CONTENT WARNING: This story includes themes of transformation and body control with a suggestive approach. If this type of narrative is not to your liking or you do not meet the recommended age, we suggest you do not continue. All images used (if any) belong to their respective owners. I claim no authorship over them and they are only used for illustrative purposes. All the stories features only adult characters. If you decide to go ahead, welcome to Possessed Desires, where mind and body are never completely under your control.
Previously on Haunted: After Daniel gave Benji, Tobias, and Julian clues about the whereabouts of the other ghosts around the Institute, the group split in two, with Tobias and Julian searching for Marco, and Daniel and Benji trying to find Zeke.
Benji manages to find Zeke, discovering him in an unstable and almost vulnerable mental state. He decides to support, listen, and stay with him until he returns to his usual "head in the clouds", dismissing his friend as a possible intruder in his body.
However, one front remains undiscovered: What has Rex discovered about the imposter who has been occupying Benji's body all this time? Time is ticking, and the faster they find the answers, the less likely it is that Benji will end up becoming a ghost for all eternity.
Previous part: Haunted: Sober
— No, no, I love you more!
Benji chuckled as he walked backward, hand in hand with Peter, who just gazed at him with twinkling eyes. They walked down one of the Institute hallways as if nothing else in the world mattered.
— Hey, you're going to fall – Peter chuckled softly before taking him by the waist, pulling him closer, their breaths warm and ragged, until they kissed softly.
— It's worth it for you, isn't it?
They stayed close until Peter pulled away to give him a chaste kiss on the forehead.
— I'll be right back, I won't be long. Okay? – Benji nodded, smiling.
Peter took a couple of steps to open the bathroom door, entering and approaching the sink. He waited for the door to finally close behind him before letting out a sigh, his gaze fixed on the mirror as he turned on the water tap, inhaling and exhaling, gripping the edge of the faucet.
— Everything's alright... You're alright, everything will be fine – he squealed, almost terrified, before scooping up some water and splashing it on his face – It's not infidelity if he asked you to find out who took his best friend's body, is it? Everything's alright, everything's alright, everything's alright.
The pressure continued to rise, and apparently, so did the heat in his body. The droplets that clung to his face and neck slowly evaporated, leaving behind a trail of smoke. The guy looked back at the mirror, revealing a red glint in his iris that flickered out like a bonfire.
Rex's initial plan didn't involve possessing Peter, but he knew that with Julian out of the equation, the plan could fall apart at any moment, missing such a crucial piece of Benji's life. He thought Julian's romantic interest would seep into Peter's soul sooner or later, but he was wrong. He only had to give him a day to see what the guy was really like, and dude, was he a piece of shit.
Indifferent, cold, more interested in women, without a single trace of his "boyfriend's" memories, now he understood why Jules found it so hard to loosen the leash of his flesh suit. One second alone and everything could go wrong.
Peter's skin looked paler, and he could barely conceal the dark circles under his eyes. His mortal body was giving out, and he himself was growing weary. The ghost couldn't stand it any longer and stumbled toward the nearest stall, locking himself inside. His eyes rolled back, and he "exploded" like a pressure cooker. Rex's essence, more like a reddish, woody smoke, billowed from his mouth, nose, and even his ears, reforming itself beside the poor mortal, who collapsed unconscious against the bathroom wall.
— S-Shit – The punk muttered wearily. His head ached like never before; he was sleepy, and so hungry. He felt like he could eat a whole chicken and still not relieve his discomfort.
What if he just aborts the mission? He hadn't heard much about Operation "Uncover the Impostor" in days. The last he'd heard was that Daniel was one of the good guys now. Beyond that, he had no information. And himself? Ha, even less. Everything related to who was inside Benji's body was... Nothing.
He had absolutely nothing. The guy was a complete chameleon; there wasn't a trace of his ghostly aura, not in his eye, his essence, his powers, nothing. He looked like a mortal from head to toe; his voice was identical, his mannerisms too, even his personality. It was as if he had completely immersed himself in his role, like an actor or a stalker who had dedicated himself one hundred percent to his victim.
He needed more time, and yet... He no longer had time. Rex raised his hand in horror to discover that where his right hand should have been, there was only a diluted space along with strands of light connecting to his arm. He tried to move his fingers in a desperate attempt to feel them, but... nothing. There was nothing.
He swallowed, tears welling in his eyes. Was he willing to risk more to save someone? He cared about Benji; he was his friend, yes. But... if he was completely honest, it wasn't for him that he had agreed to get involved in this situation.
« — I don't know what I'm going to do – Tobias sighed, tears welling in his eyes. Rex held him tightly to his chest. They had moved far enough apart to give Julian and Ben time to "get to know each other better".
— Everything will be alright. Possessions take time. You can't prolong it forever. Sooner or later, it will come out.
— You don't know that, Rex! – Tobias was a bundle of nerves, his heart pounding, his face and eyes red from crying – This isn't normal. Benji shouldn't be out of his body. I don't know how a Border works, and what if... what if something happens to him?
— Nothing's going to hap-
— Rex, I know you want to help me. But... But it's not working – Tobias sobbed, pulling away. His boyfriend cupped his cheeks – What if he evaporates? What if something happens to him? No... I can't lose him, Rexy. I can't – He hugged him again, tears streaming down his face until the punk's t-shirt was soaked. He clenched his jaw, keeping his gaze fixed straight ahead.
How long had Tobias been alone? He was almost the first ghost, and... The next one didn't arrive until almost two decades later. He hadn't had a single friend in those twenty years, and almost a century later, he still hadn't.
To Rex, Tobias at the beginning was strange, too quiet, too cryptic, like a shadow that vanished around corners and down hallways without a trace, a hermit. He wasn't the most sociable person either, but... he was used to it; he'd always been a lone wolf.
Tobias, however... he was solitary, but not by choice. He'd always been the odd one out, even after death.
If he valued Benji so much, it was because he was the only friend he'd ever had, and even if he were to leave at the end of the school year, he still loved him. And that's why he didn't want him to get lost, much less be locked in the same cage with him for the rest of eternity.
Rex had to do something. He couldn't just stand idly by; he needed to do it for Toby.
— Look. You're smart, aren't you? Very, very smart.
— You say that because you're my boyfriend…
— No, I'm serious. You know about the occult like no one else, you have more experience being a ghost, you're dedicated, intelligent, and who knows how many books you've read all this time. I think you're the only one who can figure out what's going on here.
— B-but what about Benji, and his body and-
— Benji's already with Julian, don't worry about that. And... if you're worried about his body, I can go and... try to find out what I can. Okay? I can possess one of Peter's friends so as not to raise suspicion, and have three flanks covered.
Tobias slowly raised his gaze, and Rex cupped his cheeks again, gently wiping them with a soft smile.
— Yes, it'll just be a matter of going in and out. Nothing will happen, you'll see. »
Rex leaned against the wall, his breath ragged, his eyes fixed on his hand with anguish. Could it regenerate? Could he ever get it back? He'd seen Julian recover after so many possessions, and... there he was, but he'd never seen him lose a limb. Would he ever be able to sculpt again?
Peter's growl brought him back to earth. The mortal stirred slightly; he'd wake up any minute. He had to hurry, not just to return to the mortal's body, but to uncover everything that was happening with the Benji imposter.
Rex felt like someone was moving them around like chess pieces on a giant board, but... who?
— Are you done yet? You took a while.
— Yes. It's all good, I just needed to clear my head – Rex lied inside the athlete's body. His hand felt stiff, as if he could no longer fully control it. I didn't know if the changes would be permanent in the long run – What do you want to do after classes today?
— Maybe we can play board games. I love board games. What do you think?
— Sure, whatever you want, Benny – The imposter smiled gently and took his hand again, bringing his right hand between his eyebrows as if it were a habit, though he quickly lowered them with a nervous laugh and hugged his "boyfriend" tightly again.
— I love you... Thanks for noticing me – Rex forced his disguise to smile, raising both hands and placing a chaste kiss on the back of his palm.
— Let's go – The imposter barely nodded, making sure before glancing around, as if he sensed someone was watching them.
— Everything is okay?... Did you forget something?
— No, no. I already have what I wanted.
I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you liked it, don't forget to follow it and share it so more people can discover it.
I'm always open to suggestions and ideas, so if you have any fantasy or scenario in mind, let me know in the comments or in messages. See you in the next story... Who knows what body you will occupy this time?
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