CHAPTER 4

Yes, it was nude, and I wasn't proud of that, but I needed money. I posed naked on fake zebra rug, touching myself lightly, but the photographer was perfectly nice, the make-up woman too. It paid five hundred cash which I took happily.

At a thrift store I bought two pairs of pants and five shirts. From the drugstore I bought a pack of five panties, food for me and my dog, and I had three hundred left over. I walked to Bank of America and opened an account for half, and the rest I put in my pocket.

Back home I fed me and the dog and then changed. I took him for a walk and bought a paper. With my knowledge I pieced together a few trends, went home, and opened an online trading account. By then I was exhausted and passed out, sleeping through until morning.

Day two I woke and bought a few stocks. I bought one hundred dollars worth and traded all day, closing out with four hundred. I got calls from three more photographers and set times for the next three nights. This time, none required me to be nude.

I went to the first one and for three hundred posed with another girl pretending to be boxing with me. After she and I went out to dinner and she offered to set me up with her agent but I declined. That night I rented movies at RedBox and brought leftovers home to share with the dog.

Day three I was up to twelve hundred on the stock account and made another three hundred at a shoot pretending to be a waitress for a new restaurant. I had six hundred in my pocket and twelve hundred in the stocks. Day four brought a photo shoot for a Gothic art project and my cash on hand was nine hundred, my stocks were up to thirty-five hundred.

I took the nine hundred that night and right before close bought a new laptop at Best Buy.

Day five and my stocks went up to six thousand. I cashed out that night all but one thousand to play with. The morning of day six and I bought a car from the used lot around the corner, and a full decent basic wardrobe of new clothes from Target.

I was too scared to see my friends, not sure what they would think, so I told everyone I was sick. I couldn't work my night job at UPS when I looked so different, so I quit and kept to my new schedule.

By noon on day seven I was back up to four thousand with only four hours of trading when the knock came. I locked in the long buys and sold what I needed to and then answered the door.

Alessandra was there, smiling. "Anna, you look good."

"Come inside."

My dog greeted her as usual and she patted his head and followed me into the living room, smiling at the new laptop.

"Are you immortal?"

That shook me. "What? No! I wouldn't wish it even if it were possible. That's a curse, not a blessing."

Sitting, she smiled. "And quite impossible from the magic you had. And did you steal money, seduce it out of anyone?"

I sat too, scowling. "I did photo shoots. I'm not proud of the first one, I was nude, but it was safe. I used the cash to invest, did a few more shoots. I made sure I had the knowledge to invest wisely. I made enough for the computer, some clothes, and a car."

"And what is hardest about your changes?"

"I'm cut off," I said with a sigh. "I can't work my night job because I look so different. I can't see friends or family."

"Would you change anything about yourself?"

I looked down to my feet, an awkward size twelve narrow. "I would have changed my feet to size ten, average width, but I didn't have money for shoes."

"You do now." She waved her hand and I felt the tingling heat. When she was done my feet were in basic sneakers, nice and new, and I looked at them, shorter and wider. I pulled one off and saw the size, saw my foot had changed.

"I passed?"

"You retained your basic essence and morality. You earned your money the right way and didn't hurt anyone with your powers. Nor did you revel in base needs. I would have expected you would have taken a lover or two, why not?"

"I've been celibate for two years. I guess it just wasn't a priority."

She smiled almost knowingly. "Do you object to sex?"

"That's a very personal question."

"I gave you the gift."

"So? Who the hell are you to me?"

She sat down on the couch once again, while I stood. "I'm your aunt."

I sank down and stared. I'd asked about half-siblings but I'd never asked my birth mother about aunts or uncles. No wonder she seemed familiar to me; we had the same eyes.

"I ask again, Anna, because it will be important: do you have a problem with sex?"

"No, not at all," I nearly whispered. "In fact I've had more than my fair share. I decided to be celibate to focus on other things, take a break. I didn't want casual sex but didn't have the time for a relationship."

"Good. Very good. You should know that the memories of everyone you know will match how you look now. All photos as well. The old Anna does not exist. Any knowledge you attained will be backed up with degrees and certificates. You'll find them in here."