The Bear Went Over The Mountain
Steven's POV
I remember when I was a kid I used to see the other kids and wish I could be them. I wanted to be anybody that had it better than me. But I knew that it wasn't possible. But now my friends have actually somehow done exactly that. Yeah it was some strange VooDoo curse that Nikki accidentally cast on them, but they had actually done what I dreamed of doing my whole childhood. I wish I would have been there to know what it's like.
But I watch them and I notice that they seem to be struggling in different bodies. For starters Axl and Duff aren't junkies, but they switched souls with people who were. Now it's Duff and Axl that are learning more about addiction than they probably cared to know. It must suck for them, especially when they aren't used to it. I would be pretty pissed off if I were either of them. But somehow it seems to just be mildly discomforting to Duff and almost humbling to Axl.
All four of them seem pretty adamant about getting back into their own bodies. Nikki and Izzy naturally seem to be handling the situation better than Duff and Axl, but for obvious reasons. It's literally painless for them. They're free of their vices. They don't wake up dopesick. For the first time in years they know what it's like to wake-up without pain. I can tell Nikki really likes that. With Izzy it's hard to ever know what he's thinking, in any body.
The VooDoo man told them that they had things to overcome, that they all had secrets. And they're all running around trying to figure out what those things are for each of them. But they seemed to not hear the part where he said that they had to learn from each other. Thats part of my theory but no one wants to hear it. I think that the things to overcome and the secrets is more a personal matter. Like if they can identify those things about themselves then they can better learn from this experience. I think the true source of it all is basically the same as when I was a kid wishing to be someone else. I think that inside each has secretly wished to be like some attribute they found in the other.
For instance, Izzy being fed up with being a junkie, tired of the bitching, wished he could be like Axl who never gets addicted to anything. And Axl, no matter how much he complains about Izzy, actually admires him because he always knows what he wants. With Nikki I think he likes how it feels to be sober. And Duff, well I think Duff likes the power Nikki has, that arrogant sureness.
Anyhow, they think they're on this big quest to overcome things and reveal secrets, but I think it's far more simple than that. I think they're supposed to learn from one another. I think it's to fill some void their souls have. Something that they need to explore and experience. Something that they wouldn't have the opportunity to experience in their own bodies. It all seemed to just make sense to me. I tried to tell them but they told me to shut up. And maybe I'm wrong, who knows?
My thoughts get broken by the front door slamming. I can hear Duff's voice yelling about being humiliated. Well something surely has Nikki's ass on fire. I can only assume some mishap from being in Duff's body. I can hear Duff trying to explain with Nikki's voice. But Nikki is too riled up to hear any of it. Then I hear Izzy's voice yelling at them to shut up. I don't think I can ever get used to hearing Izzy yell. Nor will I get used to Axl being laid back.
I hear a tap at my window and look up. I see Axl and I know that it's actually Izzy. I cross over to the window and open it. Izzy climbs in with a sigh. "Thanks Popcorn."
"Something wrong with the front door?" I ask him.
"Yeah, Axl's down there. I just don't want to deal with him right now," he explains. "I just want to...to disappear. I want to get high...but I know I shouldn't."
"Did something happen?" I ask him.
He just shrugs Axl's shoulders. "It doesn't matter. Just bullshit."
"What? Are you two fighting?"
"Not exactly," he shakes Axl's head. "I said something I probably shouldn't have. I'm just going to sneak to my room and deal with this shit tomorrow."
Downstairs the yelling continues. Then we hear glass breaking. "Do you think they need a referee?" I ask.
"No, Nikki and Axl just like to yell," he sighs.
"I guess this soul swapping business is hard on every body, huh?" I say.
Izzy just nods Axl's head. "I just hope that when it's over we can all be friends still."
