《Lanuleta University: A World of Magical Science and Strange Connections》


 Lanuleta University: Part 1 - Where I Wow the Ladies With My Charisma

    <u>Lanuleta University ¨C Psychology Class</u>


    Where I ''Wow'' the Ladies With My Charisma


    A curling question mark of yellow appeared in her red bangs when I asked her, "So¡­does all your hair change colors?"


    It was just a ''starter'' question. Soon enough, I''d have her wrapped around my finger and an assured, sexy college girlfriend.


    *Took you all hour to come up with that line, huh?*


    I ignored the familiar voice and waited on her answer with a smile.


    The girl looked up from her book and stared at me. Clearly taking in a full view of my impressive physique.


    *Only if she has a wild imagination.*


    She blinked and asked back, "All my hair?"


    "Even if you like to keep it trimmed or waxed¡­I''d love to know." I drove the point home with a wide smirk.


    Her mouth dropped open and¡­I don''t remember much after that before waking up in the university doctor''s office with a massive headache.


    ~~~~~~~~~~


    Then the walls melted, and I was back in the classroom again. Everyone else was glancing around and murmuring.


    The professor pressed his glasses back, and they shifted into a bird with temple arms fluttering in the air. He clapped his gloved hands and announced, with his booming voice, "Welcome to Psychology 101."


    The glasses-bird sat calmly on a tall bookshelf off to the side, its lenses panning around the room as it groomed its pads.


    "My apologies for that rather disconcerting introduction. I am Dr. Kellemann and I am magically-sending a photographic-quality copy of the syllabus into the long-term memory center of your brains. You can also download a paper copy for your records from my website, which is also already in your minds."


    He was right. I could probably recite every single word of it, including dates for examinations and readings.


    *Much better magic than you get at a community college.*


    Kellemann explained that, along with the original syllabus transfer, he had sent (via the fabric in his gloves) a mental exploration of, "A little piece of your personality." He assured that anything which occurred was "personal and occurred only in a reality of your mind."


    Naturally, there was a quick-write essay coming about the experience.


    I flexed my writing hand with a sigh. The girl with the color-changing hair was, in reality, on the other side of the room. She looked right at me when I glanced over. I made like I was examining the texture of the wall behind her.


    When it came time for writing, I was glad I wasn''t the only one who sat and stared at the paper before Kellemann noticed and added, "You won''t have to share the finer, personal details, but you will have to share something of note from the experience."


    I glared at the whiteness of the paper.


    *You''re never gonna will words onto it by staring at it.*


    No, that was the guy over to my right. Letters spewed from the black of his eyes and settled onto the page.


    As the stems of the glasses-bird clopped around on the bookshelf, my mind began to wander.


    ----


    I first wandered to thoughts about the nicely-detailed LanU symbols (which had been burned into my mind with the syllabus).


    Lanuleta University was established, as a response to the discovery and development of the science of "magic", by a businessman who considered himself a wizard even before the mainstreaming of magic.


    It was all way before I was born. It had some technical term I learned back in high school. "Non-Something Energy Translation Via Conscious or Mechanical Interaction". Had to do with physics.


    Everyone just said "magic" anyway.


    It was why dad could fly to work. And mom was a personal trainer who taught people how to literally reshape their appearance. And why I had a woman''s voice inside my head all the time.


    *Time is wasting on the writing¡­*


    My thoughts wandered back in the right direction. But I was still faced with the same problem --- It was embarrassing!


    Bad enough I was already thinking about the rainbow pubic hair of a girl who looked intimidating but who felt so very captivating.


    *And who you know absolutely nothing about, particularly her name.*


    She was gorgeous though. Perfectly-shaped from this side. Long, rich hair with colors that flowed like water. Her hair tones were pale blue at the moment, probably lost in thought as her slim hand danced across her paper. Her skin was naturally dusty, a seasoned brown in the scattered light of the room. She felt so beautiful that I couldn''t keep from at least glancing in her direction every few moments. The girl looked lovely, even when she yawned.


    *If you''re gonna compose a poem to her, at least write it. Sheesh¡­*


    I considered it but eventually reflected on the rather pompous nature of whatever part of my personality had been pulled out.


    I noticed one of the curly-haired girls on the right was doing some strange things with the girl next to her. Apparently, the curly-haired one had copy magic because her hand was identical to the other girl''s. And the other girl seemed like my aunt in that she could change the texture and color of her body. They both had blue arms with white nails.


    I didn''t see any other obvious magical talents. Of course then my uncle just had the ability to smell things from far away. Probably the best one I''d heard of was that one of the professors actually had the rare ability to undo damage to objects. He''d once worked at restoring museum collections. He could fix anything just by focusing on it.


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    My further musings were interrupted by more lecturing from the Psych professor. I really didn''t want to present anything that I''d written, but I noticed the girl volunteered.


    After prompting, she gave her name and introduced herself, "Nasira Jafri. I''m a double major in psychology and pre-med. My little vision left me with some confusion at first. I had this feeling it wasn''t real, but I couldn''t break out of it. The personality was very bitter about others and rather impulsive. And that is not me at all. But I figure it''s related to my shadow aspect as detailed in Chapter 1-B."


    All the while, her hair became golden and flowed like a sea of wheat.


    The professor smiled and then spoke on "shadows".


    *Aren''t you kinda out of her league?*


    Maybe. But then my voice pined for a guy in the neighborhood where I lived who could convert his body mass into pure muscle.


    *It could happen! I, at least, tried to talk to him¡­sorta. Are you going to do anything but give longing looks at Nasira''s bo...?*


    YES! In fact, I would. Kinda¡­


    I raised my hand as soon as a pause came in the lecture and offered my introduction, "Uh¡­Miguel Reyes. I''m¡­still exploring my options for a major. Freshman. My vision thing¡­I was kinda more confident. I approached a girl I hadn''t met before and gave her a totally cheesy come-on line. She left me regretting it." I tried with all my might and will not to look in Nasira''s direction.


    It earned a little chuckle from the other students. After I was done, I checked on Nasira with a calm, sideways glance. She had her book open, and she was copying something down. I kinda wished she had been watching me, if only a little.


    A couple others chimed in, and the professor started to outline the course in more detail. First, there was a paper involving abnormal psychology. And, as I knew from the precisely-remembered guidelines, there would have to be some personal research involved. I assumed that included the psychology labs where we could use mental manipulation gloves and other materials. I knew this partly again from the information that had been left in my head and partly because I knew someone who''d been a psych major at the school. I bought his used textbooks and, by some rare, fantastic miracle, they were the same edition required by the syllabus.


    Dr. Kellemann said he would go over the safety protocol next class because, "I always get those gung-ho students who wind up with complex psychological problems or amnesia or worse. Nothing irreversiblebut be wary till I''ve explained everything."


    I took some notes, but most of it was an elaboration of the syllabus. I couldn''t imagine why Nasira was reading and writing so furiously.


    After all the dry explanation, he ended with a raised glove and said, "As a fun counterpoint, I''m going to give you one last little experience for today. This will be as pleasant as I can make it. It''ll also be part of the opening discussion next time." He gave a wave of his hand.


    ----


    I approached him with my head down. Nasir. His hair was so beautiful, like a rustling forest. His top button was undone, and I could catch the barest glimpse of his broad, dark chest.


    I squirmed.


    This was a bad idea. I turned to go, but he spoke in clear, confident words like electricity from his tongue, "Hi. You''re Michelle Reyes from class, right?"


    I felt a shiver like he had breathed deep inside me.


    I turned, my head still down with my long, black hair cloaking my face, and squeaked, "I guess¡­hi. Sorry!" I was flush all over.


    He calmly smiled and asked me to sit. I fell into the chair like my knees were going to cave under me. He reached across the table and slid his hands over mine. They were so big and strong.


    I gave a quick little smile and attempted to find my words.


    Before I could speak, he had moved his chair to my side. He said, "You look like you could use a back rub."


    His hands across my back felt amazing. He knew just the places that bothered me the most. I felt so relaxed and peaceful. I accepted him utterly as his hands traced around to my front and embraced me. He expertly worked the muscles around my breasts. He knew just how to excite me without pressing too hard.


    As he finished, I gasped, and a single word escaped my lips.


    "Wow¡­."


    -----


    Then it all faded away, and I was back to reality. I sat there in silence. The people around me were laughing and standing up from their chairs. I figured their experiences weren''t quite what I''d had.


    *Gimme more!*


    I rolled my eyes and glanced across the room to where Nasira had been sitting. She was already gone. The door on that side was wide open.


    I brushed a bit at my black hair. It was a little disconcerting for it to be this short, but I figured¡­hoped the sensation would soon pass.


    After stuffing all my papers into my messenger bag, I considered approaching Dr. Kellemann about that last experience, but he was pretty well swarmed and swamped. So, I just listened.


    Soon enough, someone brought it up and he asked a couple of open-ended questions, which culminated in, "It might be an interesting topic to bring up for discussion next time."


    I sighed.


    *Ask him how we can do it again!*


    I pressed my hands around my ears, despite the fact it did nothing to quiet the voice, and marched out of the room.

 Lanuleta University: Part 2 - Where I Have Plenty To Think About

    <u>Lanuleta University - Psychology</u>


    Where I Have Plenty To Think About


    Fortunately, Psychology was my only class in Longbloom Hall. This was good because it was on the far side of campus from the dorms. My other classes were in the much-closer Dixon Hall.


    Once outside, I grabbed a coffee from the nearest cart vendor. Aside from being the furthest, Psychology was also the earliest for me, and it let out too late for breakfast and too early for a decent lunch.


    Still, as I stood there and sipped, I considered whether to head back to my room for noodles or wait on the cafeteria or the caf¨¦ serving anything that wouldn''t require I use actual money.


    After some thought and the voice going on about needing to "learn the layout", I took a walk around the center of campus. There were about five main roads that divided things up, and it was about a square kilometer in size (according to the info on their website and including land for future development).


    The new athletics center had just been finished, and my roommate, Bern, was excited for that.


    All the senior residence halls were on this side of campus. And they looked nicer than mine. The library was at the end of a long brick pathway lined with trees. To my left was the Activities Hall. It was small, but Bern told me they had a very special kind of karaoke. I could only hope that meant reenacting rock songs with the presence of a magically-enlarged crowd.


    The voice hummed a couple of songs to herself which I would never ever attempt to sing.


    I burned some time by rechecking my empty mailbox and watching a game of chess played with fuzzy, living pieces that behaved like kittens. One guy told me Dr. Kellemann made and donated it. I couldn''t help but smile as the bishop stretched and groomed itself.


    They never moved from their boxes unless picked up, in which case they seemed to freeze until they were set down. When a piece was taken, one tackled the other like they were play fighting.


    I grabbed a copy of the events schedule. I noticed an ''Improv Night'' marked, as well as a ''Magical Hypnosis'' show by the Psychology Club.


    I read and walked around a classmate who was levitating a heavy-looking backpack behind him. Another seemed to have a degree of control over time. Or it was just an accelerated mental skill. But he was reading a textbook with blinding speed. Now there was an aptitude I wished I had.


    I was tested first when I was about three for my primary magical aptitude. The study of genetic magical proficiency was still iffy (at least that''s what mom always said). It involved a lot of trial-and-error and interviews.


    I tested with no aptitude whatsoever. Not a blip of magical ability. Not a single, innate natural talent. Lucky me. Those kinds of people existed and tended to rely heavily on technological magic to make it in society. But they were at a huge disadvantage.


    My parents freaked out like I''d been born without a head or something. I even got the attention of the government for a while. A lot of groups were interested in the nature of magical phenomena since it was first triggered. Dad theorized they just wanted to figure out how to turn off abilities in those who might be dangerous.


    But then, the voice showed up.


    *To save you from being an evil, military experiment.*


    Something like that. She predicted a number sequence in one of their tests. It was good enough to classify me as a "spirit-channeling magician non-specific Class D-8".


    *Although I''m not a ghost, ya morons!*


    It was enough to make them leave me alone.


    Mom still worried though, as she always has. She tried working with me to see if there was more to my primary abilities. Or if she could nudge along my secondary and tertiary abilities, assuming I had them.


    Almost all people had one thing they were born with and kept for life. Half had a secondary skill sometimes derived from the primary or learned. And one-in-ten had another one, sometimes as strong as their first, from training. That''s why I was here. Because, despite mom''s best efforts, all I got was the one voice in my head.


    *Are you writing an essay on magical history? Pay attention to the world around you!*


    I''d written plenty of them though. I liked to make the point of technology overcoming powers. Example: A criminal robs a bank with the ability to manipulate the air to squeeze people. Tries to rob rather, because a pair of anxiety-sensing turrets blasts him unconscious before he can even squeak out a breeze.


    And, despite all the mind readers, wars still popped up.


    *Feed us! Come on!*


    I focused on the caf¨¦ at the top of a small hill. It was round and glassy on all sides with small, floating sculptures as part of an art expo.


    Inside, the line wasn''t too bad, but I sighed at the meal points required just for a sandwich. I was just about to turn around and wait at the main cafeteria for lunch when I saw Nasira sitting off to the side by herself. She was eating a fruit salad and a burrito without her eyes leaving the book set on the table.


    I swallowed and grabbed a local paper from the rack by the coffee creamer station. The president was on the front page. I rolled my eyes and noted that he only got elected because his primary ability was a magically-soothing voice. With a thought, the paper shifted to a number of music and video game articles which were more to my taste. I glanced over the top of the paper at Nasira.


    *What next? A fedora, trench coat, and shades so you can be even more conspicuous?*


    Better than trying to find words I could possibly say to her.


    "Say, that''s a nice-looking burrito. What kind is it?"


    "Nasira, right? Whatcha reading?"


    "What''s a nice book like you doing with a girl like that?"


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    "Hi¡­.uh¡­excuse me¡­I need to turn tail and run screaming for no reason..."


    I buried my head even deeper into the paper.


    *I''ll admit introductions are tough, but you already met her and know her name. Just go up to her like a friend/classmate and you''ll be fine.*


    Try that going up to the neighbor¡­


    She didn''t say anything to that.


    *I''m thinking!*


    I could just see myself. A confident version of myself. Not the jerk with the pick-up lines. A self-assured me knowing just what to say and not second-guessing it.


    She looks up from the spell her book has put her under. She thinks a minute and gives a little smile. It doesn''t take much before the other me is sitting opposite her. We talk first about the class, then about each other. Before the end of the conversation, the other me knows what dorm she lives in and has gotten an invite to study together.


    The real me just got a burrito kinda like the one she was eating and grumbled about how many points it cost.


    I watched a guy over to one side pull all the heat from his ice cream to keep it from melting till the last moment. The girl opposite him breathed on her food till it was steaming. They sure seemed like a match.


    *One steamy and one frigid? You think that''s a match?*


    At least they''re together.


    *They could be siblings!*


    I watched as Nasira stood from her seat and covered a long yawn. She cracked her neck and collected her things. I stood as well. But I decided not to follow her.


    I left a little later and walked through the green areas of campus till I came to the founder, Lanu''s, bronze staff. It existed in place of Lanu''s body (which often shifted between male Lanu and female Leta) and resembled a classical wizard''s staff. The structure evoked both a Venus mirror and a Mars shield in a rather tree-like, natural way. A symbol for all genders¡­and for a co-ed, magic-training student body.


    The staff was next to the administration building and right across from the meditation building. I walked by the sports field and made my way up Radagast Lane.


    From there, it wasn''t a long walk to the main freshman dorms. They were among the oldest buildings on campus. I had to imagine they didn''t think their endowment would be as good as it wound up being because the dorms looked at least twice as old as they actually were.


    The building was a nearly-perfect (if you could call it that) square out of the 1970s. And it had an odor which wasn''t particularly offensive on the surface. Rather, it smelled like they had used all the magical cleaning possible to cover up the most reviled smell in the world. They''d done a good job, but it was only covered up. That meant, sometimes, right when you least expected it, you would catch a scent out of the corner of your nose. Just enough to make you feel horrified but, right when you tried to identify it, it was immediately gone.


    I could only imagine it was a liquid technology experiment that had been left over the summer and had cast its spell on the entire complex. I also imagined that the cover-up was only a mental trick to make people think they didn''t smell it.


    My room was up a claustrophobic elevator or four sets of creaky steps. It was right in the dead center of the building so that no way you took to it was any closer than the other.


    I unlocked room 256, stretched my neck, and glanced around to see which of my roommates were in at the moment.


    Bernadette was stretched out on the couch with an inflatable hat making lemonade for her. The second Bernadette was munching on peanuts. The TV was set to a soccer game with a screaming crowd.


    *Same place as always.*


    I brushed back my long, black hair and leaned against the wall. "Hey, Bern. Did you have your Magical History class yet?"


    Together, they chimed in, "Hey, Michelle!" Then the relaxing Bern let the other speak, "We just got back from it. The professor kicked total ass. Should be fun."


    The Berns both had the same, sleek muscular body honed by competing with each other.


    I peeked in the door at the end and found Shawn wrapped in her covers and clutching her (what we all called) "light-stick" close. I was surprised she could hold the light into a ''saber''-like form, even while she was sleeping.


    And I knew from earlier that Quinn had a music class. So, I set my bags down on my bed and took a long look in the mirror.


    I couldn''t believe I''d sat there and just stared at Nasir. I should''ve approached him or something.


    I posed a bit in the mirror. I felt somewhat pretty. At least I wasn''t crushingly-shy like the boy in the little ''experience'' Kellemann had closed on. And I wasn''t a chick who was begging for it like in that opening head-trip.


    But I really liked Nasir. And he was gorgeous.


    And¡­I had my hand on the door to my room.


    I hadn''t even entered. And my name was Miguel, not Michelle.


    I put my key in the lock and looked around. Both Bernies, male, were camped out on the couch and doing just what I''d seen a minute before¡­as Michelle.


    I said the same thing and got the exact same answer. Looking in Sean''s room revealed a light-stick-hugging sleeper and Quinn''s bed was made but empty.


    After setting my bags down, I sat on the end of my bed and considered what exactly I had experienced.


    *Don''t ask me. I didn''t cause it. Why would I? It didn''t have cute guys. Although if Nasir was still like last time¡­*


    With all the magic floating around, strange little happenstances weren''t so odd. But it''d been a long time since I''d experienced something so cohesive. I could only guess it was some sort of residual from this morning''s psych lesson.


    I plopped back on my bed and rubbed my eyes. I didn''t look forward to trying to write about visions of being a girl.

 Lanuleta University: Part 3 - Where Things Start To Get Complicated

    <u>Lanuleta University - Psychology</u>


    Where Things Start To Get Complicated


    I didn''t actually slack off that night. I read a good bit of the assigned reading after dragging myself back from my later classes. Then, I went with both Berns to dinner in the cafeteria and drowned my confusion and anxieties in several glasses of root beer.


    Neither probed about my first day. Both ate ravenously. Mostly, they just talked about the game. I nodded at points, but I was mostly curious if Nasira would make another appearance.


    I thought I saw her a few times. One girl actually had a reflect ability to present what others wanted to see. I could tell because her Nasira-like skin was see-through.


    The two Berns did give me a look at my searching gaze. They shared a couple gestures between themselves but didn''t pry.


    *The Berns are really cute together. Two for one deal too.*


    I imagined music drowning out the girlish musings of my voice, and that kept her at bay for a while.


    Back at the room, Quinn returned late and showed off a clear soprano voice as well as a perfect iteration of a couple of cartoon characters. His ability to mimic any voice may not have been as powerful as some, and it took a good deal of work for him, but I always found myself smiling at his skill.


    Quinn hummed and tried to vary the pitch before mentioning, "I''m gonna try for the improv night. They have a little time for standup, and I have this routine in my head which will be perfect if I can keep the voices straight."


    I assured him I would be there.


    Sean eventually came out with his light-stick and a can floating over his hand. He muttered, "Anyone want some snacks? I feel like snacks¡­"


    Quinn asked how Sean''s "Jedi meditation" went. Sean shrugged and replied, "Still but a learner am I¡­" Then he walked off down the hall.


    I thought at first Sean had at least three abilities, but he was just really good at his primary one: the ability to direct quantum energy to move and manipulate light and small objects.


    I indulged some video watching with Quinn late into the evening until my textbook called to me, in the form of the voice.


    *PSSST! Textbook!*


    Before I could actually get to reading it, I had to mull again why I couldn''t just get the entire text downloaded to my brain. I remembered my dad saying something by way of explanation when I asked in high school. It had to do with how mental data was processed, encoded, and retrieved. It was much better for particular facts and numbers in small documents. I still had to grumble that magical technology wasn''t better.


    Most of the reading involved the science of psychology and magical advances in recent decades. It mentioned harmonizing between minds along with shared experiences and new scientific explanations for mental illness.


    It was like a gloss of the whole course and too much for me. I read a snippet on the nervous system and how human physiology had adapted to respond to the presence of magic.


    I knew I wasn''t gonna remember any of it for class, but I did a bit of random highlighting to feel better about my effort. As my mental reading of the words turned into the last song I could remember, I knew to set the book aside. Even the voice was distracted.


    *I wonder what male Nasir would look like naked...*


    I glared in no specific direction and booted up my computer. It didn''t take long after checking my messages for me to start thinking about my writing.


    I was truly glad that the class was consecutive for only two days and then just Friday. And it was my only one on Friday.


    Listening to the Berns play their guitars was nice, but I still couldn''t find the words I wanted to write. I squinted at the screen and then gently lay my head next to the keyboard. I had plenty to say but talking about it concerned me.


    According to the syllabus, the professor would read through these and make notes.


    Shutting my eyes and typing helped but also left me sleepy. I nodded off for what had to be just a second.


    ----


    The car was out of control. Nasira screamed and clutched tight to me. I whispered, "It''ll be okay. Hold onto me."


    I thought I saw Professor Kellemann standing in the middle of the street. I had no control of the car, but I somehow managed to swerve away from him. Just past him, I thought I saw something massive and black. It was blurry. I kept my eyes on Nasira. She was crying. I clutched her hand.


    Before I could say anything else, we hit something hard.


    ----


    I spasmed in the chair and looked up. The screen was still on my write-up. I shook my head.


    I was tired, and I needed this day to be over. But I didn''t feel like heading to sleep so soon. So, I wrote as best I could.


    I mentioned my guess for the class-ending vision was "reversed roles". I brought it up in opposition to the first one. Confident vs. passive. And I mentioned an echo of my life in a little flash.


    *I''m proud of you, Miguel.*


    I clicked off the computer.


    The rest of the evening was uneventful. My shower was relaxing and I sat up a while listening to quiet music with my headphones until I was ready for bed.


    I was antsy about sleep with my mind going. The voice seemed to have started sleeping on her own after my shower. At least she didn''t snore inside my head. Quinn''s peculiar snore, which shifted from a light soprano to a deep baritone and back, was enough.


    But I transitioned over to sleep once all the worries settled.


    ----


    "Miguel? You''re here?"


    "What? Who is this?"


    There was only a diffuse light all around.


    "It''s me. You always hear me."


    "The voice?"


    "Yeah. Can you see me? I can feel you. Stronger than usual and different."


    "I''m not sure. I can''t make out anything."


    "Crap. Oh, well. Guess this is a weird sort of dream or something."


    "I guess so too."


    "It''s kinda nice though. Better than your nightmares. I feel more like a person like this. Like I can almost remember my name."


    "It''s not bad. A little weird. Like a cloud."


    "It''s usually darker."


    "You live here?"


    "Yeah. It''s the only place I know. I don''t like to talk about it because I get scared I''m in some sort of heaven or hell. Or limbo."


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    "I''m so sorry."


    "It''s okay. Not much I can do about it. I get to see out through you all the time, so I don''t feel too bad."


    The area was slowly getting brighter.


    "I think you''re waking up, Miguel. Sorry for being rough on you sometimes."


    "It''s okay."


    "See you on the other side."


    ----


    Light blasted through the window to my right. I shielded my bleary eyes and cracked my neck. I could really use a drink of water.


    *Good morning.*


    I muttered the same back to the voice. I knew we''d talked in my dream. That was very unusual. I couldn''t remember the last time it happened.


    *Me neither.*


    She sounded especially soft-spoken. Since I had only fragmentary memories of the dream, she filled me in on what we talked about. I didn''t remember saying much of it, but I nodded to myself as she recounted it.


    When she was done, she added --


    *And the little dream before. You were in an out of control car with Nasira. And you saw Kellemann. And something big and black.*


    She told me what I said there too. I remembered some of it, but her recollection was perfect.


    It all was interesting, but I wasn''t sure what it meant. It could just be plain dreaming.


    *It felt so precise though. You''ve had dreams before, but I''ve only experienced as much as you could recall.*


    It was possible they weren''t dreams so much as something magically-related.


    As I made a quick little breakfast of toast and cereal, I checked on my computer for comparable reactions. Non-linear-time dreaming magic came up. They could be pieces of the future. What intrigued me more were the links about parallel realities.


    That could make sense of the glimpse of me as a girl in my dorm.


    *But why now?*


    A great question and one to put to my magical-development counselor.


    ----


    I rushed to their office before class. My counselor was actually in the meditation room. He was a bit of what my mom liked to call "a hippy in the old days".


    *I like him...*


    So did I. His office was at the end of the sensory immersion hall. I knocked and was invited in by a soft, feminine voice.


    In a bare corner of the room, a woman with short, light tan hair stretched in a variety of poses. She had her left leg up high and her right rigid as she bent forward.


    She effortlessly bent her head towards me and smiled. "Miguel! It''s lovely to see you. I''m practicing my gender-changing focus. I''ll read your thoughts in a moment or we can talk."


    I sat in the chair in front of her desk with my bag set to the side. I''d never seen my counselor in female mode before, but I knew he/she had a secondary skill similar to Lanu''s. When I first visited, he told me to think about all the things I needed to tell him. I was insanely nervous, but he was very professional. He couldn''t read all thoughts (same with most telepathic magic). He could only access what I was currently thinking about.


    I was a bit nervous actually. She looked very lovely as a lady in a sleek, gray bodysuit. Her figure was amazing and with each clench of her leg, her entire body seemed to suck in and flow out.


    She breathed and her breasts pressed out on her front. Breathe in and they swelled. Out and they seemed to want to return but her clenching held them where they were. Her hips swelled as well.


    With one last breath, she eased her leg down and stretched her arms a few times.


    She gave a soft, energized little giggle. "My control is getting better. I used to get a headache holding a female form. But it''s simple with a little focus. I should give you some exercises. They help¡­for anything."


    I nodded to her. She sat down and whispered, "Don''t spread any rumors around, but I''m trying to go female permanently. It''s my dream to have a baby when I can hold it all the time. Brenda can''t wait!"


    She looked glowing already. She waved her hand. "But enough about me. Something is bothering you. I can sense it from your neurotransmitters. May I read your thoughts or did you want to talk?"


    After a moment of consideration, I nodded and told her she could read me.


    First, she picked up on my feelings about her physical form, which she met with a chuckle. "I''m flattered. Just relax and let what''s bothering you come out."


    I went to Nasira first. My sudden experience with my pompous self.


    "Interesting¡­"


    And I went on to things in class. Then being a girl with boy Nasira. I focused over and over on issues of the little flashes into what could be other realities. I just couldn''t understand how this started.


    My counselor leaned forward. "Magical abilities can be triggered for any reason. Sometimes it comes with age. Sometimes it just takes the right confluence of events."


    I really hoped that I didn''t turn into a girl again.


    "What do you mean?"


    The reality where I was a girl and Nasira was a boy.


    "A different girl? And what''s a ''boy''?"


    My skin tingled.


    "Your tension is rising. Is something wrong?"


    The counselor rose from the table and walked over to me. I could tell from the roundness of her belly that she was pregnant.


    "Yes, we talked about that. What''s wrong, Michelle?"


    My senses settled. I shook my head.


    "I gotta go. Thanks for your help."


    Before the counselor could say anything, I bolted from the room. My body moved and responded in ways I''d never felt before. Shivering, I made my way to the bathrooms at the back of the meditation center. There were two doors and they weren''t distinguished.


    Inside, I looked at my reflection. It was much like the time before. My face was a little smoother even from then. My eyebrows were thin. My voice was distressingly high. I wore a light blue top with narrow sleeves and white trim all around.


    My jeans were a dark brown denim. They felt close around my hips. I laid a hand across the front of my jeans for a second and sighed. My hands were so small and my arms felt skinny. I grimaced in the mirror and my lips looked huge.


    It was then I noticed that I hadn''t heard from the voice in a while.


    I nudged her with thoughts. I did everything I could to get her attention.


    But I didn''t hear her at all.

 Lanuleta University: Part 4 - Where Everyone Is Female

    <u>Lanuleta University - Psychology</u>


    Where Everyone Is Female


    The absence of the voice worried me as much as my sudden change of gender. Movement felt so disconcerting because my body impression in my head didn''t match what I was feeling. I was grateful for the small breasts on my chest. They were still rather sensitive though.


    I tried calling out to the voice¡­and paused. The more I heard it, the more this voice resembled ''the voice''. It wasn''t a perfect match, but it felt very similar.


    I tightened my broad lips, scratched at my elbow, and figured I couldn''t hide out in the bathroom forever in the hope this would just pass.


    Walking around didn''t help the disconcerting feeling, so I tried to focus on the world around me and not trip.


    I tightened my bag and noticed a little toy frog dangling from the end of it which wasn''t there before. I brushed back a bit of hair. I really didn''t like it this long. I searched my bag for an elastic and found one near the bottom. I also noticed my papers and books were a lot more organized than I was used to.


    With my hair back, I walked down the hall and into the meditation area. I didn''t notice any major differences. There were only girls in this room but that was usually the case. I walked quickly past the counselor''s door.


    Outside, I tried to get my bearings. The campus layout was a little different, but I recognized the library.


    As I walked, I watched. After a while, I noticed there were only girls. I paused a bit to watch a couple of female crowds go by. I thought I caught a boy or two, but I soon realized they seemed to be boyish-looking girls with short hair and loose clothes.


    Attire varied a lot between rather girly and very masculine. Some of the girls looked mean. I walked quickly past them.


    Eventually, I made it to the Lanuleta Bronze. Only it was just marked as "Leta". Made sense if everyone was female. But I did wonder how the counselor was pregnant.


    The bronze looked more like an opening flower in this iteration. It didn''t have the Venus or Mars iconography. My old art teacher would frown at me to say it looked like something by Georgia O''Keefe but that was all that came to mind. I hiked my pants a little and tried not to dwell on certain parts of this body and how they felt as I walked.


    As I made my way across campus, I kept my eyes searching for but never encountered a single guy. Stopping at the activities hall, I found another set of bathrooms without any gender labels.


    There were a couple of cats made of smoke on the tables with girls petting them over where the chess set usually was. I walked along till I came out on the other side of the hall. From there, I could see Longbloom Hall.


    And, when I got to it, I was surprised to see it still had the same name. Checking my little narrow watch on my wrist, I noticed it was just a few minutes to class time.


    Inside, the room was already full of girls. I noticed a girl writing words on a page by looking at it.


    "Michelle! Over here!"


    I followed the familiar voice to Nasira''s grinning face and waving hand. Her voice sounded a little different though. Her hair blazed like an energized flame.


    She pointed to an empty seat next to her and I made my way over. When I sat down, she wrapped her arms around me and gave me a tight hug followed by a wave of light perfume that surrounded me.


    I tried to keep my heart from racing and other parts of my body from responding in new, strange ways. When she finally finished the hug, Nasira still held my hand in hers. We were about the same height, but her hand felt so big and enveloping.


    "I''m sorry I didn''t stop by last night. I missed you so much."


    Her voice was so familiar and yet it wasn''t quite Nasira''s voice from my world. I moistened my lips and tried to think of something to say.


    There were so many vague things and outright lies I could try to mask my lack of knowledge, but I decided, butterflies swirling like a whirlwind inside, to say simply, "It''s wonderful to see you."


    The first thing I''d ever said to Nasira. My head throbbed. I second-guessed it. Even if this wasn''t the same Nasira, she had the same presence about her.


    Nasira actually blushed and smiled brightly at me. Her hair glowed. Then she gave me a lingering kiss right on my lips. I felt suddenly flush and trembly. When she pulled away, her hand lingered on my neck and her eyes widened, "Oh, wow. I can see you really missed me too."


    She seemed ready to give me another kiss, but she stroked my cheek instead. "This time, I''ll come over to your dorm when class is over, okay?"


    The memory of her kiss still washing over me, I could only nod back. She did the talking for both of us.


    Her words flowed on and on and I listened. She talked about a song she listened to, a beautiful song, and her words served to reenact it. Her words by my ear were so soothing, like constant, smooth waves on a beach.


    And, in that relaxation, I realized what her voice reminded me of. She sounded like the voice (but separated from its usual harshness, like it was this morning). Same as I did. Our voices both flowed with that same feeling.


    It was so odd to hear that voice reflecting in her voice as well as mine. I didn''t know what to make of it.


    Before I could ponder further, an older woman with many of the same features as Professor Kellemann walked in and settled into the tall chair in front of our desks.


    She flipped open the textbook and her eyes met mine. "Michelle Reyes?"


    "Yes, ma''am?" I chimed in without knowing if that was the proper address in this world.


    The Professor chuckled and noted, "See, I can remember names. I''m not going mad. Not yet anyway. I sensed you had a concern during our last class. You waited to speak to me but left before you had the chance. And I just got a voice-mail from your counselor about¡­a concern as well. Now, if it''s private, I can talk to you outside, but I sense it has to do with the mental magic from our last session, so it might concern others in the class too."


    It felt like every eye in the room was trained on me. I trembled and Nasira put an arm on my shoulder. I took a breath and just spoke honestly, "I was unsettled by the last experience at the end of class. And I felt like I had an echo where reality kinda blurred and I was someone else. Everything was reversed."


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    The professor set a finger on her lips. "I see. What we do in here for mental experience does sometimes react to magical abilities. But it shouldn''t cause so much disruption. It''s very mild. Are there any other factors which might be involved?"


    All I could do was shrug. The professor brought up the counselor and I told her I had another echo then.


    There were some murmurs around the class and the professor eventually led me out of the room to speak in the hallway.


    She put a hand on my shoulder and said, "If you''d like, you can sit out the session today."


    I pondered it. On the one hand, another exposure could put me back in my own reality. But it could also make things worse.


    I asked her, "What will the next session be?"


    "Just a little preview of memory. A positive experience with some oddities and seeing if anyone can catch the oddities. Will that be okay?"


    I nodded, and we went back to the room. Nasira wrapped her arms around me and whispered, "I''m so sorry." I reassured her that I was fine.


    It didn''t take long for the experience to set in. I was on a beach chair. The breeze was lovely, but the sky was green. I was still Michelle and dressed in a one-piece swimsuit. My eyes fluttered and my breathing slowed. It was so nice.


    A moment later, I was on a table getting a massage. It was incredible. I noticed that the girl rubbing my back had an extra pair of hands, but I was too relaxed to care.


    In the calm and quiet, I thought I heard something. A murmuring sound. Not quite a voice. Not like the voice. I couldn''t tell for sure what it was. But the more I relaxed, the clearer it was.


    I felt like I could almost decipher the words when the experience ended and I was back in my normal clothes with Nasira''s arm around me in a room and world of girls.


    I made little notes while listening to the experiences of others. But I couldn''t put my enthusiasm into it when I didn''t know if I was going to be in this world for even ten minutes more.


    On the other hand, I had to wonder if I would be here permanently. We closed on a replay of the opening experience with all the anomalous elements pointed out. There were several which had been noted but ones I never would''ve caught. Like where I floated on the chair instead of sitting in it. And the massage table was made of graham cracker.


    Kellemann noted that we would be starting on "states of consciousness" next week, so this was just a prelude.


    "Perception was a challenging issue even before the time of magic. Now, it''s even harder with the involvement of interfacing thoughts through telepathy."


    Not to mention parallel universes, I thought to myself.


    When we were dismissed, Nasira snuggled up to me and invited me to go eat at the caf¨¦. Her touch tickled at my back.


    I felt a throb of realization and guilt. I was standing in the place of someone else, someone who this Nasira loved. I bowed my head and told her, "Actually, I think I should go back to my room."


    Nasira leaned closer, the colors of her hair waning. "What''s wrong? Do you feel sick?"


    I shook my head. "No. I just don''t want to intrude."


    I knew that would confuse her, so I looked away. But her hand guided me back. She didn''t look surprised or sad. She looked so very calm and her hair rippled with warm colors.


    "Your smile is so much more beautiful than your frown. Come on, Michelle."


    I really did feel hungry and I enjoyed being around Nasira, but I wasn''t the Michelle she knew.


    I was about to tell her I was sorry. I was about to say how it didn''t feel right and even say that I wasn''t her Michelle, when she seemed to sense what I was thinking.


    With calm assurance, she said, "I know you. And I love you. No matter what¡­" Her gaze felt so deep and relaxing, like that little experience, that I couldn''t help but lean into it. She brushed my long, black hair and told me I was a beautiful girl.


    No matter how strange it seemed to hear, it felt good and right. And I smiled for Nasira with the clearest, brightest, and most sincere smile I could give. She kissed me on the cheek and walked out with me.


    I tightened my bag and flipped back some of my hair. Nasira looked over at my bag and proclaimed, "I always love your froggy. "


    Automatically, I smiled, thanked her, and heard myself say, "I''d like to get a bunny too."


    That didn''t seem like something I would say, but it came to me naturally. I should''ve been worried, but I felt so very relaxed around Nasira. She told me that after classes Friday she would go with me to pick out the perfect bunny to stick on my bag.


    I examined the empty space next to the frog and wondered what other kinds of decorations I could put on it. I was still lost in thought as Nasira ordered a burrito at the caf¨¦ for each of us.


    We sat on the same side of the table.


    Nasira giggled, opened the wrap around her burrito, and said, "You''re a nice looking burrito. What kind are you?"


    I bit into the end of mine. It tasted like a veggie burrito. I never used to have that kind, but this one felt right and soothing.


    After I''d eaten half of the burrito and Nasira had told me about how her roommate almost overflowed the toilet, I rested against her shoulder. She quieted with a smile.


    It almost didn''t even matter that she was a girl and I was as well. It just felt right. No matter the reality. Like two waves on that imaginary beach combining and flowing into one another. It felt so close¡­


    Eventually, I let her shoulder rest and I picked out a book from my bag and glanced through it.


    "Whatcha reading?"


    The cover said, "Your Final Exam." An odd title. It had to be a study book or something.


    Nasira poked the cover and asked it, "What''s a mean old study book doing with a nice girl like my Michelle?"


    Something felt familiar about that but, instead of worrying, I gave a little giggle.

 Lanuleta University: Part 5 - Where I Get To Know More

    <u>Lanuleta University ¨C Psychology Class</u>


    Where I Get To Know More


    After a lovely lunch with Nasira, she followed me back to my room. Both¡­Berns¡­were cooking some kind of pasta. Shawn was practicing something resembling Tai chi. And Quinn was away.


    It was just Nasira and me in my room. Despite how small it was, we sat together on my bed and Nasira''s gentle hands traced all over me. Her body around made me shiver despite its warmth.


    Her hands clutched so close to mine that I couldn''t tell where my hands ended and hers began. Her breath around my cheek flowed into my breath and mingled with it. It was strange but wonderful.


    To be loved like this, all cares about my body and this world flew away. I could be Michelle for this Nasira forever if she wished it.


    But I felt a tickle in my stomach. I sighed and leaned away from Nasira''s embrace.


    She bent forward, her hair curling in dark colors. "What''s wrong, Michelle?"


    Looking at her face, twisted in concern, I lost my words for a moment till all I could ask was, "Do you remember how we met?"


    I didn''t know why I asked it, but Nasira''s mind leapt ahead of me. "Is this because of what you mentioned in class? Did something affect your memory?"


    I grimaced and told her, "I dunno. I hope not."


    Deep blue settled into Nasira''s hair and she stroked my hand. "It''s okay. I just moved to Clayvern Valley with my mom because of her job with the government."


    My eyes widened. That was where I grew up. I listened carefully.


    "At age three, I was tested for magical ability and didn''t show any. Mom worried about that until we moved to Clayvern Valley when I was six. I met you there right after your sixth birthday. And that was when my hair started to turn colors."


    I first heard the voice right around my sixth birthday. This was too strange to be a coincidence. But I had to wonder if it even mattered in another universe.


    Nasira leaned close and smiled lightly, bright colors returning to her hair, inquiring, "Does that help?"


    I nodded gently and she kissed me on the cheek. I pieced together that her birth mom had died soon after she was born. But I smiled as she recounted the first day she met me. The joy in her words was undeniable as she skipped over to see me with my head in a book. She said all sorts of silly things to me till I looked up.


    I could feel myself in those shoes, but I knew they were not mine. Still, I kept my smile so Nasira wouldn''t feel bad.


    The stories kept flowing after that. I absorbed her words intently. I giggled more than once. And time flowed by.


    Eventually, Nasira noticed the time and frowned. Her hair lost a little luster. "I have to go to my later class. Would you like me to come over after?"


    Despite the temptation to say ''yes'', I told her I would be fine. She pouted a bit but eventually nodded.


    When she was gone, despite the laughter of the Berns at something on TV in the main room, the dorm felt emptier. I looked around. The air register rattled, and I could hear Shawn moving about in the other bedroom.


    Quinn returned later. She twirled when she came in. Her voices were really good. Only they were cartoony and "serious" instead of girlish and manly. Having her around helped and made it feel more normal.


    After that, nothing changed. Quinn started on her homework, and I considered looking in on mine. Before that, I booted up my computer and did some research.


    I learned pretty quickly how babies were made in this world. It sounded so strange to read in a clinical manner, but it seemed to involve an intense, concentrated embrace of nearly an hour. Both parties had to focus their energy on the other and "want" a baby. Both could become pregnant but usually only one did. It seemed related to magical influence but didn''t require any particular ability to work.


    When the materials came to matters of a ''pleasure coupling'' nature, I blushed and clicked away. Still, a small shiver arched down my back like Nasira had just brushed her hands across it.


    I checked out some general news after that. New methods of using magic in assisting medical procedures. Law upheld outlining privacy for telepathic reading. A wedding between two actresses.


    It all seemed like typical news. I browsed a bit for music. Some of the tunes were familiar, which made listening to them with all-female singers an interesting experience. I noticed some odd pronouns here and there. They seemed to address a spectrum of "girlness" I''d seen around the campus as well.


    I gave a little yawn and leaned back. Then, I gazed around the room. It still showed no signs of changing. Same with what I had under my shirt and between my legs.


    I plopped back on the bed and scooted up. Quinn glanced around and asked, in a ''normal'' girl voice, "Heading to bed already?"


    "I dunno. It''s just been a long day."


    Quinn tried to convince me that a long bath would get rid of any problems. It would be proper care for this temporary body. I released the band around my long hair and scratched at it. I did not look forward to drying hair this full.


    I made my way to the mirror, which brought back memories of when I woke up in front of the door. I looked back at my girlish face. I tried relaxing. I tried tensing. I tried all kinds of things till Shawn walked past with her light-stick and eyed me.


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    My peculiar behavior did give me an idea though. I could learn much about Michelle by looking through all the stuff around. So far as decorations, her area behind the bed had a few animal posters. It was early in the session, so it made sense she didn''t have more stuff up yet. While my computer just had some music files and generic links, pulling open drawers revealed that Michelle liked to keep things organized.


    She had some minor medications for sleeping but nothing prescription. I was glad there. I didn''t want to accidentally kill her because I didn''t know what to take when. I smiled at the little bath set she had and her robe decorated with bunnies.


    Her selection of clothes didn''t look like anything I''d be embarrassed to wear and some of her shirts seemed nice. I did find a diary tucked under a section of papers in one of her drawers. I sized it up but didn''t peek.


    I took the little bath set and slipped into the bathroom. Once the door was sealed, I felt a nervous shiver go through me. I took a couple breaths and tried not to feel antsy. I pulled my shirt over the top of my head and set it against the wall.


    I looked down and saw my bra. It was my favorite color of red. Not knowing what else to do, I adjusted the straps. Next, I unbuttoned my pants and slid them off. My socks soon followed.


    Down to my underwear, I fidgeted on what to do next. I reached around back to see what I could do to get the bra off. It took me a moment to realize it opened in the front.


    After a few easy touches, it was off and, from there, the rest was easy.


    Naked (and a little cold), I looked down at myself. I stepped in place. I grimaced.


    I kinda expected some sort of arousal (typically followed by annoyance from the voice¡­if it was still around). But I stood there and didn''t feel anything just looking at myself. I did feel a little stir of gas in my stomach.


    Using the toilet didn''t do anything for me either.


    I pondered it. Maybe I just couldn''t separate myself from this form. The more I examined myself, the more traces of my usual body I saw. The breasts didn''t do much and my nipples felt a little different (not too sensitive) and were larger but that was it.


    I''d been getting used to my groin all day. Now, it felt strange but prodding it didn''t trigger anything for me. I half-worried I''d broken it.


    The dimensions of it scared me like I''d been wound or cut, but familiarity soon set in.


    Since I was getting shaky from the cold, I proceeded with my shower.


    Michelle''s bath set had more than I knew how to use, but I played around with what there was. I let the water run long and flow over me. That felt nice.


    In the warm flow, I imagined Nasira slipping in behind me in the shower because I hadn''t locked the bathroom door. Echoes of Nasira''s hands made me quake. I felt something like resonance from her presence. Her waves flowed through me in my thoughts.


    I could see the perfect moments to follow. I could imagine the next day as I blushed at her smiling visage. I could feel myself getting through the last psychology class of the week with Nasira by my side.


    Then the mall, walking among a world of endless girls and not a one of them mattered, because Nasira was my anchor and my sea.


    Standing there in the roar of the water, I could sense Nasira right there, around, and within me. I breathed and she breathed with me.


    I opened my eyes¡­


    And it was day.


    Class. The psychology classroom.


    I looked across the room and I saw myself.


    My body was on the other side of the room, gazing off as I glanced at him.


    *I think he likes you.*


    A voice in my head. It didn''t sound the same as usual. It sounded different.


    If I was there¡­then that meant¡­I was Nasira. Nasira¡­


    Wait, of course I was Nasira! Arg! What was wrong with my head?! I couldn''t lose it this early in the session. I had to keep it together. I could save going nuts for when I had a break time or when I could write it up for class.


    *You really need to chill out.*


    Be quiet! I have to write. I can''t just look at the page like that guy over there. Lucky bugger. Time always time. Time is wasting on writing. I have to get into it.


    Wait¡­what was the writing? Oh no! Already spacing out¡­dad warned me about this. Focus focus! Check my notes.


    I skimmed through them as quickly as possible. Thank goodness I made headers every so often, then put them in bold. I scanned back¡­


    Where Kellemann Brought Up The Anima. Where We Discussed the Psychology of Gender Roles. Where Everyone Is Female.


    Huh? That was strange. I had no idea what that header was directed towards. It didn''t have anything underneath it or any follow-up notes and I always put follow-up notes. Before the voice could toss in its two-cents of distraction, I found the question and let my heart slow, at least for the moment. I''d eaten up so much time just figuring out the question.


    With an efficient strike, I erased the superfluous header "Where Everyone Is Female" and tore into my writing.

 Lanuleta University: Part 6 - Where Memory Is Concerned

    <u>Lanuleta University - Psychology</u>


    Where Memory Is Concerned


    I wrote all I could about memory till my left hand seized up into a ragged claw of Absolute Suffering. Then I dragged it across the page again.


    *I think you have enough.*


    Maybe. But there was this line right at the edge of my thoughts. Even if it took all hour, I probably wouldn''t get it but it seemed to taunt me. So, I wrote some more just to show that I didn''t need it.


    And then I still had time. Rats!


    I tried to corral my wild imagination with possibilities for my abnormal psych paper and then connect that with the subjects which were coming up in my organic biology and chemistry classes. But I kept wandering to the idea of "gratuitous boy-on-boy butt-secks", which Andrea wrote on the dorm marker board.


    But I almost had to smack myself because I was getting into that idea to the point it was like my skin was about to launch itself like a rocket.


    And then it was time to stop being Crazy-Nasira and listen to the professor. I made a special header for the new line of discussion.


    I rested my eyes in little ten-second bursts which could be mistaken for really long blinks and not nodding off. Need sleep¡­gimme more!


    During one of the open-eye sets, I glanced over at that guy across the way. Ugh, I couldn''t remember his name. But he kept looking at me. Or the wall. But I was sure it was me. I got worried the first day I had oatmeal caked on my face, so I ran out as soon as class ended to hose my face in the bathroom.


    Then, I saw him over at the caf¨¦. Watching me again. The blasted voice told me to say ''hi'' but I couldn''t do that!


    After way too much thought, I thought the bizarre voice sounded a little like him when he presented stuff in class. Maybe a girl him. No, androgynous. Maybe. No. Well. Perhaps?


    He didn''t watch me all the time, or so I figured. And I''d seen enough punch-worthy guys oogle me ''covertly'' and feed me lines to know the type. This guy, I had moments where I was watching him too. But, as usual with any guys who looked interesting, I knew nothing about him¡­especially his name. I knew he''d said it, but I couldn''t remember it.


    But I had to pay attention. My notes were slipping. I had nothing under my new header. I crossed my legs tightly enough to get a muscle cramp and pressed a finger next to my twitching right eye.


    I knew my hair had to be going nuts. More than a decade-and-a-half of magical development and all I had to show for it was mood ring hair and a voice inside my head I''d never told anyone about.


    *You should. It might help you develop abilities.*


    Or it could just go to show I''m way crazier than ever I thought. I brushed at a lock of my hair as calmly as I could. It was red again. I really hoped it was just red and not some insane blast of hippy rainbow vomit with red on the side. It did that once. Dad asked me if I was doing drugs. Soooo embarrassing...


    *You and your dad both need to relax.*


    Easy for you to say, miss/ster disembodied voice! And my dad has relaxed quite a bit, but he has a stressful job with the government. Studying those with dangerous magical abilities isn''t like walking a cake or however that thing goes.


    Gah! Focus. This''ll definitely be on the tests and the final exam. Sometimes, I wished there were more class hours. Class was wrapping up? I wondered what the outro was going to be for this session.


    *Should be fun.*


    I waited. Professor Kellemann closed his eyes. I closed mine a little too. And I waited. I didn''t feel anything. I popped my eyes open to glance around the room. Most people had their eyes closed but a few were looking around as well. The Professor still had his eyes shut.


    Crud. I don''t want to interrupt. I had to just wait till it''s over and then maybe bring it up.


    *You can say something, you know*


    Shh! When his eyes opened, a couple people in the back mentioned their experience with smiles. They were flying and diving through the air.


    I winced. It sounded nice. Figures that, of all things, wouldn''t work on me. Considering the first class thing made me into a jerk, then a boy (that wasn''t too bad though). Then the second one was a head-trip of unreal things on a beach. The beach was nice. I just got paranoid about noticing every weird thing.


    *I liked it*


    Eventually, the guy-whose-name-I-forget, raised his hand and pointed out that he didn''t experience anything. I almost put my hand up to say the same. It was then that Professor Kellemann clapped. It was a trick.


    He explained it. Some of the class was given a false memory. They thought they experienced a vision. It was made very intense so they would feel compelled to share it and, the professor noted, some of the people who claimed they experienced a vision didn''t actually get one.


    I could see where he was going with group-think and peer pressure and confabulation of false memories. People were sure something happened to them because everyone else was saying the same thing. Brilliant. Good thing I didn''t completely embarrass myself by saying something. I made a big note and underlined it like I labeled and underlined every page in my notebook for this class "<u>Lanuleta University ¨C Psychology</u>" (sometimes "Psychology Class").


    *Is it really necessary?*


    If I ever want to keep a good log of my classes and a book of notes for personal research and maybe even a major capstone portfolio, I had to do it.


    And that was it. I already had my weekend packed full of things. I knew the roommates would want to head to the mall but it never had anything I liked, I had no car so I was at the whim of how long others wanted to stay, and¡­I''d probably come up with something else later too.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    I slipped all my stuff in each compartment in my bag and flipped it on my back. I still had a chemistry terminology quiz to ready myself for on Monday. First, mad dash to the library before they closed up so I could get all the good books for abnormal psych before everyone else snapped them up.


    And I should probably eat. Week-old graham-cracker bears for breakfast were probably a good part of my current level of whacky.


    *I have no idea how you''re still conscious.*


    While I sped along out of Longbloom and to the brick path, I did let myself linger around the drama and improv guys as they left their practice. They were so much fun to watch


    I didn''t talk much, but I enjoyed the humor and then snuck in to use the restroom and gaze longingly at all the people who somehow had enough time to sit down to a game of chess. And then I had to run back into the restroom for a while until the last of those evil grambears were purged.


    After surviving that onslaught, I rushed over to the library and grabbed one of the psychology resource computers. Books were easy to find and I made sure to check out what I could in general topics before anything.


    They also had the DSM-VI with some amendments for disorders relating to magical abilities. Those were pretty scary where mental states could vary according to who you were around. I didn''t want to touch those.


    I eventually settled on one and started to jot down notes about it. From my side, I heard someone settle into the chair next to me. I glanced over but didn''t see anyone there. I shrugged and continued with my notes.


    *Hope it''s not a ghost.*


    No such things, except for what my roommate Nancy was able to make with her ability. But those were non-corporeal copies of people.


    I wish dad let me get a dog as a kid.


    I paused a moment and wondered where that thought came from. I looked over at the resource computer. Had I selected my disorder yet?


    I heard a rough cough really close to me. I nearly jumped. If it was no one again, I was about ready to beat the chair next to me with a book till it shut up. Gratefully, there was someone next to me this time. It was that guy from class. I didn''t remember hearing him sit.


    I opened my mouth a little and returned the cough as roughly as I could. He glanced away.


    *You should say hi. Perfect opportunity.*


    Yeah, to embarrass myself. But I figured I might as well try to ask him something class-related.


    "Cool job catching that trick at the end of class." I tacked on a decent smile to that statement.


    "Thanks." And that was all he said. He looked busy.


    Boy, did I feel stupid.


    So, I went back to my notes. The monitor was on the fritz with wavy lines. I gave it a good smack. Smacking always fixed those things.


    I had an essay for magical history later, but my stomach was beginning to complain. I glanced up and I swore I saw something reflected in the screen. It made my heart flutter something crazy. Then a buzz came through that sounded like a voice.


    Forget that. I''m not hanging around on a haunted computer. I gave it a hard boot and gathered my notes and borrowed books. I could deal with the library another day.


    I looked behind me to the guy from class, but I couldn''t see him from this angle.


    And I liked libraries. Why was this one being so weird to me?


    I scuffed a bit of mud at the exit in the library''s direction and made a bee-line for the caf¨¦. Once there, I enjoyed the multitudes of other people to help lower my creep-quotient.


    I relaxed with a good roll of my neck to get all the hard classroom chair-ness out. I looked forward to relaxing even further before bed with hours of bath-ness which I planned to enjoy¡­in my usual way.


    I hummed a couple songs to myself and pondered whether I wanted a cold drink or hot tea. Or maybe both. Steamy with frigid.


    I ordered as I played a melody with my fingers on my school bag.


    *Get something with chocolate.*


    Now that I could get behind. I ordered a bit of warm chocolate and a soda along with a veggie burrito and took it to the back of the caf¨¦.


    As I sat down and eyed my burrito, I had the strangest sensation pass over me. I felt a certainty that this had happened before. I mentally scoffed at that because I''d ordered a veggie burrito after psychology on Monday and then with Michelle the other day¡­.wait¡­who was Michelle?


    The name and note came automatically and yet I had no idea why I thought it. I considered a moment that this was just another little thing left over from class. So, I gave myself a solid smack in the face. It hurt, but that was about it.


    I shook my head and tried to focus on my burrito again but that strange, almost-voice returned. It was stronger this time. It floated around me with strange words which suddenly became familiar.


    "See you¡­"


    I glanced up and standing there behind the main area of the caf¨¦ was a something the height of a tall coat rack with the shape of a giant, black praying mantis. Its legs undulated in place.


    The giant bug stood there, about ten feet away, as I was frozen in confusion. Between blinks, it vanished.


    I took a couple breaths and glanced back at the same place to check.


    Bugs! I hated bugs!


    The giant bug thing never returned. I calmly told myself it was just a side effect of whatever tricks and things were going on in psychology class and I tried to push it from my mind.


    Still, I couldn''t shake the notion, as I traced its contours in my memories, that I''d seen it somewhere before, if only in a dream.

 Lanuleta University: Part 7 - Where The Truth Is Revealed

    <u>Lanuleta University ¨C Psychology Class</u>


    Where The Truth Is Revealed


    I shook my head and told myself that any giant bugs I remembered from dreams were probably just false memories. I sipped my soda and moved closer to the front of the caf¨¦, where things weren''t quite so lonely.


    Still, I felt an unnerving sensation that something was there just over my shoulder, though I didn''t see anything. I plopped my head on the table. I''d read about the psychology computers in the library and they only gave users a few minutes of the symptoms of an abnormal condition and only when you were there. I knew from the last class with safety protocol not to mix more than three conditions without standing up and looking away from the magical field around the computer.


    But I couldn''t really remember much about what I''d done with the computer. I really hoped that wasn''t a sign of amnesia. If Professor Kellemann was still around, then I knew I could stop by and ask about this. If nothing else, there was my counselor.


    Arg! Wait¡­what happened to the voice?


    *Hm?*


    Oh. Never thought I''d be thankful to hear something from you.


    *What happened?*


    Not much¡­aside from the giant bug in the corner!


    *What bug?*


    Oh great, even my crazy voice is gonna think I''m crazy¡­


    *Weird. I felt like I was somewhere else for a while. Does that make sense?*


    About as much sense as anything lately¡­


    I sighed and looked up. Miguel from class was standing in line. Somehow, I knew his name now. Not sure how. Memory and all that weird stuff.


    Cracking my neck a little, I clutched my hair behind me. I brushed it with my fingers. It was muddy orange like baby poo. I considered dragging my hairbrush out of the desolate corner of my bag I''d relegated it to. It would probably thank me for the rare glimpse of daylight. But I really didn''t want to accidentally leave stray, Technocolor hairs on the table for the next person.


    *You should do it if it relaxes you. Just clean up afterwards.*


    I considered it.


    "You see the bugs, don''t you?"


    I glanced up. It was that Miguel guy with a veggie burrito in his hands standing in front of the other side of the table.


    I stared a bit longer than I wanted to before coughing and answering, "What bugs?"


    Miguel had a gorgeous face. Smooth with a strong jawline. His hair was dense but well-kept and sleek. His hands were rigid but shaped perfectly, as though by an artist. His skin tone was lighter than mine, but it gave him a regal air, especially with his firm, long nose. He looked a little nervous with his eyes dashing about, but I didn''t mind.


    I crossed my legs and glanced away.


    *I think you like him.*


    After looking around a bit, he sat opposite me with his food and said, "The big, black bugs. I had this strange dream about one. I was in a car and I saw Professor Kellemann in the road. The car swerved I think and there was something big and black. I''m sure it was a giant bug. I''ve been seeing them, and I think I know what''s going on."


    As Miguel spoke, I felt hypnotized. What he said made sense. I could see myself in that car.


    *This seems really strange. Be careful.*


    You''re just noticing that now? I nodded to Miguel''s words and leaned forward, curious as to his assessment.


    "It''s aliens. Clearly, the government is involved. It might even go back to how magic first came to be in the world. I''ve been reading and watching. I''m certain other people have seen these bug aliens before us. They''re experimenting on humanity with this magical stuff and the government is helping."


    That should''ve sounded totally ridiculous. I wanted to say it sounded crazy. But I''d seen the bugs. I had to at least listen.


    Miguel tapped a finger to his chin. "Do you know anyone in your family who might be involved with the government?"


    I mentioned my dad and it seemed that Miguel was expecting that.


    *I think you should go¡­this doesn''t feel right.*


    Right, it''s really spooky!


    *That''s not how I mean¡­*


    I had my doubts at what Miguel was getting at. Then he told me about when he was growing up. He told me¡­that he had a voice inside his head too. I felt my knees quivering when he told me the age when it first showed up. Around the same age as me.


    It got even spookier when he mentioned Clayvern Valley. I never understood why my dad moved to that area. And then the government visited Miguel on several occasions as a kid. My heart was racing.


    I wondered if there were times when my dad had people from the government visit me. Maybe I just didn''t remember. Maybe they''d blocked-out my memories. I asked Miguel if that was possible.


    "Could be", he said.


    Oh geez, I felt like I was about to lose it. My hands were shaking, and I really needed to use the restroom. I stammered an excuse to Miguel and rushed over.


    After I was done, I stared into the mirror. My eye twitch was a lot worse and red rippled all through my hair.


    *You need to get away from him.*


    I felt angry at the voice for a moment but I did wonder¡­what if the bugs could disguise themselves as people? But if Miguel was a bug then why was he telling me all this? What if there were a lot more bugs everywhere?


    I shuddered. I couldn''t trust anyone. They could all be bug aliens the government was working for.


    I sounded so crazy, but I''d seen it. I''d heard it and seen it and it was right there. I peeked out the door at my table. I didn''t see Miguel. The table was empty. I looked around, but I didn''t see him anywhere.


    I splashed my face with water from the sink and nearly ran out of the restroom. I didn''t hear anyone calling after me. I wasn''t sure if I''d left anything, but I had to get out of there.


    *Just relax now. It''ll be okay.*


    It was easily said but with everyone I passed by, I tensed up. I was sure they were about to change into a giant alien bug. It was just there under the skin. I could almost see their dark splotches showing when they were in the shade. Almost but not quite but I knew they were there. If I just clawed at their skin a little then it would tear off like a mask. They were just wearing masks and they were watching me. I didn''t want to speak because I was sure they were listening as well. I couldn''t trust my dad¡­


    *Relax, Nasira. It''ll be okay. Take a deep breath.*


    But my heart wasn''t racing. I didn''t feel crazy. I didn''t feel stirred up or anything. I felt focused. I felt sure. I felt like I was finally seeing the world for what it was.


    *This isn''t real, Nasira. It''s gotta be the computer from the library or something. What if you picked paranoid schizophrenia? You were talking about that as one of your research choices.*


    Was I? I couldn''t remember. But maybe the voice that talked to me inside my head was right. But what happened to Miguel? He was gone. I didn''t see him anywhere. Why did he run off? Did I imagine him?


    Suddenly, the air felt tingly all around. I staggered a step and ran headfirst into something. Clutching my forehead with a groan, I looked at what I ran into. At first, I thought it was a mirror I hadn''t noticed before because I was looking into my own face.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    The other Nasira stood there clutching her forehead in much the same way I was. She seemed surprised as well and asked, "Who are you?"


    I asked the same of her. She straightened slowly and looked around. "Nasira Jafri and Miguel Reyes. Just like you."


    I couldn''t help but stare at the ridiculousness.


    *I think she''s right.*


    "How can you be me and Miguel?"


    She scratched her head. "Not sure but what I mean is you''re us and I''m us too. We''re us."


    I took a step back, expecting their skin to fall off to reveal an insectoid shell. "You''re just an alien¡­get away from me!"


    She raised her hands. "No. We''re not an alien. Not sure aside from that¡­especially why this is happening and why there are two of us."


    I didn''t trust its face. "Prove you''re not an alien."


    It shrugged. "I don''t know if I can. I could tell you something from our minds, but then I''d just be a mind-reading alien."


    I was just thinking that. Which only proved it probably could read my mind.


    I had every reason to distrust it and run away. But as I looked into the other me I felt something. Like a vibration in tune with me. I took a deep breath and a step forward at the same time she did. I staggered back a moment and she mirrored me.


    *Yes, keep going! This feels right.*


    I stepped ahead until it was like stepping into a mirror.


    The world crossed, and we felt different. We rushed (and stumbled a little) on the way to the bathroom.


    Inside, we edged over to the mirror. Our visage was strange. It had the softness of Nasira''s face with Miguel''s eyes and skin tone. Bands of hair changed colors but the rest of it was black. We looked a little androgynous and our chest looked a little developed. We were taller than Nasira but shorter than Miguel.


    A quick check of our pants didn''t leave it clear which sex was dominant. As we both freaked out a little, the world rippled again and seemed to pop loose.


    I was in Nasira''s body, or my own. I felt so confused.


    Miguel stood across from me and looked just as unsure. I knew he was thinking about the color of my hair. And I knew he knew I knew that.


    *I''m not sure what''s going on, but this seems better.*


    The weird voice had a pretty odd definition of better. Miguel''s voice said something similar but more tersely-worded inside his head. I felt a blush and Miguel''s embarrassment at his attraction to me and our mutual embarrassment at mental secrets we both knew intimately like twins conjoined at the brain.


    Despite the clatter like crossed radio stations playing discordant music. And Miguel liked but also felt a little unsettled by that analogy. Miguel''s voice thought he could do for a girl''s mind in his head a little more. Despite the clatter¡­Miguel had a serious itch on his rear¡­geez did it itch. ARG! Too much noise, we both agreed.


    But, focusing as best as our two minds could, we felt this nagging thought cross us in the background like a hum. We had to go to the counselor''s office.


    The one Miguel went to when the counselor was pregnant. No, that was before in the all-girl world. Miguel was sweet to not exploit the other Nasira¡­I wished I could''ve flipped him in an all-boy world and drilled him till he was moaning in a squirming heap begging for more.


    And there went all my embarrassment like an explosion¡­


    *You''re being open with one another. No shyness.*


    No secrets either! Like the NO!¡­different thought! NOW! Of course, I didn''t know if I was Nasira or Miguel because we were kinda both. I was just leading the Nasira side¡­at least that''s what we felt. And, my side, stop thinking about weird perviness! Stop thinking about weird perviness!...Which was like trying to stop thinking about a pink elephant. But having us both imagine pink elephants was better than the alternative.


    Ugh¡­I just wanted to get to the counselor no matter if it was an alien bug government trap or something real to go on. Miguel agreed and our voices were quiet for a bit so we didn''t have to juggle a four-way of confusion.


    But, as we made our way to the counselor''s offices (keeping our eyes out for sudden alien bugs), a murmur of a voice filtered through the air. Miguel heard it as "get something" but he also heard it from my ears as "get out". It was brief but we couldn''t help but see it as anything but a threat.


    I took a deep breath and Miguel somehow surprised me by grabbing my hand. I glanced over at him and gave a little smile.


    Holding his hand, the torrent of thoughts and feelings seemed easier to control and the steps into the meditation hall were easy. The counselor''s door was open. For some reason, a heavy metal pole rested against the wall near the door. The interior felt strange, like the edge of a wind-swept precipice. I pushed down both our anxieties and stepped inside with Miguel.


    His flow of thoughts with my waves of crazy (but he told me I wasn''t crazy) seemed strangely calming. Then the counselor stepped through the hall at the end of the room. He had his male, androgynous form from our earlier memories. He was transparent.


    He spoke frantically, "I made it! I made contact! Listen¡­ You''re inside your final exam for psychology class. Your memories and reflections on class have blended with some unknown magical abilities of yours to make parallel realities. We''re all working to help. But you need to get to places like this where you can be strong and reach out and focus on¡­" The figure of the counselor faded and shifted to form a solid Dr. Kellemann.


    His face curled into a twisted smile that seemed too big, as he rasped, "Too late for that."


    Miguel and I clenched each other''s hands tightly. I asked for us, "What''s going on? What was that?"


    I could see his face was like a mask chaffing at his real one. We stepped back.


    "The last gasp of hope, which the two of you will help us to extinguish. For us, you will make new universes¡­with new nightmares. And, with the both of you here, the old ones can be rewritten into the most horrible things. Watch¡­"


    From behind us, a flat panel monitor flew across the room like a bird and fluttered in the air beside Kellemann. The image on the screen brightened. It showed a high view of the psychology classroom. All our classmates were there. Some teachers, the counselor (in male form), and others were gathered around Miguel and me. We were both laid out on the floor, unconscious.


    As this Kellemann''s mask seemed ready to tear from his smile, blackness with long, insect-like arms and slashing teeth spread around the image of the classroom. Screams echoed from the monitor.


    Miguel and I were of one mind. We hefted the pole in the corner and drove it right into Kellemann''s chest. The monitor fell and shattered.


    There was no blood. As we stepped back, he looked down at the pole sticking out of his chest and calmly resolved, "Looks like you won''t be getting a good grade from me ¡­"


    His smile remained as his disguise dissolved and swarms of dark creatures crawled from the walls.

 Lanuleta University: Part 8 - Where It Ends

    <u>Lanuleta University ¨C Psychology Class</u>


    Where It Ends


    Pure confusion and fear over what the heck was going on reigned and ricocheted through our thoughts as the darkness swelled in all directions.


    *Don''t give up! You can stop them and we''ll help!*


    The voices inside our heads spoke in a chorus. I tightened my grip around Miguel''s hand as the dark creatures reached out.


    *We have an idea. Say this and you might have a chance.*


    We listened, trying to edge away from the crush of monsters.


    Together, we yelled what our voices told us.


    "YOU AREN''T REAL! YOU''RE NOTHING!"


    The bug-like Kellemann shuddered as though that assault of sound had done more to him than the pole through his chest. All the creatures flinched. Behind us, the way cleared and we ran through it.


    The meditation hall and rooms looked rotted through, like giant termites had feasted and spewed out blackness behind them.


    *Remember what the message said, get to someplace where you feel strong.*


    Panting and running out of this horrible place with Miguel, I didn''t know what that meant. I''d listened to that message before the messenger turned into Bug-Kellemann. But I didn''t know if either of us could trust it.


    *Think about how the monsters responded to being called fake.*


    But they didn''t go away.


    It was an unnatural night all over, like creeping claws shadowing everything. The distances felt so much more than usual. Like that dream where you keep running but don''t get anywhere.


    *Think positive! The world around seems to respond!*


    I thought about things being a little brighter. I thought about the light in the space where Miguel''s ''voice'' was. I thought about a bright void to wipe away the darkness. A bit of fog seemed to cluster but the darkness remained.


    As we rounded the Lanu statue, a mournful creak rippled through the ground. The statue staggered off its pedestal and aimed its pointed parts at us. We tried to think it away. It paused but kept coming.


    This all felt like a dream, but we couldn''t lucidly alter it. That messenger and Kellemann had both said we could alter universes. I really had no idea what that meant.


    Were we in a place made of our memories, like one of the ''experiences'' in class come to life? But I didn''t remember getting to the final exam. I couldn''t recall what the syllabus even said about it. And now a sculpture was about to kill us!


    *No! Don''t think that! Think the opposite! Believe it!*


    We ducked behind a bench as the statue swung forward and slashed at us. I didn''t get why they were trying to kill us.


    Its Mars spear sliced through the metal of the bench and a swipe of the end of its Venus mirror handle tossed the bench aside.


    Miguel thought about telling the statue it wasn''t real, but our words caught in stammers. So, we ran again down the brick walkway and into the activities hall. It was just as dark in there.


    After a turn in the hallway, hisses and glimmering eyes met us. The cat-like chess pieces had swollen into monstrous tigers. They lunged and we picked up a chair to hold them off. From their porcelain claws, dark protrusions raked my skin.


    The moment they touched me, I felt like I was falling asleep. My hand slipped from Miguel''s grip. All motion stopped and only the roar of a thousand terrors filled my thoughts. They all felt ruthlessly real.


    *WAKE UP, NASIRA!*


    The voices screamed, echoed, and roared back against the darkness. Somehow, I brought my hand away from the tiger. I looked in its bishop-like eyes and, with the enthusiasm of my voice, told it, "YOU ARE NOT REAL!"


    It dashed back, as though wounded. The others circled around it. That gave us a moment to run through and out the glass doors. We mounted the steps on the other side and up the small hill as it began to melt into sand.


    A thundering roar pushed us forward and we staggered back onto the road near Longbloom Hall. Behind us, the entire hall was moving. It stretched up its front like a head and tore itself from its foundation. The animated structure wasn''t the only one. All the buildings were beginning to rise like giant monsters cloaked in darkness.


    On the other side of the street was a car. Miguel pulled open the door. Somehow, the keys were inside. As I sat in the car, it felt so very familiar. The car rocked back and forth from the tremors outside as Miguel struggled to get it to start.


    *Remember the dream. This is it! Your nightmare is becoming true. You have to stop it!*


    Miguel winced. He remembered too. But it wasn''t as though we could do anything else. Finally, the engine turned over.


    The car shot off into the darkness. Miguel''s dorm stretched out in the distance. It was so hard to see.


    Something huge slipped around us. It hit the car and we spun out of control. I screamed and clutched tightly to Miguel. He whispered, "It''ll be okay. Hold onto me."


    *Fight it!*


    No, it was happening just like the dream! In a whirl, I saw Professor Kellemann standing in the middle of the street. Miguel somehow managed to swerve away from him. Just past him, we saw something massive and black. It was blurry, but I knew it was Miguel''s dorm. Tendrils were spreading out from it to surround us. I cried and could feel Miguel trying to help. I clutched his hand and he clutched it back.


    I knew what was coming. My heart raced. But¡­then something felt different. I was right next to Miguel, our skin touching. I felt a tingle across myself. It was like pure energy.


    We didn''t have to crash.


    The car wasn''t moving.


    I knew where we were strongest...Together.


    Together, we were no longer in the car. Blackness was everywhere and it tried to leap at us. With a thought, it writhed in agony and burned away. We walked through the chaos and the darkness and wherever we looked, the darkness cowered and screamed for mercy. Color returned. The world mended.


    Kellemann raged at us and he evaporated into nothingness.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Thought after joyful thought brought light into the world. The sun burst through the clouds and the darkness was gone.


    Our voices cheered us. I looked to Miguel as that sunny world repaired itself, becoming better than ever before. It felt like we were flying, even though we were still on the ground. I knew what came next.


    I said, "See you on the other side." Then, I embraced Miguel with both arms and pure light engulfed everything.


    ----


    "They''re waking up!"


    I felt woozy. I was lying on the floor. Slowly, I sat up and brushed my long hair back. I looked for Miguel. But I met my own eyes. Nasira''s eyes.


    It took me a moment to realize that I didn''t have long, color-shifting hair. Still, I could feel it there like a phantom limb. I stood with Nasira, and we both staggered.


    I could see Kellemann with a concerned look on his face. Several counselors were also present.


    *Are you okay, Miguel?*


    An echo of the voice in Nasira''s head followed.


    Neither of us knew how to answer.


    But, as Nasira and I approached one another on uneasy feet, we each said the only thing we could think of ---


    "Hello."


    ----


    The next few days were hectic.


    We soon learned our final exam had indeed gone awry. What was supposed to be a limited-memory recap of the entire class had morphed into something else. The reason, it seemed, was a strange interaction between technological magic and magical abilities neither of us knew we had.


    Nasira''s dad and my parents got involved. We both found it embarrassing, along with the prodding of scientists, teachers, and doctors.


    It was a relief when they found we didn''t seem to have the scary ability to significantly affect this reality. What abilities we did have were muddled in our proximity to one another.


    Clearly, we could both transmit and receive each other''s sensations and thoughts when close or touching. And we both could interact with parallel realities¡­and write/rewrite them as well. The best of the theories (which our voices didn''t argue with) was that the voices inside our heads had been inspired by both of our internal, mental voices but still actually existed in incomplete, but real, realities.


    Lastly, we found out that while we couldn''t affect reality as a whole, we could affect one another. During a doctor''s test, Nasira accidentally gave me color-shifting hair like her own (and just as long) until she got embarrassed and shifted it back. I gave her a boyish appearance in return, and we both got embarrassed.


    So far as what exactly went wrong with the final exam, everyone had their own interpretation (with long, scientific names attached). For us, it was disconcerting to find the term already over despite the fact we had full access to our memories from between that first week and the present.


    In this reality, our first, real ''hello'' to one another was when we woke up after the final exam.


    ----


    Once things settled down, I invited Nasira over to my dorm.


    The Berns were already full into the synchronized-swimming season and training/dancing out in the hallway. Sean had gotten his "Padawan" braid thing. And Quinn brought down the house with a one-man act of a dozen voices a few weeks ago (Nasira had actually been sitting just a row behind me at the time).


    *Seems like destiny.*


    I gave a mental raspberry to my voice and answered the knock at the door.


    Nasira clutched her hands tightly in front of her. I felt she looked lovely in jeans and an old shirt. She blushed at the thought and resisted the urge to rail against herself.


    We sat on the floor of my bedroom. Despite our outward silence, we could hear each other''s mind racing with what to say till I heard Nasira urge herself not to fart. We broke down in giggles.


    First of all, Nasira had good news.


    "They say we don''t have to take the final exam again or do that written option. Our abnormal psychology papers will count for double."


    That was a relief. We''d both picked paranoid schizophrenia and both done quite well. Of course, if we hadn''t both picked it, then maybe things would''ve been different.


    Nasira shrugged in response to my thought. "Who knows?...All the weird thoughts and fears and memories in our heads made into a real place was scary, but¡­I had a friend I just hadn''t met yet all through it."


    *We helped too!*


    We chuckled at our voices.


    Nasira clapped her hands and remarked, "I''ve been testing what powers I can do individually. I tried writing realities, and I made sure all the ones we made have good things happening. And that includes the ones our voices exist in."


    Of course, our voices had plenty of ideas for the kind of worlds they wanted to see. But I told Nasira we should take the creation of other realities slowly. Still, I could tell she was percolating with ideas from songs she''d listened to, books about snakes from the library, manga she remembered reading, and names of the halls around campus.


    And there was another thought there too. I voiced it for her, "Together, we should be able to...extensively change the physical appearance of one another." I gave Nasira a funny look when the "butt-secks" thought popped up quickly. Her embarrassment rippled through me with a frown on her face.


    We both knew what change would be made. It just took a little bit of focus and I changed into the form I remembered for Michelle. The air tingled as my atoms shifted.


    Nasira''s nervousness waned, and she scooted closer. Our thoughts swarmed with the possibilities. Next might be two Nasiras or a straight body swap. But, for the moment, this felt right.


    I leaned against Nasira, and she smiled. I told her, "Your smile is so much more beautiful than your frown." That made her smile even more as she whispered and grinned that I was ''a beautiful girl''. And she added, "We''ll need to get you a froggy and a bunny from the mall." We smiled together.


    In that moment, among our wash of conflicting, chaotic, doubting, flowing, glowing, and giddy sensations and thoughts that seemed to send ripples across universes, there was the quiet certainty of knowing one another.