《The Different Man》 Chapter 1- New me The rotting smell is what woke him up. His nose was assaulted by the infernal mixture of odour emitted by the garbage he was lying in when he first became aware of himself. Before, he had been floating around in a sea of nothingness, unaware. He relished that peaceful memory before trying to move his hands to get up, only managing to dislodge the sludge and slime around him. He raised his hand, looked at the sopping waste on it, and promptly dropped it again, gagging. After a long while of lying there in who knows what (he was very careful not to look down), he picked himself up, shaking himself to remove the excess waste, and tentatively picked his way out of there. He was on the side of a dirt road, with a forest lining on his one side. The smell had thankfully gotten less gagging, now that he was away from the source. The road led to a settlement that he could just make out. ''Time to know where I am.'' he determined Plop A huge large blob of wet waste dropped on the ground at his feet, fueling his disgust. ''Change of plans then.'' He turned towards the trees instead, hoping to clean himself up in a stream. ========= It did not take him long to find water flowing nearby, clean and beckoning. He did not think twice before jumping headfirst into it as he began the process. Scrub, scrub, scrub The memories were coming back to him. Not his own, mind you. But this body''s. Yup. They were different. Rinse out. Scrub scrub.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. He put his somewhat better clothes on a rock near him after rubbing them out with water. This will have to do for now. Now, back to the memories. He was in a body of a man named Quin. Simple, plain, Quin. No one important, no family, no friends-well a few, if you can call the people who supplied him his drugs as friends. Oh, and he was a drug addict too. Did I mention that? To add to all of this, he was a drug addict in a time period where there was no known treatment for addiction or overdose. Scrub and twist and there! He laid out the last of his clothes- surprisingly many considering that he was a nobody- and stretched on the banks of the river, looking at the large white clouds floating by. This is nice. He could get used to this. The large white cloud currently above his head moved slowly with the air, making the sun shine on his face. Aah! He took in a deep breath of satisfaction as he settled in for a nap. ====== His nap had lasted long enough for the sun to go down and for the cold to breeze through his body. He shivered. Getting up from the very comfortable ground, he donned his clothes and took off towards the village he had spotted earlier. The forest was all well and good, and not dense enough on this end to warrant many wild animals but who knows. He was not going to die his first day in this body! Not after all the plans he had for it! First step- Find a shelter for the night. That was more easily said than done. He could recall the downright abysmal relationship he had with the village residents. He was the local druggie. He did not expect much, but he had to atleast try. After all, he was a changed man. This sobered him up again. The man whose body this was, had likely died in it. The brain remembered the memories, and he was sure that he had an overdose from excessive opium use. He had tried hard, so hard, the real Quin. He had kept himself locked up in the hopes that he would not succumb, once again, to using drugs. It was no use though. One slip one after seven days clean, and he was overdosing on the stuff. In his house. Seizures, dilating pupils, the whole nines. It was not pretty. He was sure that he had also soiled his pants. Which explained the weird smells in the crotch region, by the way. What it didn''t explain, is why was in a lump of garbage by the road. Why not in the house he had died in. Did he drag himself? Unlikely. He continued onward to the brightly lit village, Whistling a jolly tune. Whatever it was, he was on now, baby! He had a brand new body, no connections (because of the drugs), no obligations (also because of the drugs), no responsibility (we can see the pattern here). He was no one, to no one. What might have been depressing to anyone else, made this new Quin feel elated. On top of that, he had had no urge to take any substances, no swooping emotions or cravings of any kind. Seemed like the addiction had died with the body. He kicked the stone he had been kicking for the last mile, skipping along. He couldn''t have asked for more! Chapter 2- The road home Okay, so he might have exaggerated a bit when he mentioned he had a house- hence the reason for his search of shelter. The clothes on his body had dried up completely, and he sniffed under his armpits to make sure he no longer smelled. Running his hands through his hair, He hoped his unusually long and matty hair was somewhat presentable as he stood in front of a house, ready to knock. When the door opened. He put his hand down, and smiled at the woman, chuckling disarmingly as he was faced with her stern look. "Donna..." He spread his hands in the universal gesture of ''Here I am''. The little lady harrumphed, "Un of da boys sai'' they saw ya, comin'' up da road, whistlin'' n skippin''. I sai'', ''It cannay be Quin. Ee cannay even walk strai''h.''" He dropped his hands slowly, guessing from her crossed arms there was more to come. He was right. "An if It is ''im, and he can walk, an ee was alri''h, he wud ''ave come see me strai''h ''way." The angry woman took out a broom from the side of the doorway, and his eyes widened, "Wudn'' ee?" And brought it down upon him. "Ouch! Ow! Don!" He jumped around the small space in front of the small hut, dodging the strikes from the twigs tied together at the end. "It hurts!" "As i shud! W''ere er ya?! Ha? T''ree days?!" He yelped as the twigs hit him on his arms and head. The small woman was surprisingly strong. He could see a gaggle of children behind the woman, peeking out from her sides and giggling at his fate. "Do ya ''ave any sense?! I ''as outtae me mind!" "Donna, Donna." He took hold of the handle of the weapon wielded against him and with a twist of his hands, relieved it from his attacker. The woman harrumphed when she realised she no longer had the broom. Putting her fists on her hips, she glared at the intruder on the door, demanding an explanation. He sighed. He had prepared for this. "I''m clean, Donna." She blinked, hope blossoming in her eyes, which she visibly tried to suppress. He could understand that. He had tried to clean himself up many times in the past few years. Nothing had worked. The last time the original Quin had tried and stayed clean for a week. The last week of his life. He had wanted to try, for the little lady with the bleeding heart, that gave a stranger like him food and made sure he was alive. That had allowed him to stay in her barn till he could get his act together. "Really, Donna. I''m clean." "Oh!" She dropped the broom and pulled him in a hug. Her little body was dwarfed by his, but somehow it was him that was comforted. From his old memories, or from her assuring presence, he didn''t know. She pulled back too soon for his liking, patting his back with tears in her eyes as she ushered him in. "Come o'', the'', come i''. ave som''ing ta ea''." He didn''t refuse. She led him by his arm till he was sat in a creaking wooden stool, the throb of children that had been running after him since the doorway, settling on his sides, their wide eyes following him constantly. He awkwardly met the gaze of a little boy, around four years old, and gave a tentative smile.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. The boy chuckled in delight, followed by the rest of the children. "Oi, Sammy, let ''im be." The lady of the house pushed past the crowd of little humans as she set a clay bowl of hot- stew? broth?- something down in front of him. He could see the bits of vegetable mixed in, and was suddenly touched. From his memories, he could recall that the harvest was not the best this year, and all everyone had been living on was animals. Vegetables were a delicacy. He scooped up some of the stuff on the wooden spoon, brought it to his mouth- -and immediately suppressed the gag that threatened to emerge. Under the watchful eyes of his host, he smiled through the tastless, saltless, food in his mouth and swallowed. "This is delicious. Thanks." She relaxed, and patting his head went to the kitchen puttering away. Only when he was sure that she was gone did he drop the next scoop back into the bowl. Phew! Looking around the eight children, four on each side, with their hands and heads on the table -or more of a stump really- as they curiously regarded him, a thought struck. Scooping another spoonful, he held it towards the child closest to him. The child looked at the man curiously, and then upon further prompting, opened his mouth. Eating the spoon of the food, he let out a loud squeal. "Shhh!" Quin frantically put a finger on his mouth, looking around at the small group to make sure they all copied his gesture. With many more muffled laughs, giggles, and secretive glances at one another, he soon started his mission. One, two, three, four, five and six and - whose turn now?- and the next spoonful of porridge!(as Dinah had helpfully answered) went to the raised hand of the kid next in line as he took rounds around the circle, feeding the children and also himself occasionally- he had to eat something!- before the food was finally finished. Unlike himself though, the kids didn''t gag at the food. If anything, they seemed to love it. The clapping and happy children stopped their movements, devolving in more shushes and snickers as Donna came back in the room and made space for herself on the tiny table, dislodging a kid or two. "Do ya wan'' mor''?" She asked as she sat her bowl down, and went towards him with a smaller clay bowl, intent on refilling his empty dish. "No!" He covered the bowl with his body, wincing as the children broke out in giggles. Donna narrowed her eyes. Okay, recover, quick. "It''s just- I''m full." Lame. But it seemed to do the trick as Donna went back to her own food. He watched her intently as she heartily enjoyed her meagre food. Looking around, he could spot oil lamps, and various clay pots littering the place. After they were done, Donna took a small bowl and after uncovering the large pot in the corner, took out water that she drank and then offered to Quin. He followed her example. Wiping her hands and mouth with the rough cloth tied around her waist, she rushed him to the barn. "He will be home soon." She looked around the empty streets with trepidation once they were out in the open, with the moon shining down on them, "You should sleep now." Saying this, she pushed the thick fur-lined blanket she had brought with her in his hands and giving him another pat on the cheek and a ''sleep well'', went back to the house. He would not lie, he was curious. He put the blanket on a pile of hay behind him- his old room- and ignoring the sounds of the animals went to peer out the door towards the house. He had a clear view to the door. From his memories, he could not remember why the secrecy. Granted, he had been high most of the time, and the people he hung out with in the clearing of the forest, with their herbs and medicines (his druggie friends- no use sugaring it) did not help in improving his memory at all. His mind rebelled at the thought of an affair- she was like his elder sister!- so he knew it was something else. So he settled in, and with only a sliver of the door open, started his watch. It was not long before a tall and jacked man came into view. His arms were as thick as trunks and held a large axe, and broad shoulders tapered to a narrow waist. Quin looked at the thin, useless limbs on his body, at the puches of fat in his biceps and stomach, and shaking his head at the comparison looked back at the spartan warrior of a man in front of him. As if he wasn''t intimidating enough, the sharp predatory look in his eyes when he looked around the empty space, and the few houses, at the path to the forest as if determining a threat sealed the deal. His long hair was tied back neatly into a ponytail and his hard face broke into an uncharacteristically warm smile when Donna opened the door and greeted him with a kiss. He watched as they went inside, the sounds of the children starting up again at seeing their father. He hmmed, and went to sleep on his bed of hay. He huffed at his earlier though of an affair, and cleared his mind of any more useless thoughts. For now, he was content. He had a roof, his stomache was somewhat full. Dreams beckoned. Chapter 3- Into the woods "Cock-a-doodle-doo!!" He jerked awake at the first cry from one rooster, the rest following into one of the most irritating symphanies he had ever heard. His eyes blearily opened and he could only make out the darkness outside. He moved his hands till they touched a small rock, which he picked up and threw in the direction the sound was coming from. Screeches and flapping wings, he smiled satisfied and turned around to go back to sleep. Take that, chicken! That is when it happened. The flapping of wings sounded much closer than it had a moment ago, and settled on his head. He shrieked, his hands flailing and head shaking, he jumped up from his bed on the hay as he tried to dislodge the unwanted chicken from his head. The rooster did not move,merely moving from his face to his head. Quin got up to his feet, flailing his arms as he ran around the small barn. He rocked his head, and in a moment of unusual bravery even tried to hit the chicken off. That is when the pecking started. "Ow! Ow! Ow!" Crying in pain, he took a hold of a small tub full of feed, picked it up and brought it down on his head. Tingggg! The metal contained emptied and fell on his head. His head was ringing, and the seeds were splattered in his long hair when he opened his eyes cautiously. Carefully, he lifted the container. No chicken. A clacking sound directed him towards the bed of hay he had abandoned, where stood the rooster, triumphant. Seeing that he had Quin''s attention, he jumped up and down, clucking, and turned away from him. His back moved in a side to side motion, taunting the clearly unworthy opponent. Quin grit his teeth. ''Let it go. It''s only a chicken.'' He took a deep breath, and shaking his head clear of the seeds looked mournfully at the single barred window to the dark sky outside. He scratched his itching face and arms- hay did not make for as comfortable a bed!- and went outside. That is when he became aware of the sounds coming from the house. It was very likely someone had heard the fight inside. Not willing to take a chance, he ran around to the back of the barn, and away from the house. Careful of the noise, he stealthily peered around to the front of the house and sure enough, there stood the large man, brandishing his trusty hammer. Quin pulled his head back behind the wall. He hoped that the man would go away, but it was not going to be so easy. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. He heard him move away from the house, and towards the barn, his steps not as stealthy as Quin''s. Probably because they didn''t need to be if you looked like you could tear a tree in half! Bending down, Quin slowly moved his head and peered to the house again. The shadow was much closer. He carefully removed his shoes, and with his feet pressing into the loose dirt of the earth, padded away as the man neared the spot where he had been. Going to the other side of the barn, he looked back and could just make out the make turning the corner to his previous hiding place. Phew! The much stronger man searched with his eyes, and Quin could swear they rested where he was longer than necessary, but the man didn''t follow him. He went back the way he had come, and stopped in front of the house, his axe in his hands. Quin went around to the back, and still bent at the waist, he duck-walked his way to the small group of trees he could see nearby. A little more... And soon he was in the woods. Breathing a sigh of relief, he chanced a look back. There were no abnormally fit and envy-enducing humans to be found. He stood back up, stretching to open up his cramped spine. A few more minutes of warming his body up, and he was good to go! Quin wandered among the trees, looking at the greenery in the first light of the day. The dew on the leaves, the freshest air he had ever felt embalming his skin. The world looked suspended in the minutes after twilight. The trees were softly moving, the birds were melodiously chirping. The smallest of critters were just starting to move about, right after the nocturnal animals had gone back to their spots to hide and await the arrival of another night. It was surreal, and the most beautiful thing the twenty-first century Quin had ever experienced. Of course, he could also hear the entirety of the village just a few yards behind him waking up, and he knew this was something they had the fortune of feeling everyday. He was never leaving this place. Fingers touching the low hanging plants, the grass dampening his footsteps. He walked without any real direction. And that''s when his stomach started to make itself known. Grrrh Right. On to less important matters now. Food. After waking up yesterday afternoon, he had not had any food. Thinking back to Donna''s stew, he regressed. Any fulfilling food. Good thing he was in a forest! ''There!'' He picked up one of the hanging apples, and after rubbing it clean on his tunic and checking for any furrowed creepy-crawlies, bit into it. The juices released in his mouth, quenching his thirst alongside. He kept walking with the apple in his hand, looking around for more things he could eat. And that''s when he came across it. An entire clearing with dense and large bushes of grapes. He held in a yelp of delight as he rushed to the nearest bush, throwing his second gnawed apple core to the ground and plucking the juicy black fruit off the purplish branches and plopping it in his mouth. He was right, they tasted delicious! With a handful of grapes in his hand, he sat down right there in the clearing. After his very fulfilling meal of apples, they would go great as dessert. Sure, he would have loved to eat something like rice or bread, but this was the next best thing. He slowly chewed them as he pondered. ''Do they even have rice here? They sure had oats...'' His one hand pressed on the cushy floor as the other he raised to his stomach, that had started feeling achingly full. ''Maybe I had too much?'' But it didn''t stop there. His chest started feeling tight. He hurriedly put a hand over his mouth, barely aiming to the side in time. The dizziness, the nausea, along with the fatigue that took over, Quin was quickly overwhelmed. The hand on the floor his lone tangible link to the real world. He looked up, in a vain attempt to get more air in his lungs as he started sweating. The treetops swam in his vision, and soon he was toppling over on the forest floor. Unconscious.