Mark opened his eyes and rose amidst the dirt and grass. His head is throbbing. Like someone's stuffed an electronic drum in his brain. When he looked behind him, he saw the two black-suited officials looking at him. They weren't moving but they were surely alive because they were breathing. Their cold black shades stared at Mark and followed every bob of his chest.
It was a frightening sight. Mark screamed, of course. It's embarrassing but what else can you feel? And those two officials look so daunting. The length of their shoulders is magnanimous. They may wear those black suits but they can't hide the massive bulk of their muscles. One has hair but no beard, and one has a beard but no hair. Their faces are down to a blank scowl. They didn't speak, but Mark could hear their thoughts clearly. Literally.
"Cease your noise, human. We implied before that we mean you no harm. We've sensed no hostility from you, and we'd like to return that if you cease the high-pitched noise you are making," The man with hair and no beard said.
Mark stopped screaming. He shudders at the possible harm he will face if he disobeys their wishes. He thought of running away but with legs that large, he wouldn't even last a second in the pursuit.
"Wh- who are you?" Mark stammered.
"We are beings from another galaxy billions of parsecs away from here. We were exiled for the crime of curiosity. My name is Nezea and beside me is Orin."
"A- aliens? I apologize, but I do not understand." Mark said. He's pretty sure he's talking to two buff US government officials, not some alien criminals.
Nezea's head looked high in the sky. His limbs shuddered and a drop of saliva slid out of his mouth. Suddenly, there was this white vapor that came out of his nose. It was translucent at first but became more opaque as time passed. The light from the object in the forest passed through the mist and shattered into a million colors. Ever-changing fractals danced in the air and made the night even more alive.
"Th- this is my re-real form," Nezea said, his mouth shaking and saliva splattering everywhere. The mist retreated back to the nose and Nezea's body stopped seizing. "I apologize for expelling my saliva on you. Doing that makes me lose my hold of the body I've possessed. But yes, my real form is that of a mist. We take over solid lifeforms to do our exploration and to avoid danger, as Orin is tasked to do."
Orin stood up and left the forest.
"Where is he going?" Mark asked.
"He will assimilate into this planet's life, and work his way up the government. I've tasked him to delete all traces of our arrival."
Mark thought that he could run now. Orin is probably far away already. He thinks he has a better chance of running away when there's only one chasing him. But somehow, there is this nagging part in his mind that wants him to stay. He wants to learn more. He wants to know what choosing to stay will lead to. And so he stayed and awaited the consequence of the choice of staying.
"Ahhh…" Nezea smelled the air. "Curiosity… I smell curiosity from you. You reek of it. You will make for a worthy guide on time here on the planet…?"
"Earth. We call this planet, Earth."
Mark heard the word guide. And that got him asking, "When you spoke of a guide, do you mean I'd be with you as you explore Earth?"
"Yes. Exploration with a local procures more knowledge, and offers a different perspective than what I'd achieve alone."
"About that," Mark scratched the back of his head. "School just started and I don't think I'd have the time to accompany you."
"Then I will just accompany you to your school, and wait until you are free from your duties."
"Wait, what!?" he can't just accompany him with that body.
"Recall that I can possess bodies. I can possess the body of one of your colleagues so I can always be at your side. You have colleagues, do you not?" Mark chuckled embarrassingly. He hoped to answer that question with a 'yes' this year. He's lived in this town for a decade and he hasn't found a close companion in that time. "And I digress, accompanying you could already be a learning experience."
Mark supposed that Nezea could help him acquire friends this year. He could possess anybody! That is one hell of a social lubricant he could use.
"Okay, I could be your guide."
"A million gratitude," Nezea laid his left hand to his chest and did a small bow. "My descendants and I will never forget the kindness you've displayed. In return, I will bestow you with a gift. A blessing my kind calls a crime."
Nezea reached for Mark's chin and pulled him close. Their lips connected and evolved into a dance of their tongues. It was Mark's first time kissing somebody but Nezea guided him all the way through. Was it the alien that knows the kiss, or was it the muscle memories of the body he's in? Curiosity lingered in his mind, but the bliss filled the rest. Mark tasted cold water from Nezea's tongue. When he opened his eyes, he saw clouds of mist spewing towards his throat. Was Nezea possessing him!? He wanted to break free but the hold of the moment prevented him. Nezea's mouth is a feast of tastes. Mark's heart throbbed like a stampeding horse race.
Their kiss ended with Nezea's volition.
"As of now, you are a Mysterion, one of my kind. Empty your mind to leave your body. Enter another and wake in a new perspective." Mark closed his eyes and got rid of his thoughts, even the curious ones. His head felt like bubbles rising to the surface. One by one, his senses left him. Only sight and hearing remained. The confines of his form dissipated. There are no limbs, no torso, no head. Just an ever-changing cloud of mist - Mysterion.
Mark opens his eyes. He's a few feet above Nezea and his lifeless body. Winds graced his new form but he was unmoved. Then suddenly, the unthinkable happened. His lifeless body groaned as it stood awake. Its eyes blinked, looked around, and then walked back to his house. Mark followed his body and entered it once more.
It was like diving back into the water. His senses returned. He felt the crunch of autumnal leaves on the soles of his shoes, and the cold lick of the evening air.
"What the hell was that?" Mark asked. "My body just stood on its own and…"
"It's a natural response of some species we've bestowed this gift with. In analogy to our spacecraft, your body goes on autopilot. It will talk and act like you. But any mention of anything that would break it out of its monotony is blocked. Orin and I continue to monitor this phenomenon."
"Okay… that is nice to know."
Nezea stood and followed close to where Mark was, "As my guide, it is your duty to provide me with a place to stay. Can I stay at your place of dwelling?"
Mark looked at Nezea from head to toe, "Now with that body, you ain't. I have brothers you can take over."
"Or I could just stay in your body, but you'll remain in control."
"Or," Mark walked closer to Nezea and rifled through his pockets. There's a wallet but no identifying articles as to who the guy Nezea possessed. But there's a couple hundred bucks. "We could take you to a hotel temporarily. We'll find you a body to possess tomorrow instead. How's that sound?"
"Choices… choices… I ask you to not take this as an offense, but being human is complicated. I'll leave the choice in your care."
"Sure,"
What choice did Mark make?
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