The vines slithered into Gina’s bedroom, wrapping around the frame of the bed and then making their way to her upper limbs and torso, compressing them like a venomous snake coiled around its new prey. The more they pushed into her flesh the more they grew until they were big enough to create a viridescent cocoon that enveloped her completely. Convinced she was having another nightmare, the distraught woman opened her eyes and screamed when the undulating mass of green ripped her pajamas apart and forced its way down her throat. Eyes rolling to the back of her head, she collapsed into an altered state of consciousness where everything she had ever imagined became real.

Gina found herself surrounded by white everlasting nothingness, a disembodied soul in a world beyond her choosing. Her mother was there with her but instead of being a silent protagonist in this deranged fantasy, she was smirking as if aware of everything that was happening and even controlling it to some extent. Arms reaching out in the distance as if wanting to hold her, the old novelist said,

“There you are, Gina. I’ve been waiting for this moment for too long.”

“Mother?” Gina muttered. “Is this real this time?”

“As real as it will ever be.”

“What is this place and how did I get here?”

“This is your mind, or a section of it, at least. It is the part of you that houses who you are, your life essence for lack of a better term. It’s something we all have but only a few recognize and accept. Normally, it’s impossible for an outside influence to find its way in, but I lived a life that was anything but normal as I’m sure you’ve realized by now.”

“But you’re dead!” Gina exclaimed. “What are you then? A ghost?”

“Yes, that will work My physical body perished like I knew it would eventually but I’ve been preparing for this moment for ages now. My own essence has survived past death’s embrace, attached to the talisman you brought with you. Thank you for doing that by the way.”

“Talisman? You’re talking about that strange seed, aren’t you?”

“Yes, my dear. I am. It’s my greatest creation, even though I can’t take full credit for its existence. I merely followed the recipes laid out by others many centuries ago but where they failed, I succeeded, and the fact we’re both here right now proves just that.”

“What exactly is this thing? Mother, what did you do?”

“I created something new, of course. The talisman, or the seed as you call it, is a powerful vessel born of a combination of magic, alchemy, and modern science. I tethered my soul to it shortly before my passing so that when my body failed, I would have an anchor to hold on to, and I did. I’ve been lingering attached to it ever since, waiting for you to do the right thing. When you hesitated for a while after receiving my gift, I admit I got worried for a second but deep inside I knew curiosity would set you on the right track. Thank you once again, Gina. None of this would have been possible without you.”

“I don’t need a thank you but an explanation. What do you want from me?”

“What do you think I want, Gina?”

“I don’t know, mother. You never cared about me while you were alive, so why are you haunting me after death? It makes no sense.”

“Oh, this isn’t a haunting, dear, only a friendly conversation. You’re right, though. I never loved you like I loved your siblings. You were a thorn in my life I couldn’t get rid of in time but now I’m glad I didn’t. You see, I always had this deep desire in me to see you being good for something and now my wish finally came true. Your sacrifice won’t be forgotten.”

“Sacrifice?” Gina gulped. “What are you talking about? What sacrifice?”

“Be quiet, dear, and listen. If you focus really hard beyond what you’re seeing and hearing here, you may get your answer.”

Gina froze in place, staring at the demonic smile blooming on her mother’s lips. It was an ill omen. Her inner self took a deep breath and perked its ears, a part of her crossing the distance between the world of the mind and reality itself to discover something genuinely troubling. It was the sound of someone choking, a desperate body convulsing in pain inside a thorny prison.

“What the...?” she felt the lump in her throat and the bitter taste of leaves on her lips. “What’s happening to me?”

“You’re dying, of course,” Denise chirped as if that sentence was the most beautiful melody in the world. “Your essence is being drained little by little so that mine may thrive. I wish things didn’t have to be so extreme but there’s no other way. Your body will be the perfect vessel for me to live again. There are too many things in this world I haven’t accomplished yet but now I get to have my second chance.”

“What...? No!” Gina gurgled, a stream of crimson blood flowing down her chin. “You can’t have my body.”

“I can, and I will. Once the takeover process begins, it’s irreversible. The host’s mind is smothered out of existence and its brain becomes a blank slate for the new soul to inhabit. I would have done it sooner but I had to wait until you were ready. Don’t struggle, Gina, and I promise your suffering will be over before you know it.”

“You bitch!” the choking woman tried to grab the invader but as close as she was, she nonetheless remained out of reach. “How dare you! You have no right to do this to me.”

“I don’t? Why not? I gave you life, so why can’t I take it away from you? I never understood why I had to put up with you until I started studying these transfer rituals. It was only that your purpose became clear. This has always been the very purpose of your existence. The Universe gave you to me so I could use you when the time was right. Why aren’t you happy for your dear old mother?”

“Fuck you, you insensitive hag!” Gina spat on the white landscape. She was growing weaker by the second. every orifice of her real body exuding red over the bed sheets. “How could you...?”

“Shh... I know it hurts, but it doesn’t have to. Your life was never special anyway, so let it go. Accept that you are serving a higher purpose and fade away gladly.”

“Never! You’re the one that should leave. You’ve had your time. You don’t need mine as well.”

“You were always too stubborn for your own good,” Denise’s essence retorted. “You want to fight? Very well, fight then. Fight as hard as you can, it matters not. In the end, I’ll still wake up tomorrow to take my new body for a spin and you’ll be just a distant memory I’ll be happy to forget. The pain you’re about to experience is all on you, dear.”

Back in her bedroom, Gina’s body was being pushed beyond its limits, every vein in her body throbbing out of control. The invading vines entered her nostrils and ears as her life flashed before her vacant eyes. The end was coming and she was already too weak to do anything about it. Burning from the inside out, memories melting as if they had been sprayed with sulphuric acid, she withered inside the magical cocoon, and her heart flatlined for a second. Breath becoming shallow, she surrendered to the inevitable destruction of everything she held dear.

* * *

Two days later...

Abraham Davies arrived at his office at exactly 8 am. Punctuality was his way of life and a clear sign to everyone he worked with of how dependable and committed he was. The executor was always the first one to get there and the last one to leave, and if the job at hand demanded overtime, he gladly accepted the extra work. A few of his younger co-workers could stand to learn a thing or two from his inner strength and motivation but they were all too busy getting drunk and enjoying late-night parties to understand the true meaning of discipline.

Besides working hard, Abraham loved to exercise but the last couple of years hadn’t been kind to him and his bones were no longer as cooperative as he liked. The creeping arthritis in his hands and knees was a stark reminder that even the most well-oiled machines begin to break down with time and then it’s all downhill from there.

Nobody was going to join him for about an hour so he locked the door behind him, opened the blinds, and was about ready to sit at his paper-filled desk when he glimpsed the woman’s shadow standing by the window and a puff of smoke blown from perfectly painted red lips. 

“Miss Davies? How did you get in here?” he asked.

“You forget I know where you keep a spare key just in case you lose yours, Abraham,” the woman replied.

“Going on a first-name basis now? Well, that’s new.”

“Relax, silly. It’s me,” Gina stepped out of the shadows but her eyes were filled with the maliciousness of her late mother.

“D-Denise?” Abraham cocked his head in utter disbelief. “Is that really you?”

“Of course, it’s me. It worked, Abraham! I got myself another life.”

“That’s extraordinary!” He sank heavily in his chair, wrinkled hands trembling with unbridled excitement. “So you finally cracked the secrets of that goddamned book!”

“Yes, I did,” Denise slithered toward him and sat on top of the desk, her legs crossed. She was wearing a white blouse, tight leather mini-skirt, and seamless stockings that reminded her of her younger days before bearing any children. She wore confidence with pride in her sultry smile. “The talisman worked like a charm. It was a mess to clean everything after, though.”

“You look positively radiant, my dear. How are you feeling?”

“Like I’ve awakened from a long slumber, to be honest. It feels strange to look at the mirror and see her face instead of mine but I’ll get used to it, eventually.”

“And Gina? Is she really gone as the ritual suggested?”

“Actually, no,” Denise frowned. “Much to my surprise, a flicker of the little bitch’s soul is still here. You should have seen how she tried to fight me from taking over. I’m sure you would have loved it.”

“Isn’t that dangerous? If she’s still there, can’t she try to wrestle for control of her body once more?”

“No, she can’t. It’s too small and scattered to even make a dent. Everything she ever was belongs to me now.”

“Are you sure? What if you’re wrong?”

“I’m not, Abraham!” she hissed. “Her presence here is just a minor inconvenience of no real consequence. I call the shots and I shall continue to do so until it’s time to jump again.”

“Again? You’re already thinking of another host after this one?”

“Why wouldn’t I be? This is immortality we’re talking about, Abraham, the chance to stay on this earth for as long as we desire and achieve the impossible. You better believe I’m not going to waste that opportunity unless I don’t have another choice. The price to pay is small anyway.”

“I wouldn’t call sacrificing innocent lives a small price to pay. Do you really feel no remorse about basically possessing your daughter?”

“Oh, please! No, I don’t. I did Gina a favor by taking over. She’ll even get to be famous now when she follows in the footsteps of her mother and becomes a successful novelist.”

“Right... but you can’t make that happen overnight or people will think it’s strange.”

“I can wait a year or two, no problem. The question is, can you?”

“What do you mean, Denise?”

“You’re not getting any younger my dear and if you ever want to fuck this body like you used to fuck mine, don’t think for a moment you’ll get to do it with that decaying meat sack of yours. Now that you have proof this works, it’s time for you to start thinking about a host.”

“What if I don’t want one?” Abraham leaned back and smirked.

“Who are you trying to fool? Do you forget who you’re talking to? I know all your dirty secrets and I bet you can’t wait to get started.”

“Yes, you do know me better than anyone should,” He nodded while caressing her right leg. “I would love to be young again, that’s for sure, but we need to be careful with this power. I’m not committing to anything until enough time has passed and I see no evidence of side effects or any unexpected complications.”

“Playing it safe, I see. Fair enough, but when you do decide to go for it, I’m helping you choose.”

“Why?”

“I’m not opening my legs to any pretty face, Abraham. I know what I want and you better be ready to give it to me.”

“When have I not, Denise? I agree with your terms if you agree with mine.”

“You’ve got yourself a deal, mister. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go shopping.”

“Your daughter’s wardrobe not good enough for you?”

“It’s the opposite of good but that’s about to change too. I’ll start working on a new talisman soon. Try not to die on me in the meantime, okay?”

“I wouldn’t dream of it. See you soon, Denise, and enjoy.”

“Damn right, I will.”

Denise left his office, the memories of her useless daughter almost forgotten. Gina who? We reap what we sow and, thanks to her experiments, she had everything she wanted. Life after death was absolutely perfect.

The End