              I feel as though the wind has been knocked out of me, my soul completely deflated as I stand here surrounded by people, yet completely alone.  If I hadn’t just moments before satiated my powerful sexual desires, then I would assuredly be spinning into yet another session of vapid lustful fucking.  Instead, I feel nothing but an overwhelming sadness.

              After standing here in silence for some unknown amount of time, I notice a group of large men in security uniforms walking directly towards me.

              “Ms?”  The largest of the bunch asks as he approaches.  “Are you Ms. Mandi Evans?”

              I nod, still in a daze from the devastating loss of Derek, the image of him walking right out of my life just repeating over and over again in my head.

              “Could you come with us please?”  The man asks.

              Snapping out of it, I size the men up and immediately realize that running is no use, they are massive and carry tasers strapped to their belts.  I nod again, and soon the group of us is crossing the casino floor towards an unmarked door, two of the guards behind me and two in the front.  I’m vaguely aware of the strangeness that they know my name, given the fact that I checked in under Derek’s reservation, but I’m too defeated at the moment to care.

              The exit leads to a stretch of white walled hallway that we continue down until reaching a second door, which is opened for me.  The men do not follow me inside, but instead motion towards an empty chair in the middle of an otherwise empty room for me to sit at.  The walls are cement, save for one, which appears to be one-way glass.

              “Have a seat Ms. Evans.”  One of the large men says.

              “The pit boss will be in shortly to speak with you.”
              I nod and take a seat in the chair as the men leave, locking the door behind them.  It’s only now that I realize how much trouble I might be in, but without knowing exactly what kind, or why, I still somehow refrain from panicking.  My senses are numb with heartbreak.

              It’s not long before the door opens up and a man steps inside, his face long and fearsome and his eyes set deep like dark, black pools.

              “Hello Mandi.”  He says.  “Thank you for your cooperation.”

              I smile as pleasantly as I can.  “Of course.”

              “I’m Randall Torrance, the pit boss here at The Grand Mayan casino.”  The man explains, standing before me menacingly as I look up from my seat in the chair.  “It looks like you’ve been enjoying your stay.”

              “How do you mean?”  I ask.

              “Well, we have camera’s everywhere.  You know this, right?”  He counters.

              “So?”

              “First of all, we don’t allow that kind of activity in our restrooms.”  Randall tells me with a slight scoff.  “But, what really caught my eye was the… shape shifting.”

              I try to play dumb and give him an awkward laugh, “What?”

              “Listen, we have everything on high definition video.”  Randall tells me.  “I watched it myself about ten times before we approached you, but it’s there.”

              My heart is now pounding out of my chest and I’m kicking myself for letting this get so out of control.  It was one thing for my secret to be contained, but now it’s getting out into the world and, at this point, the consequences are beyond prediction.  There’s no stopping it now.

              “Are you aware that you’re wanted by the FBI?”  Randall asks me.

              I shake my head.  “No, what for?”

             
Randall pulls a sheet of paper out of the inside pocket of his finely tailored jacket and unfolds it, reading aloud.  “Theft of government property and treason.”

              “Shit.”  I instinctively mumble aloud, realizing what this means. 

              Detectives Kellogg and Peek have gone back over the footage from Allencorp and confirmed that I was lying, and now I’ve become a threat to national security.

              “According to the information that we’ve gathered, it would appear that you’ve pissed off somebody at Allencorp enough to get the feds involved.”  Randall tells me, confirming my suspicions.  “You took your Vegas vacation at the right time but, unfortunately, changing shape like that isn’t a good way of laying low.”

              “Please.”  I counter.  “You don’t understand, it’s not my fault.”

              Randall smirks.  “Who’s fault it is is none of my business.”  He tells me.  “Keeping this casino running is my business and, despite my fascination with your apparent ability, criminals like yourself are not welcome here.  There’s no telling how much havok you could cause it a poker tournament with a skill like that.  The police are on their way.”

              I start to protest, to beg him for my release, but at this point I’m not even sure if it matters anymore.  Maybe a cold hard cell is exactly what I need, having lost control of myself to the point where I’m hurting those closest to me, extinguishing the potential for love before it even starts.  I’m exhausted, tired of running and hiding.

              “Okay.”  I finally say.  “That’s probably for the best.”

              Randall nods.  “Good.”

              It takes only a few seconds for my leg to start shaking, trembling as though an earthquake is coursing through the chair below me.  I reach down and try to hold myself still but before I know it the strange sensation is pulsing through my arm and then suddenly my entire body is trembling.  Unsure of what’s happening I look back over my shoulder at the one way glass behind me, which shows off my distorted and shifting face in its reflection. 

              My transition between personalities is no longer within my control.

              “Oh fuck,” I manage to stammer.

              The next thing I know, I’m completely naked in the chair and my body is no longer my own, but that of Alison Hyde.

              Randall is completely awestruck by both my incredible transformation and my equally incredible body.  His mouth hangs agape, eyes firmly drawn down towards my massive breasts.

              “You gonna keep staring like that or are you gonna be a man and touch them?”  I ask in a voice that’s not my own.

              Randall looks conflicted, a professional torn between his job and his hardwired sexual compulsion.

              Trapped within the body of Alison Hyde, I suddenly realize that if I don’t defend myself against capture then she will.  We share one another’s cellular structure, taking turns as we rent out the being that was once solely my own, but with sharing comes a commitment to preservation.  At least, until I can find a means of shutting her down for good.

              “Put your clothes back on.”  Randall says, slowly and carefully, as if forcing the words from his mouth.

              “They seem to have disappeared.”  Alison says with a giggle.  “What?  You don’t like looking at this body?”

              Randall doesn’t say anything, but he wears his internal conflict clearly across his face, an expression so powerful it almost appears to be painful.

              Alison spreads our legs open, revealing the gorgeous, wet pussy within.  “You don’t like me?”  She coos.

              Randall shakes his head.  “Stop.”

              “Would you prefer a redhead?”  Alison asks, immediately shifting our hair color to a dark auburn.  “Or a blonde?”

              As our hair turns a beautiful golden blonde Randall’s eyes suddenly light up.  “I think we have a winner!”  Alison says.  “Now get over here.”

              Alison beckons towards Randall with our finger, coaxing the man to come closer and closer.  Sure enough, even he is unable to resist the charms of such a perfectly shaped woman.

              The man takes two steps towards us as we lift up our legs and hook them over either arm rest, completely spread open before him.

              “Would you like to give it a lick?”  Alison asks.

              Randall nods and climbs down to the floor, now crawling towards us on his hands and knees.  He looks up and grins feverishly, excited to dive in as his lips move closer.                Alison places our hands on the back of his head and begins to pull Randall onto our aching slit when suddenly, she uses all of her force to propel him down onto the edge of the chair with a loud crack.

              Randall immediately collapses onto the ground before us with a broken nose, or worse, completely unconscious as a small pool of blood starts to bloom across the concrete floor around him.  We stand up and Alison looks directly at us in the reflection of the one way glass, then says to me, “Alright, I took care of the dirty work, now you get us out of here.”

              Suddenly, I’m trembling again, unable to stop the transformation as I swiftly turn back into myself.

              Almost immediately, I can hear shouting from behind the glass.  Knowing that I only have a few seconds to react, I make a break for the door and then burst out into the long white hallway.

              I wasn’t paying nearly enough attention coming in, so my first and most important question is to determine which way leads out.  Looking up and down the hallway, it’s almost impossible to say, each of them appearing to me seemingly endless stretches of sterile corridor.

              “Mandi!”  I suddenly hear familiar voice shouting.

              I turn to see Derek waving me towards him down the hallway to my left, while a group of security guards come barreling out of a doorway to my right.

              I take off running towards Derek, who waits until I reach him and then begins to sprint along beside me as we make our way through the maze.  Fortunately, he seems to know exactly where he’s going.

              The next thing I know, we are plowing through an exit door that leads to an alleyway behind the casino, where Derek’s car is waiting in what is surely not a legal space.  We jump inside just as the security guards exit the casino behind us, but by the time they’ve reached the street we are already flying out across the asphalt at blinding speeds, Derek’s low riding vehicle tearing around the corner with a loud roar.

              Moments later, we’re several blocks away, panting loudly as Derek and me catch our breath.

              “Thank you.”  I say, hardly able to get the words out.  “Oh my god, thank you so much, Derek.”

              Derek is still brooding, his eyes focused directly ahead through the windshield.  “You’re welcome.”

              “How’d you know where to find me?”  I ask.

              “I saw them take you away.”  He explains.  “And I followed them.  Besides, the guts of these giant casinos are all pretty much the same, and I’ve seen my share of back rooms.”  The light at our intersection turns green, but Derek doesn’t go anywhere.  “Where to now?”

              I’m suddenly hit with a moment of panic.  “Do you have our stuff?  Is my laptop in here?”

              Derek nods.  “I went up and grabbed it all from the room.”

              I’m so happy to hear this that I reach out across the center console and wrap my arms around Derek, hugging him tight and giving him a kiss on the cheek.

              He tries not to react, still upset with me, but I see the slightest hint of a smile flare up at the corner of his lips.  A car honks behind us.

              “Where to?”  Derek repeats.  “You destroyed my Vegas detox, so now it’s your call where we go to fix all of this.”

              I pull out my phone and read aloud an address the cars navigation system.  “1820 Desert Inn Rd.”

              The cars computer whirs to life, calculating the fastest path to get us there.

              “1820 Desert Inn Rd.”  The car’s computer voice announces.  “Crazy Larry’s Electronics.”

              Derek glances over at me as he takes off across the intersection.  “You’ve got a lot of explaining to do.”  He says.

              The best thing about a guy who’s seen the world, like Derek, is that he’s open to new ideas, even if those ideas sound utterly insane at first.  This couldn’t be more apparent than when I finished explaining to him the way I’d been trapped in a chamber and, unwillingly, been exposed to these nanobots, giving life to a repressed and destructive side of my personality named Alison Hyde.

              I suppose it’s easier after you see someone change their shape right before your very eyes, but what is even more astonishing than his belief is his forgiveness; Forgiveness for lying, forgiveness for destroying his prior relationship, and forgiveness for dragging him into this mess.

              Of course, true unconditional forgiveness is hard, but it’s a little easier when you have a split personality to blame.  Even
I
can’t be sure how much of these digressions were Alison and how much of them were caused by my own sick jealousy.

              Derek and I do agree on one thing, however.  That Alison Hyde needs to be shut down for good, before she hurts anyone else or causes me to be relegated to the inside of a test tube for the rest of my life.